the two meet in convention; and as
the number of the Senate is small compared to that of the Lower House,
it can thus always be outvoted. The vote of the emperor can suspend a
law for a year; but if, at the end of that time, it be again passed by
the Legislature, it takes effect. In reality, the government is a
republic, the emperor being the executive, though deprived of
legislative power.

We passed in our walk a house out of which a funeral procession was
coming. It was that of a young lad of our own age, we were told. That
and the neighbouring houses were hung with blue cloth. The hearse and
liveries of the servants, and the trappings of the horses, were of the
same colour. His hands were crossed before him with a cup in them. The
decorations at the funerals of young children are red, those only of
grown-up people are black. If boys are named after any of the saints,
they are dressed in appropriate costumes. If after Saint John, a pen is
placed in one hand and a book in the other. If after Saint Francis or
Saint Anthony, he has a monk's gown and cowl. Sometimes a boy is called
after the archangel Michael, and then he wears a gilt pasteboard helmet,
a tunic with a belt round the waist, tight red boots, and his hand
resting on a sword. Poor little girls, with rouge and false locks, are
made to represent Madonnas and female saints. Jerry and I agreed that
we should not like to be rigged out in that guise after we were dead.

Rio is supplied with water by an aqueduct which comes from far up among
the mountains, its chief source being a romantic and forest-surrounded
spot, called the "Mother of Waters." The actual channel which conveys
sufficient water to supply so large a city as Rio is only nine inches
wide and nine and a half deep. The precious fluid, however, comes
rushing down with great rapidity, and thus quickly fills all the
reservoirs below. It is conveyed from its mountain-source sometimes
across valleys on high massive arches, sometimes in the interior of a
thick wall-like structure, and sometimes underground. The channel has
for its whole length an arch above it of sufficient height and width to
enable a man to walk upright along it. Altogether, we agreed that Rio
if it were not for the slaves and the monks, and the want of drains,
would be a very civilised city. Never did sight-seers get over the
ground faster than we did, or make better use of their eyes. I ought to
have mentioned that