ewels: her family she had despatched to her estate in the country; for
the jewels, she had them all packed in small parcels, intending to
escape with them herself in disguise to us, in case of a serious attack
on the city; and she had left a quantity of valuable plate exposed in
different parts of the house to occupy the soldiers on their first
entrance. Everything, however, looks better now; and we assured her we
had seen the first part of one of the Lisbon regiments ready to embark
as we landed. We promised her, that on her making a signal from her
house, or sending a message, she should have protection. She appears
very apprehensive of evil from the liberation of the prisoners by the
Brazilians during the night, and says, that there are some fears that
the Portuguese will seize the forts on the other side, and hold them
till the arrival of the reinforcements daily expected from Lisbon. This
would, indeed, be disastrous; but I believe the apprehension to be ill
founded.

Having comforted my good friend as well as I could, we went on to the
Campo, and found the Brazilians housed for the most part in some
unfinished buildings. The men, though slight, looked healthy, active,
and full of spirit; their horses were the best I have seen in the
country; and, it might be fancy, but they gave me the idea of men
resolute in their purpose, and determined to guard their rights and
their homes.

The scene in the Campo presented all manner of varieties. Within the
enclosure where the artillery was placed, all was gravity and
business-like attention: the soldiers on the alert, and the officers in
groups, canvassing the events of the preceding night, and the
circumstances of the day; and here and there, both within and without
the circle, an orator was stationed with his group of auditors around
him, listening to his political discussions, or patriotic harangues. In
the open part of the Campo were straggling soldiers, or whole companies,
escaped from the heated crowd of the enclosure: horses, mules, and
asses, many of all lying down from sheer fatigue. In all directions,
negroes were coming, laden with capim or maize for the horses, or
bearing on their heads cool drink and sweetmeats for the men. In one
corner, a group of soldiers, exhausted with travel and watching, lay
asleep; in another, a circle of black boys were gambling: in short, all
ways of beguiling the time while waiting for a great event might be
seen; from those who sil