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

We make an extract from u letter to the
New York Tribune, giving a 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 the ap-
pCarance OF great age, the houses are built of
stone or brick, and are universally painted out
side and inside. The streets are mostly very
narrow, admitting only passage of one carriage
between the sidewalks. The carriages pass
only one way in each street, thus avoiding all
danger Of meeting and passing. The streets
are swept the c~Ieanest Of any city l have visi-
ted. Nothing is allowed to be thrown into the
streets-not even the sweepings of the houses
and shops. There are no large contract is for
cleaning the streets, but each resident sweeps
the street in front of his own house.
~ 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 ointet or dump. The other currency is that
Of bills of the value offfty cents and upwards
what they call na,lreys, These bills are is
sued by the Emperor, and strange to say, are
never redeemable. 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 andSsilver is at a discount of S and 10 per
cent. Our half dollars will pass tolerably
well, but many of the shop keepers refuse to
take the small coin. | went into the mark ct
yesterday, and wishing to purchase an orange
handed the woman a five cent piece, she
shook her head and showed me a dump-inti-
timating that that was what she wanted.
The language spoken by the native citizens
Is the Portuguese. There are a few French
and English merchants here, and four or
tVe Americans. Those who can speak the
French or Spanish have little difficulty in be.
ing understood.
VI should judge that the city was remarka-
bly, well governed. There is certainly much
less crime and outrage than in New York, ac-
cording to the number of inhabitants. have
been here six days and | have not seen the
hrst citizen intoxicated. There are at present
some 5000 Americans from the States here, on
their way to. California, and | see (sorry to say
~ plenty of these intoxicated every day.
"When one of the native citizens gets drunk
they put a tin mask over his face, and fasten it
with a patent paddock behind. This he is
obliged to wear a certain length of time. The
citizens generally are remarkably honest
several facts in proof having transpired under
the observation of our ships company. ought
not perhaps to say honest-for they 90 upon
the principle that all is honest in trade. They
will not ateal-nOr will they keep an article
they happen to find, if they can discover the
owner. These they regard as one of the
greatest crimes, and it is punished with greal
severity. And this, while a man is seldom
convicted and hung for murder. They reason
that one is committed in the heat ofpassion
and the other is a cool deliberate act.
The Roman Catholic is the National reliq-
ION, and no other is tolerated, except unde
; great restrictions. The churches are very nu.
merous and magnificent. Having been built,
most OF them, hundreds of years ago, when i
was the national pride to give money for sucE
purposes. No description can do Justice tt
tn e sPlendor and magniicence of some Of thes,
edifices. The inside of the Emperor's Chapel
which visited yesterday, seemed almost lin,
ed with pure gold.
Yesterday was celebrated with great splehdo
IN commentator Of Christ's bearing the eros
A long procession took place. in the evening
commencing at the Emperor's Chapel and pass
ing through several streets to a church, TIL,
houses through these streets were all illumina
ted: Those in the procession were composed
Of the highest dignitaries Of Church and State
guarded by soldiers. Eight Of the numbe,
have on their shoulders in front, a Sedan, il
, which was enclosed by curtains an image o.
; the Cross, representing the body Of Christ.
The Sedan was richly ornamented will
pure gold. The Emperor followed on foot
a in military dress, as one Of the pail bea
erS-and carrying in his hand tallow candle