REMOVAL OF THE AUTHOR TO ITAMARACA.—THE ISLAND.—CONCEPTION AND
PILLAR.—THE FESTIVAL OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY.—JOURNEY TO
GOIANA.—THE TOQUE.—THE COW-POX.
A FEW days after I had sent the remainder of my people to Itamaraca, I
gave up Jaguaribe to its owner, and rode to Recife, where I remained
for some days.
I had been introduced several months before to the vicar of Itamaraca;
and at the time that I crossed over to the island to agree with the
owner of Amparo about my removal, I made a visit to this priest, and
was received by him with the greatest cordiality. As the plantation
of Amparo had no cottage unoccupied at that time, or indeed that was
fit to be inhabited, I requested the vicar to obtain for me a house
in the town, as it is called, of our Lady of the Conception, in which
stands the parochial church of this extensive vicarage. He returned
for answer, that excepting his own residence, of which he was willing
to give up to me a portion, and the prison, no dwellings could be
met with. However, he desired that I would send a person to speak to
him; this I did, and on the man’s return, the offer of the prison was
accepted.
As I had written to mention the day upon which it was my intention to
arrive there, I was received by one of my people upon the shore of
the main land; and the canoe which plies for the purpose of carrying
passengers across, was ready to take me. The saddles were removed
from the horses’ backs, we entered the canoe, and shoved off from the
shore, the horses swimming by the side of it. The passage across, is,
at this its narrowest part, about half a mile. On landing upon the
island, we saddled the horses, and rode for about one quarter of a mile
along a sandy path, which is bordered to the left by the water of the
channel that runs between the island and the main, and on the right
by coco-trees, until we reached a narrow creek, which is not fordable
at high water and in this state we now found it. I left the horses to
the care of Manoel, until they could be passed conveniently, whilst
I followed the man who had come to receive me. We proceeded over the
bridge which was constructed of loose beams, and scarcely safe even for
foot passengers; immediately beyond it we passed by several cottages
with mango trees before them, and then ascended the steep hill, upon
the summit of which stands the town, built in the form of a square. We
entered it at one corner, and near to my new habitation, which was a
large stone building, much dilapidated, with one story above the ground
floor. In the prosperous days of this settlement, when its rank in
the province was considerable, this edifice was raised as a town-hall
above, and prison underneath; but now that the decay of the place had
rendered it unworthy of its former distinction, the building was no
longer kept in repair, and was now almost in ruins.
The island of Itamaraca, which is in length about three leagues, and
in breadth about two, is situated at the distance of eight leagues
to the northward of Recife, and is entirely separated from the main
land by a channel of unequal width, varying from one league to half
a mile. The island does not contain any stream of water, but in the
neighbourhood of the town water gushes from the hill wherever it is dug
for. That which is obtained from the springs in the neighbourhood of
Pillar, is not however good. Itamaraca is, perhaps, the most populous
part of the province of Pernambuco, taken as a whole, the immediate
vicinity of Recife excepted. It contains three sugar mills, which are
well stocked with negroes; and many free persons likewise reside upon
the lands belonging to them[100]. Besides the lands attached to these
works, there are other considerable tracks which are subdivided among
and owned by a great number of persons of small property. The shores
of the island are planted with coco-trees, among which are thickly
scattered the straw cottages of fishermen; and oftentimes are to be
seen respectable white-washed dwellings, which are possessed by persons
whose way of life is frugal, and yet easy. The salt-works upon the
island are likewise one great source of its wealth; these are formed
upon the sands which are overflowed by the tide at high water.
The long village of Pillar, situated upon the eastern side of the
island, is at the present day the principal settlement, although that
which is called the town of Conception, where I now resided, standing
upon the S.E. side of the island, claims seniority, but its better
times are gone by; its situation was considered inconvenient, others
are at present preferred; and if the parish church did not stand
here, and render necessary the presence of the vicar, the place would
shortly be deserted. It has now a desolate neglected appearance,
an unpleasant stillness, producing sensations of a very different
description from those which are excited by the quietude of a place
that has never witnessed busier scenes. Its site is the summit of the
S.E. point of a high hill, which rises almost immediately from the
water’s edge. The square, in which are situated the parish-church,—my
new residence,—the vicarage, a low, long, white-washed building,—and
about fifteen cottages, is very spacious; but large pieces of ground
now remain unoccupied; the houses which stood upon them have been
removed, or have been allowed to decay and fall, giving room to
banana and tobacco gardens. The centre of the square was covered
with brushwood, and a narrow path went along the four sides of it
immediately in front of the houses, which afforded to the inhabitants
the means of communicating with each other. There is one street
branching from it and leading down towards the creek, over which I
passed on my arrival; it is formed of small low huts, and is closed at
the end farthest from the square, by a church, which is dedicated to
our Lady of the Rosary, the patroness of negroes.
The harbour is good, and the entrance to it is commanded by an old
fort, which is much out of repair; the garrison is scanty, and without
discipline. On one occasion I took a canoe, and went down to the bar. I
wished to sound, but my canoe-man begged that I would not, as it might
bring him into trouble; and indeed we were in sight of the fort, and
the commandant is jealous, being an elderly man and an advocate for
the old system of exclusion. The entrance to the port is formed by an
opening in the _recife_ or reef of rocks which runs along the whole
of this part of the coast. This opening is of considerable width, and
its depth will admit of large vessels; but I could not obtain exact
information upon the subject. From the main land on one side, and from
the island on the other, two long sand banks jut out on each side of
the channel, which separates Itamaraca from the continent. These banks
are dry at low water, and at neap tides are not completely covered.
They shoot out so far that they nearly reach to the reef. The bar is
easily discovered from the sea, as it is immediately opposite to the
channel or river into which it leads, and as there are breakers to the
northward and southward, but none are to be seen at the place which
is to be entered. Having entered the bar, some small breakers will be
seen a-head, or rather towards the south side of the channel, unless
the tide is out, and then the water is quite still. These breakers
are farther in than the outermost point of the south sand-bank. They
are formed by some rocks which lie at a considerable depth below the
water’s edge. I tried to reach them with a pole of two fathoms in
length, at low water during spring tides, but did not succeed; and my
canoe-man said that he doubted whether another fathom and a half would
touch them. The passage for large vessels is between these rocks and
the north sand-bank, for the passage between them and the south bank
only admits of small craft. I could not learn that there were any other
rocks or banks than these which I have mentioned. The anchorage ground
is opposite to the fort, and on the outside of it; but opposite to
the town of Conception, which is farther in than the fort, there is
considerable depth of water. Some parts of the ground are rocky, but
others afford safe riding.
The magnificent prospect which may be enjoyed from the clumsy wooden
balcony of the town-hall, compensates in some degree for the dismal
state of the place in which it stands. In front is an extensive view
of the sea, which is always enlivened by numerous _jangadas_ and
canoes sailing to and fro, and occasionally by the large craft that
trade between Maranham and Recife, and by ships arriving from Europe
or returning thither. To the right is the broad channel immediately
below, and the bay which it forms on the opposite side, with the
picturesque village of Camboa upon its shores, and the pointed hill
of the Engenho Novo, covered with wood, rising behind it; but as this
hill does not extend far, and rather rises in the form of a cone, the
river Iguaraçu runs along the plain, and is now and then discovered,
but oftentimes concealed, by the dark green mangroves; these however
sufficiently point out its course, and lead the eye to the white specks
which beautifully mark the site of the higher buildings of the town
of Iguaraçu, peeping out among the vast expanse of wood of a lighter
green, which reaches as far as the eye can compass. To the left is a
narrow and deep dell, bounded on the opposite side by a ridge of rising
ground of equal height with that upon which the town is situated.
Behind is the flat plain, which runs along the hill to the distance
of one league; it is in places much contracted and in others spreads
widely.
The town of Conception was formerly fortified; the three sides upon
which it is enclosed by the steep declivity to be ascended in reaching
it, have been rendered still more precipitate, even than they would
naturally have been, as they are cut perpendicularly to the height of
twelve feet, presenting a wall of earth to those who ascend the hill,
and as the soil is a stiff clay, and the passing and repassing not
considerable, the paths which have been formed through the wall are
still exceedingly steep. On the fourth side, entrenchments were made
across the plain upon the summit of the hill; these were shewn to me;
for it was necessary that they should be pointed out, as they were
almost concealed by the brushwood; and even large trees which were
growing in them. Upon one spot, on the quarter nearest to the sea,
and now the site of a cottage, is still plainly to be discovered the
situation of a fort, and a short time ago a gun, which appeared to be
of six pounds calibre, was dug up.
The distinctions attending the rank of a town were removed some years
past from hence to Goiana, and the only mark which Conception still
possesses of its former importance, is the obligation by which the
magistrates of Goiana are bound to attend the yearly festival to the
Virgin at the parish church.
Itamaraca is one of the oldest settlements of the Portugueze upon
the coast of Brazil. It was given to Pero Lopes de Souza, who took
possession of it in 1531.[101] The Dutch made an attack upon it in
1630, and although they did not succeed in taking Conception, they
built a fort which they called Fort Orange[102], and this is the
fortress which now exists upon the island. However, in 1633, the Dutch
“dispatched such a force as rendered resistance hopeless; the town of
Conception was yielded to them, and with it the whole island[103].” In
1637, the Dutch deliberated, “whether the seat of government should
be removed to the island[104].” This did not take place; the opinion
of those who proposed the plan being over-ruled, but I cannot avoid
thinking that it possesses many advantages of which Recife cannot
boast. The port of Itamaraca may not admit of vessels of so much
burthen as the Poço harbour of Recife, but the former is much more safe
even than the Mosqueiro port. If Brazil was to be at war with any naval
power, Recife might be destroyed with ease, whereas if a town had been
erected upon the main land, opposite to the island, or upon the inside
of the island, it could not be molested by shipping, for it would be
necessary that a vessel should enter the channel before she could
bring her guns to bear. Besides this advantage, Itamaraca and the
neighbouring shores of the main land, enjoy those of wood and water in
abundance, in the latter of which Recife is particularly deficient. In
1645, Joam Fernandes Vieira, the principal hero of the Pernambucan war,
attacked the island, but did not succeed in dislodging the Dutch[105].
The Portugueze again attempted to regain possession of it in 1646; they
crossed over at a place called Os Marcos[106], which is now a coco-tree
plantation, and a large house is built upon it; the property belongs to
a Portugueze cattle-dealer who resides chiefly at Iguaraçu. Opposite
to Os Marcos is the shallowest part of the channel. The Portugueze did
not gain their point entirely, “but the Dutch abandoned all their other
posts to retire into the fort”[107], which was not surrendered to the
Portugueze until the expulsion of the Dutch in 1654.[108]
I happened to arrive at Conception upon the day of the festival, the
8th of December, however as I had many matters to arrange, I did not
see the ceremony in the church, but was invited to dine with the vicar.
I went at two o’clock, and found a large party assembled, to which I
was happy in being introduced, as it consisted of several priests who
are the men of most information in the country, and of some of the
first laymen of the island. The dinner was excellent and elegant, and
the behaviour of the persons present was gentlemanly. I was placed
at the head of the table, as being a stranger; and a friend of the
vicar took the opposite end of it, whilst he himself sat on one side
of me. I never met a pleasanter dinner-party, there was much rational
conversation and much mirth, but no noise and confusion. The company
continued together until a late hour, and indeed the major part of the
priests were staying in the house.
The parish of Itamaraca has now for some years enjoyed the blessings
which proceeded from the appointment of the present vicar, Pedro de
Souza Tenorio. His merit was discovered by the governor, whom he
served as chaplain, and by whose application to the Prince Regent
was obtained for him his present situation. The zeal of the vicar,
for the improvement of the districts over which he has controul is
unremitted; he takes pains to explain to the planters the utility of
the introduction of new modes of agriculture, new machinery for their
sugar-mills, and many alterations of the same description which are
known to be practised with success in the colonies of other nations;
but it is not every novelty which meets with his approbation. It is
no easy task to loosen the deep-rooted prejudices of many of the
planters. He is affable to the lower ranks of people, and I have had
many opportunities of hearing persuasion and entreaty made use of to
many of his parishioners, that they would reform their habits, if any
impropriety of behaviour in the person to whom he was speaking had
come to his knowledge. His occasional extempore discourses on subjects
of morality when seated within the railings of the principal chapel,
delivered in a distinct and deep-toned voice, by a man of commanding
person, habited in the black gown which is usually worn by men of his
profession, were very impressive. He has exerted himself greatly to
increase the civilization of the higher orders of people in his parish;
to prevent feuds among them;—to persuade them to give up those notions
of the connection between the patron and the dependant, which are yet
too general; he urges them to educate their children, to have their
dwellings in a state of neatness, to dress well themselves, their
wives, and their children. He is a good man; one who reflects upon his
duties, and who studies to perform them in the best manner possible.
He has had the necessity of displaying likewise the intrepidity of
his character; his firmness as a priest, his courage as a man, and he
has not been found wanting. He is a native of Pernambuco, and has not
degenerated from the high character of his provincial countrymen; he
was educated at the university of Coimbra in Portugal.
From the state of society and government in Brazil, the individual
character of the person who holds any office of importance makes a most
wonderful difference, and indeed in some districts a man of an active
mind with some wealth, but without any appointment, has more weight
than a person of a contrary disposition, although the situation of
the latter might give him great power, if he thought proper to exert
himself.
I passed some portion of each day with the vicar and his party; the
conversation never flagged, and I often thought how very superior the
persons were with whom I associated, to any that my friends in England
could suppose a country residence in Brazil to afford. I was myself
agreably surprised at the change which I had made from Jaguaribe.
Among the visitors at the vicarage was Joam Ribeiro Pessoa de Mello
Montenegro, professor of drawing to the seminary of Olinda, and the
friend and disciple of Dr. Manoel Arruda da Camara. This priest, during
his stay at Itamaraca, crossed over to the mainland to say mass at the
village of Camboa every Sunday and holiday. I accompanied him on one of
these occasions, and we were paddled over in a canoe. We entered the
cottage of a man of colour, the chief person of the place; a hammock
was hanging in the room, and into this my companion threw himself, and
three or four children of the house quickly came to him, one or two
of whom he took into the hammock to play with. The females made their
appearance to greet him upon his arrival; he was a favourite seemingly
with all parties, great and small. Indeed I never met with any one
who possessed more pleasing manners. He is generally beloved wherever
he is known, but by the lower orders of people more especially, he is
quite adored. I was long acquainted with him, both before and after the
time of which I speak, and I never heard him make use of a harsh word
to any one; his manner and his tones of voice always indicated that
goodness in him greatly predominated. A free mulatto man, of the name
of Bertolomeu, once said to me in speaking of this priest, “If he sees
a child fall, he runs and picks it up and cleans its face, and this he
does not do, because any one is in sight to see him act in this manner,
but because his heart so inclines him[109].” It is much to be lamented
that his exertions have not been directed to obtaining a situation in
which his excellent qualities might have a wider field for display; but
he is satisfied with what has been given to him.
I was much surprised at the manner in which even the people of colour
dress themselves to go to mass in all the villages; if the family
is in a respectable way of life, the younger females wear on these
occasions gowns of printed cottons, English straw bonnets, stockings
also of foreign manufacture, and neat shoes which are made by workmen
of the country. The young men appear in nankeen pantaloons, and jackets
of printed cottons, shirts of cambric muslin, hats of English make,
stockings and shoes. Indeed, of late years, since articles of dress
have been cheap, and have come into general use,—since a subject of
emulation has arisen, and the means of shewing it has been afforded,
every hamlet sends forth its rival belles and beaux.
I was disappointed with a near view of Camboa; but the country behind
it is picturesque, being formed of uneven ground, which is for the
most part covered with wood; and cottages and mandioc lands are
interspersed. The village consists of one street, composed of small
dwellings. The inhabitants are mostly related to each other, and the
free persons are of mixed blood. The clan is large, but there does
not reside here any wealthy white man; they are a quiet, inoffensive
people. The old man at whose house we staid whilst the neighbours
assembled to hear mass, was respected by all the rest; he had the
management of all their weighty concerns, as being the richest person
of the place, though even his property was small; and as he was
connected in natural or religious relationship with the major part of
the inhabitants. When the priest and I went into the house, we found
a large party sitting round a table and playing at cards, which these
persons continued to do until the church-bell rang, and the priest
went out to prepare for saying mass. The majority of the people of all
classes, excepting Indians, have a great propensity to gaming.
There lived at this village formerly a poor man who died of
consumption, dragging on for some time a miserable existence. The
opinion is general in Pernambuco and other parts which I visited,
that consumption is contagious; and from this notion, any person so
afflicted is immediately separated from the rest of the family. A hovel
is erected at a distance from any habitation, and the miserable patient
is removed to it, and is shunned by every one, even receiving his food
without the bearer approaching the hovel. I can conceive no situation
more wretched than this,—to be in a weak and helpless state, and to be
forsaken,—to be doomed to solitude, and to have, perhaps for years, no
thoughts but those of death; nothing to relieve the mind, and to divert
the attention. I know not, however, whether the opinion of contagion
respecting this disorder is totally founded on prejudice, or whether
there is some truth in it; for I have heard from persons who are not
liable to hasty decisions, many stories which seem to indicate that
there is some reason for the precautions which are taken. They are,
doubtless, carried too far; they are insisted upon to a savage excess,
which fails not to bring to the recollection the custom of some tribes
of Indians, who forsake their aged, their infirm, and their dying
kinsmen.
I frequently visited the plantation of Amparo, which is conducted
in the manner which I had attempted at Jaguaribe; but here it was
performed with more system. The owner of this place employed constantly
great numbers of free workmen, of all casts; but the Indians formed
the principal part of them, and as their master, I suppose, finds it
impossible to keep them under due controul, (for the wish to do so
he must of course have,) the disturbances which are raised upon the
estate, and which are entered into at other places by his men are very
numerous[110]. But this person would have done much service to the
country in general, if he had managed to keep them in due order, for in
that case he would have proved the possibility of the introduction of
free men as daily labourers, without the opinion of their unruliness
being unavoidable, having been adopted by great numbers of the
planters. The state of Amparo is often mentioned as an objection to
hired labourers, from the want of reflecting that in the instance in
question, the evil proceeds not from the plan itself, but from its
execution. It is too true that the lower orders of people are unruly,
and upon slight provocations, murders have been committed; but does not
this proceed from the propensity which the higher ranks shew to protect
those who reside upon their lands? Thus they display their influence
with men in office, when they plead for the pardon of a criminal, and
feel a considerable degree of gratification,—of self-importance in
the idea that an individual should have been preserved from punishment
by their means, even though he had only been treated according to his
deserts if he had not been screened. Where government exists in a state
similar to that of Brazil, wealth will meet with few obstacles in the
accomplishment of its purposes, whatever these may be.[111]
In the month of January, 1814, the vicar summoned me to accompany him
to Pillar, to which I agreed with much pleasure. The master of the
grammar school, Ignacio de Almeida Fortuna, who is likewise a priest,
was of the party; he is a man of considerable talent and information.
His advantages have been very few, for he has resided almost entirely
upon this island; and yet his knowledge is far from being limited, and
his love of it is unbounded. We crossed the narrow creek which has
been already mentioned, and proceeded along a path under the shade of
the coco-trees, until we made for the sands. The sea has made great
encroachments for about two miles in this part of the island; we passed
the mouths of two natural dikes, into which the tide enters with great
rapidity, and is discharged again with increased velocity. After a
ride of an hour and a quarter, we reached Pillar, which is distant
from Conception, two leagues. This village is composed of several
irregular streets, formed of small houses of various descriptions;
they are constructed of brick, of mud, and of the coco-leaves. It
is a place of some trade, and is likewise frequented by the small
craft, which sail between Recife and Goiana. The inhabitants support
themselves by their fisheries, by the hire of their _jangadas_ and
canoes, and lately, by the preparation of the outward husk of the
coco-nut[112] for the manufactory of cordage, which has been recently
established in the vicinity of Recife. The fishery of Pillar is of
considerable importance. The largest portion of the fish which is
caught upon this and the adjacent coast, is obtained by means of pens,
that are generally constructed near to low water mark. Two spaces of
greater or less magnitude are marked off, and stakes are driven into
the sand at given distances in quadrangular form; to these stakes
are fastened large mats (_esteiras_) of basket-work made of thick
twigs. An aperture, constructed in a similar manner to that of a trap
for catching mice, is left in the inclosure farthest from the shore,
opening into the second or smaller inclosure, which has likewise an
entrance on the land side, from which runs a fence of basket-work to
high water mark. Thus the fish that come in contact with this fence
naturally continue along it, in expectation of finding an opening
by which to escape, until they unintentionally enter the pen. The
_jangadas_ also go out to sea, and fish with the hook and line, and
many kinds of nets are used. Yet there is at times a great scarcity
of fish, which is rendered by the ordinances of the Romish church an
absolute necessary of life. I was introduced at Pillar to a Portugueze
gentleman of great respectability, from whom I received in the sequel
much civility; the vicar also made me acquainted with a gentlemanly
Brazilian priest, who was a young and well-educated man. The former
of these persons had been the _Juiz Ordinario_ or Mayor of Pillar, in
the year 1812. He had seen how dreadfully the want of due attention to
the duties of this office had been felt on former years, and now he
was determined to act in the manner which his situation required. He
said, that in building great cities, the first public edifice which
was or ought to be raised, was the prison; and therefore as Pillar
was becoming daily of more importance, it was fit that it should have
this requisite edifice. He ordered a number of trees to be cut down,
and in a few days a roof was built of small but adequate dimensions,
and supported by some of of these trees; the remainder of the timber
was to form the walls of the building after the manner of a stockade.
A rude door was likewise made, and a pair of stocks was put into the
place. “Now,” he said, “Pillar will thrive.” He apprehended some
unruly fellows with his own hands; he is a large and powerful man, and
the requisite though dangerous task of arresting the men who created
disturbances was performed by him with apparent unconcern, and as if he
was occupied in any common occurrence of his life. Notwithstanding the
acknowledged benefit which was produced by the administration of this
man, such is the state of government, that interest was made to prevent
his re-appointment to the office on the following year; and this
influence was successful. He was too upright a man to be liked by those
who wished to have upon their estates a number of turbulent dependants.
The inhabitants of the island had entered into a subscription for
building a bridge over the creek near to the town; this work was
undertaken through the zeal of the priests who resided in Itamaraca,
and was about to be executed under the direction of the master of the
grammar-school.
I was much surprised in the beginning of the month of February, at
the arrival of a mulatto slave, who had absconded in November; he
came alone, and without the customary note from some person of my
acquaintance, requesting him to be forgiven. He ascended the steps of
the place in which I resided, with perfect unconcern, and with his
knife in view and a stick in his hand, begged to be pardoned. I desired
that some food should be given to him, and he remained in the kitchen
during the night. However, I could not help suspecting some evil
intentions, for I knew he had been staying upon the estate of a man
who bore me no good will. He went off, by my order, in the morning, to
assist three free labourers in the work of cutting up some trees that
had been felled. I followed him to the ground about ten o’clock, as was
my usual custom. I called him to me, under the pretence of wishing to
have the curb chain of my bridle loosened; he came, and then I put one
hand upon his head, and with the other drew a pistol, at the same time
desiring him to throw down his hatchet and his knife, which he did.
Then I called to two of the freemen, that they might secure him. The
mulatto’s hands were tied behind his back, and I followed him and his
conductors to Amparo, from whence I wrote to my new friend at Pillar,
forwarding the slave to that village. He was there placed in the
stocks, until I could dispose of him, which I immediately entered into
measures for effecting. I never saw him again. He was a bad fellow, and
had twice attempted the life of the persons under whose orders he was
placed. He had run away in November from having drawn his knife, and
having threatened to stab the manager with it.
There is another road to Pillar, besides that by which the vicar
had taken me; it is through a place called Engenho Velho (the old
mill). Sugar works were formerly established here; but the lands are
poor, and the large red ants upon them are so numerous, as to render
their cultivation almost impossible; so much so, that scarcely any
persons reside upon them. Many individuals of the lower classes, first
obtaining leave from the proprietor, have attempted to rear crops of
mandioc and maize upon them; but their exertions have seldom enabled
any one to prevent the plantations from being destroyed by the ants.
Huts are to be seen, out of which the inhabitants have been driven by
these tormentors; the shelter which the roofs afford is convenient to
the ants, and under them they like to form the chief entrances to
their cities. I never saw any other situation in which this pest of
Pernambuco[113] had so completely taken possession of the land. The
hillocks under which they had formed their nests were innumerable; some
of these were four feet in height, and ten or twelve in circumference;
others were of less dimensions, and some of them might be larger.
Some ruins of the mill are still to be seen at Engenho Velho, and there
is a pond near to them of considerable depth, of which tradition says,
that great riches lie concealed at the bottom. I also heard of an old
African negro, who has been manumitted, and now practised the arts of a
_Mandingueiro_, in this neighbourhood. Among the lower orders of people
I have heard his powers discussed. It is said, that he can cause the
death of any one who is pointed out to him; the unfortunate person will
linger for a long time, but his destruction is inevitable. This old man
is likewise a fortune-teller, and is applied to in cases of unrequited
love.
In March took place the yearly festival of our Lady of the Rosary,
which was directed by negroes; and at this period is chosen the King
of the Congo nation, if the person who holds this situation has died
in the course of the year, has from any cause resigned, or has been
displaced by his subjects. The Congo negroes are permitted to elect
a king and queen from among the individuals of their own nation; the
personages who are fixed upon may either actually be slaves, or they
may be manumitted negroes. These sovereigns exercise a species of
mock jurisdiction over their subjects which is much laughed at by the
whites; but their chief power and superiority over their countrymen
is shown on the day of the festival. The negroes of their nation,
however, pay much respect to them. The man who had acted as their
king in Itamaraca (for each district has its king) for several years,
was about to resign from old age, and a new chief was to be chosen; he
who had been fixed upon for this purpose was an old man and a slave,
belonging to the plantation of Amparo. The former queen would not
resign, but still continued at her post. The old negro who was this day
to be crowned, came early in the morning to pay his respects to the
vicar, who said to him in a jocular manner, “Well, sir, so to-day I
am to wait upon you, and to be your chaplain.” About eleven o’clock I
proceeded to the church with the vicar. We were standing at the door,
when there appeared a number of male and female negroes, habited in
cotton dresses of colours and of white, with flags flying and drums
beating; and as they approached we discovered among them the king and
queen, and the secretary of state. Each of the former wore upon their
heads a crown, which was partly covered with gilt paper, and painted
of various colours. The king was dressed in an old fashioned suit of
divers tints, green, red, and yellow; coat, waistcoat, and breeches;
his sceptre was in his hand, which was of wood, and finely gilt. The
queen was in a blue silk gown, also of ancient make; and the wretched
secretary had to boast of as many colours as his master, but his dress
had evident appearances of each portion having been borrowed from a
different quarter, for some parts were too tight and others too wide
for him.
The expence of the church service was to be provided for by the
negroes; and there stood in the body of the church a small table, at
which sat the treasurer of this black fraternity, (_irmandade_) and
some other officers, and upon it stood a box to receive the money. This
was produced but slowly, much too slowly for the appetite of the vicar,
who had not breakfasted, though it was now nearly mid-day, for he and
his assistant priests were to chaunt high Mass. Therefore he approached
the table, and began to expostulate with these directors, declaring
that he would not go to the altar until every expence was paid. I was
much amused to see him surrounded by the blacks, and abusing them for
their want of punctuality in their contributions. There was soon an
uproar in the church among the negroes; the vicar had blamed some of
them, and now when he left them to themselves, they called each other
to an account, and the consequences were, that many high and angry
words passed between them in the church. It was a most entertaining
scene to me and a few other persons, who stood by and heard what was
going on. However, at last Their Majesties knelt down at the railing of
the principal chapel, and the service commenced. As soon as this was
over, the new king was to be installed; but as the vicar was hungry, he
dispatched the matter without much ceremony; he asked for the crown,
then went to the church-door,—the new sovereign presented himself,
and was requested or rather desired to kneel down; the insignia were
given to him, and the vicar then said, “Now, sir king, go about thy
business.”[114]
As the king belonged to Amparo, the eating, drinking, and dancing were
to be at that place; consequently, in a short time our town remained
quite quiet, and I little thought that I should so soon be disturbed.
About four o’clock in the afternoon, Francisco, one of my negroes,
came running from Amparo, and he said that the people at that place
were killing Manoel, who was fighting against a number of persons, by
whom he had been attacked. I mounted my horse, and proceeded to the
plantation with all possible haste. I found Manoel tied to the middle
of a long cord, of each end of which one man had hold, and these
persons were standing in opposite directions for the purpose of keeping
the negro at a distance from any one. His face was covered with blood,
and his cloaths were much torn. I rode up to him, and spoke to him;
he turned round, as if to strike me; but when he discovered who it
was, he cried out, “It is my master, and now I care for no one;” and
then he again proceeded in his abuse towards those who had maltreated
him. Francisco soon arrived, and I sent Manoel home with him. The
overseer of the plantation (for the owner was not at home) chose to
take umbrage at some of my people who now arrived, because they were
armed. I told him that they were perfectly right in coming prepared for
the worst, but that I felt quite confident that not one person present
would think of insulting me or any other white man; and therefore I
sent my people away; he said that I judged correctly of his feelings,
and some others stepped forwards to confirm the words of the overseer.
The negro who had acted improperly, had been provoked so to do by the
behaviour of some of the free persons towards him; but the affair would
not have occurred, if the overseer had done his duty, or if any man of
weight and importance had been present.
About this time I agreed to take a cottage with a small piece of land
attached to it, in the neighbourhood of Conception. It was situated
upon a shelf of the hill, immediately below the town, and opposite to
the village of Camboa. The break in the hill had only space sufficient
to admit of the cottage in breadth, so that on either side it must
be reached by an ascent or descent. The view from it differed little
from that which was to be obtained from the town-hall; save that now
to the left, the town and the church were to be seen half concealed
among the banana plants and trees. All the lands in this neighbourhood
were subdivided among persons of several casts. That which immediately
joined mine on two sides belonged to the vicar, and on the third side
it was inclosed by the channel, whilst on the fourth, a numerous family
of free negroes possessed a small spot covered with coco-trees. These
latter people had been much impoverished by the obstinacy of the chief
of the family, now deceased, in maintaining a law-suit for many years,
about the boundaries of his plot of land. As soon as I took possession,
one of his sons wished to commence law proceedings with me, in spite of
several awards which had been given against his father. I began to make
a fence around the piece of land which I had taken, and he immediately
did all in his power to prevent me from accomplishing my object;
however, as he saw that whatever he said was of no avail, he set off
to Goiana to seek redress by law. This I discovered accidentally in
the evening. In the morning at four o’clock I mounted on horseback, and
followed him to Goiana, accompanied by Fideles, a creole negro, in the
place of Manoel who was disabled for some time by the occurrence which
has been related.
I proceeded through the plantation of Amparo, and reached the spot at
which passengers embark in the canoe that plies between the island and
the main land. The tide was out, and we entered among the mangroves,
through which a path has been made in the mud; it is dangerous to
allow the horse to step out of this, as the slime is deep on either
side. We stood at the water’s edge, just beyond the mangroves, and
hailed the ferryman, until he shoved off and came towards the island.
The mosquitos persecuted us unmercifully, during this delay, and it
was with difficulty we prevented our horses from treading out of the
path. The channel is here much broader than near to Conception; but
there is a bank near to the centre of it, upon which, when the tide
is out, the horses regain their footing; but still the passage is
distressing to the beasts; however we reached the opposite bank in
safety[115]. Here stands the village of Itapisuma, which consists of a
long street, situated near to the water’s edge, and running parallel
with the channel; it is composed of small low houses. A narrow path
took us to the village of Pasmado, a distance of two leagues, where we
entered the great cattle road; we crossed the river of Araripe, passed
through the village of Bû, and about mid-day stopped at the hamlet of
Fontâìnhas. Here I put up at a cottage, and on enquiry found that there
was some dried meat to be sold at a neighbouring hut; some of this was
purchased, and was cooked for me by the good woman of the cottage.
The people of Pasmado are famous for their proficiency in the working
of iron. The knives which are made at that place are in great request
all over the country, and although these are a prohibited article, as
I have before mentioned, still they are made publicly at Pasmado, and
indeed at many other places in the country.
Whilst I was at Fontâìnhas, three armed men came to the door with a
fourth person whom they had taken into custody, under a suspicion of
his being a horse-stealer. It was proved that he had been seen in
company with a man of this description, but he made it appear that he
had been hired by him to assist in conducting some horses, without his
having any knowledge of their being obtained irregularly, and therefore
they set him at liberty. During the whole of my stay in Pernambuco, I
only heard of two or three instances of houses being broken open, and
scarcely of any murders that were not occasioned by quarrels, or had
been committed in revenge; but cattle-stealing is common. I was in the
constant habit of hearing of thefts of this description[116]. In the
afternoon I reached Goiana, and on the following day presented my
papers to the _Juiz de Fora_. As soon as I had accomplished the end
for which I came, I returned to Itamaraca. Whilst I was at Goiana, an
English merchant vessel, called the Elizabeth, had been on shore upon
the south sand-bank of the harbour of Itamaraca. She had been chased by
an English ship of war, under the supposition that she was an American,
and the merchant vessel was also acting under the same idea regarding
the pursuer. The master made for the harbour of Itamaraca and ran the
vessel ashore; and the mistake under which both of them had been acting
was not cleared up until the ship of war sent a boat on board. She
floated at the height of the tide, and proceeded to Recife without much
damage. Many of the people of Itamaraca put off in their _jangadas_,
for the purpose of rendering every assistance in their power, and were
very indignant at the crew refusing to admit any of them on board.
This, I suppose, proceeded from the fear of being plundered, and of
salvage being claimed, as occurs frequently upon the coast of Ireland
in cases of distress. But far from any mischief being intended, I am
confident that a mere trifle (a few gallons of rum for instance) would
have satisfied those who went to offer to assist.
After my removal in April to the Toque, for so my new dwelling was
called, I led a life of quietude; and to one who has not known other
countries, and does not feel that a residence in Brazil is a species of
banishment, it would be a life of great happiness. I went out young,
and therefore had few unpleasant feelings of this kind to conquer, but
when I reflect upon the line of life in which I had taken my station I
am happy that I was removed. The climate, in particular, fascinates
every one; the heat is scarcely ever disagreeable, and the power of the
sun is rendered less perceptible by the freshness of the sea breeze;
the coolness of the night too removes all lassitude, if any should have
been felt. I have often sat at my door when the moon has been so clear
as to render reading by her light, though somewhat irksome, still not
difficult. When the night has been dark, I have watched the lights
which were to be seen upon the sand-banks, that proceed from the land
on each side of the entrance of the harbour; they were frequented at
low water by numbers of persons in search of shell-fish. The appearance
was singular, for the lights seemed to float upon the water.
The house in which I now dwelt was a long low building, situated, as
I have before observed, upon a narrow break in a steep hill; it was
constructed of timber and mud, and the eaves of the cottage were on one
side about five feet from the ground, and on the other they were only
three feet. The door and window were in the gable-end, and fronted the
sea. The principal apartment was furnished with a few chairs, and a
table, a trunk containing my books, and also a large chest, in which
were deposited the _farinha_ and the beans for the weekly consumption
of the establishment; in one corner likewise stood a large jar of
water, and upon a peg immediately above the jar was hung the usual
ladle of the country;—this is formed of the half of the inner shell of
a coco-nut, and has a long wooden handle fixed to it; some rich persons
make use of silver _cocos_, as these ladles are called. The room which
I have attempted to describe, two cabins or very small bed-chambers,
and a kitchen included the whole building. At one side were erected a
stable and two apartments, which remained unfinished when I came away.
Behind the cottage was the shed which covered the apparatus for making
the _farinha_; and yet farther back, in the same direction, the negroes
had formed their huts of mud and coco leaves. I was now still nearer
to the channel, and so immediately above it as to see every canoe or
raft which passed to and fro. The land about the house was covered with
brushwood and tall coco-trees, and there were likewise a few Acaju
trees. However the small wood was soon cleared away, and the view on
every side remained unobstructed.
The first business of the morning was to see that the people went out
to work at the proper time; then the stable and other matters of the
same kind were to be attended to; for in every thing which is to be
done by slaves the master or his deputy must keep his eye as much upon
what is going forwards as possible. After this I breakfasted, and then
either read or wrote, or mounted my horse and rode to the spot upon
which my people were at work. I dined about two o’clock, and afterwards
sat in my hammock smoking; any of the secondary people, or of those in
the lower ranks of life, would sometimes about three or four o’clock
come to speak to me upon business, or to ask or communicate news, and
so forth. Soon after four o’clock, I usually rode out again to see
the work, and returned about five or half past. The remainder of the
day-light was often expended in reading, and at times the vicar or
some one else would come and sit with me until seven o’clock. Sun-set
in retired situations usually produces melancholy feelings, and not
less unpleasant was this period under the circumstances in which I
was placed. The negroes were coming home straggling from their work,
fatigued and dirty; the church-bell tolled dismally at intervals, that
all Catholics should count their beads; the sea looked black, and the
foliage of the trees became rapidly darker and darker as the sun sank
behind the hills. There is scarcely any twilight in those regions; the
light is in a few minutes changed into darkness, unless the moon has
risen. Her light is not afforded gradually, but her power is perceived
very shortly after the setting of the sun. In the evening I sat and
smoked in the open air, and if it was at the time of spring tides, I
had a fire made to windward, on account of the mosquitos, and of a
very diminutive species of black fly, which is called _maroìm_, and
of which the bite is as painful as that of the mosquito; this last
species of insect is there called _morisoca_. The _maroim_ is usually
to be seen near to mangroves. If these tormentors were too troublesome
to be endured, or if I was so inclined, I would close my door and
window, and read or write until ten or eleven o’clock, and then go to
bed; but frequently I would lie down in my hammock, and rest in it
unintentionally during the greater part of the night.
My time passed less pleasantly during the months of June and July,
owing to the rain, and to the removal of the vicar to Recife during
that period.
Through his persuasion, and from the gradual general disposition
of the feelings of the people in favour of the measure, two boys,
resident at Conception, were sent to Recife for the purpose of being
inoculated with the cow-pox; as soon as they returned, the surgeon of
Iguaraçu, a young man of considerable merit who had been educated at
Lisbon, came over to the island to inoculate any persons who might be
inclined to undergo the operation. Among the children it was almost
general. Their parents and friends were told that the disorder was not
infectious, and consequently no precautions were taken in separating
those who were under its influence from the other inmates of the same
cottage. Soon afterwards an elderly woman, the attendant of a child
who had been inoculated, fell sick and died, and other persons were
likewise afflicted with the same disorder. The infection spread, and
ten or twelve persons died of it in the island. The evil indeed was
only stopped by the inoculation of great numbers of the inhabitants.
It was observed that none of the individuals who had been inoculated
had been in danger, and therefore it was soon seen that the wisest plan
was to undergo the operation. A few however were so much alarmed at
the fate of some of their acquaintances, that they lived for many days
in the woods, scarcely visiting any habitation of man in the dread of
infection. It was proved that the small-pox did not exist at that time
upon the island, for every enquiry was made,—much pains were taken by
many persons of zeal and activity to certify that this was the case;
and indeed when that dreadful malady appears in any neighbourhood
the whole country round is alarmed, and every precaution is taken to
prevent communication. Now, it was generally said that either the
boys who had been sent to Recife were inoculated with the small-pox
instead of the cow-pox, or that the cow-pox degenerated and became an
infectious disease. The boys received the matter from a newly-imported
negro, who had, it is true, been inoculated with the cow-pox, but he
might have had the small-pox upon him at the time, though it had not
made its appearance. It is from the newly arrived Africans, that the
small-pox is often spread abroad, after the country has had a long
respite from this much dreaded disorder. One man who resided near to
Conception caught the disease and died; he had only sat for a short
time in an outward room of a house in the interior of which some
children were confined who had been inoculated.
The unfortunate result of this trial of the new disorder rivetted many
persons in their prejudices against it; and others who had strenuously
recommended its adoption began to stagger, and to fear that they had
been deceived; however, as none of those who were inoculated had been
in danger, the people did not appear to have taken a thorough dislike
to it. To me this was a most anxious time; my establishment of slaves
and free people consisted of twenty-five persons, of whom scarcely
any had had the small-pox. They were too many to inoculate at once,
and therefore I cut off all communication with my neighbours. This
was done without much difficulty; Manoel was armed, and was ready to
prevent any one from approaching the place, and this I could do without
injustice, for the path led only to the house. I had several fierce
dogs, which were all let loose on this occasion, notice being given to
the neighbourhood of such a measure having been adopted.
Considerable zeal has been shewn by the supreme government of Brazil in
the introduction of the cow-pox into the country. An establishment has
been formed at Recife, consisting of a physician and two surgeons for
the inoculation, free of expence, of all persons who apply for this
purpose. The inoculation is expressly confined to the matter of the
cow-pox. The establishment has not however, yet fixed upon any settled
plan for having a constant supply of the matter, and therefore the
medical men belonging to it are often obliged to remain inactive for
several weeks at a time.