onable.

Returning from chapel, we saw great part of the troops drawn up in
inspecting order, on the little green between _Buenos Ayres_ (the name
of the hospital) and Fort Pedro. Every Portuguese is, it seems, by birth
a soldier; and nothing exempts a man from military duty, but his holding
a place under government. There are six corps of militia in the city of
Bahia: 1st, one company of mounted gentlemen, forming the government
guard of honour; 2d, one squadron of flying artillery; 3d and 4th, two
regiments of whites, almost all tradespeople; 5th, one regiment of
mulatoes; and 6th, one of free blacks, amounting altogether to 4000 men,
well armed and equipped; but the black regiment is unquestionably the
best trained, and most serviceable, as a light infantry corps. The
regiments of country militia, as those of Cachoeira, Piraja, &c. are much
stronger, and with those of the city, amount to about 15,000 men. The
officers are chosen from among the most respectable families, and with
the exception of the majors and adjutants, who are of the line, receive
no pay.

The troops of the capital are generally reviewed or inspected on
Sundays, and sometimes the regular Portuguese are reviewed with them.
There is always something gay and inspiriting in martial sounds and
martial sights; and the fine weather, gay landscape, and above all, the
idea that in a day or two, nay, this very night, these same soldiers
might be called into action, did not render the scene less interesting.
The native artillery have long garrisoned some of the forts. It appears
that the royal troops of Portugal have claimed some superiority, and
above all, have demanded their guns and ammunition; and so there is a
dispute, in which the royalists and independents take part, and every
day hostilities are expected; but both parties seem so willing to be
peaceable, that I trust the matter will end without bloodshed.

_Monday, 22d._--This evening there was a large party, both Portuguese
and English, at the consul's. In the well-dressed women I saw to-night,
I had great difficulty in recognising the slatterns of the other
morning. The senhoras were all dressed after the French fashion: corset,
fichu, garniture, all was proper, and even elegant, and there was a
great display of jewels. Our English ladies, though quite of the second
rate of even colonial gentility, however, bore away the prize of beauty
and grace; for after all, the clothes, however elegant, that