Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-24
DOM PEDRO'S PALACE.
Room in Which His Grandfather Ab-
dicated, Making Him Emperor.
HOW HE WAS HONoRED ASA BABY,
Solemn Fooleries Of Court Ceremonials In
the Imperial Days
An EMPRESS DRESS ON BIG DAYS
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH. :,

| late familiar haunts, and the citiZens-ye
loyal at heart to the institutions to which
they and their ancestors were born-take a
much pride in showing them of as befor
they began masquerading at republicanism
One may spend profitable week in visit
ing the several homes Of the late Emperor
and following the paths he trod, acceptabl..
to all men. for more than half a century
First one should hunt up the oldest cit,
| palace Quilt in 1743). in Praca D. Pedro
Segundo, which, up to the last day of tn,
Empire, served as sort of overflow house
for the holding of court receptions, on un.
usual gala days, and was thrown open to the
populace on every Corpus Christi day, thai
they might enjoy peep at the crown plat.
and jewels. There Is nothing palatial ol
imposing about the latter, though it is said
to have cost mint of money. In 1908,
when King Joao VI arrived with his fam.
lily and court, the palace was altogether in
sufficient for the shelter of 50 many persons
So the Carmelite Friars on the opposite
side of the street gave up their convent for
the use of the King, and 1t was connected
with the abode of royalty by covered
bridge thrown across the thoroughfare,
which still remains
A Whole Neishborhood as Q Palace.
Another bridge, of light iron work, also
covered, spanning the Seventh of Septem-
Der street, connects the old convent with
the Imperial chapel. Still there was not
room enough to meet the extraordinary de-
mands of this royal family and their numer-
Gus retinue, aud building after building was
appropriated and annexed, until the whole
neighborhood became a continuous "pal-
ace" For many years Queen D. Maria L
who is spoken of as Jezebel-made her
home in the Carmelite convent. The suite
of rooms on the third floor, now occupied by
the Institute Historico-whose library pos
sesses books of great value pertaining to
Brazilian history-is pointed out as having
been her private apartments.
Many queer stories are told of these early
scions of Portuguese royalty. For example:
1t is said that Miguel, brother of Dom
Pedro L and uncle of the late Emperor,
used to divert himself and his profit
gate associates BY seizing sucking pig from
some poor woman s stall in the public market.
throwing it aioft and receiving it neatly
upon the point of his sword; while all the
mothers thereabouts hastily hid their babies
under their petticoats, expecting them to be
served in the same manner. Sometimes the
sport was varied by the dainty noblemen
throwing up the squealing victims that His
Highness might catch them on his weapon
with less exertion.
Soma Rather Odd Street Names.
To reach Boa Vista Palace take a carriage
at your hotel door and drive down the Rue
Cattete, skirt the bay along the Praya da
Gloria, rattle through the Rua das Man
guerras (street of leather pipes), dash under
the acqueduct arches of Mate Cavallos
(horse-killing avenue); turn into the Rue
then follow the Mata-Porcas fpis-kiii-
ing street), until at last you come to the di-
rect road that leads out to Sac Christavao.
The well-paved avenue has lamp posts set
on either side, and Is lined with handsome
suburban homes set in gardens Of perpetual
bloom, shaded by feathery palm trees.
The huge white building on the left, its
glittering walls and cupola crowning an
eminence overlooking the bay, is one of the
few institutions of Rio which We shall net
visit. 1t is the famous Lazarreto-"Imper
ial Hospital dos Lazoras"-founded by the
Jesuits more than a century ago. and still
cared for by the Brotherhood Santissima
Sacramento da Candelaria- 1t is said to be
crowded all the year around with lepers in
all stages of the loathsome disease, and good
Brazilians never look at its white walls
without crossing themselves and muttering
prayers for the helpless wretchea
The Sights Along tho Way.
You pass groups of mules, with skin-coy.
cred panniers containing fruit, vegetables,
poultry and charcoal on their way to mar
10 !, al -, T. H.
livery of the sun" (black hide), and not
much else, balancing huge baskets of clothes
on their heads; jaunty negresses, tat and
and carriages of the wealthy
with coachmen and footmen in gorgeous
liveries-all so precisely like othersuburban
streets that you are not aware of being
within imperial grounds till suddenly the
great palace looms up before you.
But it is not so near at hand as it looks,
for the drives are winding and circuitous,
md you bowl along steadily at smart
pace for q full half hour-during the greater
portion of which the building is invisible
before you enter the splendid avenue of
mango trees that lead to the main entrance.
you will find yourself in a corridor, or gal
cry, which runs around the four sides of a
7ast inner court yard and communicates
With the principal rooms of the palace.
Fountains are playing in the court below
md bright flowers blooming, as gaily as
when the Emperor and his gentle spouse
ook pleasure in them. The mulatto
oldier who shows you about the place
eads first into long hall lined with paint |
ngs of Brazilian heroes, Napoleonio battle
ields, saints, madonnas and friara
Where Dom Pedro 1. Abdicated.
Most of the floors are of native woods,
attn and rose predominating, laid in mo |
aic. The smallest, but perhaps most inter- |
sting apartment of the suite, has its floor in !
aid to represent an incident well known in |
Iusitanian history-a woman presenting her |
wo SONS to Alphonse. The table In this |
igned his abdication April Z, 1881. His |
ory tells us that the arbitrary temper of |
he old monarch had caused endless con-
which eliminated in . revolu- |
ion, as sudden and bloodless Is that of |
800.
On the memorable morning tho citizens |
at sunrise in the Campo da Santa |
Anna, to demand Of the Emperor that he |
estore the Ministry which the people pre-
erred. The request had been repeatedly |
nd respectfully urged, without avail; and
n this day the throne tottered, for the Ma
ional Guard and considerable portion of
he army had gone over to the side OF the
opulace. An Adjutant was dispatched to
ao Christavoa for final answer; and the
King, unwilling to give in, but
moving himself unable to cope with vox
opuli, abdicated on the spur Of the moment
D favor of his little son-the Dom Pedro
Tho lately died in exile, after more than
alf century of prosperous reisn-then not
ute years old. ,.
Little Dom Pedro's First Reception.
1t is related that the Adjutant returned
D the campo at full gallop, waving aloft
be decree of abdication, which was every
here received with livliest demonstrations
Joy. The infant sovereign was borne in
-iumph to the city, and the ceremony of
is acclamation as constitutional Emperor
nd Perpetual Defender of Brazil" was per-