the musicians of the festival, with violins and violoncellos played within the church, and the Olinda men on the outside; and rockets were let off occasionally; indeed the confusion was extreme. Some of the numerous horses which stood in all quarters, tied to railings or to door posts or held by little children, whilst their masters were amusing themselves, took fright and broke loose adding not a little to the noise and bustle. All the affairs in and about the church ended at so late an hour, that the _fandangos_ were deferred until the following evening. The band had been playing close to the door of the vicar’s residence, which was much crowded with several of the first families of the island; and in the front of the house a great concourse of people was assembled. At the moment that the music ceased, an _improvisatori_ or _glozador_, as these persons are there called, set up his voice, and delivered a few verses in praise of the vicar; he then praised Our Lady in a strange style, giving her every fine epithet whether appropriate or not, which came to his recollection. Then he rung changes upon every body he could think of, and I heard the name of Henrique da Costa, to which mine was metamorphosed, thrown in every now and then among the rest. I was praised for my superior piety, in giving so splendid a night in honour of Our Lady. On the following morning every arrangement was made for the _fandangos_. A spacious platform was erected, in the middle of the area of the town, and in front of the vicar’s dwelling, raised about three feet from the ground. In the evening four bon-fires were lighted, two being on each side of the stage, and soon afterwards the performers made their appearance. The story which forms the basis of this amusement is invariably the same; the parts however, are not written, and are to be supplied by the actors; but these, from practice, know more or less what they are to say. The scene is a ship at sea, which, during part of the time is sailing regularly and gently along; but in the latter part of the voyage she is in distress. The cause of the badness of the weather remains for a long time unknown; but at last the persons who are on board discover that it has arisen from the devil, who is in the ship, under the disguise of the mizen-topmast-man. The persons represented, are The Captain, The Master, The Chaplain, The Pilot or Mate, The Boatswain, The _Raçam_, or distributor of the rations,} Two clowns; The _Vasoura_, or sweeper of the decks, } The _Gageiro da Gata_, or mizen-topmast-man, _alias_ the Devil.