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and even at Petropolis, the summer residence of the court and the wealthy denizens of the capital; but there is a serious obstacle to the success of these journals; it is impossible for them to approach questions of general interest. In Brazil, all discussion soon degenerates into personal debate. The true remedy for such a state of things, would be a better system of education, which is lamentably deficient. If Rio Janeiro, Bahia, Pernambuco, and São Paolo have for some years had schools of law and medicine, it must on the other hand be confessed, that the population of the interior are victims of the most deplorable ignorance. The fault, to speak the truth, is not altogether that of the inhabitants. Previous to their independence, it was to a certain extent forbidden them to instruct themselves in their native land, The young people whe desired to obtain an education were compelled to cross the sea and obtain their degrees at Coïmbra, This condition of affairs has left sad traces among Brazilian families, that were in the very best position for introducing new customs into the country. If you ask a fazendeiro if he is not going to improve his son's mind by instruction, he will frankly tell you that in order to plant coffee and make sugar, his children have no need to know more than himself. Hence, scarcely any, except the few families that frequent the court, or a small number of the wealthy merchants of large towns, consent to send their sons to Europe.^[1]

In the early part of my stay at Rio Janeiro, I thought the example of the French would cause the Brazilians to wake out of their apathy, and give them the taste of exterior life. I was not long in becoming disabused. The Brazilian takes his siesta, smokes or plays in his rooms, The theatre might be a place of , but originality is here absolutely wanting. The pieces are nearly all taken from the French repertory, and most of the artists come from Paris.

The Brazilians have no peculiar feature except the processions and public ceremonies. I select for an example a review of the national guard, On the seventh of September, 1859, the anniversary of independence, every body was in line at Rio Janeiro when I arrived, and things all passed off very well, with the exception of the bursting of a piece of artillery. Nobody, however, seemed to be surprised, as if these little accidents were only a part of the programme. The whites, much more numerous than at Bahia, bore themselves irreproachably, It is impossible to say as much of most of the mulattoes and free blacks. Behind the ranks followed a troop of negroes whom I at first took for simple spectators, I soon saw that their presence was due to another cause. When the signal to break ranks was given, each of these blacks approached his master in uniform, who handed him his musket, sabre, cartridge-box, cap, etc. A number of the mulattoes and negroes even took off their shoes, Those who had no slaves requested their more fortunate friends to lend them the shoulders of their servants, and the poor Africans were soon bending under the weight of half a dozen equipments each, As for the brave defenders of the nation, thus relieved, they went to rest from their fatigues in the neighboring vendas, where they told over the exploits of the morning, interrupting themselves from time to time to sing a patriotic song.

The Brazilian is no soldier. It cannot be said, however, that military elements are wanting in this immense empire. Far from it. If you continue