A man tries to cheat his way through the games of a 19th century Brazilian festival, gets caught and targeted by everyone around him!

>”The Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday,” Koster observed, “are properly the days of the *intrudo* [**sic**], but the sport… often commences a week before the appointed time. Water and hair powder are the ingredients meant to be hurled, but frequently no medium is preserved, and every thing is taken up heedlessly and thrown about by all parties, whether it may do mischief or is harmless.” In spite of this critical tone, Koster seems to have enjoyed himself at the *entrudo*: >>Even the blackened pots and pans from the kitchen were introduced to besmear each other’s faces. We obtained here a view of the females belonging to the house; but everywhere else, they had been rigorously guarded or were naturally too reserved to enable us to see them. Some excuse was made by the young men who were acquainted with the family to draw them into the sport; and the ladies and the slaves were nothing loath to see and participate in what was going forwards. A circumstance occurred which created much laughter and which is but too characteristic. One man whom we had met at this place had all along begged of those were engaged in the sport, that they would not wet him, because he was unwell; however, it was seen that he did not observe towards others that forbearance which he entreated from them towards himself. One of our party, seeing this, attacked him with a large silver ladle filled with water… the women made a general attack upon him; he went to the stable, mounted his horse, and set forth; but his misfortunes had not yet ended, for the path by which he must retreat lay under two of the windows of the house, two large tubs of water drenched him and his steed, which immediately quickened its pace, amidst the hooting of everyone present. ____________________________ **Source:** Schwarcz, Lilia Moritz., and John Gledson. “The Empire of Festivals and the Festivals of the Empire.” *The Emperor's Beard: Dom Pedro II and the Tropical Monarchy of Brazil*. Hill and Wang, 2004. 217-18. Print. **Original Source Listed:** Koster, *Travels in Brazil*, 203-5. ___________________________ **Further Reading:** [Henry Koster]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Koster_(author/))