[A Woman’s Journey Round the World by Ida Pfeiffer]@TWC D-Link bookA Woman’s Journey Round the World INTRODUCTION--ARRIVAL--DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN--THE BLACKS AND THEIR 31/34
She generally has them taught how to cook, sew, embroider, or even instructed in some trade, and then lets them out, by the day, week, or month, {27} to people who possess no slaves of their own; or she lets them take in washing at home, or employs them in the manufacture of various ornamental objects, fine pastry, etc, which she sends them out to sell.
The money for these things belongs to her, and is generally spent in dress and amusement. In the case of tradesmen, and professional men, the wife is always paid for whatever assistance she may lend her husband in his business. Morality, unfortunately, is not very general in the Brazils; one cause of this may be traced to the manner in which the children are first brought up.
They are confided entirely to the care of blacks. Negresses suckle them when they are infants, their nurses are negresses, their attendants are negresses--and I have often seen girls of eight or ten years of age taken to school, or any other place, by young negroes.
The sensuality of the blacks is too well known for us to be surprised, with such a state of things, at the general and early demoralization.
In no other place did I ever behold so many children with such pale and worn faces as in the streets of Rio Janeiro.
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