heir old government, frequent changes were unavoidable, but natural;
but now that they are independent, and that they have constitutions,
which, if not perfect, contain the principles of freedom and greatness,
those principles should have time and peace to grow, and to suit
themselves to the genius of the people.

_15th_.--Glennie has been gaining so much strength lately, that he has
determined on joining the Commodore at Bahia; and this day he left me,
to sail in His Majesty's ship Beaver.

After having had him to attend to for six months, and being used to
constant intercourse with an intelligent inmate, I feel so very lonely,
that I believe I must leave off some of my sedentary habits, and visit a
little among my neighbours.

_25th_.--A French brig of war came in to-day from Bahia. We learn that
the ships seen by the Tartar were only a frigate, with a convoy of
transports, on board of which was a reinforcement for Madeira of 1500
men. They will but increase the distress of the garrison, which is
represented as very great, as they have brought no provisions.

_28th_.--I spent the day with Miss Hayne, and accompanied her in the
evening to compliment Dona Ana, the wife of Senhor Luis Jose de Carvalho
e Mello, on her birth-day. The family were at their country-house at
Botafogo; and a most excellent house it is, very handsomely built and
richly furnished. The walls are decorated with French papers in
compartments, with gold mouldings, and every thing corresponds. But the
best decoration, was this night, the presence of a number of the
handsomest women I have seen in Brazil, most of them sisters, or
cousins, or nieces of the lady of the house, whose mother, the Baronesa
de Campos, may boast of one of the finest families in the world. The
daughter of the house, Dona Carlota, is distinguished here by talent and
cultivation beyond her fellows. She speaks and writes French well, and
has made no small progress in English. She knows the literature of her
own country, draws correctly, sings with taste, and dances gracefully.
Several of her cousins and aunts speak French fluently; so that I had
the pleasure of conversing freely with them, and received a good deal of
information on subjects that only women attend to. Soon after all the
company was assembled, the ladies sitting all together in a formal
circle, the gentlemen walking about generally in other rooms, the
ceremony of tea-drinking commenced, and was conducted pretty m