is
delightful to an English eye; and I doubt not that the flat meadows, and
slowly-flowing water, were particularly attractive to the Dutch founders
of Recife. We walked back by the stone bridge, 280 paces long, as we
intended; in vain did we look for shops; not one was open, the
shopkeepers being all on military duty. They form the militia, and, as
many of them are from Europe, and as they all expect to be plundered
should the country Brazilians take the town by force, they are most
zealous in their attendance as soldiers.

At each end of every street we found a light gun, and at the heads of
the bridges two, with lighted matches by them, and at each post we were
challenged by the guard. At the end of the stone bridge, at the ponte
dos tres pontes[46], next to Recife, the guards are more numerous and
strict. In this quarter, the chief riches of the place are lodged, and
that is the point most easily defended. It is very nearly surrounded
with water, the houses are high, strongly built, and close together, the
streets being very narrow, and the strong gateways at each end of the
bridge might secure time to demolish it entirely, and thus render that
part of the town secure, except by the sand bank communicating with
Olinda, and that is guarded by two considerable forts.

[Note 46: A little fort which defends the entrance to Recife.]

We had hardly gone fifty paces into Recife, when we were absolutely
sickened by the first sight of a slave-market. It was the first time
either the boys or I had been in a slave-country; and, however strong
and poignant the feelings may be at home, when imagination pictures
slavery, they are nothing compared to the staggering sight of a
slave-market. It was thinly stocked, owing to the circumstances of the
town; which cause most of the owners of new slaves to keep them closely
shut up in the depots. Yet about fifty young creatures, boys and girls,
with all the appearance of disease and famine consequent upon scanty
food and long confinement in unwholesome places, were sitting and lying
about among the filthiest animals in the streets. The sight sent us home
to the ship with the heart-ache: and resolution, "not loud but deep,"
that nothing in our power should be considered too little, or too great,
that can tend to abolish or to alleviate slavery.

_27th._--I went on shore to-day to spend a few days with Miss S., the
only English lady in the town. She is now living in her brother's
town-