The European settlers of South America are principally Spanish and Portuguese. They retain the language, manners, and customs of their ancestors; but if the report of numerous travellers be correct, the state of morals is worse than in the old countries. We find the same ceremonious observance of etiquette—the same exaggerated phrases to express courtesy, friendship, or love—the same chivalrous bearing toward ladies—the same pageantry in religious festivals—and the same universal practice of taking the siesta, or afternoon’s sleep, which prevail in Spain and Portugal.
An enervating climate, an accommodating religion, and the degrading system of slavery, have all combined to produce an unfavorable influence on the moral and intellectual character of the people. Slavery is indeed nearly abolished, except in Brazil; but a long time will probably elapse before its baneful effects cease to be visible on the manners and habits of those, who have been accustomed to breathe its polluting atmosphere. The South American women are generally ignorant and indolent, and more governed by passion than by principle. Public opinion is by no means rigid concerning the conduct of married women; but individual revenge is not unfrequently taken, in the form of duels and assassinations. Captain Cochrane, speaking of Colombia, says: “The majority of the women are by no means handsome. They certainly have fine eyes and dark hair; but neither features, complexion, nor figure are good, compared with those of Europeans. Some few have, when young, a little bloom on their cheeks; but in general a sallow or Moorish cast of face meets the eye. The men are far handsomer than the women, and their dark complexions are more agreeable to the eye. They are also better educated, being generally able to read and write.”
M. Depons describes the women of Caracas as “generally below the middle size; mild, tender, and seductive; with jet-black hair, alabaster skins, eyes large and finely shaped, and carnation lips. Their attire is rather elegant. They feel a kind of vanity on being taken for French; but whatever resemblance there may be in the dress, there is too little gracefulness to permit the illusion to subsist. Their principal morning occupation is going to mass, and a great portion of the rest of the day is spent lounging on sofas, or gazing at the windows. Their education is limited to learning a number of prayers, reading badly, spelling worse, and playing by rote a few tunes on the guitar and piano-forte. But in spite of their defective education, the women of Caracas know how to unite social manners with decent behavior, and the art of coquetry with the modesty of their sex.”
The festivals of the Roman Catholic religion are sufficiently numerous to employ a large portion of the time of its votaries; and they are observed with as much pomp in the New World, as in the Catholic countries of Europe. Corpus Christi day is celebrated with unusual magnificence. It is announced the preceding evening by artificial fireworks. The windows of the houses are adorned with gay festoons of silk and ribbons; jewellers sometimes display their whole stock of sparkling gems, exposed in glass cases on the outer walls of the building; at the corners of the streets, through which the procession is to pass, are altars richly ornamented with jewels and flowers; and puppet-shows, with curious animals of various sorts in cages, are ranged on all sides. As soon as the sound of the bell is heard announcing the approach of the procession, all leave their games, and kneel in the street. “At the head of the procession, are chariots dragged along by men; in one is king David, with the head of Goliath in his hand; in another, Esther; in a third, Mordecai; Joseph next makes his appearance upon a horse richly caparisoned, and followed by a great number of guards; these, however, are only mounted on pasteboard chargers. All these personages are the children of the principal inhabitants of the city. To obtain the honor of acting a part in this imposing spectacle, is a great desideratum; and those who are honored, by having their children nominated, neglect no kind of expense: rivalling each other in splendor, they lay pearls, diamonds, emeralds, and rubies under contribution, and put their imagination to the rack, in order to render the dresses of the actors more magnificent. The most beautiful girls in the city walk between two rows of priests, some carrying the ark, and the show-bread, others incense or baskets of flowers. To these succeed young Indians, who, to the sound of a flute and tabor, perform wild fantastic dances. The procession is closed by a detachment of troops, with arms and colors reversed.” These religious solemnities generally conclude with fireworks, concerts, balls, and masquerades.
Doctor Walsh thus describes the great convent of Ajuda, in Rio de Janeiro: “At the end of the chapel is a large quadrangle, entered by a massive gateway, surrounded by three stories of grated windows. Here female negro pedlers come with their goods, and expose them in the court-yard below. The nuns, from their grated windows above, see what they like, and, letting down a cord, the article is fastened to it; it is then drawn up and examined, and, if approved of, the price is let down. Some that I saw in the act of buying and selling in this way, were very merry, joking and laughing with the blacks below, and did not seem at all indisposed to do the same with my companion. In three of the lower windows, on a level with the court-yard, are revolving cupboards, like half-barrels, and at the back of each is a plate of tin, perforated like the top of a nutmeg-grater. The nuns of this convent are celebrated for making sweet confectionary, which people purchase. There is a bell which the purchaser applies to, and a nun peeps through the perforated tin; she then lays the dish on a shelf of the revolving cupboard, and turns it inside out; the dish is taken, the price laid in its place, and it is turned in. While we stood there, the invisible lady-warder asked for a pinch of snuff; the box was laid down in the same way, and turned in and out.”
The disposition to take the veil, even among young girls, is not uncommon in Brazil. The opposition of friends can prevent it, until they are twenty-five years old; but after that time they are considered competent to decide for themselves. The same writer describes the initiation of a young lady, whose wealthy parents were extremely reluctant to have her take the vow. She held a lighted torch in her hand, in imitation of the prudent virgins; and when the priest chanted, “Your spouse approaches; come forth and meet him,” she approached the altar, singing, “I follow with my whole heart;” and, accompanied by two nuns already professed, she knelt before the bishop. “She seemed very lovely, with an unusually sweet, gentle, and pensive countenance. She did not look particularly or deeply affected; but when she sung her responses, there was something exceedingly mournful in the soft, tremulous, and timid tones of her voice. The bishop now exhorted her to make a public profession of her vows before the congregation, and said, ‘Will you persevere in your purpose of holy chastity?’ She blushed deeply, and, with a downcast look, lowly, but firmly answered, ‘I will.’ He again said, more distinctly, ‘Do you promise to preserve it?’ and she replied more emphatically, ‘I do promise.’ The bishop said, ‘Thanks be to God;’ and she bent forward and reverently kissed his hand, while he asked her, ‘Will you now be blessed and consecrated?’ She replied, ‘Oh! I wish it.’
“The habiliments, in which she was hereafter to be clothed, were sanctified by the aspersion of holy water: then followed several prayers to God, that ‘As he had blessed the garments of Aaron, with ointment which flowed from his head to his beard, so he would now bless the garment of his servant, with the copious dew of his benediction.’ When the garment was thus blessed, the girl retired with it; and having laid aside the dress in which she had appeared, she returned, arrayed in her new attire, except her veil. A gold ring was next provided, and consecrated with a prayer, that she who wore it ‘might be fortified with celestial virtue, to preserve a pure faith, and incorrupt fidelity to her spouse, Jesus Christ.’ He last took the veil, and her female attendants having uncovered her head, he threw it over her, so that it fell on her shoulders and bosom, and said, ‘Receive this sacred veil, under the shadow of which you may learn to despise the world, and submit yourself truly, and with all humility of heart, to your Spouse;’ to which she sung a response, in a very sweet, soft, and touching voice: ‘He has placed this veil before my face, that I should see no lover but himself.’
“The bishop now kindly took her hand, and held it while the following hymn was chanted by the choir with great harmony: ‘Beloved Spouse, come—the winter is passed—the turtle sings, and the blooming vines are redolent of summer.’
“A crown, a necklace, and other female ornaments, were now taken by the bishop and separately blessed; and the girl bending forward, he placed them on her head and neck, praying that she might be thought worthy ‘to be enrolled into the society of the hundred and forty-four thousand virgins, who preserved their chastity, and did not mix with the society of impure women.’
“Last of all, he placed the ring on the middle finger of her right hand, and solemnly said, ‘So I marry you to Jesus Christ, who will henceforth be your protector. Receive this ring, the pledge of your faith, that you may be called the spouse of God.’ She fell on her knees, and sung, ‘I am married to him whom angels serve, whose beauty the sun and moon admire;’ then rising, and showing with exultation her right hand, she said, emphatically, as if to impress it on the attention of the congregation, ‘My Lord has wedded me with this ring, and decorated me with a crown as his spouse. I here renounce and despise all earthly ornaments for his sake, whom alone I see, whom alone I love, in whom alone I trust, and to whom alone I give all my affections. My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak of the deed I have done for my King.’ The bishop then pronounced a general benediction, and retired up to the altar; while the nun professed was borne off between her friends, with lighted tapers, and garlands waving.”