The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1849-06-09

We make an extract from letter to the
New York Tribune, giving most interesting
sketch Of this city;
Rio, as it is usually called contains about
100000 inhabitants. Seven eighths Of these
are blacks and slaves. The Emperor Don Pc
dro II, resides here. The town has tho APP
pcaranco OF great age, the houses are built OF
stone or brick, and are universally painted out
side and inside. Tao streets are mostly very
narrow, admitting only passage OF one carriage
between the sidewalks. he carriages pass
only one way in each street, thus avoiding all
danger OF meeting and passing. The streets
are swept the cloanest OF any city have vjsi-
ted. Nothing is allowed to be thrown into the
straets-not even the sweepings of the houses
and shops. There arc no large contrac Is for
cleaning the streets, but each resident sweeps
the street in front of his own house.
81 was surprised to learn that there was no
national coin in the country but copper. They
have no gold and silver The copper coin is of
the denomination OF one and two cent pieces
a rintet or d,Alp. The other currency is that
of bills Of the value of fifty cents and upwards
what they cali nnireys. These bills are is
sued by the Emperor, and strange to say, are
never redeemabe. They are taken at the
Customhouse, and by the citizens for any kind
of goods or property. They are regarded as
the very best currency. Even our \ american
gold and,silvor is at discount Of 5 and 10 per
cent. Our half dollars will pass tocrnbly
well, but many Of the shop keepers refuse to
tako the small coin. went into the market
yesterday, and wishing to purchase an orange
| handed the woman five cent piece, she
shook her head and showed me dump--inti-
timatng that that was what she wanted.
The language spoken by the native citizens
is the Portuguese. There arc few French
and English merchants here, and four or
five Americans. Those who can speak the
French or Spanish have little difficulty in be.
ing understood.
~ should Judge that the city was remarla-
bly, well governed. There is certainly much
less crime and outrage than in New York, nc.
cording to the number Of inhabitants. have
been here six days and | have not seen the
first citizen intoxicated. There are at present
some 5000 Americans from the States here, on
their way to California, and see (sorry to saw
) plenty of these intoxicated every day.
"Whcn one Of the native citizens gets drunk
they put a tin mask over his face, aud fasten it
with a patent paddock behind. This he il
Obliged 10 wear certain length Of time. The
citizens generally are remarkably bonest-
several facts in proor bayiny transpirod undor
the observation Of our ships company. fought
not perhaps to say honest-ior they 20 upon
the principle that all is honest in trade. They
will not steal-nor will they keep an article
they happen TO find. if they can discover the
owner. These they REGARD as one of the
preatest crimes. and il is punished with greot
severity. And this, while a man is seldom
convicted and HING for murder. Tbcv rcasop
that one is committed in tho hen, ofpassion.
and tho other Is n cool deliberatcoct
Tho Roman Catholic i. ,,e National rsl,s-