Page:The naturalist on the River Amazons 1863 v2.djvu/20

 ing a flood of new ideas and fashions into the country. The old, bigoted, Portuguese system of treating women, which stifled social intercourse and wrought endless evils in the private life of the Brazilians, is now being gradually, although slowly, abandoned.

When a stranger arrives at an interior town in Brazil, with the intention of making some stay, he is obliged within three days to present himself at the Police office, to show his passport. He is then expected to call on the different magistrates, the military commander, and the principal private residents. This done, he has to remain at home a day or two to receive return visits, after which he is considered to be admitted into the best society. Santarem being the head of a comarca or county, as well as a borough, has a resident high judge (Juiz de Direito), besides a municipal judge (Juiz Municipal) and recorder (Promoter publico). The head of the police is also a magistrate, having jurisdiction in minor cases; he is called the delegado or delegate of police, from being appointed by and subordinate to the chief of police in the capital: all these officers are nominated by the Central Government. In a pretentious place like Santarem, the people attach great importance to these matters, and I had to go a round of visiting before I finally settled down to work. Notwithstanding the ceremonious manners of the principal inhabitants, I found several most worthy and agreeable people amongst them. Some of the older families, who spend most of their time on their plantations or cattle estates, were as kind-hearted and simple in their ways as the Obydos townsfolk. But these are rarely in town, coming only for