Page:Historical records of Port Phillip.djvu/88

 76 EARLY RECOEDS OF PORT PHILLIP. of these were the Beuedictine and the Carmelite ; oue dedicated to St. Antony, another to our Lady of Assistance, and another to Sta Theresa; the two last were for the reception of nuns. The Convent D. Ajuda, or of Assistance, received as pensioners, or boarders, the young ladies having lost their parents, who were allowed to remain, conforming to the rules of the convent, until married, or otherwise provided for by their friends. The whole of the churches are under a bishop, whose palace was in the town, a short distance from one of the principal convents (Benedictine). To a stranger nothing could appear more remarkable than the innumerable religious processions which were to be seen at all hours in this town. At the close of every day an image of the Virgin was borne in procession through the principal streets, the attendants arrayed in white surplices, and bearing in their hands lighted tapers, chanting at the same time praises to her in Latin ; to this, as well as to all other religious processions, the guards turned out, grounded their arms, kneeled, and shewed the most submissive marks of respect, and the bells of each church or convent in the vici- nity of their progress sounded a peal while they were passing, and people assembled at their windows. Every church, chapel, or convent being under the auspicies of some tutelary saint, particular days were set apart as the festival of each, which were opened with public prayers, and concluded with i)rocessious, music, [indJire?vorks. During several hours after dark, on these solemn festivals, the inhabitants are seen walking to and from the church, dressed in their best habiliments, accompanied by their children, and attended by their slaves and car- riages. We were informed that they never permitted any base metals near their alters, all their vessels, &c., being of the purest gold or silver. At the corner of almost every street in the town was observed a small alter, dedicated generally to the Virgin, and decorated with curtains and lamps, before these alters, at the close of every evening, the Negroes assembled to chant their vespers, kneeling together in long rows in the street. The tradespeople of the town have adopted a regulation which must prove of infinite convenience to strangers as well as the inhabitants ; we found the people of one profession -^or trade dwelling together in one, two, or as many streets as were neces- sary for their numbers to occupy. Houses here were built, after the fashion of Santa Cruz, with a small wooden balcony over the enterance ; to the eye accustomed to the cheerful appearance of glass windows a certain gloom seemed to pervade even their best and widest streets, the light being conveyed through window frames of close lattice-work. The women of Eio De Janeiro, hcmg within the tropics, do not possess the best complexions, but their features were expressive ; the eye dark and lively ; the hair was dark, this they mostly wore with powder, strained to a high point before and tied in several folds behind. The mines, the greatest source of revenue to the Crown of Portugal and in the government of this place, the great cause of jealousy both of strangers and the inhabitants, were situated more than a week's jour- ney hence, except some which had been lately discovered in the moun- tains (the Organ Hills) near the town. Sufficient employment was found for the Mint, at which was struck all the coin that was cur- rent here besides what was sent to Europe. The dimond trade had