im. We landed at the arsenal, or rather dock-yard,
where there is nothing of the neatness observable in such establishments
at home. The first object we saw, however, was a fine 58-gun frigate on
the stocks, the model of which I hear connoisseurs praise as beautiful.
There is nothing besides the new ship, and some handsome pieces of old
brass cannon, worth looking at. Every thing is visibly either suspended
or on the decline, and there will probably be no improvement, until the
political state of Brazil is a little more settled. We find things here,
though not quite so unquiet as at Pernambuco, yet tending the same way.

The street into which we proceeded through the arsenal gate, forms, at
this place, the breadth of the whole lower town of Bahia, and is,
without any exception, the filthiest place I ever was in. It is
extremely narrow, yet all the working artificers bring their benches,
and tools into the street: in the interstices between them, along the
walls, are fruit-sellers, venders of sausages, black-puddings, fried
fish, oil and sugar cakes, negroes plaiting hats or mats, caderas, (a
kind of sedan chair,) with their bearers, dogs, pigs, and poultry,
without partition or distinction; and as the gutter runs in the middle
of the street, every thing is thrown there from the different stalls, as
well as from the windows; and there the animals live and feed! In this
street are the warehouses and counting-houses of the merchants, both
native and foreign. The buildings are high, but neither so handsome nor
so airy as those of Pernambuco.

It was raining when we landed; therefore, as the streets leading out of
the filthy lower town do not admit of the use of wheeled carriages, on
account of the steepness of the ascent, we hired caderas, and found
them, if not comfortable, at least commodious. They consist of a cane
arm-chair, with a foot-board and a canopy covered with leather;
curtains, generally of moreen, with gilt bordering and lined with cotton
or linen, are contrived to draw round, or open at pleasure; and the
whole is slung by the top to a single pole, by which two negroes carry
it at a quick pace upon their shoulders, changing occasionally from
right to left.[63]

[Illustration]

[Note 63: When Frezier travelled, a cotton hammock with a canopy was
used.]

As we ascended from the street, every step brought us in sight of some
beautiful scene, generally terminated by the bay and shipping. There is
something i