they outgo his doctrines on politics, and
equal his indecency as to religion; hence to sober people who have seen
through the European revolutions, their discourses are sometimes
disgusting. The Portuguese seldom dine with each other; when they do, it
is on some great occasion, to justify a splendid feast: they meet every
evening either at the play, or in private houses, and in the last case
gamble very deeply. The English society is just such as one may expect.
A few merchants, not of the first order, whose thoughts are engrossed by
sugars and cottons, to the utter exclusion of all public; matters that
do not bear directly on their private trade, and of all matters of
general science or information. Not one knew the name of the plants
around his own door; not one is acquainted with the country ten miles
beyond St. Salvador's; not one could tell me even the situation of the
fine red clay, of which the only manufacture, pottery, here is made: in
short, I was completely out of patience with these incurious
money-makers. I was perhaps unjust to my countrymen: I dare say there
are many who _could_ have told me these things, but I am sure none _did_
tell me, and equally sure that I asked information of all I met with.
But a woman is not, I believe, considered as privileged to know any
thing by these commercial personages. The English are, however,
hospitable and sociable among each other. They often dine together: the
ladies love music and dancing, and some of the men gamble as much as the
Portuguese. Upon the whole, society is at a low, very low scale here
among the English. Good eating and good drinking they contrive, to have,
for the flesh, fish, and fowl are good; fruits and vegetables various
and excellent, and bread of the finest. Their slaves, for the English
are all served by slaves, indeed, eat a sort of porridge of mandioc meal
with small squares of jerked beef stirred into it, or, as their greatest
luxury, stewed caravansas; and this is likewise the principal food of
the lower classes even of the free inhabitants. In the fruit season,
pumpkins, jackfruit, cocoa-nut, and melons, nearly take place of the
mandioc. The huts of the poor are formed of upright poles, with branches
of trees wattled between, and covered and lined either with cocoa-leaf
mats, or clay; the roofs are also thatched. The better houses are built
either of a fine blue stone, quarried on the beach of Victoria, or of
brick. They are all white-washed