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AND THE
BRAILINS


PORTRAYED IN
HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES.
BY
REv. D. P. KIDDER, D.D., AND REV. J. C. FLETCHER.


ILLUSTRATED BY
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY ENGRAVINGS.
PHILADELPHIA:
CHILDS & PETERSON.
18 57.




Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by
CIIILDS & PETERSON,
in the Clerk's Office of the District. Court of the United States for the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania.
STEREOTYPED BY L. JOHNSON & CO.
PHILADELPHIA.
PRINTED BY DEACON & PETERSON.
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PREFACE.


THE popular notion of Brazil is,
to a certain extent, delineated in
the accompanying side-illustrations.
Mighty rivers and virgin forests,?~    palm-trees and jaguars, anacondas
and alligators, howling monkeys
and screaming parrots, diamond-mining,
revolutions, and earthquakes, are the component parts of the picture formed in the
mind's eye. It is probably hazarding nothing to say that a very large majority of
B:   general readers are better acquaint5^y\   ed with China and India than with
Brazil. How few seem to
I be aware that in the distant
A    ef Southern Hemisphere is a
stable constitutional monarchy, and a growing nation, occupying a territory
of greater area than that
of the United States, and
-- -_      that the descendants of the
8


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4


PREFACE.


Portuguese hold the same relative position in South America
as the descendants of the English in the northern half of the
New World! How few Protestants are cognizant of the
fact that in the territory of Brazil the Reformed religion was
first proclaimed on the Western Continent!
The following work, by two whose experience in the Brazilian Empire embraces a period of twenty years, endeavors
faithfully to portray the history of the country, and, by a narrative of incidents connected with travel and residence in the
land -of the Southern Cross, to make known the manners,
customs, and advancement of the most progressive people
south of the Equator,
While "Itineraries" relating to journeys of a few months in
various portions of the Empire have been recently published,
no general work on Brazil has been issued in Europe or
America since the "Sketches" of the senior author, (D. P. K.,)
which was most favorably received in England and the United
States, but has long been out of print.
Although the present volume is the result of a joint effort,
the desire for greater uniformity caused the senior author
to place his contributions in the hands of his
junior colleague, (J. C.F.,) with the permission
to use the name of the former in the third
person singular. The amount of matter from
^^ ^....     ~    each  pen is, however, more
'   nearly equal than at first sight
'~         ~             would appear.
The  authors have consult-:' s: -- ~    >  ~ed every important work in
French, German, English, and
Portuguese, that could throw
-...'.....^  ~        light on the history of Brazil,
= _.~~




PREFACE.


5


and likewise various published memoirs and discourses
read  before the    flourishing   "Geographical and       Historical
Society" at Rio de Janeiro. For statistics they have either
personally examined the Imperial and provincial archives, or
have quoted directly from Brazilian state papers.
For important services, the authors are happy to acknowledge their indebtedness to Conselheiro J. F. de Cavalcanti de
Albuquerque, His Brazilian Majesty's Minister-Plenipotentiary
at Washington, and M. le Chevalier d'Aguiar, Brazilian Consul-General at New      York; to     Hon. Ex-Governor Kent, of
Maine, and Ferdinand Coxe, Esq., of Philadelphia, both of
whom held high diplomatic positions at Rio de Janeiro; to
Hon. Judge J. U. Petit, formerly Consul in one of the most important Northern provinces of Brazil; to Mrs. L. A. Cuddehy,
late of Rio de Janeiro; and to Rev. H. A. Boardman, D.D., of
Philadelphia. They also express their obligations to Mr. D.
Bates, Thos. Rainey, M.D., and to A. R. Egbert, M.D., for
valuable contributions to the Appendix.
The numerous illustrations are, with few exceptions, either from sketches, or
daguerreotype views taken on the spot, and have been faithfully as well as skilfully executed by Messrs. Van Ingen & Snyder, of Philadelphia. The accompanying
map, prepared by Messrs. J. H. Colton & Co., is probably the most perfect ever published of an Empire which has never been surveyed. In 1855 the junior author
travelled more than three thousand miles in Brazil, making corrections of this map
as he journeyed; and his sincere thanks are heartily given to Senhor John Lisboa,
of Bahia, who has devoted himself to the geography of his native land.




THE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE.


TEE Portuguese language is universally spoken in Brazil. It is not a dialect
of the Spanish, as many suppose, but, as Vieyra says, is the eldest daughter
of the Latin. It is much more masculine than the Castilian, and in its strength,
compactness, and expressiveness clearly indicates its Roman parentage. Sismondi, Schlegel, and Southey have fully treated of Portuguese literature, and
their opinion is given in the pages of this work. Mr. Pickering, the lexicographer, was an excellent Portuguese scholar, but, besides Mr. Longfellow,
there are probably not three literati in the United States acquainted with the rich
language and belles-lettres of Lusitania. We are glad to learn that Messrs. Appleton
are about to add to their Ollendorf series a "Method for learning Portuguese," and
hope that many of our countrymen will thus be induced to acquire the beautiful
language of de Camoes.
The term Dom (dominus) is not used indiscriminately, like the Don of the Spanish,
but is only applied by the Portuguese and their descendants to monarchs, princes,
and bishops.
The termination go is pronounced oun,-thus, nao (not) is pronounced like the
English word noun. Words ending in oes are pronounced by inserting an n
between e and s; thus, de Camoes-(Eng. de Camoens.)
One milreis, (a thousand reis,-nearly equal to fifty cents,) the Brazilian coin so
frequently mentioned in these pages, is always represented by the dollar sign after
the mil: thus, 6$500 is five mil, five hundred reis,-not quite three dollars. On
page 170 read "fifty milreis, (about twenty-five dollars,)" and not "fifty milreis,
(about twenty-five cents.)"
6




CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE
The Bay of Rio de Janeiro-Historic Reminiscences-First Sight of the TropicsEntrance to the Harbor-Night-Scenes-Impressions of Beauty and GrandeurGardner and Stewart-The Capital of Brazil-Distinction of Rio de Janeiro........ 13
CHAPTER II.
Landing-Hotel Pharoux-Novel Sights and Sounds-The Palace Square-Rua
Direita- Exchange- The "Team" - Musical Coffee-Carriers- Custom-HouseLessons in Portuguese, and Governor Kent's Opinion of Brazil-Post-Office-Dislike of Change-Senhor Jos6 Maxwell-Rua do Ouvidor-Shops and FeatherFlowers-The Brazilian Omnibus can be full-Narrow Streets and Police-Regulations-A Suggestion to relieve Broadway, New York-Passeio Publico-Brazilian Politeness-The "Gondola"-The Brazilian imperturbable-Lack of Hotels
- First Night in  Rio  de Janeiro...................................................................  24
CHAPTER III.
Discovery of South America-Pinzon's Visit to Brazil-Cabral-Coelho-Americus
Vespucius-The Name " Brazil"-Bay of Rio de Janeiro-Martin Affonso de Souza
-Past Glory of Portugal-Coligny's Huguenot Colony-The Protestant Banner
first unfurled in the New World —Treachery of Villegagnon - Contest between
the Portuguese and the French-Defeat of the Latter-San Sebastian foundedCruel Intolerance-Reflections............................................ 46
CHAPTER IV.
Early State of Rio-Attacks of the French-Improvements under the ViceroysArrival of the Royal Family of Portugal-Rapid Political Changes-Departure of
Dom John VI.-The Viceroyalty in the Hands of Dom Pedro-Brazilians dissatisfied with the Mother-Country-Declaration of Independence-Acclamation of
Dom   Pedro  as  Emperor...............................................................................  61
CHAPTER V.
The Andradas-Instructions of the Emperor to the Constituent Assembly-Dom
Pedro I. dissolves the Assembly by Force-Constitution framed by a Special Commission-Considerations of this Document-The Rule of Dom Pedro I.-Causes of
Dissatisfaction-The Emperor abdicates in favor of Dom Pedro II.................... 73
7




8                               CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VI.
PAGE
The Praia do Flamengo-The Three-Man Beetle-Splendid Views-The Man who
cut down a Palm-Tree-Moonlight-Rio "Tigers"-The Bathers-Gloria HillEvening Scene-The Church-Marriage of Christianity and Heathenism-A Sermon in Honor of Our Lady-Festa da Gloria-The Larangeiras-Asccnt of the
Cercovado-The  Sugar-Loaf........................................................................  86
CHAPTER VII.
Brotherhoods-Hospital of San Francisco de Paula-The Lazarus and the Rattlesnake-Misericordia-Sailors' Hospital at Jurujuba-Foundling-Hospital-Recolhimento for Orphan-Girls-New Misericordia-Asylum for the Insane-Jose
d'Anchieta, Founder of the Misericordia-Monstrous Legends of the Order-Friar
John  d'Almeida-Churches-Convents.................................................... 107
CIIHAPTER VIII.
Illumination of the City-Early to Bed-Police-Gambling and Lotteries-Municipal Government-Vaccination-Beggars on Horseback-Prisons-Slavery-Brazilian Laws in favor of Freedom-The Mina Hercules-English Slave-Holders-.     Slavery in Brazil Doomed.......................................................................... 124
CHAPTER IX.
Religion-The Corruption of the Clergy-Monsignor Bedini-Toleration among the
Brazilians- The Padre-Festivals- Consumption of Wax-The Intru4o-Proccssizns-Anjinhos-Santa Priscilliana-The Cholera not cured by Processions..... 140
CHAPTER X.
The Home-Feeling-Brazilian Houses-The Girl-The Wife-The Mother-Moorish
Jealousy-Domestic Duties-Milk-Cart on Legs-Brazilian Lady's Delight-Her
Troubles-The Marketing and Watering-Kill the Bixo-Boston Apples and Ice
-Family Recreations-The Boy-The Collegio-Common-Schools-Highest Academies of Learning-The Gentleman-Duties of the Citizen-Elections-Political
Parties-Brazilian Statesmen-Nobility-Orders of Knighthood......................... 161
CHAPTER      XI.
Praia Grande-San Domingo-Sabbath-Keeping-Mandioca-Ponte de Area-View
from Inga-The Armadillo-Commerce of Brazil-The Finest Steamship Voyage
in the World-American Seamen's Friend Society-The English Cemetery-English Chapel - Brazilian Funerals - Tijuca- Bennett's- Cascades - ExcursionsBotanical Gardens-An Old Friend-Home.................................................. 187
CHAPTER XII.
The Campo Santa Anna-The Opening of the Assemblea Geral-History of Events
succeeding the Acclamation of Dom Pedro II.-The Regency-Constitutional
Reform-Condition of Political Parties before the Revolution of 1840-Debates in
the House of Deputies-Attempt at Prorogation-Movement of Antonio Carlos-  i
Deputation to the Emperor-Permanent Session-Acclamation of Dom Pedro's




CONTENTS.


9


PAGl
Majority-The Assembly's Proclamation- Rejoicings- New Ministry-Public
Congratulations-Real State of Things-Ministerial Programme-Preparations for
the Coronation-Change of Ministry-Opposition come into Power-Coronation
postponed-Splendor of the Coronation-Financial Embarrassments-Diplomacy
-Dissolution of the Camuara-Pretext of Outbreaks-Council of State-Restoration of Order-Sessions of the Assembly-Imperial Marriages-Ministerial Change
-Present Condition................................................................................... 211
CHAPTER XIII.
The Emperor of Brazil-His Remarkable Talents and Acquirements-New York
Historical Society-The First Sight of D. Pedro II.-An Emperor on Board an
American Steamship-Captain Foster and the " City of Pittsburg" —Iow D. Pedro
II. was received by the " Sovereigns"-An Exhibition of American Arts and Manufactures-Difficulties overcome-Visit of the Emperor-His Knowledge of American
Authors-Success among the People-Visit to the Palace of S. Christovao-Longfellow, Hawthorne, and  W ebster.................................................................. 231
CHAPTER XIV.
Brazilian Literature-The Journals of Rio de Janeiro-Advertisements-The Freedom
of the Press-Effort to put down Bible-Distribution-Its Failure-National Library
-Museum-Imperial Academies of Fine Arts-Societies-Brazilian Historical and
Geographical Institute-Administration of Brazilian Law-Curious Trial............ 251
CHAPTER XV.
The Climate of Brazil-Its Superiority to other Tropical Countries-Cool ResortsTrip to St. Alexio-Brazilian Jupiter Pluvius-The Mulatto Improvisor-Sydney
Smith's "Immortal" Surpassed-A Lady's Impressions of Travel-An American
Factory-A Yankee House-The Ride up the Organ Mountains-Forests, Flowers,
and Scenery-Speculation in Town-Lots-Boa Vista-Height of the Serra dos
Orgoes-Constancia-The "Happy Valley"-The Two Swiss Bachelors-Youth
renewed - Prosaic Conclusion - Todd's "Student's Manual" - The Tapir-The
Toucan-The Fire-Flies-Expenses of Travelling-Nova Fribourgo-Canta Gallo
- Petropolis...............................................................................  268
CHAPTER XVI.
Preparations for the Voyage to the Southern Provinces-The Passengers —Ubatuba
-Eagerness to obtain Bibles-The Routine on Board-Aboriginal Names-San
Sebastian and Midshipman Wilberforce-Santos-Brazilians at Dinner-Incorrect
Judgment of Foreigners-S. Vincente-Order of Exercises-My Cigar-Paranagu6
-H. B.M. "Cormorant" and the Slavers-Mutability of Maps-Russian Vessels in
Limbo-The Prima Donna-An English Engineer-Arrive at San Francisco do Sul 303
CHAPTER XVII.
The Province of Paran —Message of its First President-Mat6, or Paraguay TeaIts Culture and Preparation-Grows in North Carolina-San Francisco do SulExpectations not fulfilled-Canoe-Voyage-My Companions not wholly carnivorous-A  Travelled Trunk-The Tolling-Bell Bird-Arrival at Joinville-A New
Settlement...........................,............................................... 320




10                              CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XVIII.
PAGE
Colonia Donna Francisca-The School-Teacher-The Clergyman-A Turk-BibleDistribution-Suspected-A B C-The Fallen Forest-The House of the Director
-A  Runaway-The Village Cemetery-Moral Wants-Orchidaceous PlantsCharlatanism-San Francisco Jail-The Burial of the Innocent, and the moneymaking Padre-The Province of Sta. Catharina-Desterro-Beautiful SceneryShells and Butterflies-Coal-Mines-Province of Rio Grande do Sul-Herds and
Herdsmen-The Lasso-Indians-Former Provincial Revolts-Present Tranquillity  assured by  the Overthrow  of Rosas.................................................... 334
CHAPTER XIX.
Journey to San Paulo-Night-Travelling-Serra do Cubatao-The Heaven of the
Moon - Frade Vasconcellos - Ant-Hills - Tropeiros - Curious Items of TradeYpiranga-City of San Paulo-Law-Students and Convents-Mr. Mawe's Experience contrasted-Description of the City-Respect for S. Paulo-The Visionary
Hotel-Keeper...............,,........................... 354
CHAPTER XX.
History of San Paulo-Terrestrial Paradise —Reverses of the Jesuits-Enslavement
of the Indians-Historical Data-The Academy of Laws —Course of Study-Distinguished Men- The Andradas -- Jose Bonifacio —Antonio Carlos-Alvares
Machado-Vergueiro-Bishop Moura —A Visit to Feijo-Proposition to abolish
Celibacy-An Interesting Book-,-The Death of Antonio Carlos de Andrada-High
Eulogium-Missionary Efforts in San Paulo-Early and Present Condition of the
Province-Hospitalities of a Padre-Encouragements-The People-Proposition
to the Provincial Assembly-Response-Result-Addenda-Present Encouragements......................................................................................................  366
CHAPTER XXI.
Agreeable Acquaintance-Old Congo's Spurs-Lodging and Sleeping-CompanyCampinas-Illuminations-A Night among the Lowly-Arrival at LimeiraA Pennsylvanian-A Night with a Boa Constrictor-Eventful and Romantic Life
of a Naturalist-The Bird-Colony destined to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural
Sciences-Ybecaba-Sketch of the Vergueiros-Plan of Colonization-Bridge of
Novel Construction-Future Prospects................................................... 396
CHAPTER XXII.
A New Disease-The Culture of Chinese Tea in Brazil-Modus Operandi-The
Deceived Custom-House Officials-Probable Extension of Tea-Culture in South
America-Homeward Bound-My Companion-Senhor Jose and a Little Difficulty with him-California and the Musical Innkeeper-Early Start and the StarSpangled Banner-The Senhores Brotero of S. Paulo-Fourth of July inaugurated
in an English Family-" Yankee Doodle" on the Plains of Ypiranga-Lame and
Impotent Conclusion-Astronomy under Difficulties-Deliverance-Return to Rio
de  Janeiro...................................................................................  416




CONTENTS.                                 11
CHAPTER XXIII.
PAGX
The Brazilian North-Extent of the Empire-The Falls of Itamarity —Gigantic FigTree-The Keel-Bill-A Plantation in Minas-Geraes-Peter Parley in BrazilSweet Lemons-Baronial Style- The Padre- Vesper-Hours- The PlantationOrchestra-The White Ants obedient to the Church-The Great Ant-Eater-The
Paca-The Musical Cart-The Mines and other Resdurces of Minas-GeraesCoffee: its History and Culture —The Province of Goyaz-Stingless Bees and Sour
Honey-Mato Grosso-Long River-Route to the Atlantic-A New Thoroughfare
-Lieutenant Thomas J. Page-The Survey of the La Plata and its AffluentsFirst American Steamer at Corumba-Steamboat-Navigation on the ParaguayOfficers of the American Navy-Dr. Kane and Lieutenant Strain-Diamond and
Gold Mines the Hinderers of Progress-The Difference in the Results from Diamonds and  Coffee................................4....................................  432
CHAPTER XXIV.
Cape Frio-Wreck of the Frigate Thetis-Campos-Espirito Santo-AboriginesOrigin of Indian Civilization-The Palm-Tree and its Uses-The Tupi-GuaraniThe Lingoa Geral-Ferocity of the Aymores-The City of Bahia-Porters-Cadeiras
-History of Bahia-Caramuru-Attack on the Hollanders-Measures taken by
Spain —The City retaken-The Dutch in Brazil-Slave-Trade-Sociability of
Bahia-Mr. Gilmer, American Consul-The Humming-Bird-Whale-FisheryAmerican Cemetery —Ienry Martyn-Visit to Montserrat-View of the City-The
Emperor's Birthday - Medical School - Public Library - Image-Factory - The
Wonderful Image of St. Anthony-No Miracle-St. Anthony a Colonel-Visit to
Valenga-Daring Navigation-In Puris Naturalibus-The Factory and Colonel
Carson-American Machinery-Skilful Negroes-Return Home-Commerce with
the  United States........................................................................   464
CHAPTER XXV.
Departure from Bahia-The Vampire-Bat-His Manner of Attack-The Bitten
Negro-Annoyances magnified-Anacondas-One that swallowed a Horse-The
Marmoset-Province of Alagoaz-The Republic of Palmares-Pernambuco-The
Amenities of Quarantine-Life-Improvements at the Recife-Peculiarities of Pernambucan Houses-Beautiful Panorama-Various Districts of the City-A BibleChristian-Extraordinary Fanaticism of the Sebastianists-Commerce of Pernambuco-The Population of the Interior-The Sertanejo and Market-Scene-The
Sugar and Cotton Mart-The Jangada-Parahiba do Norte-Natal-Cearg-The
Paviola-Temperature and Periodical Rains-The City of Maranham-Judge
Petit's Description-The Montaria-Departure............................................ 503
CHAPTER XXVI.
Magnificence of Nature in the Brazilian North-The City of Para-The Entrance of
the Amazon-The first Protestant Sermon on these Waters-Parallel to the BlackHole of Calcutta-Effects of Steam-Navigation-Improvements in Pars-The Canoa
-Bathing and Market Scenes-Produce of Par&-India-Rubber-Parn Shoes-The
Amazon River-Mr. Wallace's Explorations-The Vaca Marina-Cetacea of the
Amazon-Turtle-Egg Butter-Indian Archery-Brazilian Birds and Insects-Visit
to Rice-Mills near Par, —Journey through the Forest-The Paraense Bishop's Suspicions of Dr. Kidder-State of Religion at Para........................................ 539




12


CONTENTS.


CHAPTER XXVII.
PAGE
Amazonas-Its Discovery-El Dorado-GonValo Pizarro-His Expedition-Cruelties-Sufferings-Desertion of Orellana-His Descent of the River-Fable of the
Amazons —Fate of the Adventurer-Name of the River-Settlement of the
Country-Successive Expeditions up and down the Amazon-Sufferings of
Madame Godin-Present State-Victoria Regia-Steam-Navigation-Effects of
Herndon and Gibbon's Report-Peruvian Steamers-The Future Prospects of the
Am  azon...................................................................................................  563
CONCLUSION..............................................................................  582
NOTES.........................................................................................................  590
APPENDICES.
APPENDIX A.-Chronological Summary of the Principal Events that have transpired
in  the  History  of  Brazil..............................................................................  591
APPENDIX B.-Abstract of the Brazilian Constitution, sworn to on the 25th of
March, 1824, and  revised  in  1834.................................................................  593
APPENDIX C.-Lines composed by D. Pedro II.................................................. 595
APPENDIX D.-Slavery and the Slave-Trade in Brazil-England and Brazil............ 596
APPENDIX E.-Tables of Brazilian Coins, Weights, and Measures......................... 597
APPENDIX F.-Population-The Yellow Fever of Brazil....................................... 599
APPENDIX G.-Imports, Exports, Revenue, &c. of Brazil................................... 604
APPENDIX H.-Commerce and Steamship-Navigation between Brazil, and the United
States  and  Europe...................................................................................  60
APPENDIX I.-Report from the Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads........... 623




,rF          i




BAY OF
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THE  SUGAR-LOAF, (ENTRANCE  TO  THE  BAY  OF  RIO.)


qazit an\         d itt rrazians.
CHAPTER I.
TIlE BAY OF RIO DE JANEIRO-HISTORIC REMINISCENCES -FIRST SIGHT OF THE
TROPICS-ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOR-NIGHT-SCENES-IMPRESSIONS OF BEAUTY
AND GRANDEUR-GARDNER AND STEWART-THE CAPITAL OF BRAZIL-DISTINCTION OF RIO DE JANEIRO.
THE Bay of Naples, the Golden Horn of Constantinople, and the
Bay of Rio de Janeiro, are always mentioned by the travelled
tourist as pre-eminently worthy to be classed together for their
extent, and for the beauty and sublimity of their scenery. The first
two, however, must yield the palm to the last-named magnificent
sheet of water, which, in a climate of perpetual summer, is enclosed
within the ranges of singularly-picturesque mountains, and is
dotted with the verdure-covered islands of the tropics. He who,
13




14


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


in Switzerland, has gazed from the Quai of Vevay, or from the
windows of the old Castle of Chillon, upon the grand panorama of
the upper end of the Lake of Geneva, can have an idea of the
general view of the Bay of Rio de Janeiro; and there was much
truth and beauty in the remark of the Swiss, who, looking for the
first time on the native splendor of the Brazilian bay and its circlet
of mountains, exclaimed, "C'est l'Helvetie Meridionale!" (It is the
Southern Switzerland!)
What a glorious spectacle must have presented itself to those
early navigators-De Solis, Majellan, and Martin Affonso de Souzawho were the first Europeans that ever sailed through the narrow
portal which constitutes the entrance to Nitherohy, (Hidden
Water,) as these almost land-locked waters were appropriately and
poetically termed by the Tamoya Indians! Though the mountain-sides and borders of the bay are still richly and luxuriantly
clothed, then all the primeval forests existed, and gave a wilder
and more striking beauty to a scene so enchanting in a natural
point of view, even after three centuries of the encroachments of
man. De Souza-as the common tradition runs-supposed that
he had entered the mouth of a mighty river, rivalling the Orinoco
and the Amazon, and named it Rio de Janeiro, (River of January,)
after the happy month-January, 1531-in which he made his
imagined discovery. Whatever may have been the origin of this
misnomer, it is not only applied to the large and commodious bay,
but to the province in which it is situated, and to the populous metropolis of Brazil, which sits like a queen upon its bright shores.
We all of us know, either by our own experience or by that
of others, what is the sight of land to the tempest-tossed voyager.
When the broad blue circle of sea and sky, which for days and
weeks has encompassed his vision, is at length broken by a shore,
-even though that shore be bleak and desolate as the ice-mountains of the Arctic regions,-it is invested with a surpassing
interest, it is robed in undreamed-of charms. What, then, must
be the emotions of one who, coming from a latitude of stormy
winter, beholds around him a land of perpetual summer, with its
towering and crested palms, and its giant vegetation arrayed in
fadeless green!
In December, 1851, when the Hudson and the Potomac were




ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOR.


15


bridged by the ice-king, and clouds and snow draped the sky and
the land, our good vessel stood out upon a stormy sea. A few
weeks of gales and rolling waves, varied by light winds and calms,
brought us to Cape Frio. This isolated peak shoots up as steeply
as the chalk-cliffs of England, as high as the Rock of Gibraltar,
and is covered to its very summit with verdure. No clouds-as I
last beheld them in conjunction with terra firma-were frowning over this summer-land. The balmiest breezes were blowing,
and the palms upon the adjacent hills were gracefully waving
above the world of vegetation-so new to me-which gleamed in
the warm sunlight. It was in the midst of such a scene that the
day, not without evening-glories, faded away. The morning sun
shone clearly, and the lofty mountain-range near the entrance to the
harbor stood forth in an outline at once bold, abrupt, and beautiful.
The first entrance of any one to the Bay of Rio de Janeiro forms
an era in his existence:"an hour
Whence he may date thenceforward and forever."
Even the dullest observer must afterward cherish sublimer views
of the manifold beauty and majesty of the works of the Creator.
I have seen the most rude and ignorant Russian sailor, the immoral and unreflecting Australian adventurer, as well as the cultivated and refined European gentleman, stand silent upon the deck,
mutually admiring the gigantic avenue of mountains and palmcovered isles, which, like the granite pillars before the Temple
of Luxor, form a fitting colonnade to the portal of the finest bay
in the world.
On either side of that contracted entrance, as far as the eye can
reach, stretch away the mountains, whose pointed and fantastic
shapes recall the glories of Alpland. On our left, the Sugar-Loaf
stands like a giant sentinel to the metropolis of Brazil. The round
and green summits of the Tres Irmaos (Three Brothers) are in
strong contrast with the peaks of Corcovado and Tijuca; while
the Gavia rears its huge sail-like form, and half hides the fading
line of mountains which extends to the very borders of Rio Grande
do Sul. On the right, another lofty range commences near the
principal fortress which commands the entrance of the bay, and,
forming curtain-like ramparts, reaches away, in picturesque head



16


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


lands, to the bold promontory well known to all South Atlantic
navigators as Cape Frio. Far through the opening of the bay, and
in some places towering even above the lofty coast-barrier, can be
discovered the blue outline of the distant Organ Mountains, whose
lofty pinnacles will at once suggest the origin of their name.
The general effect is truly sublime; but as the vessel draws
nearer to the bold shore, and we see, on the sides of the double
mount which rises in the rear of Santa Cruz, the peculiar brightleaved woods of Brazil, with here and there the purple-blooming
quaresma-tree,-and when we observe that the snake-like cacti and
rich-flowering parasites shoot forth and hang down even from the
jagged and precipitous sides of the Sugar-Loaf,-and as we single
out in every nook and crevice new evidences of a genial and prolific clime,-emotion, before overwhelmed by vastness of outline,
now unburdens itself in every conceivable exclamation of surprise
and admiration.
The breeze is wafting us onward, and we pass beneath the white
walls of the Santa Cruz fortress. A black soldier, dressed in a
light uniform of enviable coolness, leans lazily over a parapet,
while higher up on the ramparts a sentinel marches with leisurely
tread near the glass cupola which, illuminated at night, serves as a
guide to the entering mariner. Immediately an enormous trumpet
is protruded from this cupola, and our good ship is saluted by a
stentorian voice, demanding, in Portuguese-English, the usual
questions put to vessels sailing into a foreign port. We soon glide
from under the frowning guns of Santa Cruz, and are just abreast
Fort Lage, celebrated as the first spot of the bay ever inhabited by
civilized man. The scene which now opens before us is exquisitely
beautiful. Far to our left, beneath the Sugar-Loaf, but nearer to
the city, is the fortress of St. John, bright amid the surrounding
verdure. Passing through a fleet of gracefully shaped canoes and
market-boats, manned by half-clad blacks, we cling to the steep
right-hand coast, which soon precipitously terminates, and reveals
to us the lovely little Bay of Jurujuba,-the "five-fathom" bay of
the English. Again looking to the opposite side, beyond St. John,
we have a glimpse of the graceful Cove of Botafoga (the Bay of
Naples in miniature) and the pretty suburb of the same name,
which seems like a jewel set between the smooth white beach and








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TROPIC NIGHT-SCENES.


17


the broad circle of living green. Here too we have another of the
many views of the Corcovado and the Gavia, which, as we vary
our position, are ever changing and ever beautiful.
Now the vast city looms up before us, extending, with its white
suburbs, for miles along the irregular shores of the bay, and running far back almost to the foot of the Tijuca Mountains, diversified
by green hills which seem to spring up from the most populous
neighborhoods. These combined circumstances prevent a perfect
view of Rio de Janeiro from the waters. While gazing upon the
domes and steeples, on the white edifices of the city, and the bright
verdure-clad Gloria, Santa Teresa, and Castello Hills, we are cut
short in our admiration by the cry of a Brazilian official:-" Let go
your anchor." The command is obeyed, and we are comfortably
lying to under the formidable-looking guns of the Forteleza Villegagnon. Our vessel swings round and reveals to us on the opposite
shore the city of Praia Grande, the parti-colored cliff of St. Domingo, and upon a mere rock, which seems a fragment of the adjoining shore, the little church of Nossa Senhora de Boa Viagem,
in which Roman Catholic voyagers are supposed to pay their vows,
and around which many graceful palm-trees are nodding in the
cool ocean-breeze. While awaiting the visit of the custom-house
officers we remain upon deck, and tire not of scenes so novel and
exciting. Little steamers and graceful falluas* are passing and repassing from Praia Grande and St. Domingo. White sails are dotting the bay as far as the eye can reach, while all around us the
serried masts of Brazilian and foreign vessels are evidences that we
are in the midst of a vast and busy mart.
The night soon succeeds the short twilight of the tropics, and the
city from our ship seems like a land of fairy enchantment. Brilliancy and novelty do not end with the day. Innumerable gaslights line the immense borders of the city down to the very edge
of the bay, and are reflected back from the water in a thousand
quivering flashes. The very forms of the hills themselves are defined amid the darkness by rows of lamps extending over their
verdure-clad summits, and seem like the fabled star-bridges of an
Arabian tale. The steam ferry-boats bear various-colored lights,
* See engraving on page 60.
2




18


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


and each vessel in the harbor has a lamp at its fore; while every
turn of the wheel furrows through a diamond sea, and every dash
of the oar and every ripple from the gentle evening breeze reveals
a thousand brilliant phosphorescent animalculae illuminating the
otherwise darkened waters. When we look above us we behold new
constellations spangling the heavens, and their queen is the Southern
Cross, guarded by her silent and mysterious attendants, the Majellan Clouds. The Great Bear has long since been hidden from us;
but just peeping over the natural ramparts of the Organ Mountains,
we see an old and a welcome friend in that beaming Orion, who here
loses none of his northern splendor, and does not even pale before
his rival of the Southern Hemisphere. Amid such scenes who
could close their eyelids in sleep? Dr. Kidder on one occasion, returning from the northern provinces, entered the harbor at nightfall during a squall, and thus describes the scene:"We passed close under the walls of Fort Santa Cruz; but, just
as the vessel was in the most critical part of the passage, the wind
lulled, and the current of the ebbing tide swept her back, and by
degrees carried her over toward the rocks upon which Fort Lage
is constructed.  The moment was one of great excitement and
danger. Our situation was perceived at the forts, which severally
fired guns, and burned white and blue lights, in order to show us
their position.
"A more sublime scene can hardly be imagined. The rolling
thunders of the cannon were echoed back by the surrounding
mountain-peaks, and the brilliant glare of the artificial flames appeared the more intense in the midst of unusual darkness. Happily
for the vessel and all on board, the wind freshened in time, and we
were borne gallantly up to the man-of-war anchorage, where, at
nine o'clock, we were lying moored to not less than seventy fathoms
of chain.
"The moon had not yet risen, and the evening remained very
dark. This circumstance heightened the beauty of the city and
the effect of her thousand lamps, which were seen brightly burning at measured intervals over the hills and praias of her farstretching suburbs. One young man was so enchanted with the
novelty and splendor of the scene, that he remained on deck all
night to gaze upon it, notwithstanding rain fell at intervals."




BEAUTY AND GRANDEUR.


19


More than one have had to confess that their first twenty-four
hours before Rio have been spent in a perpendicular position with
the eyes wide open, and could exclaim, with emphasis," Most glorious night!
Thou wert not sent for slumber."
Every thing is so fresh, so novel and awakening, that we are like
children on the eve of some great festival or the night before the
first journey to, some vast city with whose wonders the story-book
and the improvisations of the nursery have filled the imagination
to the full.
I have again and again entered and quitted the Bay of Rio de
Janeiro when the billows were surging and when the calm mantled
the deep; and, whether in the purple light of a tropic morning,
in the garish noon, or in the too brief twilight of that Southern
clime, it has always presented to me new glories and new charms.
It has been my privilege to look upon some of the most celebrated
scenes of both hemispheres; but I have never found one which
combined so much to be admired as the panorama which we have
attempted to describe. On the Height of St. Elmo I have drank in
as much of beauty from that curvilinear bay of Southern Italy,
upon whose bosom float the isles of Capri and Ischia, and upon
whose margin nestle the gracefully-shaped Vesuvius, the long arm
of Sorrento, and the proverbially-brilliant city of Naples. I have
seen very great variety in the blue, isle-dotted Bay of Panama;
and I have beheld in the Alps, and in the western entrance to the
Straits of Majellan, where the black, jagged Andes are rent asunder,
scenes of wildness and sublimitywithout parallel; but, all things
considered, I have yet to gaze upon a scene which surpasses, in
combined beauty, variety, and grandeur, the mountain-engirdled
Nitherohy.
The above impressions were penned before I had read, with a
single exception, one of the many detailed descriptions of the Bay
of Rio de Janeiro; and it occurred to me that those who had never
seen the natural beauties of this region would not give ready
assent to its exaltation above so many other places famous for
their scenery. Such might say, "He is an enthusiast, an exaggerator." I have since perused many books, journals, and letters




20


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


on Brazil; and all-from the ponderous tomes of Spix and Von
Martius, down to the ephemeral lines of a contributor to the newspapers -are of one accord in regard to this wonderful bay. Though
the works may be devoted to history, science, commerce, or to the
epistolary correspondence of friends, in this respect they all bear a
resemblance; for all draw the same portrait and from the same
original. Indeed, when reading the description given by the late
lamented English botanist, Gardner, I half suspected myself a
plagiarist, though I had never read his interesting and truly
valuable travels until my own account was written.
Describing the entrance of the harbor, this naturalist says,"Passing through the magnificent portal of the bay, we came to
an anchor a few miles below the city, not being allowed to proceed
farther until visited by the authorities. It is quite impossible to
express the feelings which arise in the mind while the eye surveys
the beautifully-varied scenery which is disclosed on entering the
harbor,-scenery which is perhaps unequalled on the face of the
earth, and on the production of which nature seems to have
exerted all her energies. Since then I have visited many places
celebrated for their beauty and their grandeur, but none of them
have left a like impression on my mind. As far up the bay as the
eye could reach, lovely little verdant and palm-clad islands were to
be seen rising out of its dark bosom; while the hills and lofty
mountains which surround it on all sides, gilded by the rays of the
setting sun, formed a befitting frame for such a picture. At night
the lights of the city had a fine effect; and when the land-breeze
began to blow, the rich odor of the orange and other perfumed
flowers was borne seaward along with it, and, by me at least,
enjoyed the more from having been so long shut out from the
companionship of flowers. Ceylon has been celebrated by voyagers
for its spicy odors; but I have twice made its shores, with a landbreeze blowing, without experiencing any thing half so sweet as
those which greeted my arrival at Rio."
The description given by the Rev. C. S. Stewart is valuable in
showing the impressions of this magnificent bay upon one who
had, since his first visit to Brazil, viewed some of the most renowned scenes in the world:"I was anxious to test the fidelity of the impressions received




THE CAPITAL OF BRAZIL.


921


twenty years ago from the same scenery, and to determine how
far the magnificent picture still lingering in my memory was
justified by the reality, or how far it was to be attributed to the
enthusiasm of younger years and the freshness of less experienced
travel. The early light of the morning quickly determined the
point. I was hurried to the deck by a message from Lieutenant
R -, already there, and do not recollect ever to have been impressed with higher admiration by any picture in still life than by
the group of mountains and the coast-scene meeting my eyes on
the left. The wildness and sublimity of outline of the Pao de
Assucar, Duos IrmAos, Gavia, and Corcovado, and their fantastic
combinations, from the point at which we viewed them, can scarce
be rivalled; while the richness and beauty of coloring thrown
over and around the whole, in purple and gold, rose-color, and
ethereal blue, were all that the varied and glowing tints of the
rising day ever impart. No fancy-sketch of fairy-land could surpass this scene, and we stood gazing upon it as if fascinated by the
work of a master-hand."
The city of Rio de Janeiro, or San Sebastian, is at once the
commercial emporium and the political capital of the nation.
While Brazil embraces a greater territorial dominion than any
other country of the New World, together with natural advantages second to none on the globe, the position, the scenery,
and the increasing magnitude of its capital render it a metropolis worthy 6f the empire. Rio de Janeiro is the largest city
of South America, the third in size on the Western Continent,
and boasts an antiquity greater than that of any city in the
United States.
Its harbor is situated just within the borders of the Southern
Torrid Zone, and communicates, as before described, with the
wide-rolling Atlantic, by a deep and narrow passage between two
granite mountains. This entrance is so safe as to render the services of a pilot entirely unnecessary. So commanding, however,
is the position of the various fortresses at the mouth of the harbor
upon its islands and on the surrounding heights, that, if efficiently
manned by a body of determined men, they might defy the hostile
ingress of the proudest navies in the world.
Once within this magnificent bay of Nitherohy, the wanderer




22


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


of the seas may safely moor his bark within hearing of the roar of
the ocean-surf.
The aspect which Rio de Janeiro presents to the beholder bears
no resemblance to the compact brick walls, the dingy roofs, the
tall chimneys, and the generally-even sites of our Northern cities.
Its surface is diversified by hills of irregular but picturesque shape,
which shoot up in different directions, leaving between them flat
intervals of greater or less extent. Along the bases of these hills,
and up their sides, stand rows of buildings, whose whitened walls
and red-tiled roofs are in happy contrast with the deep-green
foliage that always surrounds and often embowers them.
The most prominent eminence, almost in front of us, is the Morro
do Castello, which overlooks the mouth of the harbor, and on
which is the tall signal-staff that announces, in connection with the
telegraph on Babylonia Hill, the nation, class, and position of every
vessel that appears in the offing. Upon our right we see the
convent-crowned hill of San Bento; and if we could have a bird'seye view from a point midway between the turrets of the convent
and the signal-staff of Morro do Castello, we should see the city
spread beneath us, with its streets, steeples, and towers, its public
edifices, parks, and vermillion chimneyless roofs, and its aqueducts
spanning the spaces between the seven green hills, constituting a
gigantic mosaic, bordered upon one side by the mountains, and on
the other by the blue waters of the bay.
From the central portion of the city the suburbs extend about
four miles in each of the three principal directions, so that the
municipality of Rio de Janeiro, containing three hundred thousand
inhabitants, covers a greater extent of ground than any European
city of the same population.
Here dwell a large part of the nobility of the nation, and, for a
considerable portion of the year, the representatives of the different
provinces, the ministers of state, the foreign ambassadors and
consuls, and a commingled populace of native Brazilians and of
foreigners from almost every clime. That which in the popular
estimation, however, confers the greatest distinction upon Rio, is
not the busy throng of foreign and home merchants, sea-captains,
ordinary Government-officials, and the upper classes of society; but
it is in the fact that here resides the imperial head of Brazil, the




DISTINCTION OF RIO DE JANEIRO.            23
young and gifted Dom Pedro II., who unites the blood of the Braganzas and the Hapsburgs, and under whose constitutional rule
civil liberty, religious toleration, and general prosperity are better
secured than in any other Government of the New World, save
where the Anglo-Saxon bears sway.
Attractive as may be the natural scenery and the beauties of art
abounding in any country, it must be confessed that human existence, with its weal or woe, involves a far deeper interest. And the
traveller but poorly accomplishes his task of delineating the present, if he leaves unattempted some sketches of the history of the
past as an introduction to the scenes and events which have come
under his own observation. After glancing rapidly at some of the
most striking sights and customs of Rio de Janeiro, I shall introduce a brief sketch of its past history.




HOTEL PHAROUX.


CHAPTER II.
LANDING-HOTEL PHAROUX-NOVEL SIGHTS AND SOUNDS-THE PALACE SQUARERUA DIREITA-EXCHANGE-THE "TEAM "-MUSICAL COFFEE-CARRIERS-CUSTOMHOUSE-LESSONS IN PORTUGUESE, AND GOVERNOR KENT'S OPINION OF BRAZILPOST-OFFICE —DISLIKE OF CHANGE-SENHOR JOSE MAXWELL-RUA DO OUVIDOR —
SHOPS AND FEATHER-FLOWERS- THE BRAZILIAN OMNIBUS CAN BE FULLNARROW  STREETS AND POLICE-REGULATIONS-A SUGGESTION TO RELIEVE
BROADWAY, NEW YORK-PASSEIO PUBLICO-BRAZILIAN POLITENESS-THE  GONDOLA"-THE BRAZILIAN IMPERTURBABLE-LACK OF HOTELS-FIRST NIGHT IN
RIO DE JANEIRO.
THE stranger who, with anxious expectation, has paced the deck
of his vessel as it lies at anchor under Villegagnon, knows no more
welcome sound than the permission from the Custom-House and
health officers to land and roam through the city which for hours
before his eyes have visited. The blacks who have come from the
shore now return, pulling their heavy boat lustily along, for they
are sure of a treble price from the newly-arrived. Who that has
visited Rio de Janeiro will not at a glance recognise the landingplace depicted in the engraving? Hotel Pharoux, the Palace Stairs,
and the Largo do Pago, (Palace Square,) are associated with Rio de
Janeiro in the mind of every foreign naval officer who has been on
24




NOVEL SIGHTS AND SOUNDS.


25


the Brazil station. But changes have taken place, and greater are
in contemplation, among this slow-moving people. Hotel Pharoux
still lifts its white walls; but it is modernized, and the old restaurant and stable in the basement have given way to shell-merchants
and feather-flower dealers, and the dining-room is upon the second
floor. We no longer land at the Palace Stairs, where formerly at
flood-tide the waters of the bay dashed and foamed against the
stone parapet which at this point marked their limit. The square
has been extended into the waves, and soon the Government will
have fine quays along the whole water-edge in this part of the
city.
Instead of the old granite steps, we ascend the wooden stairs at
the end of a long jetty. Here our boat has arrived, amid odors
that certainly have not been wafted from "Araby the blest," and
we learn that the sewerage of Rio is a portable instead of an underground affair. The sense of hearing, too, is wounded by the confused jabbering of blacks in the language of C'ngo, the shouts
of Portuguese boat-owners, and by the oaths of American and
English sailors. Once clear of this throng, what novel sights and
sounds astonish us! A hackney-coachman, in glazed hat and red
vest, invites us to a ride to the Botanical Gardens; a smart-looking
mulatto points to his "Hansom" hard by the Hotel de France.
Before their words are ended, the roll of drums and the blast of
bugles attract our attention in another direction. There, in front
of the old palace, is drawn up a handful of the National Guard,
composed of every imaginable complexion, from white to African;
and now, as every day at noon, they remove their helmets, listen
for a moment with religious veneration to the strain of music
which the black trumpeters puff out from swelling cheeks, and then
resume, with the exception of the sentinels, their difficult task of
loitering in the corridors of the huge building, or basking in the
sunshine, until another sound of the bugle shall call them to change
guard or fall into ranks at vespers.
We are not yet ready to try the vehicles of Rio de Janeiro; so
we dismiss our would-be coachmen, and look around us in the
Largo do Pago.
At the Palace Square the stranger finds himself surrounded by a
throng as diverse in habits and appearance, and as variegated in




26


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


complexion and costume, as his fancy ever pictured. The majority
of the crowd are Africans, who collect around the fountain to
obtain water, which flows from a score of pipes, and, when caught
in tubs or barrels, is borne off upon the heads of both males and
females.
The slaves go barefooted, but some of them are gayly dressed.
Their sociability when congregated in these resorts is usually
extreme, but sometimes it ends in differences and blows. To prevent disorders of this kind, soldiers are generally stationed near
the fountains, who are pretty sure to maintain their authority
over the unresisting blacks.  Formerly there were only a few
principal fountains; now there are large chafariz in all the


THE LARGO DO PACO, AND RUA DIREITA, FROM THE PALACE.


squares, and at the corners of every third or fourth street are
smaller streams of the pure element, which flow at the turning of
a stopcock.
The Palace is a large stone building, exhibiting the old Portuguese




THE PALACE SQUARE.


27


style of architecture. It was long used as a residence by the viceroys, and for a time by Dom John VI., but is now appropriated to
various public offices, and contains a suite of rooms in which court
is held on gala-days. The buildings at the rear of the Palace
Square (represented on the left of the engraving) were all erected
for ecclesiastical purposes. The oldest was a Franciscan convent,
but has long since been connected with the Palace, and used for
secular purposes. The old chapel, with its short, thick tower,
remains, but has been superseded, in popularity as well as in
splendor, by the more recently-erected imperial chapel, which,
without belfry, stands at its right. Adjoining the imperial chapel
is that of the third order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which is
daily open, and is used as a cathedral. The steeples of this church
during certain festivals are illuminated to the very crosses, and
present a splendid appearance from the shipping.
The streets of the city are generally quite narrow; but the Rua
Direita, which is seen in the above cut beyond the Largo do Pago,
is wide, and well paved with small square blocks of stone which are
brought from the Isle of Wight. The Rua Direita and many of
the principal streets of Rio de Janeiro are now as well paved as
the finest thoroughfares of London or Vienna, presenting a great
contrast to the former irregular and miserable pavement, which
was in use up to 1854. The Rua Direita and the Largo do Rocio
are the points whence omnibuses start for every portion of the vast
city and its suburbs.
The houses seldom exceed three or four stories; but a four-story
house at Rio is equal in height to one of five in New York. Formerly nearly all were occupied as dwellings, and even in the streets
devoted to business the first floors only were appropriated to the
storage and display of goods, while families resided above. But
since 1850 this has greatly changed in the quarter where the
wholesale houses are found: proprietors and clerks now reside in
the picturesque suburbs of Botafogo, Engenho Velho, and across
the bay at Praia Grande or San Domingo. Every evening presents
an animated spectacle of crowded steamers, full omnibuses, and
galloping horses and mules, all conveying the negociantes and
caxeiros (bookkeepers) to their respective residences.
The distant steeples on our left are those of the Church of




28             BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
Candelaria, which is situated on a narrow street back from the
Rua Direita. It is the largest church in the city, and presents
taller spires and a handsomer front than any other.
The Praca do Commercio, or Exchange, occupies a prominent
position in the Rua Direita. This building, formerly a part of the
Custom-House, was ceded by Government for its present purposes
in 1834. It contains a reading-room, supplied with Brazilian and
foreign newspapers, and is subject to the usual regulations of such
an establishment in other cities. Beneath its spacious portico
the merchants of eight or nine different nations meet each other
in the morning to interchange salutations and to negotiate their
general business. The Exchange is not far from the Custom-House,
which formerly had its main entrance adjoining the Praca.
-   ii   I            '         I 
A RIO TEAM.
Nothing can be more animated and peculiar than the scenes
which are witnessed in this part of the Rua Direita during the
business-hours of the day,-viz.: from nine A.M. to three P.M. It is
in these hours only that vessels are permitted to discharge and receive
their cargoes, and at the same time all goods and baggage must be
despatched at the Custom-House and removed therefrom. Consequent upon such arrangements, the utmost activity is required to
remove the goods despatched, and to embark those productions of
the country that are daily required in the transactions of a vast
commercial emporium. There are the black-coated merchants




THE MUSICAL COFFEE-CARRIERS.              29
congregated about the Exchange, and here comes a negro dray.
The team consists of five stalwart Africans pushing, pulling, steering, and shouting as they make their way amid the serried throng,
unmindful of the Madeira Islander, who, with an imprecation and
a crack of his whip, urges on a thundering mule-cart laden with
boxes. Now an omnibus thunders through the crowd, and a large
four-wheeled wagon, belonging to some company for the transportation of "goods," crashes in its wake. Formerly all this labor
was performed by human hands, and scarcely a cart or a dray was
used in the city, unless, indeed, it was drawn by negroes. Carts
and wagons propelled by horse-power are now quite common; but
for the moving of light burdens and for the transportation of furniture, pianos, &c. the negro's head has not been superseded by any
vehicle.
4,  _  
COFFEE-CARRI ER S.
While we are almost stunned by the sounds of the multitude, we
have a new source of wonderment. Above all the confusion of the
Rua Direita, we hear a stentorian chorus of voices responding in
quick measure to the burden of a song. We behold, over the heads
of the throng, a line of white sacks rushing around the corner of
the Rua de Alfandega, (Custom-House Street.) We hasten to that
portion of Rua Direita, and now see that these sacks have each a
living ebony Hercules beneath. These are the far-famed coffeecarriers of Rio. They usually go in troops, numbering ten or




30


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


twenty individuals, of whom one takes the lead and is called the
captain. These are generally the largest and strongest men that
can be found. While at work they seldom wear any other garment than a pair of short pantaloons; their shirt is thrown aside
for the time as an encumbrance. Each one takes a bag of coffee
upon his head, weighing one hundred and sixty pounds, and, when
all are ready, they start off upon a measured trot, which soon
increases to a rapid run.
As one hand is sufficient to steady the load, several of them frequently carry musical instruments in the other, resembling children's rattle-boxes: these they shake to the double-quick time of
some wild Ethiopian ditty, which they all join in singing as they
run. Music has a powerful effect in exhilarating the spirits of the
negro; and certainly no one should deny him the privilege of
softening his hard lot by producing the harmony of sounds which
are sweet to him, though uncouth to other ears. It is said, however, that an attempt was at one time made to secure greater
quietness in the streets by forbidding them to sing. As a consequence, they performed little or no work; so the restriction was
in a short time taken off. Certain it is that they now avail themselves of their vocal privileges at pleasure, whether in singing and
shouting to each other as they run, or in proclaiming to the people
the various articles they carry about for sale. The impression
made upon the stranger by the mingled sound of their hundred
voices falling upon his ear at once is not soon forgotten.
We now turn from the busy throng of the Rua Direita, and in a
few minutes we ascend the steps of a stately building, over whose
portico we read, in huge green letters,ALFANDEGA.
We will not stop to trace the origin of this word and many others
in the Portuguese tongue beginning with Al, to their Moorish origin,
but will immediately inform the reader that it is the first word he
learns in Brazil, and one which, in various languages, most travelers in foreign countries have occasion to remember. This is
the Custom-House. We enter a vast hall of fine architecture,
lighted by a graceful dome. There are hundreds of despatchers,
merchants, and officers. But what a contrast to the noisy multi



THE CUSTOM-HOUSE.


31


tude of the Rua Direita! All are uncovered, and, as each enters
the hall, the hat is removed and not replaced until the portico is
again reached. What a capital discipline for Anglo-American
visitors and for English and North American shipmasters, whose
head-coverings seem to be a portion of their corporeal existence!
I once heard Albert Smith, in one of his delightful conversaziones,
say that in foreign lands an Englishman considers it a part of the
British constitution not to take off his hat except when "God save
the Queen" may accidentally fall upon his ear. The Brazilian is
very strict in the outward observance of politeness; and, as he
would never enter a private residence without removing his hat,
so he considers that he should not enter any of the edifices belonging to the Government of his Emperor without showing the same
respect.
In the centre of the hall, on an elevated platform, is the chiefcollector, who is constantly engaged in 'signing despatches and
various other custom-house papers, which are noiselessly handed
him by sub-officers and clerks. The collector-in-chief, who presides
over the Alfandega of Rio de Janeiro, is Senhor S. Paio Vianna,
of Bahia, who, though strict and almost rigorous in the administration of his office, is a gentleman of great intelligence and amenity
of manner. He takes a deep interest in the finances of the empire,
and his annual statement is clear and full of important information
to the commercial statistician. His predecessor was Sr. Ferraz, to
whom is greatly due the immense reforms that have taken place
in the custom-house of Rio de Janeiro. Formerly it was most
corruptly administered: bribery was the rule and not the exception. To this day some most wonderful stories are told of the
year 1844, when the treaty between England and Brazil expired,
by limitation, in the month of November. Bales, bags, and boxes
went through the Custom-House with astonishing rapidity; and
there is a tradition that the entire cargo of a schooner entered the
rear of the Alfandega, and in a remarkably short time emerged
from the Portao Grande, (Great Door.) But there is no longer
opportunity for such abuses; and the largest custom-house of the
empire is as well conducted as those of Germany or France.
At the left of the chief-collector, in the rear of a row of supporting columns,-is the guarde mor,-Sr. Leopoldo Augusto da




32


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Camara Lima, who is known to every ship-captain as Senhor
Leopoldo. This gentleman, who speaks the English language most
fluently, has been arrayed on the liberal side of Brazilian politics
for the last twenty years, and was in the front rank of those who
condemn the African slave-trade, which was so completely abolished
in 1850.
The vast warehouses of the Alfandega extend quite to the seaside.* Here conveniences are constructed for landing goods under
cover. Once out of boats or lighters, they are distributed and
stored in respective departments, until a requisition is formally
made for their examination and despatch. The removal of the
various articles within the Custom-House, as well as their
transportation to the great door of exit, is facilitated by means of
small iron railways extending to every portion of the many
buildings.
That troublesome delays should occasionally occur in the despatch
of goods and baggage is not surprising to any one acquainted with
the tedious formalities required by the laws; nor would it be
strange, if, among the host of empregados or sub-officers connected
with this establishment upon very limited pay, some are occasionally
found who will embarrass your business at every step until their
favor is conciliated by a direct or indirect appropriation of money
to their benefit; but this is more rare than formerly.
Most of the large commercial houses have a despatching-clerk,
whose especial business it is to attend upon the Alfandega; and
the stranger who is unaccustomed to the language and customs of
the country will always avoid much inconvenience by obtaining
the services of one of these persons. From my own experience in
passing books and baggage through the different custom-houses
of Brazil, I am prepared to say that a person who understands and
endeavors to conform to the laws of the country may expect in
similar circumstances to meet with kind treatment and all reasonable accommodations. If, however, a glance at your watch tells
you, in the midst of your labors and difficulties, that three o'clock


* In the "View of Rio de Janeiro from the Island of Cobras," merely the
water-front of the Alfandega is seen extending above the entire width of the palmtree in the foreground.




LESSONS IN PORTUGUESE.


33


is near at hand, and you undertake to urge the sub-collector to expedite matters, you are sure to receive in reply, "Paciencia, senhor."
This is our second:esson in Portuguese; and the third soon follows
in response to our demand, "When can these things be despatched?" "Amanhaa" (to-morrow,) is promptly given. But should
you succeed in getting through the portgo grande about the time
that huge door is being closed up for the day, you will witness a
lively scene. Boxes, bales, and packages of every species of goods,
cases of furniture, pipes of wine, and coils of rope, lie heaped
together in a confusion only equalled by the crowd of clerks,
feitors, and negroes, who block up the whole Rua Direita in their
rush to obtain possession of their several portions, and in their
vociferations to hasten the removal of their merchandise.
We are perhaps wishing to expedite the tall Mina blacks whom
we have engaged to transport our luggage to its place of destination. By signs manual our meaning is comprehended, but we
receive a very cool "Esperou um pouco, senhor," (Wait a little, sir,)
which completes our studies in Portuguese for the day. And what
a lesson we have received!
Paciencia, amanhaa, and esperou um pouco! These words in action
stare the nervous, impatient, tearing, fretting Anglo-American,
everywhere throughout Brazil. The Hon. Ex-Governor Kent,
whose name is associated with the Northeastern boundary and
with the politics of New England, was for four years a resident of
Rio de Janeiro as U.S. Consul, and for a portion of the time as
acting Charg6 d'Affaires. It was his deliberate opinion that Brazil
was the best place in existence to cool a fervid, speech-making,
community-exciting Yankee. I have laughed heartily at his dry
humorous manner, as he has unfolded con amore this subject:"There is to a quietly-disposed, mild man, past the meridian of
life, who has seen many of the rough sides of humanity, something
agreeable and pleasant in the tranquil, calm, noiseless habits of the
Brazilians. To live a whole year and never attend a caucus or an
indignation-meeting, to hear nothing about elections, to see no
gatherings of the people, to read no placards calling upon the sovereigns to rise and vindicate their rights, to listen to no stumpspeeches or dinner-orations, never once to be importuned to walk or
ride in a political procession, to see not one torchlight-pageant in
3




34


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


honor of a victory which has saved the country and the offices,-in
short, to live without politics,-is, to one who is inclined to quiet,
or who has been wearied out in the service, soothing and delightful."
Though the nation, by steamships and railroads and general
prosperity, is daily becoming more active, yet it may be still predicated that the Brazilian is not accustomed to be startled and
shocked by other people's miseries and woes. With a free and
well-supported press, his nature demands no thrilling evening
editions, filled with long and minute accounts of the last steamboat
disaster, fearful accidents, or horrible murders. As a general thing,
he thinks the moral, physical, and political worlds will turn on
their own axes without his interference. Hence it was, doubtless,
that some of the far-seeing and really wide-awake statesmen of
Rio proposed a fine of five dollars to be imposed upon each citizen
who did not come up to the polls of the municipal election and deposit his vote.
Almost every one who arrives at Rio is expecting letters that
have anticipated him by the English steamer, and, as soon as his
trunks are relieved from the Custom-House, he makes his way to
the Correio Geral, or General Post-Office, in the Rua Direita. You
pass by a large vestibule, with a stone floor, occupied by several
soldiers, either on guard or sleeping on benches at the extremities
of the room, and upon inquiry you ascertain that the Postmaster
General and the larger portion of his employees are in the rooms
above. We enter the front-door of the large apartment adjoining
this vestibule.. On the right, behind a high counter, are the letters
and newspapers of the Post-Office, distributed, not in boxes, according to alphabetical order, but in heaps, according to the places
from whence they have come; as, for instance, from the Mines,
from St. Paul's, and other important points.  Corresponding to
this, on the sides of the room, are hung numerical lists of names,
arranged under the head of Cartas de Minas, de S. Paulo, &c. The
letters, with the exception of those belonging to certain mercantile
houses, and to those who pay an annual subscription to have their
correspondence sent them, are thrown together promiscuously, and
he who comes first has the privilege of looking over the whole
mass and selecting such as belong to himself or his friends. This
method has been somewhat modified since the establishment of




THE POST-OFFICE.


35


steam-lines to Europe. On the day that the steamer arrives an
immense crowd gathers at the Post-Office; but the letters, instead
of being investigated by all upon the counter, are carefully kept
in the back-part of the hall, where four persons at a time are admitted. Although in such a method of letter-delivery there is an
apparent liability to frequent mistakes, yet in my own experience
losses of letters never occurred. The whole system is, however,
clumsy and inconvenient for a city of three hundred thousand inhabitants. I was informed at Rio that some years since Mr. Gordon, of Boston, who was then U.S. Consul, offered to the Brazilian
Government to put their chief Post-Office on the same footing of
efficiency that existed in the United States. Mr. Gordon was admirably qualified for this, having been for a number of years the
postmaster of the largest distributing and seaport office in New
England. His offer was not accepted; for the Brazilians, though
more progressive than most South American people, still inherit
many characteristics from their Portuguese ancestors, and a prominent one is dislike of change. The little progress that the
mother-country has made during the last few centuries is admirably
illustrated in the following well-known story:-Once upon a time
Adam requested leave to revisit this world: permission was
granted, and an angel commissioned to conduct him. On wings
of love the patriarch hastened to his native earth; but so changed,
so strange, all seemed to him, that he nowhere felt at home till he
came to Portugal. " Ah, now," exclaimed he, " set me down; everything here is just as I left it."
The larger mails, departing coastwise, are very frequent, regular,
and swift. This may also be said of the mail to Petropolis by
steamboat, railway, and stage-coach; but, as a general thing, the
inland transportation of letters is very slow. But when the D.
Pedro II. Railway and similar constructions reach far into the
interior, there will be of course corresponding improvement in this
respect. The inland mails to the distant provinces depart once in
five days, and return at corresponding intervals. Their transmission through the country is slow and tedious, being performed on
horseback or by foot-carriers, at an average, throughout the empire,
of twenty miles in twenty-four hours. Charges for postage are
moderate, and a traveller to any portion of the country is permitted




36


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


to carry as many epistles as his friends will intrust to him, provided
they have the Government stamp affixed to them.
There is, however, one exception to the general cheapness of
postage. It sometimes happens that books or packages which
ought to have passed through the Custom-House find their way to
the Post-Office, and then the expense is extravagant. If a person
is dissatisfied with the amount charged, he can appeal to the decision of the inspector-in-chief, and perhaps, after a proper explana.
tion, the affair may be accommodated. In general, the civilities
which a person will receive at the Post-Office of Rio de Janeiro are
in happy contrast with the sullen and boorish indifference sometimes experienced at similar places in the United States.
From the Post-Office we next seek the large commercial trapiche
(warehouse) of Messrs. Maxwell, Wright & Co. This establishment
has long been known as the leading commission-house of Rio de
Janeiro. It was built up under the supervision of the vigilant and
prompt Mr. Joseph Maxwell, of Gibraltar, and various members
of his family, in connection with the Messrs. Wright of Baltimore.
Few Americans and Englishmen have gone to Rio without receiving
attentions from some one of the principals or employees of this
house. At the abundantly-spread table in the dining-room of the
trapiche, many have made their first acquaintance with Brazilian
dishes and with the refreshing fruits of the tropics.
In September, 1854, Sr. Jose Maxwell, the senior partner of this
important firm, died; and probably the funeral of no other privato
citizen in the capital or the empire was ever attended by such a
throng as that which followed to the grave the remains of this kind
father, respected citizen, and honored merchant.
We pass, by the Rua do Rosario, again into the Rua Direita, and
continue our promenade up the Rua do Ouvidor, which is the combined Rue Vivienne, Regent Street, and Broadway of Rio. It is
not, however, either long or broad, but the shops upon it are brilliant and in good taste. There is no part of the city so attractive
to the recently-landed foreigner as this street, with its print-shops,
feather-flower stores, and jewellery-establishments. The diamond,
the topaz and emerald can here be purchased in any number, and
are temptingly displayed behind rich plate-glass. The feather and
insect-flowers manufactured in Brazil are original and most beauti



FEATHER-FLOWERS.


37


ful. The early Portuguese found that the Indians adorned themselves with the rich plumage of the unsurpassingly brilliant birds
of the forest. In the Amazonian regions the aborigines have not
lost either the taste or the skill of their ancestors, and, like the
cultivators of roses, they are not content with the gorgeous colors
which nature has painted, but by artificial means produce new
varieties. Thus, on the Rio Negro, the Uaupe Indians have a headdress which is in the highest estimation, and they will only part
with it under the pressure of the greatest necessity. This ornament consists of a coronet of red and yellow feathers disposed in
regular rows and firmly attached to a strong plaited band. The
feathers are entirely from the shoulders of the great red macaw;
but they are not those that the bird naturally possesses, for the
Indians have a curious art by which they change the colors of the
plumage of many birds. They pluck out a certain number of
feathers, and in the various vacancies thus occasioned infuse the
milky secretion made from the skin of a small frog. When the
feathers grow again they are of a brilliant yellow or orange color,
without any mixture of green or blue as in the natural state of the
bird; and it is said that the much-coveted yellow feather will
ever after be reproduced without a new infusion of the milky
secretion.
In the National Museum on the Campo St. Anna, many of the
curious head-dresses and feather-robes of the aboriginal tribes
attract the attention of the visitor.
There are few curiosities more esteemed in Europe and the
United States than the feather-flowers of Rio de Janeiro and Bahia.
They are made from the natural plumage, though from time to
time the novice has palmed off upon him a bouquet, the leaves of
which, instead of being from the parrot, have been stolen from the
back of the white ibis and then dyed. This deception can, however, be detected by observing the stem of the feather to be colored
green, which never is the case in nature. No one travelling in the
English steamers should postpone his purchases of these beautiful
souvenirs of bright birds and Brazil until he arrives at Madeira,
for the numerous pedlars of that island offer an inferior article
made from artificially-colored feathers. Bahia is the cheapest mart
for this kind of merchandise. No ornament can surpass the




38


BRAZIL AND TIE BRAZILIANS.


splendor of the flowers made from the breasts and throats of
humming-birds. A lady whose bonnet or hair is adorned with
such plumage seems to be surrounded with flashes of the most
gorgeous and ever-varying brilliancy. The carnations and other
flowers made from a happy combination of the feathers of the
scarlet ibis and the rose-colored spoonbill are also very natural,
and are highly prized.
In these shops we may also find fish-scale flowers, and those
manufactured from the wings of insects, and breast-pins which are
made by setting a small brilliant beetle in gold.
From the Rua do Ouvidor we turn into the Rua dos Ourives,
(Goldsmiths' Street,) where are scores of shops filled with large
quantities of silver and gold ornaments, from a spur to a crucifix.
We now wend our way through the Largo do Francisco do Paula
to the Largo do Roscio, (or Theatre Square, as it is termed by the
English,) where we take an omnibus for Botafogo. The Brazilian
omnibus is very much like its prototype in all parts of the world,
with this single and very important exception:-it is not elastic.
A New York or Philadelphia omnibus is proverbially "never full;"
but the same kind of vehicle in Rio can be filled, and, when once
complete, the conductor closes the door, cries " Vamos embora," (Let
us be off,) the driver flourishes his long thong and sets his fourmule team into a gallop. Away we go, rattling across gutters as
if there were none, and rushing through narrow streets as if negro
water-carriers had no existence. It is curious to behold the heavyladen slaves clearing the street and dodging into open shop-doors
as an omnibus appears in sight. Few accidents occur; and, when
they do, prompt reparation is made. On one occasion I was in a
"gondola" in the narrow Rua S. Jose. Our four long-eared beasts
were plunging on at a fearful rate, and, being much more unmanageable than horses, could not be pulled up until the fore-wheel
crunched upon the legs of a poor old mullatress. She was severely
but not fatally injured, and was instantly cared for. The gondoladriver, however, I never saw again holding the reins. The House
of Correction, or one of the many prisons, was, without doubt, his
abode for the next few months.
The streets, with their diminutive sidewalks, are so narrow that
in many of them only one vehicle can pass at a time. I was more




I.I




A'




THE ROSE-COLORED SPOON BILL.
[/IATALEA AJAJA 


I. inclairws Irail- -


A BiaotI Di




*~




NARROW STREETS AND POLICE-REGULATIONS.


39


than once reminded of Pompeii and Herculaneum, not only in some
of the commonest utensils and mechanic implements, in the open
shop-windows, and in the house of the Brazilian, who demands a
fine parlor, (the atrium,) and yet will sleep in a windowless alcove
like a dungeon's cell; but in nothing was the resemblance more
striking than in the narrow ruas, which, doubtless, had their
origin in the desire to procure shade. Mr. George S. Hillard, in
his thought-begetting "Six Months in Italy," says of the narrow
thoroughfares of Pompeii, "As each vehicle must have occupied
the space between the curbstones, we are left without any means
of conjecturing what expedients were resorted to, or what policeregulations were in force, when two carriages, moving in different
directions, met each other." If this accomplished author had
visited Rit de Janeiro previous to his excursion to the buried cities
of Magna Grecia, the mystery would have been solved. In the
narrow Ruas Ouvidor, Rosario, Hospicio, Alfandega, S. Jose, and
others, carriages and omnibuses never meet; and so admirable are
the police-regulations that no mistakes ever occur. At the corner
of each of these streets where it is crossed by another, we see
painted, with great distinctness, an index immediately under the
name of the street. Thus, two of the streets mentioned above are
adjacent to and parallel with each other, and are crossed by the
Ruas Direita and Quitanda. Upon their Rua Direita corners we
behold the following:RUA DO ROSARIO.
RUA DO OUVIDOR.
Now, if I am in a carriage at the point where the Ruas Direita and
Rosario cross each other, and I wish to visit a shop at the corner
of the latter street and the Rua Quitanda, although it is more direct
for me to ascend by the Rua do Rosario, yet my Jehu knows that




40


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


if he should go contrary to the index he would be subjected to a
heavy fine and forfeiture of certain privileges as a coachman. I-e
therefore whirls through the Direita, up the Rua do Ouvidor, and
along the Quitanda, travelling the three sides of the square, and
thus avoiding all collision.
Rua da Quitanda.
o                                 0
0
\0                       ir
R ua Direita.
I             — I r
In the city of New York there has been for many years every
imaginable proposition for the relief of Broadway, and there is
scarcely a citizen or visitor in that vast emporium who has not on
more than one occasion been subjected to great inconvenience by
the regular "blockade" instituted every day in the lower part
of that immense thoroughfare, the whole of which might have been
avoided by the simple application of the Brazilian plan, and thus
making the innumerable omnibuses, drays, carts, and carriages
descend Broadway, and those vehicles that are uptownward ascend
Greenwich Street.
But onward rushes our omnibus at a rapid pace. We whirl by
the Carioca Fountain, and, before we can give a second look at the
green sides of the Antonio Hill, we are bowling along under the
garden-walls of the lofty Adjuda Convent. All seems dismal,
with the exception of the foliage that appears above the high
enclosure. A turn brings us into the Largo da Ajuda, and at once
we have the wonderful view-to Northern eyes at least-of the
Passeio Publico, (Public Promenade,) and before us the verdant
slopes of the Santa Theresa Hill. From beneath the tropic-trees




THE PASSEIO PUBLICO.


41


which cover the latter, neat white cottages are peeping, and, for
a residence, no elevation within the city is preferable to Santa
Theresa.  The Passcio Publico, which we are passing, was a
favorite resort of mine at Rio; and at all times-whether at night,
when it is brilliantly illuminated, or in the brightest hour of the
day-it is one of the pleasantest promenades within the precincts
of the municipality. Here are overhanging trees, blooming para

AQUEDUCT, LARGO DA LAPA, AND PASSEIO PUBLICO, FROM THE SANTA THERESA.


sites, rare plants, shady walks, and cool fountains.  On the side
which fronts the bay is a large terrace, from which is a magnificent prospect of the Gloria Hill, the distant Sugar-Loaf, and, far
beyond, the rolling ocean.
Having passed this public garden, we are in the square called
Largo da Lapa. The palatial building on our right was purchased
a few years ago for the National Library, and was formerly one
of the most splendid private mansions in Rio.
Over a superbly-paved street our omnibus is hurrying; but from




42


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


time to time an open gate or a tall Cape of Good Hope pine-tree
tells us that gardens are in the rear of forbidding-looking walls.
We dash along what is called the "Coast of Africa,"-a long row
of low houses on our right; while on our left the bay is beneath
us, and therefore, the street being unshaded, the appropriateness of
the hot cognomen. That large three-story building, formerly the
English Embassy, is a foundling hospital. The Chafariz of St.
Theresa is built up against a portion of the living rock of the jutting
hill whence it derives its name. After passing the flower-gardens
of the Barao do Meriti and the Gloria Hill, our passengers begin
to descend at the various streets which cross the Catete, which is
the widest thoroughfare in this portion of the capital. Each person, as he rises to depart, lifts his hat, and the compliment is
returned by every individual in the omnibus, though all may be
entire strangers. No one ever enters a large public conveyance in
Rio without saluting those within and receiving in return a polite
acknowledgment of his presence. Very frequently a pinch of snuff
is offered to you by your unknown neighbor. I have seen gentlemen but recently returned from Brazil enter a New York omnibus
and deferentially salute the inmates: the polite strangers were
received with a smile of derision or looked upon with a stare
of contempt.
Each omnibus has painted in large characters upon its sides its
capacity: thus, "14 pessoas" means that the vehicle is registered
at the Bureau de Police to contain that number of persons, and
one passenger more than the registered number would subject the
company to a heavy fine. I have never seen more passengers
within than the figures on the side indicated.
I have more than once mentioned the "gondola,"-that name
associated with love-romance and Venice, "moonrise high, midnight, and the voice of song." When I first heard that mellifluous term in Brazil, I fancied that the sharp and graceful little
barges of the Queen of the Adriatic had been transported to the
bright waters of Rio de Janeiro; but I soon discovered my mistake, and ascertained that this sweet Italian word was used to
designate most unpoetic four-wheeled vehicles, drawn by as many
kicking, stubborn mules! The gondola in every respect resembles
the omnibus, save that no conductor accompanies it. You prepay




THE GONDOLA.


43


Senhor Bernardo or a Senhor somebody else at the Largo do Paco;
and if there are any way-fares, these are received by the driver.
The gondola does not have the convenience which the New York
omnibus possesses, in the shape of the leather strap by which the
passenger causes the driver to pull up at the will of the former.
In lieu of this, passengers make a very free use of canes, umbrellas,
and fists, battering at a terrible rate the end of the gondola nearest
the driver; or occasionally the leg of the latter is rather more
warmly than affectionately embraced by the individual sitting next to
the farther window. Sometimes the gondola cannot be "propelled"
by its living oars; and, under such circumstances, when a Scotchman, a Yankee, or a Frenchman will relieve himself of many hard
words at the unfortunate Jehu, the Brazilians remain perfectly
calm, not once descending to see what is the matter, and conversing with one another as philosophically as if nothing had happened. On one occasion I was witness to a scene which will scarcely
be credited. As a gondola full of passengers was turning out
of the Rua dos Ourives, it unfortunately "stuck."  The driver
shouted at his mules, thrashed them with his long raw-hide thong,
tchewed* at them, and stamped his footboard, all to no purpose:
the animals could not start the vehicle. Not one passenger got
out, but all looked from the windows as if this was a part of the
programme for which they had paid their dous testoes, (five English
pence,) and they determined to have their money's worth. The
poor driver was in deep distress: quite a crowd collected, but no
one offered to aid him, until he, by sundry vintems, allured the services of several Africans, whose broad shoulders applied to the
wheels, in conjunction with the pulling of the mules, moved gondola, passengers, and all.
Having something of a philological turn, I inquired why these
public conveyances were called gondolas. I was not long in ascertaining that a monopoly had been granted to certain omnibus companies, which was considered onerous, but the municipal government could not in conscience abolish the contract or confer a new


* A sound unrepresentable by letters, similar to that made in the United States
in scaring chickens, by which all classes, high and low, in Brazil, call the attention of others.




44


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


charter upon another omnibus association; however, all scruples
were finally overcome by granting privileges to a gondola company
to carry passengers!
We will end our ride at the Ponta do Catete, and will thence
make our way to the Hotel dos Estrangeiros, at the commencement
of the Caminho Velho de Botafogo; or we may walk a few steps
farther, and enter Johnson's Hotel, on the Caminho Novo. The
Hotel dos Estrangeiros is a large house kept on the French plan;
the Hotel Johnson is where Englishmen "most do congregate,"
and where one can find more comfort than at any other establishment for the accommodation of the public in the city. Both are
surrounded by verdure, whether we consider the neighboring gardens, or the adjacent hills, whose sides are covered with luxuriantlyfoliaged trees and clambering vines.
The stranger at Rio de Janeiro is usually surprised at the
scarcity of inns and boarding-houses. There are several French
and Italian hotels, with apartments to let; and these are chiefly
supported by the numerous foreigners constantly arriving and
temporarily residing in the place. But among the native population, and intended for Brazilian patronage, there are only eight or
ten inns in a city of three hundred thousand inhabitants, and
scarcely any of these exceed the dimensions of a private house.
It is almost inconceivable how the numerous visitors to this great
emporium find necessary accommodations. It may safely be presumed that they could not, without a heavy draught upon the
hospitalities of the inhabitants, with whom, in many instances,
a letter of introduction secures a home. In the lack of such a
resort, the sojourner rents a room, and, by the aid of his servant
and a few articles of furniture, soon manages to live, with more or
less frequent resorts to some caza de pasto or restaurant. Most
of the members of the National Assembly keep up domestic establishments during their sojourn in the capital. As a consequence
of this lack of hotels and boarding-houses, some of the commercial
firms maintain a table for the convenience of their clerks and
guests. This was once much more common; but, since 1850, probably the greater portion of those formerly thus accommodated
club together, rent a house in Botafogo, Praia Grande, or on the
Santa Theresa, and keep up an establishment of their own.




FIRST NIGHT IN THE TROPICS.


45


Having thus been cicerone of the reader in his rapid whirl
through this city of the tropics, I know of no fitter termination
to the day than for him to imagine himself in one of the vast
rooms of the Hotel dos Estrangeiros.
For many days, in a narrow berth, you have been rudely rocked
by the billows, and this is the first night on terra firma and a comfortable bed. The windows of your apartment are wide open, and,
as you close your eyes, the land-breeze, murmuring softly, bears
upon its wings not only the sweet, fresh smell of the earth, but,
stealing in its course from the adjacent gardens the fragrance of
jessamines, the delicate scent of the fiora-pondia, and the odor of
the opening orange-blooms, it loads the evening air with the
richest aroma. The distant booming of the waves, as they break
upon the Praia do Flamengo, is a soothing melody, which lulls
you to dreams of scenes not more lovely than those around you,
where are
"Larger constellations burning, mellow moons and happy skies,
Breadths of tropic shade, and palms in cluster, knots of paradise,"a land where
"Slides the bird o'er lustrous woodland, swings the trailer from the crag,
Droops the heavy-blossom'd bower, hangs the heavy-fruited tree,Summer-isles of Eden lying in dark purple spheres of sea."




CHAPTER III.
DISCOVERY OF SOUTH AMERICA-PINZON S VISIT TO BRAZIL-CABRAL-COELIIO
-AMERICUS VESPUCIUS-THE NAME "BRAZIL" BAY OF RIO DE JANEIROMARTIN AFFONSO DE SOUZA-PAST GLORY OF PORTUGAL-COLIGNY'S HUGUENOT
COLONY-THE PROTESTANT BANNER FIRST UNFURLED IN THE NEW WORLDTREACHERY OF VILLEGAGNON-CONTEST BETWEEN THE PORTUGUESE AND THE
FRENCH-DEFEAT OF THE LATTER-SAN SEBASTIAN FOUNDED-CRUEL INTOLERANCE-REFLECTIONS.
ALTHOUGH the bay and city of Rio de Janeiro are fraught with
interesting associations to the general student of history, and still
more to the Protestant Christian as that portion of the New World
where the banner of the Reformed religion was first unfurled, yet
I have thought it best to introduce here a brief account of the
early discovery and settlement of Brazil.
Guanihani-that outpost of the New World-was beheld by
European eyes six years before the discovery of South America.
In 1498, Columbus landed near the mouth of the Orinoco. He
recorded, in enthusiastic language, "the beauty of the new land,"
and declared that he felt as if "he could never leave so charming
a spot."  The honor, however, of discovering the Western hemisphere south of the equator must be awarded to Yincent Yanez
Pinzon, who was a companion of Columbus, and had commanded
the "Niia" in that first glorious voyage which made known to the
Old World the existence of the New. Pinzon sailed from Palos in
December, 1499, and, crossing the equator, his eyes were gladdened, on the 26th of January, 1500, by a green promontory,
which he called Cape Consolation. This is now known as Cape
St. Augustine, the headland just south of the city of Pernambuco.
He sailed thence northward, discovering the vast mouths of the
Amazon, and touched at various points until he reached the
Orinoco.
When Pinzon beheld the palm-groves and densely-foliaged
46




DISCOVERIES OF PINZON AND CABRAL.


47


forests, and had scented the spicy breezes which were wafted from
the shore, he supposed that he was visiting India-beyond-theGanges, and believed that he had already sailed past the renowned
Cathay. In the name of Castile he took possession of the goodly
land; but, before he reached Spain, Pedro Alvares Cabral, a distinguished Portuguese navigator, had claimed the territory for his
own monarch. On the return of Vasco da Gama to Portugal, in
1499, with the certainty of having discovered the route to the
Indies by the Cape of Good Hope, the king Dom      Emanuel
determined to send a large fleet to those famous regions, with
instructions to enter into commercial relations with the Eastern
sovereigns, or, in case of refusal, to make war upon them and subdue them.   The command of this expedition was intrusted to
Cabral, and, on the 9th of March, the large fleet, with its fifteen
hundred soldiers and mariners, sailed amid grand military and
religious ceremonials, the king himself honoring the occasion by
his august presence. With this handful of men, intended for the
coercion of the Orient to the commercial notions of Portugal,
Cabral directed his course to the Cape de Verdes, and thence, in
order to avoid the calms which prevail on the African coast, he ran
so far to the westward, that, without any intention on his part, he
discovered, on the 21st of April, 1500, the same land which, ninety
days previously, had been visited by Pinzon. Cabral's discovery
was, however, in the present province of Espirito Santo, near
Mount Pascal, which is eight degrees south of Cape St. Augustine.
Some Brazilian writers grudgingly mention the voyage of Pinzon; others ignore him altogether, wishing seemingly to ascribe
all the glory to one of their own Portuguese ancestors. Doubtless
Cabral was led by the trade-winds and by the currents-of which
he was not aware-to the coast of Brazil, and thus made his fortunate discovery. To-day, vessels sailing from Europe for the East
Indies can (as is well demonstrated by Lieutenant Maury's wind
and current charts) make the swiftest voyages by taking advantage of the wonderful trade-winds, steering first toward South
America and afterward in the direction of the Cape of Good HIope.
Pinzon set forth from Palos with the intention of making Western
discoveries; Cabral sailed from Lisbon with instructions to proceed to the Eastern discoveries of Vasco da Gama; but, because a




48


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


happy accident (some say a fierce storm) forced his fleet to Brazil,
and that, too, months after the landing of the Spanish navigator
at Cape St. Augustine, there is neither reason nor justice in the
national pride which endeavors to take away the priority of discovery from Vincent Yanez Pinzon.
On Easter Sunday mass was celebrated; and on the 1st of May
this solemnity was repeated, and, in the presence of thousands
of the aborigines, a huge cross was erected, bearing the insignia
of Dom Emanuel, and the land, to which they gave the name of
Vera Cruz, was solemnly taken possession of in the name of the
King of Portugal.*
It was the Padre Frei Henrique, of Coimbra, who conducted the
religious ceremonies, and in which he was piously joined (so reads
the chronicle) by os indigenos imitando os gestos e movimentos dos
Portugezes, (the savages imitating the gestures and movements of
the Portuguese.)
Two convicts were left with the natives, and one of these afterward became of great use as an interpreter. Cabral despatched
Gaspar de Lemos to Lisbon, to inform the monarch of the discovery and appropriation of the new land of the True Cross, and
then pursued his route to the East Indies. The Pope of Rome
laid down a rule regulating the proprietorship of countries discovered by Spain and Portugal, and thus was disposed the question
between Pinzon and Cabral.
The king Dom Emanuel was deeply interested in the intelligence brought him by Gaspar de Lemos, and, in May, 1501, sent
out to his new dominions three caravellas under the command
of Gonqalo Coelho.t In one of these vessels was Americus Vespucius. This expedition partook more of the character of failure
than of success, and was replaced, in 1503, by a second, which,
consisting of double the number of ships employed in the first,
sailed, according to some authorities, under Christopher Jacques;t
according to others, under the same Gongalo Coelho,t accompanied
/
* Historia do Brazil, by Gen. J. I. de Abreu Lima. Rio de Janeiro, 1843.
f Ibid. vol. i. chap. ii.
$ Epitome da Hist. do Brazil, (by Jose Pedro Xavier Pinheiro. Bahia, 1854,)
chap. i. p. 27.




THE NAME "BRAZIL."


49


again by Americus. Four of these vessels were lost, with the
commander-in-chief; but the lucky Florentine escaped, and lived
to deprive, indirectly, the new territory of the name conferred
upon it by Cabral.(''
The two remaining ships entered a bay, now supposed to be the
spacious Bahia de Todos os Santos, and afterward coasted southward two hundred and sixteen leagues, and there remained five
months anchored near the land, and maintained amicable relations
with the natives. Here they erected a fortress, and left in it
twenty-four men.
As the most valuable part of the cargo which Americus Yespucius carried back to Europe was the well-known dyewood, Ccesalpinia Braziliensis,-called, in the Portuguese language, pau brazil,
on account of its resemblance to brazas, "coals of fire,"-the land
whence it came was termed the " land of the brazil-wood;" and,
finally, this appellation was shortened to Brazil, and completely
usurped the names Vera Cruz or Santa Cruz.(2) This change was
not effected without protestations on the part of some,-not because
their taste for euphony was shocked, but on the ground that the
cause of religion required a sacred title to the fairest possession
of faithful Lusitania in the New World. One of the reverendissimos declared that it was through the express interposition of the
devil that such a choice and lovely land should be called Brazil
instead of the pious cognomen given to it by Cabral. Anothera devoted Jesuit-poured forth a jeremiad on the subject, concluding, with emphasis, by stating what a shame it was that "the
cupidity of man, by unworthy traffic, should change the wood
of the cross, red with the real blood of Christ, for that of another
wood which resembled it only in color"!
Other voyages were undertaken at the order of Spain and of
Portugal,-thus making known the whole coast of Eastern South
America from the Amazon to the Straits of Majellan. Among the
navigators at the head of these expeditions were De Solis and Majellan, (Magalhaes.) In 1515, De Solis sailed on his Southern voyage,
and discovered the Rio de la Plata, which at first bore his own name.
On his way thither, he entered the bay now known as Rio de Janeiro.
Fernando de Majellan, a Portuguese in the service of Charles I. of
Spain, sailed, in 1519, to discover the western passage to the Indies.
4




50


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


On the 13th of December he entered the bay previously visited by
De Solis, and remained there until the 27th of the same month, and
gave to it the name of Bahia (bay) de Santa Luzia,-the day of his
entrance being the anniversary of that saint. He afterward coasted
along the continent until he entered those straits which still bear
his name, and which were for a century the only known highway
to the Pacific. Majellan was the first to circumnavigate the globe.
The usual account of the origin of the term Rio de Janeiro, so
inappropriately given to a bay, has already been referred to. The
facts seem to be adverse to the generally-accepted explanation that
Martin Affonso de Souza discovered this sheet of water-which he
supposed to be a river-on the 1st of January, 1531. It is incontestable that it was entered twice at least several years previous to
his departure from Portugal. Martin Affonso de Souza was a
Portuguese gentleman of noble lineage, and of high estimation in
the court of Dom John III. The king, having received information
of the visits of Spaniards to the coasts which he considered his
own, determined to send an expedition, commanded by De Souza,
to Brazil. De Souza had plenary powers on land and on sea, and
was to fortify and distribute the new territory. He was the first
donatory of Portugal in Brazil, and sailed from Lisbon on the 3d
of December, 1530. In a few weeks he sighted Cape St. Augustine,
near which he encountered three French vessels. He gave them
battle, came off victorious, and took them in triumph to the present harbor of Pernambuco. After refitting, he came to Bahia de
Todos os Santos, where was the little settlement of the shipwrecked
Diogo Alvares Correa, (Caramuru,) whose romantic history is narrated in another portion of this work. After some delay, he again
sailed southward, and, on the 30th of April, 1531, entered the bay
which had already been named Santa Luzia and Rio de Janeiro.
By reflecting for a moment upon the time (December 3, 1530) when
Martin Affonso de Souza departed from Lisbon, and the various
events and delays of the voyage, we can easily perceive that it
would be an impossibility to sail more than five thousand miles,
(and his were not modern clipper-ships,) fight and capture three
vessels, refresh successively at two different ports, and then
reach the Bay of Rio de Janeiro on the 1st of January, 1531.('3
Aside from this, we have the direct and simple statement of Pero




PAST GLORY OF PORTUGAL.


51


Lopes de Souza, brother to the commander, which not only settles
the date of their arrival, but the fact that the bay or supposed
river was previously known as Rio de Janeiro,-viz.: "Saturday,
30th of April, at four o'clock in the morning, we were in the mouth
of Rio de Janeiro."''
Martin Affonso de Souza formed no settlement on the shores of
the magnificent bay which he had entered, but contented himself
with remaining there for a few months, where he constructed three
brigantines, and then sailed to the coast of the present province
of Sao Paulo. At a place which possessed no great natural advantages he commenced the first European colony (Vespucius's
handful of men and Caramuru's wigwams cannot be called the
earliest settlements) in Brazil, and named it St. Vincent. St. Vincent no longer exists, unless its existence may be predicated in the
few miserable houses and the broken fountain which mark the
spot where was laid the first stone of the proudest colony of Portugal. On the margin of that spacious and protected harbor which
De Souza rejected for an exposed arm of the sea, has sprung up the
first commercial city of South America, and the third in the New
World.
It will not be uninstructive to glance at the position, at that
time, of the kingdom which sent forth Diaz, Vasco da Gama,
Cabral, Coelho, Christopher Jacques, Vespucius, and De Souza,
upon new and hazardous voyages of discovery. The territory of
European Portugal was then no greater than at present; but her
ambitious monarchs and her daring navigators had pushed their
conquests and discoveries not only along the whole western and
eastern coasts of Africa, but to "the farthest Ind." Bartholomew
Diaz beheld the Cape of Good Hope six years before Columbus
discovered America; and Yasco da Gama doubled the same cape
ere the great Genoese landed at the mouth of the Orinoco. Portugal had flourishing colonies in Angola, Loango, and Congo, before
Cortez had burned his ships in the Mexican Gulf. Before the
Honorable East India Company was dreamed of, Portuguese viceroys and Portuguese commercial enterprises swayed it over millions in Hindostan and Ceylon. They trafficked with the distant
Peguans and the little-known Burmese, on the banks of the Irrawaddy, three hundred years before Judson proclaimed, near the




52


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


same river, the gospel of the blessed Saviour. Centuries before the
English possessed Hong-Kong or the Americans had opened Japan
by commercial treaties, Portugal owned Macao, held intercourse
with the curious Chinese, traded with the Japanese, and, through
her priests, led more than half a million of those almond-eyed
islanders to embrace the doctrines of Rome. Of her immense
acquisitions by conquest and discovery, that of Brazil was not to
be the least in its importance and future destiny. When we look
at what Portugal was and what she is, we can only exclaim, "How
are the mighty fallen!" Portugal has been weighed in the balance
and found wanting. Shorn of all her possessions in the East except
a territory (comprising Goa and a few unimportant islands) not so
large as the State of South Carolina, her commerce is now scarcely
known in the Indian Seas. Her dominion west of Asia is limited
to her own small European kingdom, to languishing colonies in
Africa, and to a few islands in the Atlantic. She owns not an inch
of territory in the Western World, where once she had a quarter
of the continent. She had not the conservative salt of a pure Christianity to preserve her morality and her greatness. Like Spain,
she became at once the patron and the protectress of the Inquisition; and, though the Portuguese are far more tolerant than the
Spaniards, yet the Government of Portugal held on to that cursed
engine of Roman intolerance until 1821. The contrast between
Holland and Portugal forces itself upon the consideration of all.
They are both nearly of the same European area and population,
both were great maritime nations in the sixteenth century, and
both made extensive conquests in the East. But, while neighboring states have created a mercantile marine since the era referred
to, Holland, in this respect, still ranks as the third power in
Europe and the fourth in the world, and her internal prosperity
has not declined. Her credit has always maintained the highest
place among the nations of the earth, while Portugal has been
more than once on the verge of bankruptcy.   Holland to-day
governs twenty-two millions of people, who are prosperous and
advancing, whether in the Eastern or the Western hemisphere.
Portugal, in all her dominions, rules less than one-third of that
number. The former is distinguished for tolerance and intelligence; the latter, under the blighting shadow of the Papacy, has,


J




COLIGNY'S HUGUENOT COLONY.


53


even in the latter half of the nineteenth century, manifested narrowness and bigotry,'5 and her people, as a whole, have been the
most ignorant of Europe. The last few years have, however, we
trust, been the precursor of a better era for Portugal. Her young
and enlightened monarch has come to the throne with enlarged
views, and it is fondly hoped that his subjects will be elevated, and
that Portugal will assume a position more in accordance with the
historical traditions of those days when her kings were energetic,
and when her navigators laid at her feet the treasures of the
world.
Returning from this digression, let us again watch the progress
of events in the new acquisitions of Portugal in the Western World.
Other eyes than those of Spanish navigators were looking toward
Brazil, and to that very portion of it which had been slighted by
Martin Affonso de Souza. Among the adventurers from France
was Nicholas Durand de Villegagnon, a Knight of Malta, a man
of considerable abilities, and of some distinction in the French
service. He had even been appointed to the gallant post of commander of the vessel which bore Mary, Queen of Scots, from France
to her own realms. Villegagnon aspired to the honor of establishing a colony in the New World, and Rio de Janeiro was the chosen
spot for his experiment. He had the address, in the outset, to
secure the patronage of the great and good Admiral Coligny,
whose persevering attempt to plant the Reformed religion in
both North and South America was a leading feature in his life
up to the time when St. Bartholomew's Eve was written in
characters of blood.
Villegagnon proposed to found an asylum for the persecuted
Huguenots. Admiral Coligny's influence secured to him a respectable number of colonists. The French court was disposed to view
with no small satisfaction the plan of founding a colony, after the
example of the Portuguese and Spaniards.
It was in the year 1555 that Henry II., the reigning king, furnished three small vessels, of which Villegagnon took the command and sailed from Havre de Grace. A gale of wind occurred
while they were yet on the coast, and obliged them to put into
Dieppe, which they accomplished with considerable difficulty. By
this time many of the artificers, soldiers, and noble adventurers




54


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


had become sick of the sea, and abandoned the expedition so soon
as they reached the shore.
After a long and perilous voyage, Villegagnon entered the Bay
of Nitherohy, and commenced fortifying a small island near the
entrance, now denominated Lage, and occupied by a fort. His
fortress, however, being of wood, could not resist the action of the 
water at flood-tide, and he was obliged to remove farther upward,
to the island now called Villegagnon, where he built a fort, at first
named in honor of his patron, Coligny. This expedition was well
planned, and the place for a colony fitly chosen. The native tribes
were hostile to the Portuguese, but had long traded amicably with
the French. Some hundreds of them assembled on the shore at
the arrival of the vessels, kindled bonfires in token of their joy, and
offered every thing they possessed to these allies who had come to
defend them against the Portuguese. Such a reception inspired
the French with the idea that the continent was already their own,
and they denominated it La France Antarctique.
It was upon this island that they erected their rude place of
worship, and here these French Puritans offered their prayers and
sang their hymns of praise nearly threescore years and ten before
a Pilgrim placed his foot on Plymouth Rock, and more than half a
century before the Book of Common Prayer was borne to the
banks of the James River.
On the return of the vessels to Europe for a new supply of colonists, considerable zeal was awakened for the establishment of the
Reformed religion in these remote parts. The Church of Geneva
became interested in the object, and sent two ministers and fourteen students, who determined to brave all the hardships of an
unknown climate and of a new mode of life in the cause. It is
interesting to reflect that when the Reformation was yet in its
infancy, the subject of propagating the gospel in distant parts
of the world was one that engaged the hearts of Christians in the
city of Geneva while Calvin, Farel, and Theodore de Beza were
still living. It would be difficult to find an earlier instance of
Protestant missionary effort.
As the situation of the Huguenots in France was any thing but
happy, the combined motive of seeking deliverance from oppression
and the advancement of their faith appears to have prevailed




THE TREACHERY OF VILLEGAGNON.


55


extensively, and induced many to embark. When we look at the
incipient movements of this enterprise, without the knowledge
of its conclusion, there seems as much reason to hope that the
principles of the Reformation would have taken root here, as they
did afterward in North America, where they have produced a
harvest of such wonderful results.
But misfortunes seemed to attend every step of the enterprise.
At Harfleur, the Papist populace rose against the colonists, and
the latter, after losing one of their best officers in the conflict,
were obliged to seek safety in retreat. They had a tedious voyage,
suffering at one time from a violent storm; and, having neared
the Brazilian coast, had a slight encounter with the Portuguese.
However, they were received by Villegagnon with apparent cordiality, and effectual operations began to be undertaken for their
establishment. But it was not long before certain untoward circumstances occurred which developed the real and villanous character
of their leader.
Having gained over to his complete influence a certain number
who cared not for spiritual piety, Villegagnon, under pretence
of changing his religion and returning to the true faith, commenced a series of persecutions. Those who had come to Antarctic
France to enjoy liberty of conscience found their condition worse
than before. They were subjected to abusive treatment and great
hardships. This unnatural defection consummated the premature
ruin of the colony. The newly-arrived colonists demanded leave
to return, which was granted, but in a vessel so badly furnished
that some refused to embark, and the majority, who persisted,
endured the utmost misery of famine. Villegagnon had given
them a box of letters, wrapped in sere-cloth, as was the custom.
Among them was one directed to the chief magistrate of the port
where they might chance to arrive, in which this worthy friend
of the Guises denounced the men whom he had invited out to
Brazil to enjoy the peaceable exercise of the Reformed religion, as
heretics worthy of the stake. The magistrates of Hennebonne,
where they landed, happened to favor the Reformation, and thus
the malignity of Villegagnon was frustrated, and his treachery
exposed. Of those who had feared to trust themselves to a vessel
so badly stored, and so unfit for the voyage, three were put to




56


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


death by this persecutor. Others of the Huguenots fled from him
to the Portuguese, where they were compelled to apostatize, and
to profess a religion which they abhorred.
The homeward-bound colonists were reduced to the greatest
extremity, and, from want of food, they not only devoured all the
leather,-even to the covering of their trunks,-but in their despair
they attempted to chew the hard, dry brazil-wood which happened to be in the vessel. Several died of hunger; and they had
begun to form the resolution of devouring each other, when land
appeared in view. They arrived just in time to undeceive a body of
Flemish adventurers ready to embark for Brazil, and also about ten
thousand Frenchmen, who would have emigrated if the object of
Coligny in founding his colony had not thus been wickedly betrayed.
Though the Portuguese were so jealous of the Brazilian trade
that they treated all interlopers as pirates, yet, by some oversight,
they permitted this French colony to remain four years unmolested;
and, had it not been for the treachery of Villegagnon to his own
party, Rio de Janeiro would probably have been, at this day, the
capital of a French colony or of an independent State in which the
Huguenot element would have been predominant.
The Jesuits were well aware of this danger, and Nobrega, their
chief and provincial, at length succeeded in rousing the court of
Lisbon. A messenger was commanded to discover the state of the
French fortifications. On the ground of his report, orders were
despatched to Mem de Sa Barreto, governor of the colony, and
resident at San Salvador, to attack and expel the intruders who
remained. Having fitted out two vessels-of-war and several merchantmen, the governor, taking the command in person, embarked,
accompanied by Nobrega as his prime counsellor. They appeared
off the bar at Rio early in 1560, with the intention of surprising
the island at the dead of night. Being espied by the sentinels,
their plan was foiled. The French immediately made ready for
defence, forsook their ships, and, with eight hundred native archers,
retired to their forts.
With reinforcements from St. Vincente, Mem de Sa won the landing-place, and, routing the French from their most important holds,
so intimidated them that, under cover of the night, they fled, some
to their ships and some to the mainland.




DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH.


57


The Portuguese, not being strong enough to keep the position
they had taken, demolished the works, and carried off the artillery
and stores which they found. A short time after this, new wars,
made by the native tribes, broke out against them, and were prosecuted at different points with great ferocity for several years. In
the mean time, the French recovered strength and influence. Preparations were again made to extirpate them. A party of Portuguese and friendly Indians, under the command of a Jesuit appointed
by Nobrega, landed near the base of the Sugar-Loaf, and, taking a
position now known as Praia Vermelha, maintained a series of
indecisive skirmishes with their enemies for more than a year.
Occasionally, when successful, they would sing in triumphant hope
a verse from the Scriptures, saying, "The bows of the mighty are
broken," &c. Well might they call the bows of the Tamoyos
mighty; for an arrow sent by one of them would fasten a shield to
the arm that held it, and sometimes would pass through the body,
and continue its way with such force as to pierce a tree and hang
quivering in the trunk.
Nobrega at length came to the camp, and at his summons Mem
de Sa again appeared with all the succors he could raise at San
Salvador. All was made ready, and the attack deferred forty-eight
hours, in order to take place on St. Sebastian's Day. The auspicious
morning came,-that of January 20, 1567. The stronghold of the
French was stormed. Not one of the Tamoyos escaped.
Southey most justly remarks, never was a war in which so little
exertion had been made, and so little force employed on both sides,
attended by consequences so important. The French court was too
busy in burning and massacring Huguenots to think of Brazil, and
Coligny, after his generous plans had been ruined by the villanous
treachery of Villegagnon, no longer regarded the colony: the day
for emigration from his country was over, and they who should
have colonized Rio de Janeiro were bearing arms against a bloody
and implacable enemy, in defence of every thing dear to man.
Portugal was almost as inattentive to Brazil; so that, few and
unaided as were the Antarctic French, had Mem de Sa been less
earnest in his duty, or Nobrega less able and less indefatigable in
his opposition, the former would have retained their place, and
perhaps the entire country have this day been French.




58


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Immediately after his victory, the governor, conformable to his
instructions, traced out a new city, which he named San Sebastian,
in honor of the saint under whose patronage the field was won, and
also of the king of the mother-country. The name of San Sebastian has been supplanted by that of Rio de Janeiro.
In connection with the event just narrated, there remains on
record a melancholy proof of the cruelty and intolerance of the
victors. According to the annals of the Jesuits, Mem de Sa stained
the foundations of the city with innocent blood. "Among the
Huguenots who had been compelled to fly from Villegagnon's persecution was one John Boles, a man of considerable learning, being
well versed both in Greek and Hebrew. Luiz de Gram caused him
to be apprehended, with three of his comrades, one of whom feigned
to become a Roman Catholic; the others were cast into prison; and
there Boles had remained eight years, when he was sent for to be
martyred at Rio de Janeiro, for the sake of terrifying his countrymen, if any should be lurking in those parts."
The Jesuits are the only historians of this matter. They pretend that Boles apostatized, having been convinced of his errors
by Anchieta, a priest greatly celebrated in the annals of Brazil.
But, by their own story, it is not very probable that a man who
for eight long years had steadfastly refused to renounce the religion
of his conviction would now yield. Boles doubtless proved a stubborn unbending Protestant, and for this suffered a cruel death.
And, notwithstanding the statement that he was to be slain as an
example to his countrymen, "if any should be found lurking in
those parts," it was not the custom of Rome to put to death those
who renounced their errors and came into her protecting fold.
When Boles was brought out to the place of execution, and the
executioner bungled in his bloody office, "Anchieta hastily interfered, and instructed him how to despatch a heretic as speedily as
possible,-fearing, it is said, lest he should become impatient, being
an obstinate man, and newly reclaimed, and that thus his soul
would be lost. The priest who in any way accelerates the execution of death is thereby suspended from his office; but the biographer of Anchieta enumerates this as one of the virtuous actions of
his life."
Though Rio de Janeiro was thus founded in blood, there is no




REFLECTIONS.


59


Roman Catholic country in the world freer from bigotry and intolerence than the Empire of Brazil.
Thus failed the establishment of Coligny's colony, upon which
the hopes of Protestant Europe had for a short time been concentrated; and Rio de Janeiro will ever be memorable as the first spot
in the Western hemisphere where the banner of the Reformed
religion was unfurled. It is true that the attempt was made upon
territory which had been appropriated by Portugal; still, a question
might arise as to the right of priority in the discovery of this portion of Brazil, for it is certain that the Spaniard, De Solis, and also
Majellan, Ruy Faleiro, and Diogo Garcia, Portuguese navigators in
the service of Spain, entered the Bay of Nitherohy long before
Martin Affonso de Souza. In whatever way this may be settled,
the fact of the failure of this Huguenot effort is full of food for
reflection; and we can fully sympathize with the remarks of the
author of "Brazil and La Plata," in regard to the treachery of
Villegagnon, and the consequent defeat of the aims of the first
French colonists:
"With the remembrance of this failure in establishing the Reformed religion here, and of the direct cause which led to it, I
often find myself speculating as to the possible and probable results
which would have followed the successful establishment of Protestantism during the three hundred years that have since intervened.
With the wealth, and power, and increasing prosperity of the United
States before us, as the fruits at the end of two hundred years'
colonization of a few feeble bands of Protestants on the comparatively bleak and barren shore of the Northern continent, there is
no presumption in the belief that had a people of similar faith,
similar morals, similar habits of industry and enterprise, gained
an abiding footing in so genial a climate and on a soil so exuberant,
long ago the still unexplored and impenetrable wilderness of the
interior would have bloomed and blossomed in civilization as the
rose, and Brazil from the sea-coast to the Andes would have become
one of the gardens of the world. But the germ which might have
led to this was crushed by the bad faith and malice of Villegagnon;
and, as I look on the spot which bears his name, and, in the eyes of
a Protestant at least, perpetuates his reproach, the two or three
solitary palms which lift their tufted heads above the embattled




60


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


walls, and furnish the only evidence of vegetation on the island,
seem, instead of plumed warriors in the midst of their defences,
like sentinels of grief mourning the blighted hopes of the long
past."


FORTRESS _AND ISLAND OF VILLEGA  ON.
FORTRESS AND ISLAND OF VILLEGAU(O0N.


But we should not look too "mournfully into the past;" for
though, in the mysterious dealings of Providence no Protestant
nation, with its attendant vigor and progress, sways it over that
fertile and salubrious land, may we not to a certain extent legitimately consider the tolerant and fit Constitution of the Empire,
and its good government, the general material prosperity, and the
advancement of the Brazilians in every point of view far beyond
all other South American nations, as an answer to the faithful
prayers with which those pious Huguenots baptized Brazil more
than three centuries ago?




CHAPTER IV.


EARLY STATE OF IO - ATTACKS OF THE FRENCH- IMPROVEMENTS UNDER THE
VICEROYS —ARRIVAL OF THE ROYAL FAMILY OF PORTUGAL — RAPID POLITICAL
CHANGES-DEPARTURE OF DOM JOHN VI.-THE VICEROYALTY IN THE HANDS
OF DOM PEDRO-BRAZILIANS DISSATISFIED WITH THE MOTHER-COUNTRY-DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE-ACCLAMATION OF DOM PEDRO AS EMPEROR.
FOR one hundred and forty years after its foundation, the city
of San Sebastian enjoyed a state of tranquil prosperity. This
quietness was in happy contrast with the turbulent spirit of the
age, and especially with the condition of the principal towns and
colonies of Brazil; nearly all of which, during the period referred
to, had been attacked by either the English, the Dutch, or the
French. In this interval the population and commerce of the place
greatly increased.
At the commencement of the eighteenth century the principal
gold-mines of the interior were discovered by the Paulistas, the
inhabitants of San Paulo. These gave the name of Minas Geraes
(General Mines) to a large inland province, which became then,
as it still remains, tributary to the port of Rio de Janeiro. Golddigging was found to produce here effects similar to those which
resulted from it in the Spanish countries. Agriculture was nearly
abandoned, the price of slaves-who had been early introducedbecame enormous, and the general prosperity of the country retrograded; while every one who could rushed to the mines, in hope
of speedily enriching himself. We even find that the curious and
abnormal condition of California in 1848 had its counterpart three
centuries ago in Brazil.
Even the Governor of Rio, forgetful of his official character and
obligations, went to Minas Geraes and engaged with avidity in the
search for treasure. The fame of these golden discoveries sounded
61




62


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


abroad, and awakened the cupidity of the French, who, in 1710,
sent a squadron, commanded by M. Du Clerc, with the intent of
capturing Rio. The whole expedition was ingloriously defeated
by the Portuguese, under Francisco de Castro, Governor of Rio
de Janeiro. This officer possessed no military ability, but blundered into a victory over the French, and permitted horrid
cruelties to be practised upon the prisoners. France was not
slow to resent the inhumanity with which her men had been
treated.
M. Duguay Trouin, one of the ablest naval officers of the times,
sought permission to revenge his countrymen and to plunder Rio
de Janeiro. Individuals were found ready to incur the expenses
of the outfit, in prospect of the speculation. The project was
approved by Government, and an immense naval force was placed
at Trouin's disposal.
This expedition was eminently successful. The tactics of the
imbecile Castro did not succeed: the city was stormed, taken, and
afterward ransomed for a heavy sum. It was during the bombardment that the convent of San Bento was battered by the balls, the
marks of which are still visible.
The plunder and the ransom were so great, that, notwithstanding, on the return-voyage of the French, a number of their vessels
went down with twelve hundred men and the most valuable part
of the booty, there remained to the adventurers a profit of ninetytwo per cent. upon the capital they had risked in the outfit.
From the time that Duguay Trouin's squadron weighed anchor
on their homeward voyage, no hostile fleet has ever entered the
harbor of Rio de Janeiro. Great changes, however, have taken
place in the condition of that city.
In 1763 it superseded Bahia as the seat of government, and
became the residence of the viceroys of Portugal.
The more substantial improvements of the capital were undertaken at this period. The marshes, which covered a considerable
portion of the spot where the town now stands, were drained and
diked. The streets were paved and lighted. Cargoes of African
slaves, who had hitherto been exposed in the streets for sale,
exhibiting scenes of disgust and horror, and also exposing the
inhabitants to the worst of diseases, were now ordered to be




IMPROVEMENTS UNDER THE VICEROYS.


63


removed to the Yallongo, which was designated as a general
market for these unhappy beings.
Fountains of running water were also multiplied. The great
aqueduct which spans the Rua dos Arcos was then constructed;
and in these and various other ways, the health, comfort, and
prosperity of the city were promoted under the successive administrations of the Count da Cunha, the Marquis of Lavradio, and Luiz
de Vasconcellos


GREAT AQUEDUCT-RUA DOS ARCOS.


The system of government maintained during these periods
throughout Brazil was absolute in the extreme, and by no means
calculated to develop the great resources of the country. Nevertheless, it was anticipated by the more enlightened statesmen of
Portugal that the colony would some day eclipse the glory of
the mother-country. None, however, could foresee the proximity
of those events which were about to drive the royal family (the
house of Braganza) to seek an asylum in the New World, and to




64


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


establish their court at Rio de Janeiro. The close of the eighteenth
century witnessed their development.
The French Revolution and the leading spirit which was raised
up by it involved the slumbering kingdom of Portugal in the
troubles of the Continent. Napoleon determined that the court
of Lisbon should declare itself against its ancient ally, England,
and assent to the Continental system adopted by the Imperial ruler
of France. The Prince-Regent, Dom John VI., promised, but hesitated, delayed, and finally, too late, declared war against England.
The vacillation of the Prince-Regent hastened events to a crisis.
The English fleet, under Sir Sidney Smith, established a most
rigorous blockade at the mouth of the Tagus, and the British
ambassador left no other alternative to Dom John VI. than to
surrender to England the Portuguese fleet, or to avail himself
of the British squadron for the protection and transportation of
the royal family to Brazil. The moment was critical: the army
of Napoleon had penetrated the mountains of Beira; only an
immediate departure would save the monarchy. No resource remained to the Prince-Regent but to choose between a tottering
throne in Europe and a vast empire in America. His indecisions
were at an end. By a royal decree he announced his intention to
retire to Rio de Janeiro until the conclusion of,a general peace.
The archives, the treasures, and the most precious effects of the
crown, were transferred to the Portuguese and English fleets; and,
on the 29th of November, 1807, accompanied by his family and a
multitude of faithful followers, the Prince-Regent took his departure amid the combined salvos of the cannon of Great Britain
and of Portugal. That very day Marshal Junot thundered upon the
heights of Lisbon, and the next morning took possession of the
city. Early in January, 1808, the news of these surprising events
reached Rio de Janeiro, and excited the most lively interest.
What the Brazilians had dreamed of only as a remote possible
event was now suddenly to be realized. The royal family might
be expected to arrive any day, and preparations for their reception
occupied the attention of all. The Viceroy's palace was immediately prepared, and all the public offices in the Palace Square
were vacated to accommodate the royal suite. These not being
deemed sufficient, proprietors of private houses in the neighborhood


I




P




----------
7   7


I:-.- ------- --—;:z
---- -- -- — '; ---


E    OF- _)  I i I  JANII  0  FROM  THE  ISLAND  OF  COBRAS.




ARRIVAL OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.


65


were required to leave their residences and send in their keys to
the Viceroy.
Such were the sentiments of the people respecting the hospitality due to their distinguished guests, that nothing seems to
have been withheld; while many, even of the less opulent families,
voluntarily offered sums of money and objects of value to administer
to their comfort.
The fleet having been scattered in a storm, the principal vessels
had put into Bahia, where Dom John VI. gave that carta regia
which opened the ports of Brazil to the commerce of the world.
At length all made a safe entry into the harbor of Rio, on the 7th
of March, 1808. In the manifestations of joy upon this occasion,
the houses.were deserted and the hills were covered with spectators. Those who could procured boats and sailed out to meet
the royal squadron. The prince, immediately after landing, proceeded to the cathedral, and publicly offered thanks for his safe
arrival. The city was illuminated for nine successive evenings.
In order to form an idea of the changes that have occurred in
Brazil during the last fifty years, it must be remarked, that, up to
the period now under consideration, all commerce and intercourse
with foreigners had been rigidly prohibited by the narrow policy
of Portugal. Vessels of nations allied to the mother-country were
occasionally permitted to come to anchor in the ports of this mammoth colony; but neither passengers nor crew were allowed to
land excepting under the superintendence of a guard of soldiers.
The policy pursued by China and Japan was scarcely more strict
and prohibitory.
To prevent all possibility of trade, foreign vessels-whether they
had put in to repair damages or to procure provisions and waterimmediately on their arrival were invested with a custom-house
guard, and the time for their remaining was fixed by the authorities according to the supposed necessities of the case. As a consequence of these oppressive regulations, a people who were rich in
gold and diamonds were unable to procure the essential implements
of agriculture and of domestic convenience. A wealthy planter,
who could display the most rich and massive plate at a festival,
might not be able to furnish each of his guests with a knife at
table. A single tumbler at the same time might be under the
5




66


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


necessity of making repeated circuits through the company. The
printing-press had not made its appearance. Books and learning
were equally rare. The people were in every way made to feel
their dependence; and the spirit of industry and enterprise were
alike unknown.
On the arrival of the Prince-Regent the ports were thrown open.
A printing-press was introduced, and a Royal Gazette was published. Academies of medicine and the fine arts were established.
The Royal Library, containing sixty thousand volumes of books,
was opened for the free use of the public. Foreigners were invited, and embassies from England and France took up their
residence at Rio de Janeiro.
From this period, decided improvements were made in the condition and aspect of the city.  New streets and squares were
added, and splendid residences were arranged on the neighboring
islands and hills, augmenting, with the growth of the town, the
picturesque beauties of the surrounding scenery. The sudden and
continued influx of Portuguese and foreigners not only showed
itself in the population of Rio, but extended inland, causing new
ways of communication to be opened with the interior, new towns
to be erected, and old ones to be improved. In fact, the whole
face of the country underwent great and rapid changes.
The manners of the people also experienced a corresponding
mutation. The fashions of Europe were introduced. From the
seclusion and restraints of non-intercourse the people emerged into
the festive ceremonies of a court, whose levees and gala-days drew
together multitudes from all directions. In the mingled society
which the capital now offered, the dust of retirement was brushed
off, antiquated customs gave way, new ideas and modes of life
were adopted, and these spread from circle to circle and from
town to town.
Business assumed an aspect equally changed.  Foreign commercial houses were opened, and foreign artisans established themselves in Rio and other cities.
This country could no longer remain a colony. A decree was
promulgated in December, 1815, declaring it elevated to the dignity of a kingdom, and hereafter to form an integral part of the
United Kingdom of Portugal, Algarves, and Brazil. It is scarcely




RAPID POLITICAL CHANGES.


67


possible to imagine the enthusiasm awakened by this unlooked-for
change throughout the vast extent of Portuguese America. Messengers were despatched to bear the news, which was hailed with
spontaneous illuminations from the La Plata to the Amazon.
Scarcely was this event consummated when the queen, Donna
Maria I., died.
She was mother to the Prince-Regent, and had been for years in
a state of mental imbecility, so that her death had no influence
upon political affairs. Her funeral obsequies were performed with
great splendor; and her son, in respect for her memory, delayed
the acclamation of his accession to the throne for a year. He was
at length crowned, with the title of Dom John VI. The ceremonies of the coronation were celebrated with suitable magnificence in the Palace Square, on the 5th of February, 1818.
Amid all the advantages attendant upon the new state of things
in Brazil, there were many circumstances calculated to provoke
political discontent. It was then that bitter feelings toward the
natives of Portugal sprang up, which, though modified, still exist
throughout the Empire, and made, at a later date, the severance
of Brazil from the mother-country more easy of accomplishment
than the separation of the thirteen colonies of North America from
the crown of Great Britain. There had always been, to a greater
or less extent, a certain rivalry between the native Brazilian and
the Portuguese; but now it found a new cause of excitement. The
Government felt itself bound to find places for the more than
twenty thousand needy and unprincipled adventurers who had
followed the royal family to the New World. These men cared
very little for the welfare of Brazil, either in the administration
of justice or in acts for the benefit of the public. Their greatest
interest by far was manifested in the eager desire to fleece the
country and enrich themselves. Honors were heaped upon those
Brazilians who had furnished house and money to the PrinceRegent; and, as he had nothing to give them but decorations, he
was soon surrounded by knights who had never displayed either
chivalry or learning. The excitement thus aroused in a country
where titulary distinctions were hitherto almost unknown was
intense.  Every one aspired to become a cavalheiro or a commendador, and the most degrading sycophancy was practised to




68


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


obtain the royal favor. Men who had been good traders in imported articles, or successful dealers in mandioca and coffee, once
knighted, could never again return to the drudgery and debasing
associations of commercial life, and must live either on previouslyacquired fortunes or seek Government employment.
On this ground the native Brazilians and the newly-arrived
Portuguese fought their first battles. They were rivals for place,
and, once in office, the Brazilian was as open to every species of
bribery and corruption as the most venal hanger-on of the court
from Lisbon. The Brazilians, however, had one advantage over
their adversaries. The natives sympathized most fully with their
recently-knighted brethren, and listened to their complaints with
a willing ear. These things, together with the wretched state of
morals that prevailed at the court, were calculated to increase the
jealousy of what the Brazilians considered a foreign dominion
over them. The independence of the English North American
colonies and the successful revolutionary struggle of some of the
neighboring Spanish-American provinces still more augmented the
uneasiness of the people; and a consciousness of this increasing
discontent, and a fear that Brazil might be induced to follow the
example of her revolting Spanish neighbors, doubtless had a
powerful influence upon the Government in making the concessions named.
Tranquillity followed the erection of Brazil into a constituent
portion of the kingdom; but it was of short duration. Discontent
was at work. The intended revolt at Pernambuco in 1817 was
betrayed to the Government, and the insurgents were prematurely
compelled to take up arms, and suffered defeat from the troops
sent against them by the Count dos Arcos. From this time there
seems to have been a systematic exclusion of native Brazilians
from commands in the army.
Murmurs were gradually disseminated; but they found no echoas in the case of the North American colonies-from the press,
which had, with common schools, followed in the immediate wake
of the English colonists. The first, and at that time the only,
printing-press in the country, was brought from Lisbon in 1808,
and was under the direct control of the royal authorities.  Its
columns faithfully recorded for the Brazilian public the health of




DEPARTURE OF D. JOHN VI.


69


all the European princes. It was filled with official edicts, birthday odes, and panegyrics on the royal family; but its pages were
unsullied by the ebullitions of the democracy, or the exposure of
their grievances.  As has been well said by Armitage, "to have
judged of the country by the tone of its only journal, it must have
been pronounced a terrestrial paradise, where no word of complaint had ever yet found utterance."
But at length the time arrived when the monotony of the Court
Gazette was interrupted, and the people soon found voices for
their grievances, and in the end substantial redress.
The revolution which occurred in Portugal in 1821, in favor of a
Constitution, was immediately responded to by a similar one in
Brazil.
After much excitement and alarm from the tumultuous movements of the people, the King, D. John VI., conferred upon his son
Dom Pedro, Prince-Royal, the office of Regent and Lieutenant to
His Majesty in the Kingdom of Brazil. He then hastened his departure for Portugal, accompanied by the remainder of his family
and the principal nobility who had followed him. The disheartened
monarch embarked on board a line-of-battle ship on the 24th of
April, 1821, leaving the widest and fairest portion of his dominions
to a destiny not indeed unlooked for by his majesty, but which
was fulfilled much sooner than his melancholy forebodings anticipated.*
Rapid as had been the political changes in Brazil during the last
ten years, greater changes still were about to take place. Dom
Pedro, who now enjoyed the dignity and attributes of PrinceRegent and Lieutenant of His Majesty the King of Portugal, was
at this period in the twenty-third year of his age. He possessed
many of the essentials of popularity.  His personal beauty was
not less marked than his frank and affable manners, and his disposition, though capricious, was enthusiastic. He had decision of
character, and was one who seemed to know when to seize the
* Just as the vessel was ready to sail, the old king pressed his son to his bosom
for the last time, and exclaimed, "Pedro, Brazil will, I fear, ere long separate
herself from Portugal; and if so, place the crown on thine own head rather than
allow it to fall into the hands of any adventurer."




70


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


proper moment for calming the populace, as when at Rio, while
the King was in the Palace of San Christovao, only three miles
away, he, upon his own authority, gave to the people and the
troops a decree whereby an unreserved acceptance of the future
Constitution of the Portuguese Cortes was guaranteed. He also
knew well how to guard his prerogative. The Prince's consort
was by lineage and talent worthy of his hand, for Leopoldina was
an archduchess of Austria; in her veins coursed the blood of
Maria Theresa, and it was her sister Maria Louisa who was the
bride of Napoleon. She was not possessed of great personal
beauty, yet her kindness of heart and her unpretentious bearing
endeared her to every one who knew her.
Dom Pedro had left Portugal when a mere lad, and it was
believed that his highest aspirations were associated with the land
of his adoption. In the office of Prince-Regent he certainly found
scope for his most ardent ambition; but he also discovered himself
to be surrounded with numerous difficulties, political and financial.
So embarrassing indeed was his situation, that in the course of a
few months he begged his father to allow him to resign his office
and attributes. The Cortes of Portugal about this time becoming
jealous of the position of the Prince in Brazil, passed a decree
ordering him to return to Europe, and at the same time abolishing
the royal tribunals at Rio. This decree was received with indignation by the Brazilians, who immediately rallied around Dom
Pedro, and persuaded him to remain among them. His consent to
do so gave rise to the most enthusiastic demonstrations of joy
among both patriots and loyalists. The Portuguese military soon
evinced symptoms of mutiny.
A conflict seemed inevitable; but the Portuguese commander
vacillated in view of the determined opposition manifested by the
people, who flew to arms, and offered to capitulate on the condition
of his soldiers retaining their arms. This was conceded, on their
agreeing to retire to Praia Grande, a city on the opposite side of
the bay, until transports could be provided for their embarkation
to Lisbon; which was subsequently effected. The measures of the
Cortes of Portugal, which continued to be arbitrary in the extreme
toward Brazil, finally had the effect to hasten, in the latter country,
a declaration of absolute independence. This measure had long




DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.


been ardently desired by the more enlightened Brazilians, some of
whom had already urged Dom Pedro to assume the title of Emperor
Hitherto he had refused, and reiterated his allegiance to Portugal
But he at length, while on a journey to the province of S. Paulo
received despatches from the mother-country, which had the effect
of cutting short all delay, and caused him to declare for independence in a manner so decided and explicit that henceforward all
retrograde measures would be utterly impracticable.
On the 7th of September, 1822, when he read the despatches, he
was surrounded by his courtiers, on those beautiful campinas in
sight of San Paulo, a city which had ever been, as it is now, celebrated in Brazil for the liberality and intelligence of its inhabitants.
It was then, on the margin of an insignificant stream,-the
Ypiranga,-that he made that exclamation, "Independencia ou morte,"
(Independence or death,) which became the watchword of the Brazilian Revolution; and fiom the 7th of September, 1822, the independence of the country has since held its official date. It has
been truly said that in the eyes of the civilized world it was a
memorable circumstance, and must ever form an epoch in the
history of the Western continent.
It was indeed a great event, which has led to vast results. It
was a grand revolution, begun by one whose very birth and position
would have led the contemplative philosopher or statesman to
pronounce it impossible that he should become the leader of a
popular cause. It was the descendant of a long line of European
monarchs who inaugurated that movement which severed the last
-the most faithful-of the great divisions of South America from
transatlantic rule.
The Prince-Regent hastened to Rio de Janeiro by a rapid journey;
and there, so soon as his determination was known, the enthusiasm
in his favor knew no bounds.
The municipality of the capital issued a proclamation on the 21st
of September, declaring their intention to fulfil the manifest wishes
of the people, by proclaiming Dom Pedro the constitutional Emperor
and perpetual defender of Brazil. This ceremony was performed
on the 12th of October following, in the Campo de Santa Anna, in
the presence of the municipal authorities, the functionaries of the
court, the troops, and an immense concourse of people. His High



72


2BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


ness there publicly declared his acceptance of the title conferred on
him, from the conviction that he was thus obeying the will of the
people. The troops fired a salute, and the city was illuminated in
the evening. Jose Bonifacio de Andrada, prime minister of the
Government, had in the mean time promulgated a decree, requiring
all the Portuguese who were disposed to embrace the popular cause
to manifest their sentiments by wearing the Emperor's motto"Independencia ou morte"-upon their arm, ordering also, that all
dissentients should leave the country within a given period, and
threatening the penalties imposed upon high-treason against any
one who should thenceforward attack, by word or deed, the sacred
cause of Brazil.
The prime minister was the eldest of three brothers, all of them
remarkable for their talents, learning, eloquence, and (though at
times factious) for their sterling patriotism.  They were uninfluenced by either the adulation of the populace or the favor of the
Emperor. Jose Bonifacio de Andrada combined, to an eminent
degree, the various excellencies suited to the emergencies of the
incipient stages of the Empire.
The Brazilian Revolution was comparatively a bloodless one.
The glory of Portugal was already waning; her resources were
exhausted, and her energies crippled by internal dissensions.
That nation made nothing like a systematic and persevering
effort to maintain her ascendency over her long-depressed but now
rebellious colony. The insulting measures of the Cortes were consummated only in their vaporing decrees. The Portuguese dominion was maintained for some time in Bahia and other ports, which
had been occupied by military forces. But these forces were at
length compelled to withdraw and leave Brazil to her own control.
So little contested, indeed, and so rapid, was this revolution, that in
less than three years from the time independence was declared on
the plains of the Ypiranga, Brazil was acknowledged to be independent at the court of Lisbon. In the mean time the Emperor
had been crowned as Dom Pedro I., and an assembly of delegates
from the provinces had been convoked for the formation of a
Constitution.




AMS OF THE BRAZILIAN EMPIRE.


CHAPTER V.
THE ANDRADAS-INSTRUCTIONS OF THE EMPEROR TO THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLYDOM PEDRO I. DISSOLVES THE ASSEMBLY BY FORCE-CONSTITUTION FRAMED BY
A SPECIAL COMMISSION-CONSIDERATIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT-THE RULE OF
DOM PEDRO I.-CAUSES OF DISSATISFACTION-THE EMPEROR ABDICATES IN FAVOR
OF DOM PEDRO II.
THE new state of affairs did not, however, proceed with either
smoothness or velocity. Political bitterness, jealousy, and strife
were at work. The Andrada ministry* were accused of being
arbitrary and tyrannical. Brazil owed her independence, and Dom
Pedro I. his crown, chiefly to their exertions; yet their administrations cannot by any means be exempted from censure. Their
views were certainly comprehensive, and their intentions patriotic;
but their impatient and ambitious spirit rendered them, when in
power, intolerant to their political opponents. They were assailed
with great energy, and finally compelled to resign; but such were
the tumults of the people, and the violent partisan exertions in
their favor, that they were reinstated, and Jose Bonifacio was
drawn in his carriage by the populace through the streets of Rio
de Janeiro. Eight months afterward a combination of all parties


* Jos6 Bonifacio was prime minister, and Martin Francisco de Andrada was at
the head of the Finance Department.
73




74


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


again effected the ejection of the brothers Andrada from the
ministry, but not from power. They became the most factious
opponents of the Emperor and of the ministry which succeeded
theirs. They were unmitigated in their attacks, both in the
Assembly and through the press.
The Constituent Assembly had done little besides wrangling.
The members were mostly men of narrow views and of little
ability; hence it was that the Andradas, by their eloquence and
knowledge of parliamentary tactics, had such power over their
minds. The Emperor, with great good sense, had, in opening the
sessions, told the Assembly that the recent "Constitutions founded
on the models of those of 1791 and 1792 had been acknowledged
as too abstract and too metaphysical for execution. This has been
proved by the example of France, and more recently by that of
Spain and Portugal." His Imperial Majesty seems to have had a
high standard of constitutional excellence, and one which we would
have deemed it difficult, and perhaps impossible, for the Brazilian
people to have reached. "We have need," he said in his address
from the throne, "of a Constitution where the powers may be so
divided and defined, that no one branch can arrogate to itself the
prerogatives of another; a Constitution which may be an insurmountable barrier against all invasion of the royal authority,
whether aristocratic or popular; which will overthrow anarchy,
and cherish the tree of liberty; beneath whose shade we shall see
the union and the independence of this Empire flourish. In a word,
a Constitution that will excite the admiration of other nations, and
even of our enemies, who will consecrate the triumph of our principles in adopting them." (From the Falla do Throno, 3d May,
1823.)
Notwithstanding those instructions, the Constituent Assembly
made no progress in forming a document from which such grand
results were to flow as those depicted by the Emperor.  The
Andradas continued their opposition to various measures brought
forward by the Government. His Majesty was irritated by their
continual thrusts at the Portuguese incorporated in the Brazilian
army. An outrage committed by two Portuguese officers upon the
supposed author of an attack upon them was, in the excited state
of public feeling, magnified into an outrage on the nation. The




D. PEDRO I. DISSOLVES THE ASSEMBLY.


75


sufferer demanded justice from the House of Deputies, and the
Andradas most loudly demanded vengeance on the Portuguese
aggressors. The journal under their control, called the " Tamoyo,"
(from a tribe of Indians who were the bitter foes of the early Portuguese settlers,) was equally violent. It even went so far as to
insinuate that if the Government did not turn aside from its antinational course, its power would be of short continuance, and, as a
warning to the Emperor, the example of Charles I. of England was
alluded to in no unmeaning terms.
But Dom Pedro I. was no weak and vacillating Stuart. He possessed more of the spirit of Oliver Cromwell or of the First Napoleon. The Assembly, through the three brothers, was induced
to declare itself in permanent session. The Emperor, finding that
they (the Andradas) still maintained their predominance, mounted
on horseback, and, at the head of his cavalry, marched to the
Chamber, planted his cannon before its walls,.and sent up General
Moraes to the Assembly to order its instantaneous dissolution.
The Assembly was broken up. The three Andradas were seized, as
well as the Deputies Rocha and Montezuma, and were, without trial
or examination, transported to France. Thus ended, for a brief
period at least, the political career of the eloquent, patriotic, and
factious Andradas.
The Emperor issued a proclamation, stating that he had taken
the measures recounted above, solely with the view of avoiding
anarchy; and the public were reminded that " though the Emperor
had, from regard to the tranquillity of the Empire, thought fit to
dissolve the said Assembly, he had in the same decree convoked
another, in conformity with the acknowledged constitutional rights
of his people."
A special commission of ten individuals was convened on the
26th of November, 1823, for the purpose of forming such a Constitution as might meet with the Imperial approval. The members
of this commission immediately commenced their labors under the
personal superintendence of D. Pedro I., who furnished them the
bases of the document which he wished to be framed, and gave
them forty days for the accomplishment of the object.
The ten councillors, as a body, were badly qualified for the important task before them; yet several of their number were noted




76


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


for the excellence of their private characters, and two only for
their erudition. One of these two, Carneiro de Campos, was fortunately intrusted with the drawing up of the Constitution, and
to him it has been said Brazil is principally indebted for a number
of the most liberal provisions of the code,-provisions which he
insisted on introducing in opposition to the wishes of many of his
colleagues.
It is evident that the drafting-committee of ten could not foresee
how liberal were the provisions of this Constitution, for most of
them were staunch royalists; yet various providential circumstances conduced to the production of a just and liberal instrument
of government. [See Appendix B.]
Its most important features may be stated in a few words. The
government of the Empire is monarchical, hereditary, constitutional,
and representative. The religion of the State is the Roman Catholic, but all other denominations are tolerated. Judicial proceedings are public, and there is the right of habeas corpus and
trial by jury. The legislative power is in the General Assembly,
which answers to the Imperial Parliament of England or to the
Congress of the United States. The senators are elected for life,
and the representatives for four years. The presidents of the
provinces are appointed by the Emperor. There is a legislative
Assembly to each province for local laws, taxation, and government:
thus, Brazil is a decentralized Empire. The senators and representatives of the General Assembly are chosen through the intervention
of electors, as is the President of the United States, and the provincial legislators are elected by universal suffrage. The press is
free, and there is no proscription on account of color.
The Constitution thus framed was accepted by the Emperor, and
on the 25th of March, 1824, was sworn to by his Imperial Highness, and by the authorities and people throughout the Empire. It
is an instrument truly remarkable, considering the source whence
it emanated, and we cannot continue the subsequent history of
the country without devoting to its merits a few passing reflections.
This Constitution commenced by being the most liberal of all
other similar documents placed before a South American people. In
its wise and tolerant notions, and in its adaptation to the nation for
which it was prepared, it is second only to that which governs the




THE BRAZILIAN CONSTITUTION.


77


Anglo-Saxon Confederacy of North America. States and individuals may utter, in their charters of government, fine sentences
in regard to equality and right; but if they fail in practicability
and in securing those very elements of justice, stability, and progress, the eloquent phrases are but "as sounding brass or a tinkling
cymbal." The Brazilian Constitution has, to a great extent, secured
equality, justice, and consequently national prosperity.  She is
to-day governed by the same Constitution with which more than
thirty years ago she commenced her full career as a nation. While
every Spanish-American Government has been the scene of bloody
revolutions,-while the civilized world has looked with horror,
wonder, and pity upon the self-constituted bill of the people's
rights again and again trampled under foot by turbulent faction
and priestly bigotry, or by the tyranny of the most narrow-minded
dictators,-the only Portuguese-American Government (though it
has had its provincial revolts of a short duration) has beheld but
two revolutions, and those were peaceful,-one fully in accordance
with the Constitution;* the other, the proclamation of the majority of Dom Pedro II., was by suspending a single article of the
Government compact. 
Mexico, which, in extent of territory, population, and resources,
is more properly comparable to Brazil than any other HispanoAmerican country, established her first Constitution only one
month (February, 1824) earlier than the adoption of the Brazilian
charter of government and rights. But poor Mexico has been the
prey of every unscrupulous demagogue who could for the moment
command the army. Her Constitution has repeatedly been overthrown; the victorious soldiery of a hardier nation placed her at
the mercy of a foreign cabinet; her dominion has been despoiled;
her commerce crippled and diminished by her own inertness and
narrow policy; personal security and national prosperity are
unknown, and her people are this day no further advanced than
when the Constitution was first set aside in 1835.
Brazil, on the other hand, has been continually progressing.
The head of the Empire is in the same family, and governs under


* The abdication of Dom Pedro I. in favor of his son, Dom Pedro II., the present
Emperor.




78


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


the same Constitution that was established in 1824. Her commerce
doubles every ten years; she possesses cities lighted by gas, long
lines of steamships, and the beginnings of railways that are spreading from the sea-coast into the fertile interior; in her borders
education and general intelligence are constantly advancing.
This great contrast cannot be accounted for altogether on the
ground of the difference between the two people and between
their respective forms of government. It is doubtless true that
a Monarchy is better suited to the Latin nations than a Republic;
and it is equally apparent that there is a very great dissimilarity
between the Spaniard and his descendants, and the Portuguese and
his descendants. The Spaniard affects to despise the Portuguese,
and the latter has of late years been underrated in the eyes of the
world.* The child of Castile, take him where you will, is ambitious, chivalric, bigoted, vain, extravagant, and lazy.  The son
of Lusitania is not wanting in vanity, but is more tolerant and
less turbulent than his neighbor, and is a being both economical
and industrious.
The reasons, under Providence, of the great divergence in the
results of the Brazilian and Mexican Constitution may be summed
up briefly thus:-Brazil, while providing a hereditary monarchical
head, recognised most fully the democratic element; while acknowledging the Roman Catholic religion to be that established by the
State, she guaranteed, with the single limitations of steeples and
bells, the unrestricted right of worship to all other denominations;
she established public judicial proceedings, the habeas corpus, and
the right of trial by jury.
Mexico, in the formation of her Constitution, copied that of the
United States, but departed from that document, in the two most
important particulars, as widely as the oft-quoted strolling actors
deviated from the original tragedy when they advertised "f Hamlet"
to be played minus the r6le of the Prince of Denmark. The Mexican
Constitution established an exclusive religion with all the rigorous
bigotry of Old Spain; and public judicial proceedings and the intervention by juries were omitted altogether. The starting-point of


* "Strip a Spaniard of all his virtues, and you make a good Portuguese of
him."-SPANISH PROVERB.




THE RULE OF DOM PEDRO I.


79


Brazil and Mexico were entirely different: the former, happy in a
suitable form of government and in liberal principles from the
beginning, has outstripped the latter in all that constitutes true
national greatness.
Brazil did not, however, attain her present proud position in
South America without days of trial and hard experience. Corrupt
and unprincipled men were in greater numbers than those who
possessed stern and patriotic virtue. The people were ignorant
and unaccustomed to self-government, and were often used by
unscrupulous leaders to the advancement of their own purposes.
The administration of Dom Pedro I. continued about ten years,
and, during its lapse, the country unquestionably made greater
advances in intelligence than it had done in three centuries which
intervened between its first discovery and the proclamation of the
Portuguese Constitution in 1820. Nevertheless, this administration was not without its faults or its difficulties. Dom Pedro,
although not tyrannical, was imprudent. He was energetic, but
inconstant; an admirer of the representative form of government,
but hesitating in its practical enforcement.
Elevated into a hero during the struggle for independence, he
appears to have been guided rather by the example of other potentates than by any mature consideration of the existing state and
exigencies of Brazil; and hence, perhaps, the eagerness with which
he embarked in the war against Montevideo, which certainly had
its origin in aggression, and which, after crippling the commerce,
checking the prosperity, and exhausting the finances of the Empire,
ended only in the full and unrestrained cession of the province in
dispute.
It may be remarked, that the defeat of the Brazilians in the
Banda Oriental, though a seeming disgrace, was one of the greatest
blessings that could have been bestowed upon the Empire. It
appears that that war and its disastrous results were the means
of preserving Brazil from making such modifications in her Constitution as might, if effected, have terminated in the overthrow
of some of her most valuable institutions. The non-success of her
arms almost annihilated the thirst for military distinction which
was springing up; and the energies of the rising generation were
consequently turned more toward civil pursuits, from which resulted




80


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


social ameliorations that tended to consolidate the well-being of
the State.
In addition to the imprudence and inconstancy of the Emperor,
it was said-and not without truth-that his habits were extravagant and his morals extremely defective.* And yet, the main
cause of his personal unpopularity seems to have consisted in his
never having known how to become the man of his people,-in his
never having constituted himself entirely and truly a Brazilian.
He was often heard to express the sentiment that the only true
strength of a government lay in public opinion; yet, unfortunately,
he did not know how to conciliate the public opinion of the people
over whom it was his destiny to reign. At the period of the Revolution, he had, under the excitements of enthusiasm, uttered sentiments calculated to flatter the nascent spirit of nationality, and his
sincerity had been credited; yet his subsequent employment of a
foreign force, his continued interference in the affairs of Portugal,
his institution of a secret cabinet, and his appointment of naturalized
Portuguese to the highest offices of the State, to the apparent exclusion of natives of the soil, had, among a jealous people, given
rise to the universal impression that the monarch himself was still
a Portuguese at heart.
The native Brazilians believed that they were beheld with suspicion, and hence became restive under a Government which they
regarded as nurturing foreign interests and a foreign party. Opportunities for manifesting their dissatisfaction frequently occurred,
and these manifestations were met by more offensive measures.
At length, after fruitless efforts to suppress the rising spirit of rebellion in different parts of the Empire, Dom Pedro found himself
in circumstances as painful and as humiliating as those which
forced his father, Dom John VI., to retire to Portugal. Opposition which had long been covert became undisguised and relentless.
The most indifferent acts of the Emperor were distorted to his prejudice, and all the irregularities of his private life were brought
* The older citizens of Rio de Janeiro have not yet forgotten the place that the
Marchioness of Santos held in the first Emperor's affections; and his slighting
treatment of his own spouse-a daughter of the high house of Hapsburg-was
notorious. It has been said that, though a bad husband, he was a good father.




POPULAR AGITATION.


81


before the public. Individuals to whom he had been a benefactor
deserted him, and, perceiving that his star was on the wane, had
the baseness to contribute to his overthrow. The very army which
he had raised at an immense sacrifice, which he had maintained
to the great prejudice of his popularity, and on which he had
unfortunately placed more reliance than upon the people, betrayed
him at last.
After various popular agitations, which had the continual effect
of widening the breach between the Imperial party and the patriots,
the populace of Rio de Janeiro assembled in the Campo de Santa
Anna on the 6th of April, 1831, and began to call out for the dismissal of the new ministry, and for the reinstatement of some individuals who had that very morning been dismissed. Dom Pedro I.,
on being informed of the assemblage and its objects, issued a proclamation, signed by himself and the existing ministry, assuring
them that the administration was perfectly constitutional, and that
its members would be governed by constitutional principles. A
justice of the peace was despatched to read this to the people; yet
scarcely had he concluded, when the document was torn from his
hands and trampled under foot. The cry for the reinstatement
of the cabinet became louder; the multitude momentarily increased
in numbers; and, about six o'clock in the afternoon, three justices
of the peace (in Spanish America it would have been a battalion of
soldiers) were despatched to the Imperial residence to demand that
the  ministry who had the confidence of the people"-as the late
cabinet were designated-should be reappointed.
The Emperor listened to their requisition, but refused to accede
to the request. He exclaimed, "I will do every thing for the
people, but nothing by the people!"
No sooner was this answer made known in the Campo, than the
most seditious cries were raised, and the troops began to assemble
there for the purpose of making common cause with the multitude. Further representations were made to the Emperor, but
were unavailing. He declared he would suffer death rather than
consent to the dictation of the mob.
The battalion styled the Emperor's, and quartered at Boa Vista,
went to join their comrades in the Campo, where they arrived
about eleven o'clock in the evening; and even the Imperial guard
6




82


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


of honor, which had been summoned to the palace, followed. The
populace, already congregated, began to supply themselves with
arms from the adjoining barracks. The Portuguese party, in the
mean time, judging themselves proscribed and abandoned, durst
not even venture into the streets. The Emperor, in these trying
moments, is said to have evinced a dignity and a magnanimity
unknown in the days of his prosperity. On the one hand, the
Empress was weeping bitterly, and apprehending the most fatal
consequences; on the other, an adjutant from the combined
assemblage of the troops and populace was urging him to a final
answer.
Dom Pedro I. had sent for the Intendant of Police, and desired
him to seek for Vergueiro, a noble patriot, who had always been a
favorite of the people, and who combined moderation with sterling
integrity. Vergueiro could not be found. The envoy from the
troops and populace urged his Majesty to give him an immediate
decision, or excesses would be committed under the idea that he
(the envoy) had been either assassinated or made prisoner. The
Emperor replied, with calmness and firmness, "I certainly shall
not appoint the ministry which they require: my honor and the
Constitution alike forbid it, and I would abdicate, or even suffer
death, rather than consent to such a nomination." The adjutant
started to give this reply to his general, but he was requested by
Dom Pedro (who seemed to be struggling with some grand resolve)
to stay for a final answer.
Nothing could be heard from Vergueiro. The populace were
growing more impatient, and the Emperor was still firmer in his
convictions of that which his position and the Constitution required
of him in a moment so critical. But at length, like the noble stag
of Landseer, singled out by the hounds, he stood alone. Deserted,
harassed, irritated, and fatigued beyond description, with sadness,
yet with grace, he yielded to the circumstances, and took the only
measure consistent with his convictions and the dignity of his imperial office. It was two o'clock in the morning when he sat down,
without asking the advice of any one, or even informing the ministry of his resolution, and wrote out his abdication in the following terms:"Availing myself of the right which the Constitution concedes




ABDICATION OF DOM PEDRO I.


83


to me, I declare that I have voluntarily abdicated in favor of my
dearly-beloved and esteemed son, Dom Pedro de Alcantara.
(' BOA VISTA, 7th April, 1831, tenth year t
of the Independence of the Empire." 
He then rose, and, addressing himself to the messenger from the
Campo, said, "Here is my abdication: may you be happy! I
shall retire to Europe, and leave the country that I have loved
dearly and that I still love." Tears now choked his utterance, and
he hastily retired to an adjoining room, where were the Empress
and the English and French ambassadors. He afterward dismissed all his ministers save one, and, in a decree which he dated
the 6th of April, proceeded to nominate Jose Bonifacio de Andrada
(who, with his brothers, had been permitted to return from exile
in 1829) as the guardian to his children.
It was a striking illustration of the ingratitude with which he
was treated in the hour of misfortune, that from all those upon
whom he had conferred titles and riches he was obliged to turn
away to the infirm old man whom, at a former period, he had rejected and cruelly wronged. Finally, after arranging his household affairs, he embarked in one of the boats of the English lineof-battle ship the Warspite, accompanied by the Empress,* and his
eldest daughter, the late Queen of Portugal.
It was fortunate for Brazil that she had enjoyed that which no
Spanish-American country had ever experienced,-i.e. a transitionstate. She was not hurried from the colonial condition-an era
of childhood-into self-government, which can only be the normal
state of nations in their manhood. She had, as we have seen, the
monarch of Portugal, with all his prestige, to be her first leader in
national existence; afterward the son of the king, who, by peculiar
circumstances, was for a time the idol of the people, aided Brazil
in coming to a maturity far better fitted for representative-government institutions than any of the neighboring states which had
achieved their independence at an earlier date. Had the transition
been more violent, the permanence of such institutions would have
been endangered. Dom Pedro was certainly, in the hands of God,


* The second Empress was a Bavarian princess whom D. Pedro had married in
1829.




84             BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
a prominent agent in giving to Brazil that form of government
which this day so wisely rules the Empire.
With all his faults, D. Pedro I. was a great man, and possessed some
noble aspirations, coupled with a promptness of action which will
be remembered long after his errors have been forgotten. None
but a great man could have returned to Europe and have fought
the battle of constitutional monarchy against absolutism, as he did
in the contest with his brother, Dom Miguel. His brief though
chivalric and heroic devotion to the cause of civil and religious
freedom in Portugal demands our highest admiration; and the successful placing of the young Queen Donna Maria upon the throne
of that country gave quiet to the kingdom, and was one more
triumph in Europe of the liberal over the absolute.
As time rolls on, the true merits of D. Pedro I. are more recognised by the Brazilians. Statues and public monuments are erected
to his memory; and, though it may not be wholly applicable, yet
there is no fulsome adulation, too common in that Southern clime,
when they entitle him " 0 Washington do Brazil."
He loved the country of his adoption; and a few days after the
memorable night of his abdication, as he gazed for the last time
upon the city of Rio de Janeiro, the magnificent bay, and the lofty
Organ Mountains, he poured from a full heart the following touching farewell to his son, Dom Pedro II., in which not only is parental
tenderness manifest, but a deep solicitude for the land whose destiny at one time seemed so closely linked with his own:"My beloved son and my Emperor, very agreeable are the lines
which you wrote me. 1 was scarcely able to read them, because
copious tears impeded my sight. Now that I am more composed,
I write this to thank you for your letter, and to declare that, as
long as life shall last, affection for you will never be extinguished
in my lacerated heart.
"To leave children, country, and friends is the greatest possible
sacrifice; but to bear away honor unsullied,-there can be no greater
glory. Ever remember your father; love your country and my
country; follow the counsel of those who have the care of your
education; and rest assured that the world will admire you, and
that I will be filled with gladness at having a son so worthy of the
land of his birth. I retire to Europe: it is necessary for the tran



DEPARTURE OF DOM PEDRO I.                85
quillity of Brazil, and that God may cause her to reach that degree
of prosperity for which she is eminently capable.
"Adieu, my very dear son! Receive the blessing of your affectionate father, who departs without the hope of ever seeing you
again.                           D. PEDRO DE ALCANTARA.
"On board the Warspite frigate,)
April 12, 1831."  J
On the following day D. Pedro I. went on board the English
corvette Volage. Before nightfall the Pao de Assucar was cleared,
and the ex-Emperor left Brazil forever.
Having thus briefly narrated the history of the Empire to the
abdication of the first Emperor, we will again turn our attention to
Rio de Janeiro, where most of the preceding events occurred. The
establishment of the regency, and the various changes and progress
under the new monarch, D. Pedro II., will be found in Chapter XII.




CHAPTER VI.


THE PRAIA DO FLAMENGO-THE THREE-MAN BEETLE-SPLENDID VIEWS-THE MAN
WHO CUT DOWN A PALM-TREE-MOONLIGHT-RIO "TIGERS"-THE BATHERSGLORIA HILL-EVENING SCENE-THE CHURCH-MARRIAGE OF CHRISTIANITY AND
HEATHENISM-A SERMON IN HONOR OF OUR LADY-FESTA DA GLORIA-THE
LARANGEIRAS-ASCENT OF THE CORCOVADO-THE SUGAR-LOAF.
MY residence at Rio de Janeiro was on the Praia do Flamengo,-a beach so named from its having been in early days
frequented by this beautiful bird. Let the reader imagine the
beaches of Newport, Rhode Island, or of the battle-renowned
Hastings, transferred to the borders of London or New York, so
that, by taking omnibus at Charing Cross or Union Square, in
fifteen minutes he will be on the hard white sands and in the presence of the huge ocean-waves, and he will have an idea of Praia
do Flamengo. Entering one of the "Gondola Fluminens" at the
Palace Square, we rattle through various streets until we arrive at
the foot of the Gloria, where, if we wish an up-hill ramble, we
descend from our vehicle and pass over the picturesque eminence,
and are soon cooled by the full blowing sea-breeze; or, if we prefer
a more level promenade, we leave our conveyance at the Rua do
Principe. The noisy wheels, and the equally noisy tongues, have
hitherto prevented any other sounds from occupying our attention;
but now the majestic thunder of the dashing waves breaks upon
our ear. The eye is startled by the foam-crested monsters as they
rear up in their strength and seem ready to devour the whole
mansion-lined shore in their furious rage. The very ground
quakes beneath us, and the air is tremulous with the powerful concussion. But no danger is to be apprehended. The coast, a few
feet from the sands, is rock-bound, and along the whole beach public
and private enterprise have erected strong walls of heavy stone.
Sometimes, however, old Neptune has asserted his rights with
86




THE THREE-MAN BEETLE.


87


such tremendous energy, that masses of rock, weighing tons, have
been wrested from their fastenings. In May, 1853, a storm prevailed for several days, and a strong wind blew in the waves of the
ocean with great directness against the protecting walls, and the
strife was one of the fiercest that I have ever witnessed in contending nature. As they struck the parapet they dashed eighty feet
in height, thus showering and flooding the gayly-painted residences,
and at the same time, in their retreat, undermining the land-side
of the wall, so that for hundreds of feet between the Rua da
Princeza and the Rua do
Principe the municipality,
had a heavy job for some
favorite contractor. (The 
paving of the streets was   -
a never-failing source of
amusement to me during                             i 
myfirstyearatRio. Look - i                          b! 
at the pavers in the Rua Ii  r
S. Jose. The paving-ram                     t -     wave
is the "three-man beetle"
of Shakspeare. A trio of
slaves are called to their
work by a rapid solo executed with a hammer upon an iron bar. The three
seize the ram: one-the God
maestro, distinguished by a
hat-wails forth a ditty,
which the others join in chorus,        -:.
at the same time lifting the beetle
from the ground and bringing it down with
a heavy blow. A rest of a few moments  THE THREE-MAN BEETLE.
occurs, and then the ditty, chorus, and
thump are resumed: but, as may be imagined, the streets of Rio
are by no means rapidly paved.) The damage done to the Praia
do Flamingo required more than one year for reparation. A battle
between the sea and the land like that of 1853 does not often
occur: the rule is peacefulness and amiability, for the huge waves




88


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


themselves, that seem to foam so angrily, are only joyous in their
giant sport, and, once touching the myriad sands, kiss them in
their gentlest mood, and hasten silently back to their boisterous
companions.
The front of my house looked over the bay to Jurujuba and
Praia Grande, and also commanded a view of the long Flamengo
Beach, the Babylonia Signal, the lofty Sugar-Loaf, and the entrance
to the harbor. Far up the bay were verdant isles, and beyond all
towered the lofty Organ Mountains, sometimes gleaming in sunshine, and sometimes half veiled in mist, but always the grandest
feature in the landscape. From my back-windows, on my right, I
could see the precipitous southern side of the Gloria, and on my
left, beyond the red-tiled roofs, upreared the tall Corcovado, whose
Rio face is covered with forests. Beneath me was the garden of
my neighbor, a plodding Portuguese from Braga. This individual
was originally one of those industrious ignorant poor from the
mother-country, who in Brazil and elsewhere, by dint of regularity
and economy, acquire property, but rarely taste. He had a beautiful stately palm-tree in the centre of his garden. Night after
night have I listened to the music of the cool land-breeze as it
played through the long, feathery leaves. The sight of it was refreshing when the rays of the noonday sun made the more distant
landscape quiver. It was a "thing of beauty," and "a joy," but
not "forever."  Early one morning I heard the click of an axe;
and, rushing to my window, I beheld Sr. M. directing a black,
who, with sturdy blows, buried the sharp instrument deep into the
trunk of the noble tree, and each succeeding stroke made the
graceful summit and the clustering fruit piteously tremble.
"< The ruthless axe that hew'd its silvered trunk
Cut loose the ties that, tendril-like, had bound
My love unto the tree; and when it sunk,
My heart sank with it to the ground."
"Woodman, spare that tree,"
sung by the voice of an angel, would not have stayed the work of
destruction; and thus the prince of the tropic forest fell by ignominious hands.  Sr. M., the regicide, went that morning to his
toucinho (bacon) and carne secca establishment in the Rua do Rosario,




=77:-:.: -








i
d


4;i ~::I '


fI    Iii           j
1 


A..


T'HE GLORIA HILL FRO M TH.E PASSEIO PUBL  O.
THE GLORIA HILL FROM THE PASSEIO PUBLICO








THE "TIGERS" OF RIO DE JANEIRO.


89


congratulating himself, as he stuffed his nostrils with areia preta,*
that he had gained a few more feet of sunshine for his cabbage-bed,
by cutting down a palm-tree that a century would not reproduce.
At evening, the view from the balcony in front of my residence
was most charming. On a bright night the heavens were illumined
by the Southern Cross, by Orion, and other stellar brilliants; and
sometimes, when clouds obscured the lesser celestial lights, the
bosom of the bay seemed like a sea of fire. But the most glorious
nocturnal sight was to watch the full moon rise above the palmcrowned mountains beyond the Bay of San Francisco Xavier. Mild
rays of light would herald the approaching queen, and soon her
full round form, emerging, threw upon the distant waters of Jurujuba her silver sheen, while the dashing waves that burst along
the whole length of the Praia do Flamengo seemed gorgeous
wreaths of retreating moonlight. We are in the height of enjoyment. Perhaps we murmur
" On such a night as this," &c.,
and speak something about chaste Dian "moving in meditation,
fancy free," when we are suddenly brought to the sad realization
that we are in a sublunary sphere. We rush from the balcony
spasmodically, and instantaneously snatch cologne-bottles, bouquet,
ammonia, or any thing that will relieve our olfactories. The
tigerst also have opportunities for watching the moon rise. Eight
o'clock has arrived, and these odoriferous-not to say savage-beasts
come stealthily down the Rua do Principe, and for the next two
hours make night hideous, not with yells, but with smells which
have certainly been expatriated from Arabia Infelix.
A curious story is generally told the newly-arrived stranger at
Rio, of a Fluminensian who on a visit to Paris became exceedingly
ill. Every restorative was applied in vain, until a French physician
well acquainted with the capital of Brazil was called in, and decided
at once that it was impossible to hope for the recovery of the
* Literally, black sand,-a favorite snuff.
t The sewerage of Rio was formerly very defective, and slaves, nicknamed
"tigers," conveyed each night to the water's edge the accumulated offal of the city,
and the next tide swept it out to sea.




90


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


patient unless he could breathe again his native air; but, as he
could not return to Rio, the physician instantly prescribed that
there should be concocted in the sick-chamber a compound of the
most "villanous smells." To make a long story short, the invalid
recovered!
But at the date of writing this nuisance is much more tolerable
than formerly, for hermetically-sealed casks have been introduced,
and carts at convenient hours collect them, and their contents are
conveyed to some very distant point from the city. Soon Rio will
have a good system of sewerage, the plans for which were laid
before the Minister of the Empire in 1854. When this is accomplished, no tropic city will surpass it as an abode both healthful
and agreeable.
The Praia do Flamengo, saving this drawback when the wind
is in a wrong direction, is one of the most delightful suburbs for
the residence of a foreigner.  One hour after the tigers have
finished their labors, the atmosphere is as free from any thing disagreeable as if naught but the fragrance of orange-flowers had
been wafted from the Gloria and the neighboring gardens; and the
morning light shines upon a pure white beach.
For five months in the year the Praia do Flamengo is the
favorite resort of bathers of both sexes. During the bathingseason, (from November to March,) a lively scene is witnessed
every morning. Before the sun is above the mountains a stream
of men, women, and children pour down to enjoy a bath in the
clear salt water. The ladies who come from a distance are attended by slaves, who bring tents and spread them on the beach
for the senhoras, who soon put on their bathing-robes and loose
their long black tresses. Men and women, hand in hand, enter the
cool, sparkling element, and thus those not skilled in natation
resist the force of the huge waves which come toppling in. The
senhoras are neatly dressed, in robes made of some dark stuff; but
there is not as much coquetry as in a French watering-place, where
the ladies study the becoming for the sea as well as for the ballroom.  The gentlemen are required by the police-regulations to
be decently clad, which still does not impede those who prefer a
swimming-bath to the douche of the billows.
It is a merry sight to behold Brazilian girls and boys evincing for




THE BATHERS OF PRAIA DO FLAMENGO.


91


once some activity,-running on the sand, and screaming with
pleasure whenever a heavier wave than before has rolled over a
party and sends them reeling to the beach. The prostrate bathers
drive their feet convulsively into the sand to prevent being carried
back by the receding breakers.  Now and then some mischiefmakers shout "Shark! shark!" and away dash the senhoras to
the shore, to be laughed at by the urchins who raised the cry.
There are some traditionary tales about these rough-skinned
cannibals, but I never heard a well-authenticated instance of a
repast furnished by the bathers of Praia do Flamengo to the
dreaded " wolf of the seas."
By seven o'clock the sun is high, and all the busy white throng
have departed. Here and there, however, may be seen a curly
head popping up and down among the waves, its woolly covering
defying the fear of coup de soleil. The negresses that accompany
the ladies generally enter the water at the same time as their
mistresses. On moonlight nights the sea is alive with black
specks, which are the capita of the slaves in the vicinity, who
splash and scream and laugh to their hearts' content. They all
swim remarkably well, and it is pleasant to hear their cheerful
voices sounding as merrily as if they knew not a sorrow.
The people of Rio are fond of bathing, and on this account are
called cariocas, which some translate "ducks."  Many walk miles
to enjoy it. There is a floating bath in the harbor, not far from
Hotel Pharoux, for those whose courage is great enough to brave
the element which is there called sea-water, but which a truthful
narrator, previous to the improved sewerage, would stigmatize by
another name.
Nor are the bipeds the only animals that derive benefit from the
ablutions on Praia do Flamengo. The horses and mules have
allotted to them a certain portion of the beach, where at an early
hour they are bathed and brushed. It is a comfort to know that
the poor creatures have this chance of cleanliness; otherwise they
would suffer greatly from the laziness of their keepers. Gentlemen
who care for their horses endeavor to procure English grooms, for
a black is proverbially a bad care-taker for any animal. The
beautiful horses imported at great expense from the Cape of Good
Hope are soon destroyed under the hands of the negroes. It is




92


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


considered that the climate of Brazil is unfavorable to them, and
one can hardly believe that these pampered, delicate animals
are of the same race, half English, half Arabian, which at the Cape
of Good Hope will endure a journey of sixty or seventy miles a
day without other refreshment than a feed of oats and a roll on
the sand.* For all useful purposes the horses of the country are
better, but they are not so swift or graceful as the imported animals.
It was but a few paces from my front-door to the southern
entrance of the Gloria. Here, when the surf was not too high,
boats could land, and often were our evenings enlivened by the
presence of some of the intelligent officers from the men-of-war
whose station was beyond the Fortress Villegagnon.
Once within the gateway at the foot of the hill, we behold a
narrow, level strip of ground, occupied by one or two secluded
residences and a beautiful private flower-garden. The base of the
black rock which rises perpendicularly on the side facing the sea is
hidden by large waving banana-trees and overhanging creepers.
The diversified summit of the hill is checkered with every evidence
of city and country agreeably blended.  Narrow paths wind
around the hill at different altitudes, leading to the many beautiful
residences and gardens by which it is covered to the summit. On
either side of the paths are seen dense hedges of flowering mimosas, lofty palms, and the singular cashew-tree, with its bottleshaped, refreshing fruit, and occasionally other large trees, hung
with splendid parasites, while throughout the scene there prevails
a quiet and a coolness which could scarcely be anticipated within
the precincts of a city situated beneath a tropical sun.
The prettiest residence on the hill was that of the British Consul,
Mr. John J. C. Westbrook,-a gentleman whom I always found
most ready to co-operate in any work of charity or benevolence
brought to his notice, irrespective of nationality.
Among the dwellers on the Gloria were two families, (English and
Swiss,) who in their tastes and accomplishments were far beyond
the mere shopkeeping class so often found in a foreign land.  In


* When Napoleon was at St. Helena he was supplied with these horses, and
their fire exactly suited his style of riding. The old English generals whose duty
it was to accompany their "perverse prisoner" had often reason to complain of
the pace of the Cape horses.




EVENING-SCENE ON THE GLORIA.


93


their pleasant society one was often compensated for the homecircle left far over the billow. The Englishman was an amateurnaturalist of the very first ability, while both families possessed
the best periodical and standard literature of England and of
France. After the fatigues of the day it was a delightful recreation to spend the evening amid such companions and surrounded
by such glorious scenery. On many moonlight evenings I could 
entertained by Dr. Kidder years before, and,
as he   expressed  it,    I
could realize "the enchantment of an evening-scene so felicitously described by Von
Martius."
" A delicate transparent mist hangs over
the country; the moon
shines brightly amid 
heavy and singularlygrouped clouds.  The
outlines of the objects
FRUIT AND NUT OF THE CASHEW-TREE.
illuminated by it are
clear and well defined,
while a magic twilight seems to remove from the eye those which
are in the shade. Scarce a breath of air is stirring, and the neighboring mimosas, that have folded up their leaves to sleep, stand
motionless beside the dark crowns of the mangueiras, the jacatree, and the ethereal jambos. Sometimes a sudden wind arises,
and the juiceless leaves of the cashew rustle; the richly-flowered
grumijama and pitanga let drop a fragrant shower of snow-white
blossoms; the crowns of the majestic palms wave slowly above the
silent roof which they overhang like a symbol of peace and tran



94


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


quillity. Shrill cries of the cicada, the grasshopper, and tree-frog
make an incessant hum, and produce by their monotony a pleasing
melancholy. At intervals different balsamic odors fill the air, and
flowers, alternately unfolding their leaves to the night, delight the
senses with their perfume,-now the bowers of paullinias, or the
neighboring orange-grove,-then the thick tufts of the eupatoria,
or the bunches of the flowering palms, suddenly bursting, disclose
their blossoms, and thus maintain a constant succession of fragrance; while the silent vegetable world, illuminated by swarms
of fire-flies as by a thousand moving stars, charms the night by its
delicious odors. Brilliant lightnings play incessantly in the horizon
and elevate the mind in joyful admiration to the stars, which, glowing in solemn silence in the firmament, fill the soul with a presentiment of still sublimer wonders."
Often, while enjoying the scene which the great German naturalist has so eloquently depicted, I was called away from my meditations by the clangor of the bells in the tower of the Gloria Church.
Though the worship of Him who made the beautiful nature around
me should be ever more elevating than the mere contemplation of
the grand and wonderful in the material world, yet the sound of
those bells filled me with painful reflections. Whenever I entered
that pretty church of Nossa Senhora da Gloria, whenever I gazed
upon the kneeling throng and on the evidences of a corrupted
Christianity, I could not believe that God was worshipped "in
spirit and in truth."
In the interior, the octagonal walls are lined for several feet
with large Dutch tiles, representing landscapes and scenes connected with classic heathenism. Actseon and his dogs start the
timid deer, or pursue the flying hare; Cupid, too, with arrows in
hand, joins the sport. Over the chief altar Nossa Senhora da
Gloria, robed like a fashionable lady in silks and laces, looks down
upon the scene beneath. She has received many jewels from her
devotees, and no gem is esteemed too costly to win her favor.
She wears brilliant finger-rings, and diamond buttons fasten the
sleeves of her gown. Her bosom and ears are graced with diamond
necklaces and rich pendants. An immense diamond brooch
sparkles on her breast: this was vowed to the Virgin by Donna
Januaria, the consort of Prince de Joinville, in prospective compen



THE MARRIAGE OF HEATHENISM AND CIRISTIANITY.               95
sation for the restoration of tHer Highness's health. The flowing
curls that cluster around Our Lady's brow are also offerings, clipped
by some anxious mother from the glossy locks of a favorite child.*
Let us enter the vestry in the rear of the church. Here we
behold a few specimens of what may be seen in every church in
Brazil, and which was formerly to be witnessed in almost every
heathen temple in old Italia before the days of Constantine the
Great.   In the many particulars in which we can trace with
certainty the marriage between Christianity and heathenism, none
is more curious than the system of ex votos. The ancients who
were affected with ophthalmia, rheumatism, boils, defective limbs,
&c. &c., prayed to their gods and goddesses for recovery, and at the
same time offered on the shrine of the favorite divinity, or suspended near the altar, votive tablets, upon which were inscribed a
description of the disease and the name of the invalid. Grateful
acknowldgements and miraculous cures were also thus made
public for the edification of the faithful worshippers and for the
confusion of the incredulous. Thus, also, in Brazil every church
is filled with votive tablets, telling of wonderful cures by Nossa
Senhora and innumerable saints with very hard names.
The pious pagans, however, did not limit themselves to mere
written thanksgivings and descriptions of the parts affected, but
hung up in their temples the handiwork of their mechanicians
and artists,-representations in painting and in sculpture of hands,
legs, eyes, and other portions of the afflicted body. In the Gloria
Church also may be seen any quantity of wax models of arms,
feet, eyes, noses, breasts, &c. &c.  Where the disease is internal,
and the seat of pain cannot well be modelled, the subject is gene* "This wooden deosa has a splendid head of hair. It is the last of a series of
rapes of locks committed on her account. When the brother of Sr. P. L- a, a
young gentleman of my acquaintance, was seven years old, his hair reached more
than half-way down his back.  His mother, having great devotion to Nossa
Senhora, sheared off the silken spoils, and offered them as an act of faith to her,
little thinking how literally she was copying the practice of heathen dames. The
locks were sent to a French hairdresser, who wrought them into a wig. It was
then brought to the church and laid in due form before Our Lady, when the priest
reverently removed her old wig and covered her with the flowing tresses of the
Larangeiras Absalom."-Ewbank's Sketches of Life in Brazil.




96


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


ralized by representing a bedridden patient: peril by sea is
represented by a shipwreck. All proclaim one story,-viz.: the
miraculous cure wrought by Nossa Senhora and other saints,
through the ex voto offering.
We have very early instances of the same mode of procedure
among the heathen. The lords of the Philistines, who had seized
in battle the ark of the Covenant, were with their people smitten;
and, when returning the ark to the children of Israel, the pagan
Philistines made golden ex votos to accompany their dreadful captive: (1 Sam. vi. 4.)
Mr. Ewbank, who appears to have devoted much attention to
comparative archaeology and mythology, makes the following
quotation from Tavernier, one of the early Roman Catholic travellers in India: —"When a pilgrim goes to a pagod for the cure of
disease, he takes with him a figure of the member affected, made
of gold, silver, or copper, and offers it to his god." In the second
volume of Montfaucon (also a Roman Catholic writer) there is a
long account of ex votos, "some of which were offered to Neptune
for safe voyages, Serapis for health, Juno Lucina for children and
happy deliveries: pictures of sick patients in bed, and eyes, heads,
limbs, and tablets without number, were offered to Esculapius and
other popular medical saints among the heathen."
This sad spectacle of modern heathenism at Rio de Janeiro is
somewhat ameliorated by the fact that, whenever the ex votos are
found in a church consecrated to Nossa Senhora or to some saint,
the offerings are mostly brown and dusty with age. Occasionally
a fresh pair of eyes or breasts are to be seen, but new wax models
are less frequent in the capital than formerly. There must, however, be a demand for them from some portion of the Empire; for
one-third of the wax and tallow chandlers (where these objects are
obtained) at Rio have an ex voto branch in their manufactories.
At Tijuca, Mr. M., a planter, informed me that he had just seen one
of his neighbors whose arm had been so disabled that its use was
lost, until he was advised by some one of the living "saints" to
go to a chandlery and purchase a wax model of his unruly member to offer to the Virgin. Suffice to say the arm was completely
restored.
On the Sabbath I often passed over the Gloria Hill on my return




A SERMON IN HONOR OF OUR LADY.


97


from the shipping or from the hospitals, where I had been holding
service or visiting the sick. During a festival I mounted the
hill as usual, and as I walked beneath the broad platform upon
which the church stands, I heard strains of music that were most
unlike the solemn chants and the grand anthems of the Romish
communion. They were polkas and dances, performed by some
military band that had been hired for the occasion! I have recently been informed that this abuse, as well as some others, has
been remedied through the direct interposition of the Emperor.
Dr. Kidder thus gives an account of some of the religious exercises at the Gloria, which is applicable to Brazilian church-services
in general:"Preaching is not known among the weekly services of the
church; but I twice listened to sermons delivered here on special
occasions. A small elevated pulpit is seen on the eastern side of
the edifice, and is entered from a hall between the outer and inner
walls of the building.  In this, at one of the services which
occurred during Lent, the preacher made his appearance after
mass was over. The people at once faced round to the left from
the principal altar, where their attention had been previously
directed. The harangue was passionately fervid. In the midst of
it the speaker paused, and, elevating in his hand a small wooden
crucifix, fell on his knees, and began praying to it as his Lord and
Master. The people, most of whom sat in rows upon the floor,
sprinkled with leaves, bowed down their heads, and seemed to
join him in his devotions. He then proceeded, and, when the
sermon was ended, all fell to beating their breasts, as if in imitation of the publican of old.
"In the second instance, the discourse was at the annual festa
of Our Lady of the Gloria, and was entirely eulogistic of her character. One of the most popular preachers had been procured,
and he seemed quite conscious of having a theme which gave him
unlimited scope. He dealt in nothing less than superlatives:'The glories of the Most Holy Virgin were not to be compared
with those of creatures, but only with those of the Creator.'
'She did every thing which Christ did. but to die with him.'
'Jesus Christ was independent of the Father, but not of his
mother.' Such sentiments, rhapsodically strung together, left no
7




98


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


place for the mention of repentance toward God or faith toward
the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the whole sermon."
In 1852, on the occasion of a very solemn festival in honor of
Our Lady, one of the most eloquent padres of Rio was called upon
to pronounce the discourse in the Church of Our Lady of Mount
Carmel, which adjoins the Imperial Chapel. In the evening of the
day referred to, a Roman Catholic gentleman gave me an account
of the sermon, one sentence of which I translate for the benefit of
the reader:-"The magi of the East and the kings of the Orient
came on painful journeys from distant lands, and, prostrating
themselves at the feet of Nossa Senhora, offered her their crowns
for the bestowment of her hand; but she rejected them all, and
gave it to the obscure, the humble but pious St. Joseph!"
During a festival, the faithful (and others, for that matter) can
obtain any amount of pious merchandise, in the shape of medidas
and bentinhos,-pictures, images, and medals of saints and of the
Pope, &c. &c.  These are "exchanged"-never sold-in the
church, and fetch round prices. A medida is a ribbon cut the
exact height of the presiding Lady or saint of the place of worship. These, worn next to the skin, cure all manner of diseases,
and gratify the various desires of the happy purchasers. There
are certain colors esteemed appropriate to different Nossas Senhoras;
and once I ascertained the important fact, that, when some pious
Fluminense has made a vow to Nossa Senhora, great care must be
taken not to permit the wrong color to be used. A lady-member
of my family, wishing to make a small present to one of her friends,
-a young Roman Catholic mother,-sent a neat pink dress for the
little one; but the package was soon returned, with many regrets
that the kind offering could not be received, for a vow was upon
the mother which had particular reference to her child. She had
vowed to a Nossa Senhora (whose favorite colors were like the
driven snow and the heavens above) that if her boy recovered from
his sickness he should be clothed in nothing but white and blue for
the next six months! At the end of that time, it was added, the
present could be accepted.
Bentinhos are two little silken pads with painted figures of Our
Lady, &c. upon them. These are worn next to the skin, in pairs,
being attached by ribbons, one bentinho resting upon the bosom




BRAZILIAN PYROTECHNY.


99


and the other upon the back. These are most efficacious for
protecting the wearer from invisible foes both before and
behind.
I visited the Gloria Church during one of these festivals, and
the " exchange" of pictures and medidas was immense. The price,
however, was not always paid in money. I found that wax
candles offered to the Virgin were esteemed equal to copper or
silver coin. The heat and crowd of the church on this occasion
were such that I sought the esplanade in front; and the contrast
of the cool night-air and the sweet odors that wafted up from the
gardens beneath was as agreeable as refreshing.
The multitude, I soon ascertained, were not confined to the
church. Groups were collected around the fountain, and thousands were congregated in the ascent called the Ladeira da Gloria,
or whiling away their time by eating doces, smoking, and conversing in the Largo. They were awaiting the fireworks which
were to close the festival. The Brazilians are exceedingly fond
of pyrotechny, and every festival begins and ends with a display
of rockets and wheels. The grand finale surpasses any thing in
this line that is ever witnessed in North America; and I doubt
if there is a single country in the world, except China, where
pyrotechny is so splendid and varied as in Brazil. Not only are
there wheels, cones, suns, moons, stars, triangles, polygons, vases,
baskets, arches with letters and the usual devices known among
us, but, elevated upon high poles, are human figures as large as
life, representing wood-sawyers, rope-dancers, knife-grinders, ballet-girls, and whatever vocation of life calls for especial activity.
By ingenious mechanism these effigies go through their various
parts with remarkable and lifelike celerity.  There is nothing
gauche. The figures are well dressed, even to the gloves of the
represented ladies. The wood-sawyer makes the sparks fly, and
the knife-grinder whirls a wheel that sends forth a perfect "glory"
of scintillations!
There is no festa throughout the year that is more enjoyed by
the pleasure-loving Fluminenses than that of Nossa Senhora da
Gloria. The evening before, the usual number of rockets are sent
up,-probably to arouse the attention of the Virgin to the honor
that is about to be paid her on the following day, lest, in the mul



100


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


tiplicity of her cares, she should forget the approach of this anniversary; for she must have a very wonderful memory if she call
to mind each fete-day at which her especial company is requested,
seeing that every fourth church in Rio is dedicated to a Nossa
Senhora of some kind.
Early on the morning of this festival, the approach to the white
temple is crowded with devotees in their gayest attire; for there
is nothing in this celebration that requires the usual sombre black.
The butterflies themselves, and the golden-breasted humming-birds
that flit among the opening jessamines and roses around, are not
more brilliant than the senhoras and senhoritas of all ages who
flutter about, robed in the brightest colors of the rainbow, and
with their long black tresses elaborately dressed and adorned with
natural flowers, among which the carnation is pre-eminent. They
enter the church to obtain the benefit of the mass; and happy they
who have strength and lungs and nerve enough to force a way
up to the altar through the crowds whom nature has clad in perpetual mourning. Once arrived at this desired spot, they squat
upon the floor, and, after saying their prayers and hearing mass,
they amuse themselves with chatting to the circle of beaux who,
on such occasions, are always in close attendance upon the fair
objects of their adoration. For be it remarked that most of the
praying, as in France, is done by the women; and probably for that
reason each man is anxious to secure an interest in the affections
of some fair devotee, in order that she may supply his own lack
of zeal.
After patiently displaying their charms and their diamonds for
some hours, a thrill of excitement passes through the throng, and
salvos of artillery announce the approach of the Imperial party,
who, when the weather permits, leave their carriages at the foot
of the hill, and slowly ascend the steep path that leads to the
church. This has been previously strewn with flowers and wildcinnamon-leaves.
On some occasions, troups of young girls in white, from the different boarding-schools, are in waiting at the top, to kiss the hands
of their Majesties. This is the prettiest part of the exhibition,the Emperor, with his stately form, and the Empress, with her
good-humored smile, passing slowly through the lines of bright



THE LARANGEIRAS.


101


eyed girls who are not without a slight idea of their own prominent
part in the graceful group.
After the ceremonial in the chapel, the Imperial party descends
to the house of the Baron de Marity, a rich Portuguese merchant,
who has a fine house hard by, where a splendid collation is prepared, and the evening is terminated by the fireworks and a ball.
The pyrotechnic display is on the road opposite his house; and woe
betide any unfortunate wight who would induce a spirited horse to
pass that way. There is no other road into the city from Botafogo;
so that he may as well take a philosophical resolution, and enjoy, as
best he may, the Catherine wheels and the fiery maidens pirouetting
in the midst of surrounding sparks.
A. distinguishing feature of these gatherings is, that, amid all the
thousands present, no scene of rudeness or quarrel is ever witnessed.
Perfect good-nature reigns around; and if, in the inevitable pressure,
any person is trodden upon or jostled, an instant apology is made,
with the hat removed from the head. As water is the only beverage,
there is nothing to inflame the bad passions of the multitude. The
slaves are not merely respectful in their manners, but evince a
joyous sense of liberty for the day; and they ambitiously seek the
best places for sight-seeing, which their less active masters in vain
wish to attain.
At midnight all is over, and the quiet stars shine down upon
the church-crowned and verdure-robed Gloria.
When we descend the Ladeira da Gloria and turn to our left, we
are in a finely-paved-and in some places macadamized-thoroughfare called the Catete, a wide and important street, leading from
the city to Botafogo. About half-way between the town and the
last-mentioned suburb, we enter the Largo Machado, which is the
commencement of the Larangeiras, or the valley of orange-groves.
There were formerly many trees of the Laranga da terra,* or native
orange, in this lovely spot; and, although the most of them have
disappeared, their places have been filled with their sweeter relatives, the Laranga selecta, and the night-air is laden with the rich
perfume of their flowers. Some of the prettiest gardens-which,


* Gardner is of the opinion that the Laranga da terra, or bitter orange, is not
indigenous.




102


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


instead of thick stone walls, are surrounded by open iron railing
-and the most beautiful residences in Rio nestle in this quiet
valley.
A shallow but limpid brook gurgles along a wide and deep ravine,
lying between two precipitous spurs of the Corcovado Mountain.
Passing up its banks, you see scores of lavandeiras, or washerwomen, standing in the stream and beating their clothes upon the
boulders of rock which lie
>, ~                           scattered along the bot/ S i~ —^____     tom.   Many   of  these
1 gi \ \ \ A s  I |i i    washerwomen go from the. l, 'A |\''   I i \ X      city early in the morning,,~"j) I:'' '^^w^!..,.' /  carrying their huge bun-]i- '  \ *I l  -  j7        dies of soiled linen on./ -,, l:,:.J..I..   their heads, and at evening return with them, puri';  r-; -~:;,: i'^,   ' '^-^  fled in the stream  and
-" --- '            "\,) '  bleached in the sun. Fires
---  //  -  are smoking in various
places, where they cook
their meals; and groups
7/.j  /  >; I'  / A  ' of infant children are seen
A~'  -, / f        -      I "  /\\ Pplaying around, some of.  '/ whom are large enough
_=....." *- Xiv __   to  have  toddled  after
_.~    their mothers; but most...-._-.........            of them have been carried
there on the backs of
L A V A N D E I R A S. 
the heavily-burdened servants. Female slaves, of every occupation, may be seen carrying about their children in the manner represented by the cut on
page 167.
One is reminded by their appearance of the North American
Indian pappoose riding on the mother's back; but the different
methods of fastening the respective infants in permanent positions
produce very different effects. The straight board on which the
young Indian is lashed gives him his proverbially-erect form; but
the curved posture in which the young negro's legs are bound




THE ASCENSION OF THE CORCOVADO.


103


around the sides of the mother often entails upon him crooked
limbs for life.
Up the valley of the Larangeiras is a mineral spring, which at
certain seasons of the year is much frequented. It is denominated
Agoa Ferrea,-a name indicating the chalybeate properties of the
water. Near this locality you may enter the road which leads up
the Corcovado.
An excursion to the summit of this mountain is one of the first
that should be made by every visitor to Rio. You may ascend on
horseback within a short distance of the summit; and the jaunt
should be commenced early in the morning, while the air is cool
and balmy, and while the dew yet sparkles on the foliage. The
inclination is not very steep, although the path is narrow and
uneven, having been worn by descending rains. The greater part
of the mountain is covered with a dense forest, which varies in
character with the altitude, but everywhere abounds in the most
rare and luxurious plants. Toward the summit large trees become
rare, while bamboos and ferns are more numerous. Flowering
shrubs and parasites extend the whole way.
I once made the excursion in company with a few friends.
Our horses were left at a rancho not far from the summit, and
a few minutes' walk brought us through the thicket. Above this
the rocks are covered with only a thin soil, and here and there a
shrub nestling in the crevices. What appears like a point from
below is in reality a bare rock, of sufficient dimensions to admit
of fifty persons standing on it to enjoy the view at once, although
its sides, save that from which it is reached, are extremely precipitous. In order to protect persons against accidents, iron posts
have been inserted, and railings of the same material extend
around the edge of the rock. This has been done at the expense
of the Government. If we except this slight indication of art, all
around exhibits the wildness and sublimity of nature.
The elevation of the mountain-twenty-three hundred and six
feet-is just sufficient to give a clear bird's-eye view of one of the
richest and most extensive prospects the human eye ever beheld.
The harbor and its islands; the forts, and the shipping of the bay;
the whole city, from S. Christovao to Botafogo; the botanical
garden, the Lagoa das Freitas, the Tijuca, the Gavia, and the




104


BRAZIL AND TIE BRAZILIANS.


Sugar-Loaf Mountains, the islands outside the harbor, the widerolling ocean on the one hand and the measureless circle of
mountains and shores on the other, were all expanded around and
beneath us. The atmosphere was beautifully transparent, and I
gazed and gazed with increasing interest upon the lovely, the
magnificent panorama.
From the sides of this mountain various small streamlets flow
toward the Larangeiras. By means of artificial channels, these are
thrown together to supply the great aqueduct. In descending, we
followed this remarkable watercourse until we entered the city, at
the grand archway leading from the Hill of Santa Theresa to that
of San Antonio, as depicted on page 63. Nor is this section of the
route less interesting to those fond of nature. From time to time
negroes are met, waving their nets in chase of the gorgeous butterflies and other insects which may be seen fluttering across the
path and nestling in the surrounding flowers and foliage.
Many slaves were formerly trained from early life to collect and
preserve specimens in entomology and botany, and, by following
this as a constant business, gathered immense collections.  These
are favorite haunts for amateur naturalists, who, if imbued with the
characteristic enthusiasm of their calling, may still find them as
interesting as did Yon Spix and Von Martius, whose learned works
upon the natural history of Brazil may be compared with those
of Humboldt and Bonpland in Mexico and Colombia.
The aqueduct is a vaulted channel of mason-work, passing sometimes above and sometimes beneath the surface of the ground, with
a gentle declivity, and air-holes at given distances. The views to
be enjoyed along the line of this aqueduct are, beyond measure,
interesting and varied. Now you look down at your right upon
the valley of the Larangeiras, the Largo do Machado, the Catete,
the mouth of the harbor, and the ocean; anon, verging toward the
other declivity of the hill, you may survey the Campo St. Anna,
the Cidade Nova, the splendid suburb of Engenho Velho, and, in
the distance, the upper extremity of the bay, surrounded by mountains and dotted by islands. At length, just above the Convent
of Santa Theresa, you will pause to contemplate a fine view of the
town. But for the Hill of S. Antonio and the Morro do Castello
the greater portion of the city would here be seen at once. The




RECOLLECTIONS OF SR. DOMINGOS LOPEZ.


105


glimpse, however, that is perceptible between these eminences is
perhaps sufficient, and the eye rests with peculiar pleasure upon
this unusually-happy combination of the objects of nature and
of art.
Probably no city in the world can compare with Rio de Janeiro
in the variety of sublime and interesting scenery in its immediate
vicinity. The semicircular Bay of Botafogo and the group of
mountains surrounding it form one of the most picturesque views
ever beheld. We are on the Corcovado; before us stands the
far-famed Sugar-Loaf; and far behind us appears an immense
truncated cone of granite. When seen at a distance, this mountain
is thought to resemble the foretopsail of a vessel, and hence its
name, the Gavia. Between this and the Sugar-Loaf remains a
group of three, so much resembling each other as to justify the
name of Tres Irmaos, or Three Brothers. The head of one of the
brothers stretches above his juniors, and also looks proudly down
upon the ocean which laves his feet. At the base of the Sugar-Loaf
is Praia Vermelha, a fertile beach, named from the reddish color of
the soil. It extends to the fortress of S. Joio on the right, and to
that of Praia Vermelha on the left, of the Sugar-Loaf. The latter
is a prominent station for new recruits to the army; and many are
the poor Indians from the Upper Amazon who have here been
drilled to the use of arms. This also was the scene of a bloody
revolt of the German soldiery in the time of the First Emperor.
The beach of the ocean outside the Sugar-Loaf is called Copa
Cabana. A few scattered huts of fishermen and a few ancient
dwellings belonging to proprietors of the land accommodate all the
present inhabitants of this locality. Once it used to be far more
populous, according to the recollections of Senhor Domingos
Lopez,-a garrulous sexagenarian with whom Dr. Kidder became
acquainted on one of his visits there, and who detailed to him the
monstrous changes that had transpired since his boyhood, when
the site of S. Francisco de Paulo was a frog-pond, and all the city
beyond it not much better, although built up to some extent with
low, mean houses. The sand of this beach is white, like the surf
which dashes upon it. Whoever wishes to be entertained by the
low but heavy thunder of the waves, as they roll in from the green
Atlantic, cannot find a more fitting spot; and he that has once




106


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


enjoyed the sublime companionship of the waves, that here rush to
pay their homage at his feet, will long to revisit the scene.
In beholding the Sugar-Loaf for the first time, I was seized with
an almost irresistible desire to ascend its summit. This wish was
never carried into action. As my countrymen, however, have
shared largely in this species of ambition, I shall be more excusable.
It is said by some, that a Yankee midshipman first conceived
and executed the hazardous project of climbing its rocky sides.
Nevertheless, this honor is disputed by others in behalf of an
Austrian midshipman. Belonging to whom that may, it was reserved for Donna America Vespucci, in 1838, to be the first lady
who should attempt the exploit; but the Donna failed to accomplish
what her ambitious mind determined. Several persons of both sexes
have, since this failure, made the attempt, and, at the peril of life
and limb, some have succeeded in scrambling to the very top. On
the 4th of July, 1851, Burdell, an American dentist, accompanied
by his wife, a French coiffeur et sa dame, and a young Scotchwoman, made the ascent. From the latter I received an account
of that adventurous night, when at times they seemed ready to
dash into the foaming ocean beneath. Their toil and danger were
of no small magnitude, and, when success finally crowned their
foolhardiness, they sent up rockets and built a bonfire, to the astonishment of the gazing Fluminenses. The last ascent of this singular mountain, which is almost as steep as Bunker Hill Monument,
was performed by a young American, who, without a companion
or the usual appliances and skill of a seafaring man, worked his
way up to the very summit, under the full blaze of a burning sun.
He was, however, so disgusted with his adventure, that he begged
his friends never to mention the subject.
The Pao de Assucar has an interest in the mind of all who visit
the capital of Brazil. It is the first and the last object that greets
his gaze as he enters or quits the magnificent Bay of Rio de
Janeiro.




CHAPTER VII.


BROTHERHOODS-HOSPITAL OF SAN FRANCISCO DE PAULA-THE LAZARUS AND THE
RATTLESNAKE-MISERICORDIA-SAILORS' HOSPITAL AT JURUJUBA-FOUNDLINGHOSPITAL-RECOLHIMENTO FOR ORPHAN-GIRLS-NEW MISERICORDIA-ASYLUM
FOR THE INSANE —JOS  D'ANCHIETA, FOUNDER OF THE MISERICORDIAMONSTROUS LEGENDS OF THE ORDER-FRIAR JOHN D'ALMEIDA-CHURCHESCONVENTS.
To turn from the contemplation of nature to the works of man
is not always the most pleasing transition; and Bishop Heber's
well-known and oft-cited lines" Though every prospect pleases,
And only man is vile"seem doubly true in South America, where the grand and the
beautiful are so wonderfully profuse and in such strong contrast
with the shortcomings of earth's last and highest creature. But
the philanthropy and practical Christianity embodied in the hospitals of Rio de Janeiro are in happy dissimilitude with the
mummeries and puerilities which the Roman Catholic Church has
fostered in Brazil. These institutions, in their extent and efficiency, command our highest respect and admiration.
Among the hospitals of the capital there are a number which
belong to different Irmandades or Brotherhoods. These fraternities
are not unlike the beneficial societies of England and the United
States, though on a more extended scale. They are generally
composed of laymen, and are denominated Third Orders,-as, for
example, Ordem Terceiro do Carmo, Da Boa Morte, Do Bom Jesus
do Calvario, &c. They have a style of dress approaching the clerical in appearance, which is worn on holidays, with some distinguishing mark by which each association is known. A liberal
entrance-fee and an annual subscription is required of all the members, each of whom is entitled to support from the general fund in
107




108


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


sickness and in poverty, and also to a funeral of ceremony when
dead. The brotherhoods contribute to the erection and support
of churches, provide for the sick, bury the dead, and support
masses for souls. In short, next after the State, they are the most
efficient auxiliaries for the support of the religious establishment
of the country. Many of them, in the lapse of years, have become
rich by the receipt of donations and legacies, and membership in
such is highly prized.
The extensive private hospital of S. Francisco de Paulo belongs
to a brotherhood of that name. It is located in an airy position,
and built in the most substantial manner. Each patient has an
alcove allotted to him, in which he receives the calls of the physician and the necessary care of attendants. When able to walk,
he has long corridors leading round the whole building, in which
he may promenade, or from the windows enjoy the air and a sight
of surrounding scenes. There are also sitting-rooms in which the
convalescent members of the fraternity meet to converse.
The Hospital dos Lazaros is located at St. Christovao, several
miles from the city, and is entirely devoted to persons afflicted
with the elephantiasis and other cutaneous diseases of the leprous
type. Such diseases are unhappily very common at Rio, where it
is no rare thing to see a man dragging about a leg swollen to twice
its proper dimensions, or sitting with the gangrened member exposed as a plea for charity. The term " elephantiasis" is derived
from the enormous tumors which the affection causes to arise on
the lower limbs, and to hang down in folds or circular bands,
making the parts resemble the legs of an elephant. The deformity
is frightful in itself; but the prevailing belief that the disease is
contagious imparts to the beholder an additional disgust.
It was an act of true benevolence by which the Conde da Cunha
appropriated an ancient convent of the Jesuits to the use of a
hospital for the treatment of these cases. It was placed, and has
since remained, under the supervision of the Irmandade do Santissimo Sacramento. The average number of its inmates is about
eighty. Few in whom the disease is so far advanced as to require
their removal to the hospital ever recover from it. Not long since
a person pretended to have made the discovery that the elephantiasis of Brazil was the identical disease which was cured




ELEPHANTIASIS AND THE RATTLESNAKE.


109


among the ancient Greeks by the bite of a rattlesnake. He published several disquisitions on the subject, and thus awakened
public attention to his singular theory. An opportunity soon
offered for testing it. An inmate of the hospital, who had been a
subject of the disease for six years, resolved to submit himself to
the hazardous experiment.
A day was fixed, and several physicians and friends of the parties
were present to witness the result. The afflicted man was fifty
years old, and, either from a confident anticipation of a cure, or
from despair of a happier issue, was impatient for the trial. The
serpent was brought in a cage, and into this the patient introduced
his hand with the most perfect presence of mind. The reptile
seemed to shrink from the contact, as though there was something
in the part which neutralized its venom. When touched, the serpent would even lick the hand without biting. It became necessary at length for the patient to grasp and squeeze the reptile
tightly, in order to receive a thrust from his fangs. The desired
infliction was at length given, near the base of the little finger.
So little sensation pervaded the member that the patient was
not aware he was bitten until informed of it by those who saw the
act. A little blood oozed from the wound, and a slight swelling
appeared when the hand was withdrawn from the cage; but no
pain was felt. Moments of intense anxiety now followed, while
it remained to be seen whether the strange application would issue
for the better or for the worse.  The effect became gradually
manifest, although it was evidently retarded by the disease which
had preoccupied the system. In less than twenty-four hours the
Lazarus was a corpse!
The most extensive hospital in the city, and indeed in the Empire, is that called the Santa Casa da Misericordia, or the Holy House
of Mercy. This establishment is located upon the sea-shore, under
the brow of the Castello Hill, and is open day and night for the
reception of the sick and distressed. The best assistance in the
power of the administrators to give is here rendered to all, male
and female, black or white, Moor or Christian,-none of whom,
even the most wretched, are under the necessity of seeking influence or recommendations in order to be received.
From the statistics of this establishment it appears that more




110


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


than seven thousand patients are annually received, of whom more
than one thousand die.
In this hospital are treated vast numbers of English and
American seamen, the subjects of sickness or accident on their
arrival, or during their stay in the port. There are few nations
of the world which are not represented among the inmates of the
Misericordia of Rio de Janeiro. Free access being always granted
to its halls, they furnish an ample and interesting field for benevolent exertions in behalf of the sick and dying.


THE JURUJUBA HOSPITAL.


The years 1850, '51, '52, and '53 were those of great mortality
among foreigners on account of the first and only known visit of
the yellow fever to Rio de Janeiro and the coast of Brazil. The
number of deaths among the natives was much exaggerated, and
in no portion of the Empire was the mortality ever so great as in
those parts of the United States which have so often been visited
by the same disease. In 1854, '55, and '56, no cases of the yellow




1THE YELLOW FEVER HOSPITAL AT JURUJUBA.


111


fever occurred, and its appearance and disappearance have been
equally mysterious. The reader curious in such matters will find
this subject treated in the appendix.
New hospitals were arranged for the reception of foreign mariners stricken down with this fell malady; but none have been so
well appointed, so well regulated, and so eminently successful, as
the hospital at Jurujuba, under the supervision of an able medical
committee, of which Dr. Paulo Candido is the chief. The principal
visiting and attending physician is Dr. Correo de Azevado, a gentleman of great affability and experience, speaking ten different
languages with fluency, and who is a universal favorite among his
patients from all parts of the world. Every day during the year
the little steamer "Constancia," bearing Dr. Azevado and his
assistants, passes through the entire shipping, receiving the sick,
and then transports them to the southern shores of the St. Xavier's
or Jurujuba Bay. The hospital is situated in the midst of perpetual
verdure, and where the ocean and land breezes are uncontaminated
by the many impurities of a vast city. Here are excellent and
kind nurses, who co-operate with the physicians in promoting the
recovery of the invalids.
Jurujuba Hospital was for me a place of frequent visitation
during the prevalence of the dreaded yellow fever. How many a
poor wayfarer of the deep have I seen here and on shipboard, far
away from country, home, and relatives, go down to the grave!
How often, too, have I witnessed the power of that "hope which
maketh not ashamed," as I have caught from dying lips the last
loving messages sent to a distant father, mother, or sister, or as I
have listened to the triumphant hymn which proclaimed the victory over the last foe to man!
Although there was free transit to all who wished to go to the
hospital, I never met a single Brazilian or Portuguese priest in my
many visits to Jurujuba. It could not be pleaded in extenuation
that it was an institution for English and American mariners, for a
very large proportion were Portuguese, Spanish, French, and
Italian sailors. The only Roman Catholic ecclesiastic of any
grade that I ever saw at Jurujuba was one of the devoted Italian
Capuchins who seem at Rio to be ever on errands of mercy,
through tropic heats and rains, while the lazy, lounging, greasy,




112


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


acclimated frades of San Antonio, San Bento, and of Carmo, live
at ease in their huge conventual buildings, situated in the loveliest
and healthiest portions of the city.
Before the erection of Jurujuba Hospital nearly all the necessitous
foreign invalids were accommodated in the Misericordia.
The benevolence of this latter hospital is not confined to those
within its infirmaries, but extends to the different prisons of the
city, most of whose inmates receive food and medicines from the
provisions of the Misericordia.
Besides the public hospital, the institution has another for foundlings, and a Recolhimento, or Asylum for Female Orphans. The
Foundling-Hospital* is sometimes called Casa da Roda, in allusion
to the wheel in which infants are deposited from the streets and
by a semi-revolution conveyed within the walls of the building.
This wheel occupies the place of a window, facing the thoroughfare, and revolves on a perpendicular axis. It is divided by partition into four triangular apartments, one of which always opens
without, thus inviting the approach of any who may be so heartless
as to wish to part with their infant children. They have only to
deposit the foundling in the box, and by a turn of the wheel it
passes within the walls, they themselves going away unobserved.
That such institutions are the offspring of a mistaken philanthropy is as evident in Brazil as it can be in any country. Not
only do they encourage licentiousness, but they foster the most
palpable inhumanity. Out of three thousand six hundred and
thirty infants exposed in Rio during ten years anterior to 1840,
only one thousand and twenty-four were living at the end of that
period. In the year 1838-39, four hundred and forty-nine were
deposited in the wheel, of whom six were found dead when taken
out; many expired the first day after their arrival, and two hundred and thirty-nine died in a short period.
The report of the Minister of the Empire for the official year
1854-55 gives the following alarming statistics and the comments
of the minister:

* The Foundling-Hospital is at present the large three-story building seen on
the right-hand side of the " View of the Gloria Hill from the Terrace of the Passeio
Publico."




FOUNDLING HOSPITAL AND MISERICORDIA.


113


"In 1854, 588 infants were received, in addition to 68 already in
the establishment. Total, 656: died, 435; remaining, 221.
"In 1853, the number of foundlings received was 630, and of
deaths 515.(!)
"There was, therefore, less mortality in the past than in the
former year. Still, the number of deaths is frightful.
" Up to the present time it has not been possible to ascertain the
exact causes of this lamentable mortality, which with more or less
intensity always takes place among such infants, notwithstanding
the utmost effort and care that has been used to combat the evil."
Well might one of the physicians of the establishment, in whose
company a gentleman of my acquaintance visited several departments of the institution, remark, "Monsieur, c'est une boucherie!"
What must be the moral condition or the humane feelings of
those numerous persons who deliberately contribute to such an exposure of infant life? One peculiar circumstance connected with
this state of things consists in the alleged fact that many of the
foundlings are the offspring of female slaves, whose masters, not
wishing the trouble and expense of endeavoring to raise the children, or wishing the services of the mothers as wet-nurses, require
the infants to be sent to the engeitaria, where, should they survive,
they of course are free. A large edifice for the accommodation of
foundlings is being erected on the Largo da Lapa.
The Asylum for Female Orphans is a very popular establishment.
It is chiefly supplied from the Foundling-Hospital. The institution
not only contemplates the protection of the girls in its care during
their more tender years, but provides also for their marriage, and
confers on them dowries of from two to four hundred milreis each.
On the 2d of July, every year, when the Romish Church celebrates the anniversary of the Visitation of St. Elizabeth, by processions, masses, and the like, this establishment is thrown open to
the public, and is thronged with visitors, (among whom are their
Imperial Majesties,) some of whom bring presents to the recolhidas,
and some ask for them in marriage.
The new buildings of the Misericordia are upon a grand scale, and
the view of it to those entering the harbor is, architecturally considered, truly magnificent. It is constructed of stone, and is six
hundred feet in length. There is only the half of the immense
8




114             BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
structure presented to the eye as we look at the sketch below, engraved from a daguerreotype; and the reader will be astonished at
the size of this noble beneficiary edifice when he is informed that
it is a double building, and that its twin-brother is in the rear of
it; but it is so connected as to fdrm several airy quadrangular
courts. With its modern improvements, insuring superior ventilation, light, and cleanliness,-with its flower-gardens and shrubberies
for the recreation and exercise of the convalescent,-with its cool.....  -: -.-        -- —:-2.,   -=_: -_=.........: —. _...........::...  _.:: 
St: Luzia.. Je..it'College    Morro d. a.. — eo Ars:nal of War:
Pedro II. situated on the. graceful Bay of Botafogo..   is a splendid,
- _       -—.....:-'-.-_:. -
7_
St.equalled by the  Misericordia, whose noblerro dome Castlio.fts itArsenal of abover.
equalled -by the Misericordia, whose noble dome lifts itself above




JosE DE ANCHIETA.


115


the Praia da Santa Luzia. The French Sisters of Charity are the
nurses here as well as in the house of the Brothers of Mercy. The
Emperor, after whom the hospital at Botafogo is named, is one of
its most liberal supporters.
The annual expenses of the Misericordia are about one hundred
and fifty thousand dollars. A small portion of its receipts are provided for by certain tributes at the Custom-House, another portion
by lotteries, and the balance by donations and the rent of properties
which belong to the institution through purchase and legacies.
The Foundling-Hospital and Recolhimento have been in existence
about a hundred years. The original establishment of the Misericordia dates back as far as 1582, and took place under the auspices
of that distinguished Jesuit, Jose de Anchieta. About that time
there arrived in the port a Spanish armada, consisting of sixteen
vessels-of-war, and having on board three thousand Spaniards,
bound to the Straits of Majellan. During the voyage very severe
storms had been experienced, in which the vessels had suffered
greatly, and sickness had extensively broken out on board: Anchieta was at the time on a visit to the college of his order, which
had been founded some years previously, and whose towers still
surmount the Castello Hill. Moved by compassion for the suffering
Spaniards, he made arrangements for their succor, and in so doing
laid the foundation of an institution which has continued to the
present day enlarging its charities and increasing its means of
alleviating human suffering.
It is impossible to contemplate the results of such an act of
philanthropy without a feeling of respect toward its author.
How many tens of thousands, during the lapse of more than two
hundred and fifty years, have found an asylum within the walls of
the Misericordia of Rio de Janeiro,-how many thousands a grave!
Anchieta was among the first Jesuits sent out to the New World,
and his name fills a large space in the history of that order. His
earlier labors were devoted to the Indians of S. Paulo, and along
that coast, where he endured great privations and exerted a powerful influence; but he finally returned to Rio de Janeiro, and there
ended his days.
His self-denial as a missionary, his labor in acquiring and methodizing a barbarous language, and his services to the State, were




116


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


sufficient to secure to him an honest fame and a precious memory;
but in the latter part of the ensuing century he was made a candidate for saintship, and his real virtues were made to pass for little
in comparison with the power by which it was pretended that he
had wrought miracles.  Simon de Vasconcellos, Provincial of
Brazil, and historian of the province, composed a narrative of
his life, which is one of the greatest examples of extravagance
extant.
It may be interesting to pass from the Santa Casa da Misericordia, so happily associated with his name, up the steep paved walk
which leads to the old Jesuits' College on the Morro do Castello,
where Anchieta died. Here we may contemplate the huge antiquated structure, which, although long since perverted from its
original use, remains, and is destined to remain perhaps for ages
to come, a monument of the wealth and power of the order
founded by Ignatius de Loyola, whose name the college bore.
It is sickening to turn our attention from the good which
Anchibta did, to the absurd inventions in regard to the founder of
the Misericordia after he had been for a hundred years slumbering
in the tomb. It is only one of those monstrous legends invented
by the priests, approved by the Inquisition, and ratified by the
church, which were for centuries palmed off upon the credulity of
the people, as a means of advancing the interests and the renown
of rival monastic orders.
Mr. Southey remarks:-" It would be impossible to say which
order has exceeded the others.:in Europe in this rivalry, each
having carried the audacity of falsehood to its utmost bounds; but
in Brazil the Jesuits bore the palm."
Of this few will doubt who read the following. "Some," says
Vasconcellos, "have called him [Anchieta] the second Thaumatourgos; others, the second Adam,-and this is the fitter title;
because it was expedient that, as there had been an Adam in the
Old World, there should be one in the New, to be the head of all
its inhabitants and have authority over the elements and animals
of America, such as the first Adam possessed in Paradise.
"There were, therefore, in Anchieta, all the powers and graces
with which the first Adam had been endowed, and he enjoyed
them not merely for a time, but during his whole life Band for this




THE WONDERFUL GIFTS OF ANCHIETA.


117


reason, like our common father, he was born with innocence,
impassibility, an enlightened mind, and a right will.
"Dominion was given him over the elements and all that dwell
therein. The earth brought forth fruit at his command, and even
gave up the dead, that they might be restored to life and receive
baptism from his hand. The birds of the air formed a canopy
over his head to shade him from the sun. The fish came into his
net when he required them. The wild beasts of the forest attended
him in his journeys and served him as an escort. The winds and
waves obeyed his voice. The fire, at his pleasure, undid the mischief which it had done, so that bread which had been burnt to a
cinder in the oven was drawn out white and soft by his interference.
"He could read the secrets of the heart. The knowledge of
hidden things and sciences was imparted to him; and he enjoyed
daily and hourly ecstasies, visions, and revelations. He was a
saint, a prophet, a worker of miracles, and a vice-Christ; yet such
was his humility, that he called himself a vile mortal and an ignorant sinner.
"His barret-cap was a cure for all diseases of the head. Any
one of his cilices, [wire shirts,] or any part of his dress, was an
efficacious remedy against impure thoughts. Water poured over
one of his bones worked more than two hundred miracles in Pernambuco, more than a thousand in the South of Brazil; and a
few drops of it turned water into wine, as at the marriage in
Galilee. Some of his miracles are commended as being more
fanciful and in a more elegant taste [sic] than those which are recorded in the Scriptures."
The book in which these assertions are made, and which is
stuffed with examples of every kind of miracles, was licensed by
the various censors of the press at Lisbon,-one of whom declares,
that, as long as the publication should be delayed, so long would the
faithful be deprived of great benefit, and God himself of glory!
The same author, who has collected and attested all the fables
which credulity and ignorance had propagated concerning Anchieta,
has produced a far more extraordinary history of Friar Joam
d'Almeida, his successor in sanctity. It was written immediately
after Almeida's death, when the circumstances of his life were fresh




118


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


in remembrance, and too soon for the embellishment of machinery
to be interwoven.
This remarkable person, whose name appears originally to have
been John Martin, was an Englishman, born in London during the
reign of Elizabeth. In the tenth year of his age he was kidnapped
by a Portuguese merchant, apparently for the purpose of preserving
him in the Catholic faith; and this merchant, seven years afterward, took him to Brazil, where, being placed under the care of
the Jesuits, he entered the company.
Anchieta was his superior, then an old man, broken down with
exertion and austerities and subject to frequent faintings. Almeida
used to rub his feet at such times, in reference to which he was
accustomed to say that, whatever virtue there might be in his
hands, he had taken it from the feet of his master. No voluptuary ever invented so many devices for pampering the senses as
Joam d'Almeida did for mortifying them. He looked upon his
body as a rebellious slave, who, dwelling within-doors, eating at
his table, and sleeping in his bed, was continually laying snares
for his destruction; therefore he regarded it with the deepest
hatred, and, as a matter of justice and self-defence, persecuted,
flogged, and punished it in every imaginable way. For this purpose he had a choice assortment of scourges,-some of whipcord,
some of catgut, some of leathern thongs, and some of wire. He
had cilices of wire for his arms, thighs, and legs, one of which was
fastened around the body with seven chains; and another he called
his good sack, which was an under-waistcoat of the roughest horsehair, having on the inside seven crosses made of iron, the surface
of which was covered with sharp points, like a coarse rasp or a nutmeg-grater. Such was the whole armor of righteousness in which
this soldier of Christ clad himself for his battles with the infernal
enemy. It is recorded among his other virtues that he never disturbed the mosquitos and fleas when they covered him; that, whatever exercise he might take in that hot climate, he never changed
his shirt more than once a week; and that on his journeys he put
pebbles or grains of maize in his shoes.
His daily course of life was regulated in conformity to a paper
drawn up by himself, wherein he promised "to eat nothing on
Mondays, in honor of the Trinity,-to wear one of his cilices,




FRIAR JOAM D'ALMEIDA.


119


according to the disposition and strength of the poor beast, as he
called his body, and to accompany it with the customary flyflapping of his four scourges, in love, reverence, and remembrance
of the stripes which our Saviour had suffered for his sake. Tuesdays, his food was to be bread and water, with the same dessert, to
the praise and glory of the archangel Michael, his guardian angel,
and all other angels. Wednesdays, he relaxed so far as only to
follow the rule of the company. On Thursdays, in honor of the
Holy Ghost, the most holy sacrament, St. Ignatius Loyola, the
apostles, and all saints, male and female, he ate nothing. Fridays,
he was to bear in mind that the rules of his order recommended
fasting, and that he had forsworn wine except in cases of necessity. Saturday, he abstained again from all food, in honor of the
Virgin, and this abstinence was to be accompanied with whatever
might be acceptable to her; whereby exercises of rigor as well as
prayer were implied. On Sundays, as on Wednesdays, he observed
the rules of the community."
The great object of his most thankful meditations was to think
that, having been born in England,* and in London, in the very
seat and heart of heresy, he had been led to this happy way of life.
In this extraordinary course of self-torment, Friar Joam d'Almeida
attained the great age of fourscore and two. When he was far
advanced in years, his cilices and scourges were taken from him
lest they should accelerate his death; but from that time he was
observed to lose strength, as if his constitution was injured by the
change: such practices were become necessary to him, like a perpetual blister, without which the bodily system, having been long
accustomed to it, could not continue its functions. He used to
entreat others, for the love of God, to lend him a whip or a cilice,
exclaiming, "What means have I now wherewith to appease the
Lord? What shall I do to be saved?" Such are the works which
a corrupt church has substituted for faith in Christ and for the
duties of genuine Christianity.
Nor must this be considered as a mere case of individual madness. While Almeida lived, he was an object of reverence and


* On one side of his portrait is the figure of England, on the other that of Brazil,
and under them these words: — Hinc Anglus, hinc Angelus."




120            BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
admiration, not only to the common people of Rio de Janeiro, but
to persons of all ranks. His excesses were in the spirit of his religion, and they were recorded after his death for edification and
example, under the sanction of the Superiors of an order which at
that time held the first rank in the estimation of the Roman
Catholic world.
During his last illness the convent was crowded with persons
who were desirous to behold the death of a saint. Nothing else
was talked of in the city, and the Fluminenses accosted each other
with condolences as for some public calamity. Solicitations were
made thus early for scraps of his writing, rags of his garments or
cilices, and, indeed, any thing which had belonged to him; and
the porter was fully employed in receiving and delivering beads,
cloths, and other things which devout persons sent, that they
might be applied to the body of the dying saint and imbibe from
it a healing virtue. He was bled during his illness, and every drop
of the blood was carefully received upon cloths, which were divided
as relics among those who had most interest in the college.
When the bell of the college announced his death, the whole
city was as greatly agitated as if the alarm of an invasion had been
given. The governor, the bishop-administrator, the magistrates,
nobles, clergy, and religious of every order, and the whole people,
hastened to his funeral. Every shop was shut. Even the cripples
and the sick were carried to the ceremony. Another person died
at the same time, and it was with great difficulty that men could
be found to bear the body to the grave.
An official statement of the proceedings of the day was drawn
up, to be a perpetual memorial; and the admiration of the people
for Friar Joam d'Almeida was so great, especially in Rio de Janeiro,
that they used his relics in diseases with as much faith as if he had
been canonized, and with as much success. For a while they invoked no other saint, as if they had forgotten their former objects
of devotion!
The practical rules of our Saviour, in the Sermon on the Mount,
in regard to cheerfulness and absence of ostentation in religion, are
very far from coinciding with the above practices; and one would
judge that there was no need of a Mediator for the man who thus
worked out his own salvation.




CHURCHES, CHAPELS, AND CONVENTS.


121


There are within the city of Rio and its suburbs about fifty
churches and chapels. They are generally among the most costly
and imposing edifices of the country, although many of them have
but little to boast as regards either plan or finish. They may
be found of various form and style. Some are octagonal, some are
in the form of the Roman and some of the Grecian cross, while
others are merely oblong. The Church of the Candellaria* was
originally designed to be a cathedral for the diocese of Rio de
Janeiro. It was commenced about seventy years ago, but is not
yet entirely finished. Like nearly every other building for ecclesiastical purposes in the country, it stands as a memento of past
generations. The erection of a new church in Brazil is not an
event of frequent occurrence.
The chapels of the convents are in several instances larger, and
probably more expensive, than any of the churches. That of the
Convent of San Bentot is one of the most ancient, having been
repaired, according to an inscription it bears, in 1671. The exterior of the edifice is rude but massive; its windows are heavily
barred with iron gratings, more resembling a prison than a place
of worship. The sides of the chapel are crowded with images and
altars. The roof and ceiled walls exhibit paintings designed to
illustrate the history of the patron saint, the relics of whose
miracles are here carefully preserved. Unnumbered figures of
angels and cherubs, carved in wood and heavily gilded, look down
upon you from every corner in which they can be fastened: in
fact, nearly the whole interior is gilt. The order of the Benedictines is by far the richest in the Empire, possessing houses and
lands of vast extent, though the number of monks is at present
quite small. In the convent proper, a large square area is surrounded by corridors open on one side, and exhibiting the doors
of the several dormitories of the monks on the other. An accessible
apartment is devoted to the library, composed of about six thousand volumes. The sombre and melancholy air which pervades
* The tall spires of this church may be seen in the general "View of Rio de
Janeiro from the Island of Cobras," rising above the right of the central palm-tree.
t The turrets of this convent are those seen farthest to the right, in the " View"
referred to in the note above.




122


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


this monastic pile is in perfect contrast with the splendid scene to
be enjoyed in front of it, and with the neat and modern appearance of the Naval Arsenal, located at the foot of the eminence on
which it stands.*
A striking peculiarity in the aspect of Rio de Janeiro is derived
from the circumstance that all the most elevated and commanding
sites of the city and its
vicinity are occupied by
f'    - ':-:              churches and   convents.
- -. ---_.  Of these may be next men<. ---   - -  tioned the   Convent of;  G\.,,.  St. Anthony, a mendicant
order, whose       shovel-hat
h  monks, although sworn to,  eternal poverty, have conafe   trived to obtain a very, valuable site and to erect
amost costly edifice. The
-o;e  fo~ wers          i an. building, since they can pos-:~  sess nothing themselves,
belongs,very conveniently,
to the Pope of Rome. In
~ m l mit are two immense cha-   pels and a vast cloister,
— _... ~ 1  -        -with scarcely enough friars....~ -_-~ a_ —         to keep them in order.
FRADES OF ST. ANTHONY.        On a hill opposite that
of S. Antonio is the nunnery of Santa Theresa, occupying a situation more picturesque,
perhaps, than that of either of the monasteries mentioned; and
yet, as if to render the appearance of the building as offensive as
possible in the midst of scenery ever breathing the fragrance of
opening flowers and smiling in beauty, its contracted windows are


* On the island of Cobras, nearly opposite the Convent of S. Bento, is an immense copper ring near the water's edge, put down by the celebrated Captain
Cook in his last voyage.




THE LADY BOARDERS OF AJUDA CONVENT.


123


not only barred with iron gratings, but even these gratings are set
with bristling spikes.
The Convent of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, which is overlooked
from the Hill of Santa Theresa, completes the list of monastic institutions in the capital of Brazil. In this last-mentioned were formerly many inmates who had not taken the veil. The jealousy
of the Portuguese and their descendants was such, that in other
years it was not uncommon for a gentleman, when making a visit
to the mother-country, to incarcerate-or, more politely, " procure
lodgings" for-his wife in the convent, where she remained during
his entire absence. I have understood that this shameful practice
has been forbidden by the present Emperor. The monasteries may
all be considered unpopular, and could never again be erected at
any thing like their present expense.
The churches of all descriptions are generally open every morning. At this time masses are said in most of them. Ordinarily
but few persons are in attendance, and these are principally women.
Upon the great holidays, several of which occur during Lent, the
churches are thronged, and sermons are occasionally delivered;
but nothing like regular preaching on the Sabbath or any other day
is known in any part of the country.




CHAPTER VIII.


ILLUMINATION OF THE CITY-EARLY TO BED-POLICE —GAMBLING AND LOTTERIES
-MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT-VACCINATION-BEGGARS ON HORSEBACK-PRISONSSLAVERY —BRAZILIAN LAWS IN FAVOR OF FREEDOM-THE MINA HERCULESENGLISH SLAVE-HOLDERS-SLAVERY IN BRAZIL DOOMED.
THE streets of few cities are better lighted than those of Rio de
Janeiro. The gas-works on the Atterrado sends its illuminating
streams to remote suburbs as well as through the many and intricate thoroughfares of the Cidade Velha and the Cidade Nova.
They have not the convenient fiction which city governments so
often palm off upon themselves in the United States,-viz.: that the
moon shines half the year; for in Rio, whether Cynthia is in the
full, or whether shorn of her beams by unforeseen storms, the lamps
continue to shed their brilliant light. The coal for the gas comes
from England.
After ten o'clock at night few people are seen in the streets.
The Brazilians are eminently an "early to bed, early to rise"
people. When the great bells ring out the hour of ten, every slave
"heels it;" and woe be to him that is caught out after the tocsin
tolls the time when the law prescribes that he should be in his
master's house; for, if dilatory, the police seize Jose and commit
him to durance vile until his owner ransom him by a smart fine.
The same rule does not hold good in regard to freemen; yet
one would think that it was equally in force without regard to
class, for the Fluminensians, as a general thing, retire at ten P.M.
Nothing is more surprising to a stranger from the North, to whom
the night is so attractive, with its coolness, its fragrance, and its brilliancy, than to find the streets and the beautiful suburbs of the city
almost as tenantless and silent as the ruins of Thebes or Palmyra.
The police of Rio de Janeiro is military, and is well disciplined
by officers of the regular army. They are fortified with plenty
124




THE POLICEMAN AND HIS DUTIES.


125


of authority, and take care to use it. Great difficulties have sometimes occurred between the constabulary and foreigners, where, on
some occasions, the former have been to blame; but it was good
for "Young America," when going "round the Horn" on his way
to California, to be held in wholesome restraint by these "yellow
Brazilians," whom he affected to despise. The police is armed.
During the day you may see them singly or in pairs, having their
positions in convenient localities for watching the slaves and all
others suspected of liability to disorder. Now the policeman, with
three or four of his companions, strolls along by
Hotel Pharoux to have an                -
eye upon the foreign sailors;; '   ''        i 
or again, with a single con-:          if    i 
frere, he takes his stand by 
the Carioca fountain; or,,.
again, his  undress-cap,..
his  blue  uniform, his 
sword, and his brace of
pistols, are wholesomely 
displayed at a corner venda,  /g f.          ir
where the tamanca*-shod
mandioc-flour, red Lisbon
wine  and  black beans.
The above-mentioned sta-                w
ples are the articles of
stock and consumption for      POLICEMAN AND VENDA.
the low grocer and the low
class that patronize him. Sometimes he will get a little higher in
the provision-line, and add butter, brought from Ireland, lard
from the United States, onions from Portugal, sardines, a few hams,
and sausages. Then, too, he is somewhat of a lumber-merchant;


* A sort of wooden-soled slipper much worn by the lower class of whites and the
free blacks.




126


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


for he purchases a few bundles of finely-split wood, which, together
with charcoal, is the small accompaniment of the kitchen-battery
in Brazil. At these vendas is the only hard drinking (except that
done by English and Americans) in Rio, and that imbibing is by
the slaves. Often Congo or Mozambique becomes eloquent under
the effects of cachaaa, and then the policeman is an effectual arbiter.
I have found few cities more orderly than Rio de Janeiro; and
the police are so generally on the alert, that, in comparison with
New York and Philadelphia, burglaries rarely occur. I felt greater
personal security at a late hour of the night in Rio than I would
in New York. Yet there are occasions when the police receive a
strong hint through the public press for their remissness. The
following, taken from a late Correio Afercantil, is an illustration:"Night before last, after eight o'clock, an individual named
Mauricio was attacked by a band of capoeiras,* who fell upon him
with clubs, striking him upon the forehead, and gashing his thigh
in such a manner as to injure the artery. The victim, bathed in
blood, was taken to the drug-store of Sr. Pires Ferao, and there
received the necessary succors, which were afforded him by Dr.
Thomas Antunes de Abreu, who rushed to the aid of the poor man
as soon as he was called. No police-authority appeared to take
cognizance of this criminal deed!" Such outrages are exceptions,
and a few articles based on facts like the above soon arouse the
police to their duty.
There are some offences against the good of society which the
police occasionally winked at during my residence in Rio,-i.e.
gambling. The jogo seems an inveterate habit of some Brazilians;
and when I have been cooped up with them in quarantine I have
had opportunities for watching how every class represented in the
Lazarro, from the padre down, gave itself up to the gamblingpassion. At Rio the laws are very stringent against gamblinghouses; and there are times when their owners are earnestly
ferreted out by the police. But in the Rua Princeza, during 1852
and '53, a certain lawyer each Saturday night constituted his
house a rendezvous where gamblers met,-the regular professional


* Africans, who with daggers run a muck in the streets, but not often at the
present day in Rio. See page 137.




GAMBLING AND LOTTERIES.


127


blackleg, (including the lawyer,) and the young pigeon who came
to be plucked. When I went to my religious services at nine
o'clock on Sabbath morning, their carriages would be still standing
before the door, and their sleepy servants yawning and swearing
on every side. Policemen regularly marched down the Catete at
all hours of the night and in the daytime; yet month after month
passed, and the den was not broken up until their operations were for
a time suspended by the suicide of one of the parties concerned.
There is another species of gambling most deleterious in its
effects, which is countenanced and supported by the Government.
I refer to lotteries. They are not " sham" concerns, but prizes are
put up, and, if drawn, paid. If it is a church, a theatre, or some
other public building, to be erected, the Government grants a
lottery. There are always six thousand tickets at 20$000 (twenty
milreis) each; the highest prize is 20,000$000, (or about ten thousand dollars,) and the second prize is half that sum: there are then
two thousand more tickets, which draw prizes of 20$000 (ten dollars) and upward. Everywhere in the city are offices for selling the
tickets, and in the country there are equestrian ticket-venders who
go from house to house with the risking billets. There is no fraud
in awarding the prizes, and there is such a rage for this kind of
gambling that the tickets are sold in a few days. The effects are
bad; for the poorest whites and the shabbiest blacks will rake,
scrape, and steal, until they have sufficient to purchase the twentieth
part of a billet, and then run with it to the shop where the flaming
wheel-sign with Anda a roda hoje (The wheel turns to-day) tells
them that this is the road to fortune. When such a spirit is
engendered by the State, it becomes rather difficult for the municipal authorities to put down private gambling.
The head-quarters of the police are in an ancient public building
in the Rua da Guarda Velha.
The city government, consisting of nine aldermen, who compose
the Camara municipal, are elected by the people of Rio (i.e. those
possessing 100$,-about fifty dollars income) once in four years.
The City Hall, which is called the Camara Municipal, is situated
on the Campo Santa Anna. The General Government enforces
vaccination, and it is on the lower floor of this building where all
who present themselves on Thursdays and Saturdays are vaccinated




128


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


free of charge: the patients, however, are obligated to return after
eight days. A portion of the report of the Minister of the Empire
is devoted to this subject, and in the report of 1854-55 the minister
says that in the cities and large towns it is easy to enforce the
law, but in the villages and the country it is difficult to overcome
the obstacles which superstition throws in the way.
There is a class, confined to no portion of the world, which comes
under the especial surveillance of the police. Every Saturday the
beggars have their harvest. Mr. Walsh remarked, in 1828, that
beggars were seldom seen in the streets of Rio. This was far from
being the case in 1838, when Dr. Kidder resided there. Through
the lenity or carelessness of the police, great numbers of vagrants
were continually perambulating the streets and importuning for
alms; and mendicants of every description had their chosen places
in the thoroughfares of the town, where they regularly waited and
saluted the passers-by with the mournful drawl of Favorece o seu
pobre pelo amor de Deos. If any, instead of bestowing a gift, saw
fit to respond to this formula with its counterpart, Deos Ihefavorece,
(God help you,) they were not always sure to escape without an
insult. When this state of things was at its height, and it was
known that numerous rogues were at large under the disguise of
beggars, the chief of the police suddenly sprung a mine upon them.
He offered the constables a reward of ten milreis for every mendicant they could apprehend and deliver at the House of Correction.
In a few days not less than one hundred and seventy-one vagabundos were delivered, over forty of whom were furnished with
employment at the marine arsenal. The remainder were made to
labor at the penitentiary till they had liquidated tth expense of
their apprehension. This measure had a most happy effect, and
the streets were thenceforward comparatively free from mendicity,
although persons really deserving charity were permitted to ask
*for aid at their pleasure.
But in 1855 the evil had again become a crying one. All shades
of beggars seemed to abound everywhere. At length it was discovered that poor, old, worn-out slaves-those afflicted with blindness and elephantiasis-were sent out by their masters to ask
alms. A new chef de police, however, made an onslaught upon such
mendicants. He had them arrested and examined. No slave was




BEGGARS ON HORSEBACK.


129


thenceforth allowed to beg, as he rightly deemed that the owner
who had enjoyed the fruit of his labor during his days of health
could well afford to take care of him when overtaken by old age
and sickness.* Twelve mendicants were considered real objects
of charity, and had licenses given them. These beggars, being
either blind or lame, have now the monopoly of the eleemosynary
sympathies of the good people of Rio; and I believe it is found to
be a most profitable business. Some of them are carried in a rede
by two slaves or drawn by one; one worthy rejoices in a little
carriage pulled by a fat sheep, and another-a footless man-rides
\ \
on a white horse. Sometimes, in the country-parts of Brazil, beggars whose pedal extremities are free from all derangement play
the cavalier, altogether disdaining to foot it, and seem to receive
none the less charity than if they trudged from door to door.
Upon one occasion, a female beggar, adorned with a feather in her
bonnet and mounted on horseback, rode up to a friend of mine at
St. Alexio, and, demanding alms, was exceedingly indignant at any
inquiries as to the consistency of her costume. The English proverb is not remarkably complimentary to such mendicants; but


* The proverb in Portuguese is very forcible: —" He who has enjoyed the meat
may gnaw the bones."
9




130


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


a like application is never heard in the land of the Southern
Cross.
The House of Correction, referred to on a previous page, is
located under the brow of a high hill, between the suburbs of
Catumby and Mata Porcos. The grounds pertaining to it are
surrounded by high granite walls, constructed by the prisoners,
who have long been chiefly employed on various improvements
of the premises. On the hill-side is a quarry, and numbers are
employed in cutting stone for more extended walls and buildings.
Others are made to carry dirt in wooden trays upon their heads,
sometimes from one part of the ground to another, or to fill the
cars of a tram-railway, which runs from within the walls to the
borders of a marsh nearly a mile distant, which is by this process
being reclaimed from the tide-water and converted into valuable
ground. The more refractory criminals are chained together, generally two and two, but sometimes four or five go along in file, clanking a common chain, which is attached to the leg of each individual.
The House of Correction is as fine a building, in an architectural
point of view, as any similar edifice in the United States. The
Director, (Sr. Falcao,) however, finds fault with its plan. It is not
yet completed; and it is gratifying to see that the Brazilian
Government is taking every measure to bring about an entire
reform in prison-buildings and prison-discipline. It is one of those
evidences of progress in a nation which is unmistakable. In 1852,
Sr. Antonio J. de M. FalcGao-who, by his intelligence and enlarged
views, was admirably fitted for his office-was sent to the United
States to inspect our various prison-systems. The report of Sr. Falcao
to the Minister of Justice (Sr. J. Thomas Nabuco de Araujo) is incorporated in one of the Relatorios of the nation for 1854-55, and is
full of interest. It seems strange to read, in the official message of
a Brazilian Minister, familiar and sensible discussions in regard to
the systems of Auburn and Pennsylvania; and it is a deserved compliment to Sr. Falcao that his able report has been fully reprinted
in our own country, in the "Journal of Prison Discipline," so ably
conducted by F. A. Packard, Esq., of Philadelphia. Sr. Falcio gives
his preference to the system of Pennsylvania. The Relatorio of
the Minister of Justice for the year mentioned is overflowing with
instructive and interesting details in regard to penitentiaries and




PUNISHMENTS OF SLAVES.


131


prisons. It is not, however, a mere dry narration of facts, but
wise suggestions and feasible improvements are laid before the
nation in a manner at once clear, attractive, and forcible.
The city prisons known as the Aljube and the Xadres da Policia
all have been in a sad state: bad ventilation, bad food, and miserable
damp cells, have called forth the denunciations of Sr. Falcao and
other enlightened philanthropists in Rio, and these evils will soon
be remedied.
Besides the prisons now enumerated, there are places of confinement in the different forts; those of Santa Cruz and the Ilha das
Cobras being the principal.
Many of the prisoners are slaves, though the Brazilian law is not
at all dainty as to color or
condition. In the Relatorio 
of the Minister of Justice                         i..
for the year 1854-55 I find.-, _   >,!
that from the 7th of Sep-    _    -_ —;,       7i,.,
tember, 1853, to the 16th                   -.-       -
of March, 1855, forty slaves                          \\.
and twenty-one free per- u 
sons (which includes whites  -,: 
and blacks) were, for mur-       ---.-:
ddr, condemned to death. -                              i 
The punishment of four-    '        ':
teen of the slaves was com-,
muted, and that of but four:
of the freemen.
One department of the 
Ccasa da Correcao is appro- "  i. _i.
priated to the flogging of
slaves, who are sent thither
to be chastised for disobedience or for common misdemeanors. They are re-       THE LOG, IRON COLLAR, AND TIN MASK.
ceived at any hour of the
day or night, and retained free of expense as long as their masters
choose to leave them. It would be remarkable if scenes of extreme
cruelty did not sometimes occur here.




132


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


The punishments of the Casa da Correceo are not, however, the
only chastisements which the refractory slave receives. There are
private floggings; and some of the most common expiations are
the tin mask, the iron collar, and the log and chain. The last two
denote runaways; but the tin mask is often placed upon the visage
to prevent the city-slave from drinking cachaga and the countryslave from eating dirt, to which many of the field-negroes are
addicted. This mania,-for it can be called nothing else,-if not
checked, causes languor, sickness, and death.
The subject of slavery in Brazil is one of great interest and hopefulness. The Brazilian Constitution recognises, neither directly
nor indirectly, color as a basis of civil rights; hence, once free, the
black man or the mulatto, if he possess energy and talent, can rise
to a social position from which his race in North America is
debarred. Until 1850, when the slave-trade was effectually put
down, it was considered cheaper, on the country-plantations, to
use up a slave in five or seven years and purchase another, than to
take care of him. This I had, in the interior, from intelligent
native Brazilians, and my own observation has confirmed it. But,
since the inhuman traffic with Africa has ceased, the price of slaves
has been enhanced, and the selfish motives for taking greater care
of them have been increased. Those in the city are treated better
than those on the plantations: they seem more cheerful, more ftull
of fun, and have greater opportunities for freeing themselves. But
still there must be great cruelty in some cases, for suicides among
slaves-which are almost unknown in our Southern States-are
of very frequent occurrence in the cities of Brazil. Can this, however, be attributed to cruelty? The negro of the United States is
the descendant of those who have, in various ways, acquired a
knowledge of the hopes and fears, the rewards and punishments,
which the Scriptures hold out to the good and threaten to the evil:
to avoid the crime of suicide is as strongly inculcated as to avoid
that of murder. The North American negro has, by this very
circumstance, a higher moral intelligence than his brother fresh
from the wild freedom and heathenism of Africa; hence the latter,
goaded by cruelty, or his high spirit refusing to bow to the white
man, takes that fearful leap which lands him in the invisible
world.




BRAZILIAN LAWS IN FAVOR OF FREEDOM.


133


In Brazil every thing is in favor of freedom;* and such are the facilities for the slave to emancipate himself, and, when emancipated, if
he possess the proper qualifications, to ascend to higher eminences
than those of a mere free black, that fuit will be written against
slavery in this Empire before another half-century rolls around.
Some of the most intelligent men that I met with in Brazil-men
educated at Paris and Coimbra-were of African descent, whose
ancestors were slaves. Thus, if a man have freedom, money, and
merit, no matter how black may be his skin, no place in society is
refused him. It is surprising also to observe the ambition and
the advancement of some of these men with negro blood in their
veins. The National Library furnishes not only quiet rooms, large
tables, and plenty of books to the seekers after knowledge, but
pens and paper are supplied to such as desire these aids to their
studies. Some of the closest students thus occupied are mulattoes.
The largest and most successful printing-establishment in Riothat of Sr. F. Paulo Brito-is owned and directed by a mulatto. In
the colleges, the medical, law, and theological schools, there is no
distinction of color. It must, however, be admitted that there is a
certain-though by no means strong-prejudice existing all over
the land in favor of men of pure white descent.
By the Brazilian laws, a slave can go before a magistrate, have
his price fixed, and can purchase himself; and I was informed that
a man of mental endowments, even if he had been a slave, would
be debarred from no official station, however high, unless it might
be that of Imperial Senator.
The appearance of Brazilian slaves is very different from that of
their class in our own country. Of course, the house-servants in
the large cities are decently clad, as a general rule; but even these
are almost always barefooted. This is a sort of badge of slavery.
On the tables of fares for ferry-boats, you find one price for persons
wearing shoes, (calfadas,) and a lower one for those descallas, or
* A Southern lady (the wife of the very popular United States Consul at Rio
during the administration of President Pierce) used to say that "the very paradise
of the negroes was Brazil;" for there they possess a warm climate, and, if they
choose, may make their way up in the world, in a manner which can never be the
case in the United States.




134            BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
without shoes. In the houses of many of the wealthy Fluminenses
you make your way through a crowd of little woolly-heads, mostly
guiltless of clothing, who are allowed the run of the house and the
amusement of seeing visitors. In families that have some tincture
of European manners, these unsightly little bipeds are kept in the
background. A friend of mine used frequently to dine in the
house of a good old general of high rank, around whose table
gambolled two little jetty blacks, who hung about their "pai" (as
they called him) until they received their portions from his hands,
and that, too, before he commenced his own dinner. Whenever the
lady of the house drove out, these pets were put into the carriage,


''I
- _  N_-1
- -   I)


'/....l. — L' -[ I
i   ""' ' "'m  ':'.:........_,,...
PRETO  DE (JANHO  AND QUITANDEIRA.




and were as much offended
at being neglected as any
spoiled only son. They
were the children of the
lady's nurse, to whom she
had given freedom. Indeed,
a faithful nurse is generally
rewarded by manumission.
The appearance of the
black male population who
live in the open air is any
thing but appetizing. Their
apology for dress is of the
coarsest and dirtiest description.  Hundreds of
them   loiter about  the
streets with large round
wicker-baskets ready to
carry any parcel that you
desire conveyed. So cheaply
and readily is this help obtained, that a white servant
seldom thinks of carrying


home a package, however small, and would feel quite insulted if
you refused him a preto de ganho to relieve him of a roll of calico
or a watermelon. These blacks are sent out by their masters, and
are required to bring home a certain sum daily. They are allowed




THE MINA HERCULES.


135


a portion of their gains to buy their food, and at night sleep on
a mat or board in the lower purlieus of the house. You frequently see horrible cases of elephantiasis and other diseases,
which are doubtless engendered or increased by the little care
bestowed upon them.
The coffee-carriers are the finest race of blacks in Brazil. They
are almost all of the Mina tribe, from the coast of Benin, and are
athletic and intelligent. They work half clad, and their sinewy
forms and jetty skins show to advantage as they hasten at a
quick trot, seemingly unmindful of their heavy loads. This work
pays well, but soon breaks them down. They have a system
among themselves of buying the freedom of any one of their number who is the most respected. After having paid their master the
sum required by him daily, they club together their surplus to
liberate the chosen favorite. There is now a Mina black in Rio
remarkable for his height, who is called "The Prince," being, in
fact, of the blood-royal of his native country. He was a prisoner
of war, and sold to Brazil. It is said that his subjects in Rio once
freed him by their toil: he returned, engaged in war, and was a
second time made prisoner and brought back. Whether he will
again regain his throne I know not; but the loss of it does not
seem to weigh heavily on his mind. He is an excellent carrier;
and, when a friend of mine embarked, the "Prince" and his troop
were engaged to transport the baggage to the ship. He carried
the largest case on his head the distance of two miles and a half.
This same case was pronounced unmanageable in Philadelphia
by the united efforts of four American negroes, and it had to be
relieved of half its contents before they would venture to lift it
up-stairs.
From time to time the traveller will meet with negroes from
those portions of Africa of which we know very little except by
the reports of explorers like the intrepid Livingstone and Barth.
I have often thought that the slaves of the United States are
descended not from the noblest African stock, or that more than a
century of bondage has had upon them a most degenerating effect.
We find in Brazil very inferior spiritless Africans, and others of
an almost untamable disposition. The Mina negro seldom makes
a good house-servant, for he is not contented except in breathing




136


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


the fresh air. The men become coffee-carriers, and the women
quitandeiras, or street pedlars.
These Minas abound at Bahia, and in 1838 plunged that city into
a bloody revolt,-the last which that flourishing municipality has
experienced. It was rendered the more dreadful on account of
the secret combinations of these Minas, who are Mohammedans,
and use a language not understood by other Africans or by the
Portuguese.
When the delegation from the English Society of Friends visited
Rio de Janeiro in 1852, they were waited upon by a deputation of
eight or ten Mina negroes. They had earned money by hard
labor and had purchased their freedom, and were now desirous of
returning to their native land. They had funds for paying their
passage back again to Africa, but wished to know if the coast were
really free from the slavers. Sixty of their companions had left
Rio de Janeiro for Badagry (coast of Benin) the year before, and
had landed in safety. The good Quakers could scarcely credit this
last information, thinking it almost impossible that any who had
once been in servitude "should have been able and bold enough to
make so perilous an experiment;" but the statement of the Minas
was confirmed by a Rio ship-broker, who put into the hands of the
Friends a copy of the charter under which the sixty Minas sailed,
and which showed that they had paid four thousand dollars passagemoney. (See Appendix.) A few days after this interview, Messrs.
Candler & Burgess received from these fine-looking specimens of
humanity "a paper beautifully written in Arabic by one of their
chiefs, who is a Mohammedan."
In Rio the blacks belong to many tribes, some being hostile
to each other, having different usages and languages. The Mina
negroes still remain Mohammedans, but the others are nominal
Roman Catholics.
Many of them, however, continue their heathen practices. In
1839, Dr. Kidder witnessed in Engenho Velho a funeral, which was
of the same kind as those curious burial-customs which the African
traveller beholds on the Gaboon River. You can scarcely look
into a basket in which the quitandeiras carry fruit without seeing
a fetisch. The most common is a piece of charcoal, with which, the
abashed darkey will inform you, the "evil eye" is driven away.




ENGLISH SLAVE-HOLDERS.


137


There is a singular secret society among the negroes, in which the
highest rank is assigned to the man who has taken the most lives.
They are not so numerous as formerly, but from time to time harm
the unoffending.  These blacks style themselves capoeiros, and
during a festa they will rush out at night and rip up any other
black they chance to meet. They rarely attack the whites, knowing, perhaps, that it would cost them too dearly.
The Brazilians are not the only proprietors of slaves in the
Empire. There are many Englishmen who have long held Afiicans
in bondage,-some for a series of years, and others have purchased
slaves since 1843, when what is called the Lord Brougham Act
was passed. By this act it is made unlawful for Englishmen to
buy or sell a slave in any land, and by holding property in man
they are made liable, were they in England, to prosecution in
criminal courts. The English mining-company, whose stockholders
are in Great Britain, but whose field of operations is S. Joao del
Rey in Brazil, own about eight hundred slaves, and hire one thousand more.
Frenchmen and Germans also purchase slaves, although they
have not given up allegiance to their respective countries.
If it be asked, "Who will be the laborers in Brazil when slavery
is no more?" the reply (given more at length in the account of a
visit to the colony of Senator Vergueiro) is that the supply will
come from Germany, Portugal, the Azores and Madeira, and other
countries.
It is a striking fact that emigrants did not begin to arrive from
Europe by thousands until 1852. In 1850 and '51 the African slavetrade was annihilated, and in the succeeding year commenced the
present comparatively vigorous colonization. Each year the number
of colonists is increasing, and the statesmen of the Empire are now
devoting much attention to discover the best means for thus promoting the advancement of the country.
Almost every step in Brazilian progress has been prepared by a
previous gradual advance: she did not leap at once into selfgovernment. She was raised from a colonial state by the residence
of the Court from Lisbon, and enjoyed for years the position of
a constituent portion of the Kingdom of Portugal. The present
peaceful state of the Empire under D. Pedro II. was preceded by




138


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


the decade in which the capabilities of the people for self-government were developed under the Regency. The effectual breaking
up of the African slave-trade is but the precursor of a more important step.
Slavery is doomed in Brazil. As has already been exhibited, when
freedom is once obtained, it may be said in general that no social
hinderances, as in the United States, can keep down a man of
merit. Such hinderances do exist in our country. From the warm
regions of Texas to the coldest corner of New England the free
black man, no matter how gifted, experiences obstacles to his elevation which are insurmountable. Across that imaginary line which
separates the Union from the possessions of Great Britain, the
condition of the African, socially considered, is not much superior.
The Anglo-Saxon race, on this point, differs essentially from the
Latin nations. The former may be moved to generous pity for
the negro, but will not yield socially. The latter, both in Europe
and the two Americas, have always placed merit before color.
Dumas, the mulatto novel-writer, is as much esteemed in France
as Dickens or Thackeray are in England. An instance came under
my own observation which confirms most strongly the remark
made above. In 1849, it was my privilege to attend with a large
number of foreigners a soiree in Paris, given by M. de Tocqueville,
then French Minister of Foreign Affairs. I was introduced to a
visitor from the United States, who for the first time looked upon
the scenes of the gay capital, and as we proceeded to the refreshment-room his arm rested on mine. I found that this clergyman,
by his intelligence, common sense, and modesty, commanded the
admiration of all with whom he came in contact. A few weeks
afterward a European university of high repute honored him with
the degree of Doctor of Divinity. In England he was looked upon
with interest and curiosity; but, had he proposed a social alliance
equal to his own station, I doubt if success would have attended
his offer. In 1856, the same clergyman was ejected from a New
York railway-omnibus, by a conductor who daily permitted, without molestation, filthy foreigners of the lowest European class
to occupy seats in the identical car. When the matter was
submitted to the courts of justice, the decision sustained the
conductor.  There was no attempt to place the case on any




SLAVERY.                     139
other ground than that the plaintiff was a man of African
descent.
Thus far reason and Christianity have proved impotent in rooting out this prejudice, or in doing away with these social hinderances,
which, more than slavery, will ever render the black man "a hewer
of wood and a drawer of water" to the Anglo-American, and which,
unjust as they are, I fear can never be eradicated. These insurmountable obstacles, it seems to me, like plain providences, point
to Liberia as the nearest land where the North-American-born
negro may enjoy the full freedom and the social equality enjoyed
by the African descendants in the most enlightened Government
of South America.




CHAPTER IX.


RELIGION-THE CORRUPTION OF THE CLERGY-MONSIGNOR BEDINI-TOLERATION
AMONG THE BRAZILIANS —THE PADRE-FESTIVALS-CONSUMPTION OF WAXTHE INTRUDO —PROCESSIONS-ANJINHOS-SANTA PRISCILLIANA-THE CHOLERA
NOT CURED BY PROCESSIONS.
THE "Roman Catholic Apostolic" is the religion of the State in
Brazil; yet, by the liberal Constitution, and by the equally-liberal
sentiments of the Brazilians, all other denominations have the
right to worship God as they choose, whether in public or in
private, with the single limitation that the church-edifice must
not be no formo do templo,-in the form of a temple,-which has
been defined by the supreme judges to be a building "without
steeples or bells." Roman Catholicism in Brazil has never been
subject to the influences with which it has had to contend in
Europe since the Reformation.  It was introduced contemporaneously with the first settlement of the country as a colony, and
for three hundred years has been left to a perfectly free and
untrammelled course. It has had the opportunity of exerting its
very best influences on the minds of the people, and of arriving at
its highest degree of perfection. In pomp and display it is unsurpassed even in Italy. The greatest defender of the Church of
Rome must admit that South America has been a fair field for his
ecclesiastical polity; and if his religion could have made a people
great, enlightened, and good, it has had the power to have made
Spanish and Portuguese America a moral, as it is a natural, Paradise. Spain and Portugal, at the time of the appropriation of their
possessions in the New World, were equal, if not superior, to the
English in all the great enterprises of the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries: but how widely different have been the results which
have flowed from the colonies founded by both! Brazil is in every
respect the superior State of South America just so far as she has
abandoned the exclusiveness of Romanism. Since the Independ140




CORRUPTION OF THE PRIESTHOOD.


141


ence, the priest-power has been broken, and the potent hierarchy
of Rome does not rule over the consciences and acts of men as in
Chili or Mexico. On numerous occasions, measures have been
taken in the Assemblea Geral to curtail the assumptions of the
triple-crowned priest of the Eternal City; and once,* at least, it
was proposed to render the Brazilian Church independent of the
Holy See.
It may be said that the advancement in liberality which the
Empire has displayed has been owing to political considerations.
Granted: but every reader of history knows that the commencement of the English Reformation was largely implicated with
politics, and England's independence of the Papal power was the
beginning of her greatness as a state, and paved the way for the
rapid moral advancement which characterizes England to-day.
In Brazil, however, other than political views must be taken of
the present freedom from bigotry. The priests, to some extent,
owe the loss of their power to their shameful immorality. There
is no class of men in the whole Empire whose lives and practices
are so corrupt as those of the priesthood. It is notorious. The
Relatorios (messages) of the Minister of Justice and the Provincial
Presidents annually allude to this state of things. Every newspaper from time to time contains articles to this effect; every man,
whether high or low, speaks his sentiments most unreservedly on
this point; no traveller, whether Romanist or Protestant, can shut
his eye to the glaring facts. In every part of Brazil that I have
visited I have heard, from the mouths of the ignorant as well as
from the lips of the educated, the same sad tale; and, what is
worse, in many places the priests openly avow their shame. Dr.
Gardner, the naturalist, lived in Brazil from 1836 to '41, and the
greater part of that time in the interior, where foreigners are very
rarely found. In speaking of the banishment of the laborious and
indefatigable Jesuits, whose lives in this portion of America were
without reproach, this distinguished botanist says, "What different
men they must have been from the degraded race who now undertake the spiritual welfare of this nation! It is a hard thing to say,


* This was during the Regency, when Padre Antonio Maria de Moura was nominated to the vacant bishopric of Rio de Janeiro.




142


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


but I do it not without well considering the nature of the assertion, that the present clergy of Brazil are more debased and immoral
than any other class of men."*
Though we should lament immorality in any man or class of
men, yet the combination of circumstances mentioned has had its
effect in rendering the people, as well as the Government, tolerant.
A few years ago, Monsignor Bedini (Archbishop of Thebes, and
late Pope's Legate in the United States and in other partibus infidelium) was the Nuncio of Pius IX. at the Court of Brazil. In
July, 1846, the nuncio went to the mountain-city of Petropolis,
(about forty miles from Rio,) where are many German Protestants,
who have a chapel of their own, which, as well as the chapels in
other colonies, is protected under the broad shield of the Constitution, and receives a portion of its support directly from the Government. There had been certain mixed marriages; and Monsignor
preached a furious sermon, in which he declared that all Romanists
so allied were living in concubinage,-their marriages were void, and
their children illegitimate. A storm of indignation, both at Petropolis and Rio, fell upon the head of the nuncio, whose arrival in
Brazil had been preceded by the rumor of an assurance to the Pope
that he would bind this Empire "faster than ever to the chair of
St. Peter." The Diario do Rio de Janeiro, a conservative journal
always considered the quasi organ of the Government, denounced
M. Bedini in firm but respectful language, and insisted that it was
* I was once dining with a Roman Catholic gentleman in the province of Rio de
Janeiro, and, of his own accord, he said to me, " How can I obey the injunctions
of my priest? he reads us the Decalogue, and yet he is the greatest breaker of the
seventh commandment." In the province of Bahia I made the acquaintance of a
Roman Catholic who had a number of female operatives under his charge, and a
chapel connected with his establishment. The priest (who was one of the few
moral ecclesiastics in Brazil) died. The proprietor then made known his wish for
a new chaplain. Five candidates presented themselves. Four were men whose
lives were of such a grossly-immoral character that I dare not insult my readers
by the particulars which I received from a member of the Romish Church. The
fifth was an old man of good repute, but not very active. As a dernier resort, he
was engaged to fill the chaplaincy; but only a few months elapsed before he was
discovered to be living in open concubinage with an abandoned character, and on
remonstrance would not give up this sinful union.




MONSIGNOR BEDINI.


143


the highest imprudence thus to kindle the fires of religious intolerance. Its columns contained sentiments in regard to this subject
of which the following is a specimen: —"Propositions like those
emitted from the Chair of Truth by a priest of the character of
3. Bedini are eminently censurable."
The nuncio was put down, but not until one of his friends
published what were probably the sentiments of Monsignor, in
which he complains of the Emperor for "not taking sides in the
controversy and using his influence to prevent the spread of
Protestant heresies."
There is no country in South America where the philanthropist and the Christian have a freer scope for doing good
than Brazil. So far from its being true that a Protestant clergyman is always tabooed, and that the people "entertain a feeling
toward him bordering on contempt,"-as one writer on Brazil
has expressed it,-I can testify to the strongest friendship formed
with Brazilians in various portions of the Empire,-a friendship
which did not become weakened by the contact of years or by
the plain manifestations and defence of my belief; and I can
subscribe to the remark put forth by my colleague in 1845, when
he says,"It is my firm conviction that there is not a Roman Catholic
country on the globe where there prevails a greater degree of
toleration or a greater liberality of feeling toward Protestants.
"I will here state, that in all my residence and travels in Brazil
in the character of a Protestant missionary, I never received the
slightest opposition or indignity from the people. As might have
been expected, a few of the priests made all the opposition they
could; but the circumstance that these were unable to excite the
people showed how little influence they possessed. On the other
hand, perhaps quite as many of the clergy, and those of the most
respectable in the Empire, manifested toward us and our work both
favor and friendship.
"From them, as well as from the intelligent laity, did we often
hear the severest reprehension of abuses that were tolerated in the
religious system and practices of the country, and sincere regrets
that no more spirituality pervaded the public mind."
To one who looks alone at the empty and showy rites of the




144


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Roman Catholic Church in Brazil, there is no future for the
country. But when we consider the liberal and tolerant sentiments that prevail,-when we reflect upon the freedom of debate,
the entire liberty of the press, the diffusion of instruction, and the
workings of their admirable Constitution,-we cannot believe that
future generations of Brazilians will retrograde.  Intellectuality
without morality is, we are aware, an engine of tremendous power
wanting a balance-wheel; but we have faith that God, who has
blessed Brazil so highly in other respects, will not withhold from
her the greatest boon, however untoward at present may be the
prospect of such a bestowment.
A faithful narrator cannot pass over this subject without giving
a brief notice of some of the peculiarities connected with worship
at the capital, which, to a
0 rut.1 V<  ~certain extent, are those.p    (!.-^, "~: -   witnessed in every pro"T in  I HI1 '. |t i!: // \  vince of the Empire.
|'i l ).~11,B H  i l_;          ') There is no mistaking
sI! ii iI X   a priest or any species
of ecclesiastics in Brazil.
e t    T he frades, (monks,) the
_ii ~ __  g)!,    Sisters of Charity, as well
<a coolatmos e he        as the priests, have their
_ t\ g.n a'iy l  s   p peculiar costumes,-most
of them exceedingly inconvenient in a warm climate.
IYou cannot be an hour in
the streets of Rio de Ja-    neiro without beholding
the padre, with his large
~_.-;/~ f-~ —~~ ~J~_.     ~     hat and his closely-buttoned, and  long gown,
moving along with perTHE PADR E.            feet composure under a
hot sun that makes every
one else swelter. In the churches, where there generally pervades
a cool atmosphere, the padre, with his uncovered, tonsured head,
with his thin gowns and airy laces, seems prepared for a tropic




THE PADRE.


145


clime; but, when the mass is said and his duties are finished, he
doffs his garment of common-sense thickness and dons that which
would be comfortable in a Northern winter.
The padre's office is not onerous in Brazil, unless he choose to
make it such; and very few are thus inclined. There are no poor
families to visit through rude snow-storms; there is no particular
cure of souls, beyond repeating masses in the cool of the morning,
the carrying of the Host to the hopeless sick, and attendance
at a funeral, for which the carriage and fee are always provided.
The confessional does not trouble him greatly, for the people
are not much given to confession, knowing too well the character of the confessor. If he is of an ambitious turn of mind, he
becomes a candidate for the Chamber of Deputies,-perchance he
succeeds in securing a seat in the Senate,-and there he will pour
out more eloquence, in ore rotundo Lusitanian, than he has ever
delivered from the pulpit. Perhaps formerly his heaviest duties
were in getting up festivals. They have been wonderfully abridged
as to number, but still there is a very respectable share of them,
which gives work to the padres and the alms-collectors, and holidays to clerks, school-children, and slaves.
Bishop Manuel do Monte Roderigues d'Araujo, when professor at
Olinda, published a compendium of moral theology, and he states
that the number of holidays observed in the Empire of Brazil is
the same as that decreed by Pope Urban VIII. in 1642, with the
addition of one in honor of the patron saint of each province, city,
town, and parish, for which Urban's decree also provides. These
holidays are divided into two general classes:-Dias santos de
guarda, or whole holidays, in which it is not lawful to work; and
Dias santos dispensados, or half-holidays, in which the ecclesiastical
laws require attendance upon mass, but allow the people to labor.
The number of the former varies from twenty to twenty-five,
according as certain anniversaries fall on a Sabbath or on a
weekday; while the number of the latter is from ten to fifteen.
The celebration of these holidays by festivals and processions
engages universal attention throughout the country; and the
North American is constantly reminded of the 4th of July
minus the patriotic enthusiasm. The number of festivals were
curtailed within a few years; yet some five or six during the
10




146


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


year arrest the course of commerce and material duties generally.
It is particularly observable that all the religious celebrations
are deemed interesting and important in proportion to the pomp
and splendor which they display. The desirableness of having all
possible show and parade is generally the crowning argument
urged in all applications for Government patronage, and in all
appeals designed to secure the attendance and liberality of the
people.
The daily press of Rio de Janeiro must annually reap enormous
sums for religious advertisements, of which I give one or two
specimens.
The announcement of a festival in the Church of Santa Rita is
thus concluded:"This festa is to be celebrated with high mass and a sermon, at the expense of
the devotees of the said Virgin, the Most Holy Mother of Grief, who are all invited
by the Board to add to the splendor of the occasion by their presence, since they
will receive from the above-named Lady due reward."
The following is the advertisement of a festa up the bay, at
Estrella, and is as clumsily put together in Portuguese as it appears
in the literal English translation which I have given:" The Judge and some devout persons of the Church of Our Lady of Estrella,
erected in the village of the same name, intend to hold a festival there, with a
chanted mass, sermon, procession in the afternoon, and a Te Deum,-all with the
greatest pomp possible,-on the 23d instant; and at night there will be a beautiful
display of fireworks. The managers of the feast have asked the Director of the
Inhomerim Steamboat Company to put on an extra steamer that will leave the
Praia dos Mineiros at eight o'clock in the morning and return after the fireworks.
"It is requested that all the devotees will deign to attend this solemn act, to
render it of the most brilliant description.
"FRANCISCO PEREIRA RAMOS, Secretary.
"ESTRELLA, Sept. 17, 1855."
The following will be to Northern Christians as novel as it is
irreverent:" The Brotherhood of the Divine Holy Ghost of San Gogalo (a small village across
the bay) will hold the feast of the Holy Ghost, on the 31st instant, with all possible
splendor. Devout persons are invited to attend, to give greater pomp to this act
of religion. On the 1st proximo there will be the feast of the Most Holy Sacrament, with a procession in the evening, a Te Deum, and a sermon. On the 2d,-the




FESTIVALS, AND CONSUMPTION OF WAX.


147


feast of the patron of San Gongalo,-at three P.M. there will be brilliant horseracing [!]; after which, a Te Deum and magnificent fireworks."
But it is not the Church alone which advertises the festas. The
tradesmen, having an eye to business, freely make known their
ecclesiastic wares through the agency of public journals. The
following is a specimen:"Notice to the Illustrious Preparers of the Festival of the Holy Spirit.-In the Rua
dos Ourives, No. 78, may be found a beautiful assortment of Holy Ghosts, in gold,
with glories, at eighty cents each; smaller sizes, without glories, at forty cents;
silver Holy Ghosts, with glories, at six dollars and a half per hundred; ditto, without glories, three dollars and a half; Holy Ghosts of tin, resembling silver, seventyfive cents per hundred."
The language of the last two advertisements seems to us like
blasphemy; but, with the Brazilian public, there is a levity and a
want of veneration in holy things shocking to all whose religious
impressions are derived from the word of God.
In some particulars the festivals of all the saints are alike. They
are universally announced, on the day previous, by a discharge
of skyrockets at noon and by the ringing of bells at evening.
During the festa, also,-whether it continue one day or nine,-the
frequent discharge of rockets is kept up. These missiles are so
constructed as to explode high up in the air, with a crackling
sound, after which they descend in beautiful curves of white smoke
if in the daytime, or like meteoric showers if at night.  Dr. Walsh,
who had resided a number of years in Turkey, thought that the
Brazilians quite equalled the Turks of Constantinople in their fondness for exploding gunpowder on festival occasions. He, moreover, gives an estimate, by which it would appear that "about
seventy-five thousand dollars are annually expended in Rio for
gunpowder and wax,-the two articles which enter so largely into
all these exhibitions of pomp and splendor." The wax is consumed in vast quantities of candles that are kept burning before
the different shrines, interspersed with artificial flowers and other
decorations.
Great care is bestowed upon this manner of adorning churches,
by day as well as by night. Sometimes regular rows of blazing
tapers are so arranged in front of the principal altars as to present
the appearance of semicones and pyramids of light streaming from




148


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


the floor to the roof of the edifice. These tapers are all made
of wax, imported from the coast of Africa for this express use.
No animal-oils are used in the churches of Brazil: that which supplies the lamps is made from the olive or from the palm-nut. The
tapers are manufactured from vegetable and bees' wax.
Nothing is more imposing than the chief altar of the Candellaria
Church, when illuminated by a thousand perfumed tapers, which
shed their light amid vases of the most gorgeous flowers. Dr.
Walsh states that on a certain occasion he counted in the chapel of
S. Antonio eight hundred and thirty large wax flambeaux burning
at once, and the same night, in that of the Terceira do Carmo,
seven hundred and sixty; so that, in consideration of the number
of chapels from time to time illuminated in a similar way, his
estimate hardly appears extravagant.
Sometimes, on the occasion of these festivals, a stage is erected
in the church, or in the open air near by, and a species of dramatic
representation is enacted for the amusement of the spectators. At
other times an auction is held, at which a great variety of objects,
that have been provided for the occasion by purchase or gift, are
sold to the highest bidder. The auctioneer generally manages to
keep the crowd around him in a roar of laughter, and, it is
presumed, gets paid in proportion to the interest of his entertainment.
Epiphany is celebrated in January, and is styled the day of
kings. The occurrence of this holiday is not likely to escape the
mind of the most indifferent, for in the morning your butcher
kindly sends your beef gratis. The festa on that day is in the
Imperial Chapel, the Emperor and Court being in attendance to
give it a truly royal character. The 20th of January is St. Sebastian's day, on which it is customary to honor the "glorious
patriarch" under whose protection the Indians and the French
were routed, and the foundations of the city laid. The members
of the municipal chamber, or city fathers, take especial interest in
this celebration, and by virtue of their office have the privilege of
carrying the image of the saint in procession from the Imperial
Chapel to the old Cathedral.
The Intrudo, answering to the Carnival in Italy, extends through
the three days preceding Lent, and is generally entered upon by




THE INTRUDO.


149


the people with an apparent determination to redeem time for
amusement in advance of the long restraint anticipated.
The Intrudo, however, is no more celebrated as it was when I
first went to Rio. It was then a saturnalia of the most liquid
character, and every one,-men, women, and children,-gave themselves up to it with an abandon most strongly in contrast with
their usual apparent stiffness and inactivity. Before it was suppressed by the police it was a marked event.  It was not with
showers of sugar-plums that persons were saluted on the days of
the Intrudo, but with showers of oranges and eggs, or rather of
waxen balls made in the shape of oranges and eggs, but filled with
water.  These articles were prepared in immense quantities
beforehand, and exposed for sale in the shops and streets. The
shell was of sufficient strength to admit of being hurled a considerable distance, but at the moment of collision it broke to pieces,
bespattering whatever it hit. Unlike the somewhat similar sport
of snowballing in cold countries, this jogo was not confined to
boys or to the streets, but was played in high life as well as in low,
in-doors and out. Common consent seemed to have given the
license of pelting any one and every one at pleasure, whether
entering a house to visit or walking in the streets.
In fact, whoever went out at all on these days expected a ducking, and found it well to carry an umbrella; for in the enthusiasm
of the game the waxen balls were frequently soon consumed: then
came into play syringes, basins, bowls, and sometimes pails of
water, which were plied without mercy until the parties were
thoroughly drenched.
Men and women perched themselves along the balconies and
windows, from which they not only threw at each other, but also
at the passers-by. So great indeed were the excesses which grew
out of this sport that it was prohibited by law.  The magistrates of the different districts formally declared against the
Intrudo from year to year, with but little effect until 1854, when a
new chef de police with great energy put a stop to the violent
Intrudo and its peltings and duckings. It is now conducted in a
dry but humorous manner, more in the style of Paris and Rome.
The origin of the Intrudo was for a long time considered to have
some remote connection with baptism; but Mr. Ewbank has been




150


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


the first to trace clearly its beginning, and in a very interesting
archaeological article follows it up to India, that storehouse of
many of the practices of the Latin Church.
The procession on Ash-Wednesday is conducted by the third
order of Franciscans from the Chapel of the Misericordia, through
the principal streets of the city, to the Convent of S.Antonio.
Not less than from twenty to thirty stands of images are borne
along on the shoulders of men. Some of these images are single;
others are in groups, intended to illustrate various events of scriptural history or Roman Catholic mythology. The dress and orna.
ments of these effigies are of the most gaudy kind. The platforms
upon which they are placed are quite heavy, requiring four, six,
and eight men to carry them; nor can all these endure the burden
for a long time. They require to be alternated by as many others,
who walk by their side like extra pall-bearers at a funeral. The
streets are thronged with thousands of people, among whom are
numbers of slaves, who seem highly amused to see their masters
for once engaged in hard labor. The senhors indeed toil under
their loads. The images pass into the middle of the street, with
single files of men on either side, each one bearing a lighted torch
or wax candle several feet in length. Before each group of images
marches an angel (anjinho) led by a priest, scattering rose-leaves
and flowers upon the path.
As the reader may be anxious to know what kind of angels take
part in these spectacles, I must explain that they are a class created
for the occasion, to act as tutelary to the saints exhibited. Little
girls, from eight to ten years old, are generally chosen to serve in
this capacity, for which they are fitted out by a most fantastic
dress. Its leading design seems to be to exhibit a body and wings;
wherefore the skirt and sleeves are expanded to enormous dimensions, by means of hoops and cane framework, over which flaunt
silks, gauzes, ribbons, laces, tinsels, and plumes of diverse colors.
On their head is placed a species of tiara. Their hair hangs in
ringlets down their faces and necks, and the triumphal air with
which they march along shows that they fully comprehend the
honor they enjoy of being the principal objects of admiration.
Military companies and bands of martial music lead and close
up the procession. Its march is measured and slow, with frequent




THE ANJINHO.


151.


pauses, as well to give the burdened brethren time to breathe,


as to give the people in the
gaze and wonder. Few
seem to look on with any
very elevated emotions.
All could see the same
or kindred images in
the churches when they
please; and, if the design
is to edify the people, a
less troublesome and at
the same time more effectual mode might easily be
adopted. There appears
but little solemnity connected with the scene,
and most of that is shared
by the poor brethren who
tug  and  sweat under     (
the platforms: even they
occasionally endeavor to
enliven each other's spirits
by entering into conversation and pleasantry when
relieved by their alter

streets and windows opportunity to


17. i


\    _   -    -
\v,,,
1~~~ I;


THE  ANJINHO.


nates.
When the Host is carried out on these and other occasions, but a
small proportion of the people are seen to kneel as it passes, and
no compulsion is used when any are disinclined to manifest that
degree of reverence.*


* In 1852 John Candler and Wilson Burgess, two philanthropic Englishmen
belonging to the Society of Friends, went to Brazil for the purpose of presenting
to the Emperor "an address on slavery and the slave-trade."  Their singular costume attracted much notice in the streets; " and on one occasion," they say in their
narrative, "( as we were walking in the Rua Direita, a Brazilian gentleman accosted
us in imperfect English, informing us that he had been in England, and knew the
Quakers.  'They [the Brazilians] ask me,' he continued, 'who you are; I tell
them Friends,-very good people.' Finding him disposed to be familiar, we told




152


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


No class enter into the spirit of these holiday parades with more
zeal than the people of color. They are, moreover, specially
complimented from time to time by the appearance of a colored
saint, or of Nossa Senhora under an ebony skin.      "_Ld vem o meu
parente," (There comes my kindred,) was the exclamation heard
by Dr. Kidder from an old negro, as a colored effigy, with woolly
hair and thick lips, came in sight; and in the overflow of his joy
the old man had expressed the precise sentiment that is addressed
by such appeals to the senses and feelings of the Africans.
Palm Sunday in Brazil is celebrated with a taste and effect that
cannot be surpassed by any artificial ornaments. The Brazilians
are never indifferent to the vegetable beauties by which they are
surrounded, since they make use of leaves, flowers, and branches
of trees on almost every public occasion; but on this anniversary
the display of the real palm-branches is not only beautiful, but
often grand.
Holy Week, by which Lent is terminated, is chiefly devoted to
religious services designed to commemorate the history of our
Lord; but so modified by traditions, and mystified by the excess of
ceremonies, that few, by means of these, can form any proper
idea of what really took place before the crucifixion of Christ.
The days are designed in the calendar as Wednesday of darkness,
Thursday of anguish, Friday of passion, and Hallelujah Saturday.
Maunday Thursday, as the English render it, is kept from      the
noon of that day till the following noon. The ringing of bells and
the explosion of rockets are now suspended. The light of day is
excluded from all the churches; the temples are illuminated within
him we were seeking the National Library. 'I will go with you,' he said. Taking
us by the arm, he took us by a narrow paved court-way which we had just avoided.
A Roman Catholic church, in which high mass was performing, opened by its
principal entrance into the court, and a number of persons stood bareheaded before
the doors. We requested him not to take us that way, as we could not take off
our hats in honor of the service, and we desired not to give offence.  Never mind,'
was his rejoinder; 'leave that to me.' On coming to the people he took off his
own hat, and as we passed through them he said, 'These are my friends; you
must give dispensation;' and we were suffered to go on without molestation. Such
dispensation is not permitted in Portugal."-Narrative of a recent visit to Brazil by
John Candler and Wilson Burgess. London, 1853: Edward Marsh




AN IMPOSING PROCESSION.


153


by wax tapers, in the midst of which, on the chief altars, the Host
is exposed. Two men stand in robes of red or purple silk to watch
it. In some churches the effigy of the body of Christ is laid under
a small cloister, with one hand exposed, which the crowd kiss,
depositing money on a silver dish beside it at the same time. At
night the people promenade the streets and visit the churches.
This is also an occasion for a general interchange of presents, and
is turned greatly to the benefit of the female slaves, who are
allowed to prepare and sell confectionery for their own emolument.
Friday continues silent, and a funeral-procession, bearing a representation of the body of Christ, is borne through the streets. At
night occurs a sermon, and another procession, in which anjinhos,
decked out as has already been described, bear emblematic devices
alluding to the crucifixion. One carries the nails, another the hammer, a third the sponge, a fourth the spear, a fifth the ladder, and
a sixth the cock that gave the warning to Peter. Never are the
balconies more crowded than on this occasion. There is an interest
to behold one's own children performing a part, which draws out
hundreds of families who otherwise might remain at home. There
is no procession more beautiful and imposing than this. As I gazed
at the long line of the gown-clad men, bearing in one hand an immense torch, and leading by the other a brightly-decked anjinho,as from time to time I saw the images of those who were active or
silent spectators of that sad scene which was presented on Calvary
eighteen hundred years ago,-as I beheld the soldiers, helmet in
hand and their arms reversed, marching with slow and measured
tread,-as I heard the solemn chant issuing from the voice of childhood, or as the majestic minor strains of the marche funebre wailed
upon the night-air,-the zesthetic feelings were powerfully moved.
But when a halt occurred, and I witnessed the levity and the utter
indifference of the actors, the effect on myself vanished, and I
could at once see that the intended effect upon the multitudes in
the street and in the neighboring balconies was entirely lost.*
* In Brazil, all veneration is taken away by the familiarity of the most sacred
things of our holy religion. At Bahia I learned, through a number of Roman Catholic gentlemen, of an occurrence which took place in 1855, in the province of
Sergipe del Rey. It was at a festival, and there was to be a powerful sermon




154               BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
Hallelujah Saturday is better known as "Judas's day," on account
of the numerous forms in which that "inglorious patriarch" is
made to suffer the vengeance of the people. Preparations having
been made beforehand, rockets are fired in front of the churches at
a particular stage of the morning service. This explosion indicates
that the hallelujah is being chanted. The sport now begins forthwith in every part of the town. The effigies of poor Judas become
the objects of all species of torment. They are hung, strangled, and
drowned. In short, the traitor is shown up in fireworks and fantastic figures of every description, in company with dragons,
serpents, and the devil and his imps, which pounce upon him.
his,
KILLING  JUDAS.
Besides the more formal and expensive preparations that are
made for this celebration by public subscription, the boys and the
negroes have their Judases, whom they do feloniously and malipreached on the crucifixion. A civilized Indian, by the promise of muito cachaga,
(plenty of rum,) consented to personify our Saviour on the cross. His position
was a trying one, and at the foot of the crucifix stood a bucket filled with rum,
in which was a sponge attached to a long reed. The individual whose duty it
was to refresh the caboclo forgot his office while carried away by the florid eloquence of the Padre. The Indian, however, did not forget his contract, and, to the
astonishment as well as amusement of the audience, shouted out, "O0 Senhor Judeio,
SENHOR Judeio, mais fel l" (0 Mr. Jew, Mister Jew, a little more gall!)




COLLECTIONS AND COLLECTORS.


155


ciously drag about with ropes, hang, beat, punch, stone, burn, and
drown, to their hearts' content.
Lent being over, Easter Sunday is ushered in by the quick and
joyous strains of music from fine bands or large orchestras; by
illuminating the churches with unwonted splendor; and by the
triumphal discharge of rockets in the air, and of artillery from the
forts and batteries.
On Whitsunday the great feast of the Holy Spirit is celebrated.
In preparation for this, begging-processions go through the streets,
a long while in advance, in order to secure funds. In these expeditions the collectors wear a red scarf (capa) over their shoulders:
they make quite a display of flags, on which forms of a dove are
embroidered, surrounded by a halo or gloria. These are handed in
at windows and doors, and waved to individuals to kiss: they are
followed by the silver plate
or silk bag, which receives
the donation that is expected from  all those, at 
least, who kiss the emblem.                 -. 
The public are duly no-              /
tified of the approach of       t 
these august personages
by the music of a band of
tatterdemalion negroes, or 
by the songs and tambour-        t             | 
cities of Brazil, inasmuch                  -   ]
as some festa is always in        - -- - 
anticipation. Generally a  M..
miniature image of the           'l    '   ~s
saint woys honor is con.      COLLECTORS FOR CHURCH FESTIVALS.
templated is handed around
with much formality, as the great argument in favor of a donation
The devotees hasten to kiss the image, and sometimes call up their




156


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


children and pass it round to the lips of each. These collectors,
and a class of females called beatas, at times become as troublesome
as were the common beggars before they were accommodated at
the House of Correction. Occasionally but one or two of these individuals go around, crying out, with a most nasal twang, in the street
and at every corner, " Esmolas [alms] para nossa Senhora" of this
or that church.
On the preceding page we behold a pair of these semi-ecclesiastic gentlemen-beggars who may be seen returning along the Praia
da Santa Luzia after one of their collecting-excursions.
The expeditions for Espirito Santo assume a very peculiar and
grotesque character in remote sections of the Empire. The late
Senator Cunha Mattos describes them, in the interior, under the
name of fulioes cavalgatas. He mentions in his Itinerario having
met one between the rivers of S. Francisco and Paranahiba, composed of fifty persons, playing on violins, drums, and other instruments of music, to arouse the liberality if not the devotion of the
people; and also prepared with leathern sacks and mules, to receive and carry off pigs, hens, and whatever else might be given
them.
Among the Indians in the distant interior, the live animals are
frequently promised beforehand to some particular saint; and often,
when a traveller wishes to buy some provisions, he is assured, " That
is St. John's pig;" or, "Those fowls belong to the Holy Ghost."
The procession of Corpus Christi is different from most of the
others. The only image exposed is that of St. George, who is set
down in the calendar as the "defender of the Empire."  How this
"godly gentleman of Cappadocia" became the defender of Brazil
I have not been able to ascertain; but his festival-falling as it
does on Corpus Christi day-is celebrated with great pomp. It is
a daylight affair, and occurs in the pleasantest season of the year.
St. George is always carried around the city on horseback. He is
ruddy and of a fair countenance, with a flowing wig of flaxen curls
floating on his shoulders. He flourishes in armour and a red velvet
mantle. For the day some devout person of his name lends the
saint his jewels; but when the festival is over he is stripped of his
glories and put away for the moths till the following year. He is
not remarkable for his horsemanship: his stiff legs stick out on




SANTA PRISCILLIANA.


157


each side, and two men hold him to the saddle. If his prototype
had been no better equestrian, the dragon would have been unkilled to the present day.
The Emperor walks bareheaded, and carrying a candle, in this
procession, in imitation of the piety of his ancestors, and is attended
by the Court, the cavaleiros, or knights of the military orders, and
the municipal chamber in full dress, with their insignia and badges
of office. Whenever the Emperor goes out on these occasions, the
inhabitants of the streets through which he is to pass rival each
other in the display of rich silk and damask hangings from the
windows and balustrades of their houses.
In 1846, a certain Brazilian had the distinguished honor of transporting from Rome to Rio
the holy remains of the
martyr-virgin  St. Priscilliana. This was deemed a.
most auspicious acquisition 
for the city by some, but                          - 
by others it was highly          --.
condemned as an egregious,': —
humbug. Nevertheless, she 
was inaugurated. In order
that the bones might not..;||:
appear as repulsive as those  - X 'l ni.
of the renowned "eleven' 
thousand virgins" in the 
Church of St. Ursula at
Cologne, the frail remains  -! X-    <::'
of St. Priscilliana were encased in wax by some clever 
artist at Rome at the time
her saintship was said to:
have been removed from
the catacombs where she
SANTA PRISCILLIANA.
had been buried more than
a thousand years!
St. Priscilliana's likeness was engraved, and the picture was
"exchanged;" and the above engraving is a fac-simile of the one




158


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


"exchanged" while I resided in Rio de Janeiro. She is represented
with a sword stuck unpleasantly through her delicate neck, which
means, as the Bishop of Rio de Janeiro* hath it, that the Emperor
Julian the Apostate had her put to death in this manner! The
erudite bishop does not give us any of his authorities; but the faithful
are expected never to entertain the least doubt when a high prelate
speaks. I know not what miracles she has performed at Rio, for
very little is heard concerning her at present, and it is certain that
she did not prevent the yellow fever and cholera from visiting the
capital of the Empire. It may, however, be asserted, on the other
hand, that this was not the department of St. Priscilliana; as St.
Sebastian is supposed to have the city under his especial charge.
When the cholera visited the coast of Brazil, though not so fatal
as in Europe and the United States, yet its ravages were somewhat
extensive among the slaves, who had escaped the yellow fever
which in former years had attacked the whites. When the cholera
made its appearance at Rio, the city was in a universal wail
of terror: charms and amulets were eagerly sought after, and
superstitious preventives were invented every hour. Prayers of
saints were worn next to the skin, as they are among the Mohammedans of Arabia or the heathen of India. Badly-executed pictures of St. Sebastian were "exchanged" for a few vintems, and a
star, with a prayer to the Virgin Mary, called "The miraculous
Star of Heaven," was considered a certain safeguard to any person
who possessed it. Advertisements like the following appeared in
the daily papers:ORACAO PARA BENZER AS CASAS
contra a epidemia reinante, ornada de emblemas religiosos,
troca-se por 80 rs., na Rua dos Latoeiros n. 59.
"A Prayer for blessing residences against the reigning epidemic,
adorned with religious emblems, is exchanged for four cents at No.
59 Rua dos Latoeiros."


* Pastoral letter published March, 1846, at Rio de Janeiro. Also Noticia Historica
da Santa Priscilliana in the Annuario do Brazil for 1846.




PANIC FROM THE CHOLERA.


159


The succeeding announcement, however, must have been from
some money-making fellow without church-policy in his head,
or he would have advertised his holy ware as troca-se instead
of vende-se.
PALAVRAS SANTISSIMAS
E
AR7MAS DA MI0EJA
contra o terrivel flagello da peste, cor a qual se ter applacado a Divina Justi9a, como se vio no caso que succedeu no
real mosteiro de Santa Clara de Coimbra em 1480. Vende-se
na Rua da Quitanda n. 174. Prego, 320 rs.
[Translation.] "'Holy words and arms of the Church against the
terrible scourge of the pest, with which Divine Justice chastises,
as seen in the case which succeeded in the royal monastery of St.
Claire of Coimbra in 1480. To be sold at No. 174 Rua da Quitanda.
Price, 16 cents."
What Dr. Paulo Candido, Dr. Meirelles, Dr. Sigaud, Dr. Pacheco
da Silva, and other eminent physicians, thought of such remedies
we know not; but we believe that both they and many of the
people of Rio de Janeiro looked upon this religious quackery in the
right light. Nevertheless, there was, in the general alarm, a great
summoning of the church militant, and the newspapers of September, 1855, are full of long-sentenced notices of penitential processions.
Such appeals to the faithful were not in vain. The images were
removed and carried through the streets; and torchlight-processions of immense length-in which marched delicate ladies barefoot-were of frequent occurrence. With all these precautions, the
pestilence did not cease, though business went on as usual. Common
sense, however, had not left Rio, notwithstanding the panic which
prevailed. The secular authorities, urged on by the able editor of
the principal newspaper of the city, at last forbade all processions,
as the exposure consequent thereon tended to promote the spread




160


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


of disease; so the saints had no more promenades by lamplight,
and the young ladies kept their bare feet at home.
It is pleasing to contemplate at this crisis the conduct of the
monarch. The Emperor and his family remained at their palace
near the city, in order to inspirit the people, although it was the
usual time of removal to their mountain-residence of Petropolis.
His Majesty visited the hospitals, and superintended the sanatory
regulations, besides contributing largely to the fund for the sick
poor.
We cannot devote more space to religion in Brazil,-this interesting but painful subject,-painful to every true Christian and wellwisher to his race. If we look at Brazil in the point de vue religieuse,
we are overwhelmed at the amount of ignorance and superstition
that prevails. Let any one read Mr. Ewbank's Sketches, and they
will see, archaeologically considered, how close is the relation between heathen Rome and Christian Rome. If we grant that this
corrupt church at one time had the only light and knowledge,
there is no necessity that we should remain in modified darkness
or use the glimmer of lamplight when we may have the clear effulgence of the noonday sun. May that light beam upon Brazil!




CHAPTER X.


THE HOME-FEELING-BRAZILIAN HOUSES-THE GIRL-THE WIFE-THE MOTHERMOORISH JEALOUSY-DOMESTIC DUTIES-MILK-CART ON LEGS-BRAZILIAN LADY'S
DELIGHT-HER TROUBLES-THE MARKETING AND WATERING-KILL THE BIXOBOSTON APPLES AND ICE-FAMILY RECREATIONS-THE BOY-THE COLLEGIOCOIMMION-SCHOOLS-HIGIIEST ACADEMIES OF LEARNING-THE GENTLEMAN-DUTIES
OF THE CITIZEN-ELECTIONS-POLITICAL PARTIES-BRAZILIAN STATESMEN-NOBILITY-ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD.
THE German, the Englishman, and their descendants, have no
characteristic more marked than the home-feeling. The firesidecircle, with its joys and cares, does not belong to the Gaul or to the
Italian. The Southern European has much in his delicious climate
to make him an out-of-door being. The old Roman was one who
lived in public. His existence seemed to be a portion of the forum,
the public bath, the circus, and the theatre. "Without books, magazines, and newspapers, without letters to write, and with a fine
climate always attracting him into the open air, there was nothing
to call him home but the requisitions of eating and sleeping."
The city of Pompeii probably contained not more than twenty-five
thousand inhabitants, and only one-sixth of its space has been exhumed. In that small district there have been found public edifices
merely for theatrical entertainment, which will seat seventeen
thousand spectators. Most of the nations descended from the Romans are, like them, without the endearing associations connected
with the word home. There is, however, an important exception
to this rule in the case of the Portuguese nation, which in every
other respect is more Roman than any living people. The home
and the family exist; and doubtless the Lusitanians owe this to the
Moors, who engrafted upon the Latin stock something of Oriental
exclusiveness. The Portuguese and their American descendants
to this day watch with a jealous eye their private abodes, and,
spending many of their hours within those precincts which are
11                     161




162


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


their castles, the home-attachments and family associations have
been cherished and perpetuated.
I propose in this chapter to consider the residence and the family,
-to trace the education of the children to that age when they go
forth to occupy the position of adult years.
The city-home is not an attractive place; for the carriage-house
and stable are upon the first floor, while the parlor, the alcoves, and
the kitchen are in the second
story. Not unfrequently a small....=:='::~-~.-~__. _   area or court-yard occupies the
wve-< ----  S      space between the coach-house
and the stable, and this space
DWELLINS.,    separates, on the second floor, the
kitchen from the dining-room.
tJfl;       The engraving represents one
wallst      iil cm e oof the older city-residences at
- a.r~....Rio. The access to the staircase
I  the1s dayti  yis through the great door whence
the carriage thunders out on
_nl_                       festas and holidays. At night it
— by~~~~ aleo t t ot is shut by iron bars of prison-like
dimensions.  Every lock, bolt,
DWELL ING-HOu USE.   or mechanical contrivance seem
as if they might have come from
the Pompeiian department of the Aluseo Borbonico at Naples. The
walls, composed of broken bits of stone cemented by common mortar,
are as thick as those of a fortress.
In the daytime you enter the great door and stand at the
bottom of the staircase; but neither knocker nor bell announce
your presence.  You clap your hands rapidly together; and,
unless the family is of the highest class, you are sure to be saluted
by a slave from the top of the stairs with "Quem g?" (Who is
there?) If you should behold your friends in the balcony, you not
only, if intimate, salute by removing the hat, but move quickly
the fingers of your hand, as if you were beckoning to some one.
The furniture of the parlor varies in costliness according to the
degree of style maintained; but what you may always expect to
find is a cane-bottomed sofa at one extremity and three or four




LADIES AND MUSIC.


163


chairs arranged in precise parallel rows, extending from each end
of it toward the middle of the room. In company the ladies are
expected to occupy the sofa and the gentlemen the chairs.
The town-residences in the old city always seemed to me gloomy
beyond description. But the same cannot be said of the new
houses, and of the lovely suburban villas, with their surroundings
of embowering foliage, profusion of flowers, and overhanging
fruits. Some portions of the Santa Theresa, Larangeiras, Botafogo, Catumby, Engenho Velho, Praia Grande, and San Domingo,
cannot be surpassed for their beautiful and picturesque houses in
the Brazilian style.
There are various classes of society in Brazil as well as elsewhere, and the description of one would not hold good for another;
but, having sketched the house, I shall next endeavor to trace the
inmates from infancy to adult life.
The Brazilian mother almost invariably gives her infant to a
black to be nursed. As soon as the children become too troublesome for the comfort of the senhora, they are despatched to school;
and woe betide the poor teachers who have to break in those vivacious specimens of humanity! Accustomed to control their black
nurses, and to unlimited indulgence from their parents, they set
their minds to work to contrive every method of baffling the
efforts made to reduce them to order. This does not arise from
malice, but from want of parental discipline. They are affectionate
and placable, though impatient and passionate,-full of intelligence,
though extremely idle and incapable of prolonged attention. They
readily catch a smattering of knowledge: French and Italian are
easy to them, as cognate tongues with their own. Music, singing, and dancing suit their volatile temperaments; and I have
rarely heard better amateur Italian singing than in Rio de Janeiro
and Bahia. Pianos abound in every street, and both sexes become
adept performers. The opera is maintained by the Government,
as it is in Europe, and the first musicians go to Brazil. Thalberg
triumphed at Rio de Janeiro before he came to New York. The
manners and address of Brazilian ladies are good, and their carriage
is graceful. It is true that they have no fund of varied knowledge
to make a conversation agreeable and instructive; but they chatter
nothings in a pleasant way, always excepting a rather high tone




164


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


of voice, which I suppose comes from frequent commands given to
Congo or Mozambique. Their literary stores consist mostly of the
novels of Balzac, Eugene Sue, Dumas pere et fils, George Sand, the
gossipping pacotilhas and the folhetim of the newspapers. Thus
they fit themselves to become wives and mothers.
Dr. P. da S, a gentleman who takes a deep interest in all
matters of education, and whose ideas are practically and successfully applied to his own children, who possess solid acquirements
as well as graceful accomplishments, once said to me, "I desire with
all my heart to see the day when our schools for girls will be of
such a character that a Brazilian daughter can be prepared, by her
moral and intellectual training, to become a worthy mother, capable
of teaching her own children the elements of education and the
duties which they owe to God and man: to this end, sir, I am
toiling." Such schools are increasing, and some are very excellent; but, in eight cases out of ten, the Brazilian father thinks that
he has done his duty when he has sent his daughter for a few years
to a fashionable school kept by some foreigner: at thirteen or fourteen he withdraws her, believing that her education is finished.
If wealthy, she is already arranged for life, and in a little time the
father presents to his daughter some friend of his own, with the
soothing remark, "Miinha filha, this is your future husband."  A
view of diamonds, laces, and carriages dazzles her mental vision,
she stifles the small portion of heart that may be left her, and
quietly acquiesces in her father's arrangement, probably consoling
herself with the reflection that it will not be requisite to give her
undivided affections to the affianced companion,-that near resemblance of her grandfather. Now the parents are at ease. The
care of watching that ambitious young lady devolves on her husband, and thenceforth he alone is responsible. He, poor man,
having a just sense of his own unfitness for such a task, places
some antique relative as a duenna to the young bride, and then
goes to his counting-house in happy security. At night he returns
and takes her to the opera, there to exhibit the prize that his contos*


* A conto of reis is one thousand milreis,-equal to five hundred dollars. The
Brazilian never reckons a man's wealth by saying, " He is worth so many thousand
milreis;" but, "He has so many contos."




I_


THE WIFE AND MOTHER.                 165
have gained, and to receive the congratulations of his friends on
the lovely young wife that he has bought. "'Tis an old tale;"
and Brazil has not a monopoly of such marriages.
Then the same round of errors recommences: her children feel
the effects of the very system that has rendered the mother a
frivolous and outward being. She sallies forth on Sundays and
festas, arm-in-arm with her husband or brother, the children preceding, according to their age, all dressed in black silk, with neck
and arms generally bare, or at most a light scarf or cape thrown
over them, their luxuriant hair beautifully arranged and ornar-,:           1'l         i A       '"",
GOING  TO  MASS.
mented, and sometimes covered with a black lace veil: prayerbook in hand, they thus proceed to church. Mass being duly gone
through and a contribution dropped into the poor-box, they return
home in the same order as before.
It is often matter of surprise to Northerners how the Brazilian
ladies can support the rays of that unclouded sun. Europeans
glide along under the shade of bonnets and umbrellas; but these
church-going groups pass on without appearing to suffer, seldom
using even a small parasol.
You remark, in these black-robed, small-waisted young ladies, a
contrast to the ample dame who follows them. A Brazilian matron




166


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


generally waxes wondrously broad in a few years,-probably owing
to the absence of out-door exercise, of which the national habits
deprive her. It cannot be attributed to any want of temperance;
for we must always remember that Brazilian ladies rarely take
wine or any stimulant. On " state occasions," when healths are
drunk, they only touch it for form's sake. During many years of
residence, I cannot recall a single instance of a lady being even
suspected of such a vice, which, in their eyes, is the most horrible
reproach that can be cast upon the character. Estd bebido, (He is
drunk,)-pronounced in the high and almost scolding pitch of a
Brazilian woman,-is one of the severest and most withering reproaches. In some parts of the country the expression for a dram
is um baieta Inglez, (an English overcoat;) and the term for an intoxicated fellow, in the northern provinces, is Elle estd bemr Inglez,
(He is very English.) The contrast between the general sobriety of
all classes of Brazilians and the steady drinking of some foreigners
and the regular " blow-out" of others is painful in the extreme.
Wives in Brazil do not suffer from drunken husbands; but many
of the old Moorish prejudices make them the objects of much
jealousy. There is, however, an advance in this respect; and, far
more frequently than formerly, women are seen out of the church,
the ballroom, and the theatre.
Nevertheless,-owing to the prevailing opinion that ladies ought
not to appear in the streets unless under the protection of a male
relative,-the lives of the Brazilian women are dull and monotonous to a degree that would render melancholy a European or
an American lady.
At early dawn all the household is astir, and the principal work
is performed before nine o'clock. Then the ladies betake themselves to the balconies for a few hours, to " loll about generally,"
to gossip with their neighbors, and to look out for the milkman
and for the quitandeiras. The former brings the milk in a cart
of novel construction to the foreigner,-or at least he has never
seen such a vehicle used for this purpose before going to Brazil.
The cow is the milk-cart! Before the sun has looked over the
mountains, the vacca, accompanied by her calf, is led from door to
door by a Portuguese peasant. A little tinkling bell announces
her presence. A slave descends with a bottle and receives an




THE MILK-CART AND QUITANDEIRA.


167


allotted portion of the refreshing fluid, for which he pays about
sixpence English. One would suppose that all adulteration is thus


avoided. The inimitable
Punch says, if in the human world the "child is
father to the man," in the
London world the pump is
father to the cow,-judging from the results, (i.e.
the milk sold in that vast
metropolis.) Alas! mankind is the same in Brazil
that it is in London. Milk
may be obtained pure from
the cow if you stand in
the balcony and watch the
operation; otherwise your
bottle is filled from the tin
can carried by the Oportoense, and which can has
oftentimes a due proportion of the water that
started from the top of
Corcovado and has gurgled
down the aqueduct and


"IWM_1X__1%~ ~ 11


THE  QUITANDEIRA.


through the fountain at the corner of the street.
The quitandeiras are the venders of vegetables, oranges, guavas,
maracujas, (fruits of the "passion-flower,") mangoes, doces, sugarcane, toys, &c. They shout out their stock in a lusty voice, and
the different cries that attract attention remind one of those of
Dublin or Edinburgh. The same nasal tone and high key may be
noticed in all. Children are charmed when their favorite old black
tramps down the street with toys or doces. Here she comes, with
her little African tied to her back and her tray on her head.
She sings,"Cry meninas, cry meninos,
Papa has money in plenty,
Come buy, ninha, ninha, come buy! "



168            BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
and, complying with the invitation, down run the little meninos
and meninas to buy doces doubly sugared, to the evident destruction
of their gastric juices and teeth. Be it remarked, en passant, that
no profession has more patronage in Rio than that of dentistry.
At length there appears at the head of the street that charm of
a Brazilian lady's day,-the pedlar of silks and muslins. He announces his approach by the click of his covado, (measuring-stick,)
and is followed by one or more blacks bearing tin cases on their


t:,
\I: \
I~;ri,;II ~~
(i;
r
Y IC
--- C
rC  dl 1


heads. He walks up-stairs
sure of a welcome; for, if
they need nothing of his
wares, the ladies have
need of the amusement of
looking them over. The
negroes deposit the boxes
on the floor and retire.
Then the skilful Italian or
Portuguese displays one
thing after another; and
he manages very badly if
he cannot prevail on the
economical lady to become
the possessor of at least
one cheap bargain. As to
payment, there   is  no
need of haste: he will
call again next week, or
take it by instalments,just as the senhora finds
best; only he should like
senhora to have that dress,
thought of the senhora as
mere nada. Then, too, he


THE  BRAZIIAN  LADY'  DELIGHT
THE BRAZILIAN LADYPS DELIGHT.


-it suits'her complexion so well; he
soon as he saw it; and the price,-a


has a box of lace, some just made,-a new pattern for the ends
of towels,-insertion for pillow-cases, and trimmings for undergarments.
Some families have negresses who are taught to manufacture
this lace,-the thread for which is brought from Portugal,-and




THE HOUSEKEEPER'S TROUBLES.


169


their fair owners make considerable profit by exchanging the products of their lace-cushions for articles of clothing. One kind of
needlework in which they excel is called crivo. It is made by
drawing out the threads of fine linen and darning in a pattern.
The towels that are presented to guests after dinner are of the
most elaborate workmanship, consisting of a broad band of crivo
finished by a trimming of wide Brazilian thread-lace.
These Italian and Portuguese pedlars sell the most expensive
and beautiful articles. A Brazilian lady's wardrobe is almost
wholly purchased at home. Even if she do not buy from the
moscato, she despatches a black to the Rua do Ouvidor or Rua
da Quitanda, and orders an assortment to be sent up, from which
she selects what is needed. The more modern ladies begin to wear
bonnets, but these are always removed in church. Almost every
lady makes her own dresses, or, at least, cuts them out and
arranges them for the slaves to sew, with the last patterns from
Paris near her. She sits in the midst of a circle of negresses, for
she well knows that "as the eye of the master maketh the horse
fat," so the eye of the mistress maketh the needle to move. She
answers to the description of the good woman in the last chapter
of Proverbs:-"She riseth up while it is yet night, and giveth a
portion to her maidens; she maketh fine linen [crivo and lace] and
selleth it;" and, though her hands do not exactly lay hold on the
spindle and distaff, yet "she looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness," always excepting that
taken on the balcony.
We may infer that the habits of servants were the same in Solomon's time as in Brazil at the present day, judging by the amount
of trouble they have always given their mistresses. A lady of
high rank in Brazil declared that she had entirely lost her health
in the interesting occupation of scolding negresses, of whom she
possessed some scores, and knew not what occupation to give them
in order to keep them out of mischief. A lady of noble family
one day asked a friend of mine if she knew any one who desired
to give out washing, as she (the senhora) had nine lazy servants at
home for whom there was no employment. She piteously told her
story, saying, " We make it a principle not to sell our slaves, and
they are the torment of my life, for I cannot find enough work to




170


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


keep them out of idleness and mischief." Another, a marchioness,
said that her blacks "would be the death of her."
Slavery in Brazil, setting aside any moral consideration of the
question, is the same which we find the "world over,"-viz.: It is
an expensive institution, and is, in every way, very poor economy.
When I have looked upon the careless, listless work of the bondman, and have watched the weariness of flesh to the owner, I have
sometimes thought the latter was most to be pitied. Any cruelty
that may be inflicted upon the blacks by the whites is amply
avenged by the vices introduced in families, and the troublesome
anxiety given to masters.
One of the trials of a Brazilian lady's life is the surveillance of
the slaves who are sent into the streets for the purpose of marketing and carrying water.
The markets in Rio are abundantly supplied with all kinds of
fish and vegetables. Of the former there are many delicate species
unknown in the North. Large prices are given for the finer kinds.
One called the garopa is much. sought for as a piece de resistance for
the supper-table on a ball-night. Fifty milreis (about twenty-five
cents) are given on such occasions. A fish is always the sign of a
casa de pasto, or common restaurant, at Rio.
The market near the Palace Square is a pleasant sight in the
cool of the morning. Fresh bouquets shed a fragrance around, and
the green vegetables and bright fruits contrast well with the dark
faces of the stately Mina negresses who sell them. " What is' the
price of this?"  "What will the senhor give?" is the common
reply; and woe betide the first efforts of a poor innocent ship'ssteward in his early attempts at negotiation with these queenly
damsels, whose air seems to indicate that with them to sell or not
to sell is equally indifferent and beneath their notice.
The indigenous fruits of the country are exceedingly rich and
various. Besides oranges, limes, cocoanuts, and pineapples, which
are well known among us, there are mangoes, bananas, fruitas da
conda, maracuja, pomegranates, mammoons, goyabas, jambos,
araqas, cambocas, cajus, cajas, mangabas, and many other species
whose names are Hebrew to Northern ears, but which quickly
convey to a Brazilian the idea of rich, refreshing, and delicate
fruits, each of which has a peculiar and a delicious flavor.




MARKETING.


171


With such a variety to supply whatever is to be desired, in view
of either the necessaries or luxuries of life, none need complain.
These articles are found in profusion in the markets, and also
hawked about through the town and suburbs by slaves and free
negroes, who generally carry them in baskets upon the head.
Persons who wish to purchase have only to call them by a suppressed whistle, (something like pronouncing imperfectly the word
tissue,) which they universally understand as an invitation to walk
in and display their stock.


THE EDIBLE PALM, (EUTERPE EDULIS.)


In an outer circle of the market mentioned you find small shops
filled with birds and animals. Here gay macaws and screaming
parrots keep up a perpetual concert with chattering apes and
diminutive monkeys. At a little distance outside are huge piles of
oranges, panniers of other fruits ready to be sold to the retailer and
the quitandeiras, wicker-baskets filled with chickens and bundles of




172


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


palmito for cooking. It makes one sad to think that the procuring
of these palmito-sticks has destroyed a graceful palm, (Euterpe
edulis;) but what is there that we are not ready to sacrifice to
that Maelstrom, the stomach? One of those beautiful trees 1
sketched at Constancia, fifty miles from Rio. It was not straight,
as we usually find it, but gracefully curved; and, as it lifted its
slender form and tufted summit above the tropic forest, it presented
a picture of such uncommon loveliness, that day after day I visited
the spot to drink my fill of beauty.
Here comes the black cook, Jose, or Csesar, basket on arm,
counting with his fingers, and bent on beating down to the lowest
price the white-teethed
Ethiopian     who   presides, in order that he
X '?\~;i..~ -a  f —..... l  may have a few vin-,~  ' {1,....-  By; _ i tems, filched from his
i-By-F   i '     as never been ascermaster, to spend, as he
returns home in the
<~-. purchase of a little
/',                 cachaca, "para matar
o bixo," (" to kill the
beast.")  What this.  A  A I N      amuch-feared animal is
has never been ascertained; but certainly,
d ie c,  judging from the protracted effort that is
g  t   required to kill him, he
must be possessed of
remarkable tenacity of
life, —a sort of phaoenix
A BARGAIN.
among animals! The
fish, vegetables, fruit,
and indispensable chickens, being purchased to his satisfaction, he
next goes to the street appropriated to the butchers. Here he buys
some beef, lean but not ill-flavored, an apology for mutton easily
mistaken for patriarchal goat, or a soft, pulpy substance, considered
a great delicacy, (appropriately termed, by the Emerald Islanders,




EATING AND DRINKING.


173


"staggering Bob,")-the flesh of an unfortunate calf that had
scarcely time to look at the blue sky ere it was consigned to the
butcher's knife. Then he proceeds to the venda to purchase the
little dose for his bixo, and wends home, in high good-humor, to
prepare breakfast.
In many families a cup of strong coffee is taken at sunrise, and
then a substantial meal later in the morning. Dinner is usually
served about one or two o'clock,-at least where the hours of
foreigners have not been adopted. Soup is generally presented,
and afterward meat, fish, and pastry at the same time. Except at
dinners of ceremony, an excellent dish, much relished by foreigners,
always finds a place on a Brazilian table. It is compounded of the
feijao, or black beans of the country, mingled with some carne secca
(jerked beef) and fat pork. Farinha, or mandioca-flour, is sprinkled
over it, and it is worked into a stiff paste. This farinha is the bread
for the million, and is the principal food of the blacks throughout
the country, who would consider it much deteriorated by being eaten
in any other manner than with the fingers. It is an excellent and
nutritious diet, and with it they can endure the hardest labor. Coffee
or mate are often taken after dinner, and the use of tea is becoming
more common. The "cha nacional" bids fair to rival that of
China; but the mate, though not generally used in the Middle and
Northern provinces, is considered more wholesome than tea, being
less exciting to the nerves. Some families have supper frequently
of fish; but in others nothing substantial is taken after dinner, and
they retire very early to rest. Rio is as quiet at ten o'clock P.M.
as European cities at two in the morning. Even the theatre-goers
make but little noise, as they are generally on foot,-at least if they
reside in the city. So much do the places of public amusement
depend on the pedestrians, that if the evening is decidedly rainy
it is usual to postpone the performance until another night. It
must be remembered that half an hour's rain transforms the streets
of Rio into rushing canals, all the drainage being on the surface.
On a drenching day, the pretos de ganho, or porters, who lounge at
the corner of every street, make a good harvest by carrying people
on their backs across these impromptu streams. Sales are often
announced with this condition: —"The weather permitting."
One of the greatest delights for the black population' of Rio is




174


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


the necessity of carrying water from the chafariz or public fountain, or from the water-pipe which is at the corner of almost every
street. Blackey lazily lounges out with his barril under his arm,
and happy is Congo if he espies a long queue of his compatriots
awaiting their turn at the stopcock. Here the news of their little
world is told amid bursts
of Ethiopian laughter; or
|x,:r -va small flirtation is car{ j  I-,r           ried on  with  Rosa or
Joaquinha from the next
1ll              f 91 ^^ _ -  ~street; or perhaps there:-:?^^ Mr~y            '-     l~ is an upbraiding lecture:~ite3tWB        -,^  ^    administered  by  some
jetty damsel from Angola,
w~iry~~~. —             whose voice, to his con"! I-  1  f:.~j~iBlsternation, is by no means
-:'- '!,                        e'~ —_ r i::@^::? 2pvianissimo. There is an> Ub'-  i  other out-door affair much
~.x~::x~x /l~jj~....~~ i         more congenial: i.e. many. i"i    a sly attempt to kill the
bixo is made at the adjoining venda while the
water pours into the bar-  Ad rsrils of the earlier comers.
^^^^^ —r _Some mistresses, howTHE ANGOLIAN'S REPROACH.      ever, who find that their
cooks have always to wait
for the water, make arrangements with the water-carriers, who
perambulate the streets with an immense hogshead mounted on
wheels and drawn by a mule. This vehicle, during a fire, (not a
frequent occurrence,) is required to supply the fire-engines. These
men are generally natives of Portugal or the Azores, and seem
eminently qualified by nature to be hewers of wood and drawers
of water. They carry the water up-stairs and pour it into large
earthen jars, which bring to mind the waterpots at the marriage
of Cana in Galilee. The huge earthen vases are arranged on
stands in places where there is a current of air, and the liquid
element in them thus acquires a coolness which, though not equal




FAMILY RECREATIONS.                  175
to the iced water of the United States, possesses a delightful
frigidity. Ice is in Brazil an expensive luxury, brought solely
from North America, and not in. general use even in Rio, and, of
course, unknown in the country. Boston apples and ice are both in
the highest esteem; but the latter was rejected, as altogether unwholesome, upon its introduction in 1833, and the first cargo was
a total loss to the adventurers. At the present time both command a good price; and in the month of January the quitandeiras
may be heard crying out lustily, " Magaas Americanas," (American
apples,) which they sell for five or six vintems each.
THE  ILHEO  WATER-VENDER.
The Fluminensian lady has occasionally some respite from slavewatching and household cares, when the senhor takes her to Petropolis or Tijuca, or perhaps gives her a few weeks of fresh air at
Constancia or Nova Fribourgo. Such visits are not, however, so
frequent as one would wish, and the senhora must content herself
with festas, the opera, and a ball, as a relief from her usual round
of duties. An evening-party in Rio generally means a ball. Familiar intercourse with the higher families is difficult of attainment by
foreigners; but when the stranger is admitted he is received en
famille, and all ceremony is laid aside. In such home-circles the
evenings are often spent in music, dancing, and games of romps.




176


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Here men of highest position are sometimes seen unbending their
stiff exteriors, and joining heartily in innocent mirth. A game
called "pilha tres" is a favorite, and is quite as wild and noisy as
"pussy wants a corner."  An American gentleman informed me
that on one occasion he joined in this play with a Minister of the
Empire, the Viscountess, (his wife,) two Senators, an ex-Ministerplenipotentiary, three foreign Charges d'Affaires, and the ladies
and children of the family. No one feared any loss of dignity by
thus laying aside, for the moment, his ordinary gravity, and all
seemed to enjoy themselves in the highest degree.
The Brazilians have large families, and it is not an uncommon
thing to find ten, twelve, or fifteen children to a single mother. I
saw a gentleman-a planter-in the,province of Minas-Geraes, who
was one of twenty-four children by the same mother. I afterward
was presented to this worthy matron at Rio de Janeiro.
I am persuaded that there is much of the home-element among
the Brazilians. Family fete-days and birthdays are celebrated
with enthusiasm. Though the- standard of general morality is very
much lower than that of the United States and England, I believe
it to be above that of France, and there is a home-feeling diffused
among all classes, which tends to render the Brazilian a more
order-loving man than the Gaul. With a pure religion his excellencies would make him infinitely superior to the latter.
The education of the Brazilian boy is better than that of his
sister. There is, however, a great deal of superficiality: he is
made a "little old man" before he is twelve years of age,-having
his stiff black silk hat, standing collar, and cane; and in the city
he walks along as if everybody were looking at him, and as if he
were encased in corsets. He does not run, or jump, or trundle
hoop, or throw stones, as boys in Europe and North America. At
an early age he is sent to a collegio, where he soon acquires the
French language and the ordinary rudiments of education in the
Portuguese. Though his parents reside in the city, he boards in
the collegio, and only on certain occasions does he see his father or
mother. He learns to write a "good hand," which is a universal
accomplishment among the Brazilians; and most of the boys of the
higher classes are good musicians, become adepts in the Latin, and
many of them are taught to speak English with creditable fluency.




I ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~




CASCATE GRANDE-TIJUCA.
(By Ianmilton, after a Sketch by Mrs. L. A. Cuddehy.)




"PROFESSORES," COLLEGIOS, AND SCHOOLS.


177


The examination was formerly a great anniversary, when the little
fellows were starched up in their stiffest clothes and their minds
were " crammed" for the occasion. The boys acted their parts, and
the various professores, in exaltation of their office, read or delivered
memoriter speeches to the admiring parents; and the whole was
wound up by some patron of the school crowning with immense
wreaths the "good boys" who stood highest during the session.
The collegio then took a vacation of a few weeks, and commenced
again with its boarders, the "very young gentlemen" students.
But these things have greatly changed for the better, and many
collegios are ably conducted. 
The principals of these establishments, when gifted with good
administrative capacities, reap large sums. One with whom I
was acquainted had, after a few years' teaching, 20,000$000 (ten
thousand dollars) placed out at interest.  The professores do not
always reside in the collegio, but teach by the hour for a stipulated
sum, and are thus enabled to instruct in a number of schools during
the day. The English language has become such a desideratum at
Rio, that every collegio has its professor Inglez.
There has recently been a great improvement in the collegios
as well as in the public schools.  The professores were summoned, by a commission under the Superintendent of Public
Instruction, to appear at the Military Academy, and there to be
examined as to their qualifications for giving instruction. If
they passed their examination, which was most rigid, they received a license to teach, for which they had to pay a certain
fee. The principals also were required to undergo an -examination, if the commission should think it proper; and they were not
permitted to carry on their collegios without a certificate. The
educational authorities also asserted their right to visit these private academies at any hour of the day or night, to examine the
proficiency of the scholars at any time during the term, to investigate their sleeping-apartments, their food, and whatever appertained to their mental or physical well-being. This was not a
mere threat, but schools were actually visited, and some were
reformed more rapidly than agreeably. The system of "cramming" was in a measure broken up, and the Empire thus took
under its control the instruction given in the private as well as in
12




178


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


the public aulas. This educational innovation at the capital is
owing to the energetic measures taken by the Visconde de Itaborahy, and Dr. Manuel Pacheco da Silva, who is at present the
President of the first classical institution of Rio de Janeiro, the
Imperial College of D. Pedro II. The note of reform was sounded;
every duty connected with teachers or scholars was fully investigated, and the revolution was made, notwithstanding the
complaints of professores who were degraded as incompetent,
and parents who found their children rigidly examined and only
promoted in the public schools after convincing proofs of real
progress.
There is a common-school system throughout the Empire, more
or less modified by provincial legislation. The General Government
during the years 1854-55 educated 65,413 children: there were
probably as many more of whom we have no Government report,
who were educated by private tuition and under provincial
authority. When, therefore, we consider the number of slaves and
Indians in Brazil, and also when we reflect that the common-school
system is in its infancy, it is an encouraging proportion. There
are great defects in these elementary schools, but each year they
are improving. There seems to be an inquiry among the educated
men and the statesmen as to the plan best adapted to the country.
This inquiry is not always confined to the highest class of citizens.
Once in the interior I was aroused from my slumbers by a loud
knocking at the door. I hastily opened it, and saw a respectablydressed Brazilian, who informed me that he was a school-teacher,
and, learning that an American was in the village and would leave
that morning, he had made bold to come at this early hour (the
sun was just peeping over the palm-trees) to ask me if I could
either give him an account of the American system of teaching, or
could send him documents on that subject. In the same place
another teacher spoke to me of Horace Mann's reports on the common schools of Massachusetts!
Great ignorance prevails in a large portion of the population, and,
though many years may elapse before a tolerable degree of knowledge will be properly diffused, yet the beginning has been made,
and the French proverb is true in this as in other things, "Ce n'est
que le premier pas qui coute." (It is only the first step that costs.)




COLLEGIO OF PEDRO II.


179


In the city of Rio, instruction can be divided into the following
classes:-the primary, the secondary, (instru~ao secundaria,) and
the private schools, (collegios.) The College of Pedro II., the
Military and Naval Academies, the Medical College, and the
Theological Seminary of St. Joseph, are also under the direction
of the State. In the private schools are nearly five thousand
scholars.
Through some one of these establishments the juvenile Brazilian
ascends the hill of knowledge. An institution already referred to,
which of late has awakened more interest than any other in the
capital of Brazil, was organized in the latter part of 1837, under
the name of Collegio de Dom Pedro II. It is designed to give a
complete scholastic education, and corresponds, in its general plan,
to the lyceums established in most of the provinces, although in
endowment and patronage it is probably in advance of any of
those. There was at the opening an active competition for the
professorships, eight or nine in number. All of them are said to
have been creditably filled. The concourse of students was very
considerable from the first organization of the classes. A point
of great interest connected with this institution is the circumstance that its statutes provide expressly for the reading and study
of the Holy Scriptures in the vernacular tongue. For some time
previous to its establishment, copies of the Scriptures had been
used in the other schools and seminaries of the city, where they
were not likely to be less prized after so worthy an example on
the part of the Emperor's College. The Rev. Mr. Spaulding (who
was the clerical colleague of Dr. Kidder at Rio de Janeiro) had an
application to supply a professor and an entire class of students
with Bibles; to which he cheerfully acceded, by means of a grant
from the Missionary and Bible Societies
The Military and Naval Academies are for the systematic instruction of the young men destined to either branch of the public
service. At fifteen years of age, any Brazilian lad who understands the elementary branches of a common education, and the
French language so as to render it with facility into the national
idiom or Portuguese, may, on personal application, be admitted to
either of these institutions. I have never witnessed a more interesting scene than the assembling of these young men for their




.180


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


morning recitations. It carried me back to the Nort ern universities, so much vigor and spirit did the Brazileiro students
manifest in their sports and repartees, or in their explanations to
each other of difficult points of geometry and engineering which
were soon to be brought before their professors.
The regular army of Brazil is about twenty-two thousand men.
The national guard consists nominally of more than four hundred
thousand men.
The Naval Academy is located on board a man-of-war at anchor
in the harbor, and introduces its pupils at once to life upon the
water.
The Imperial Academy of Medicine occupies the old Jesuits'
College, on the Morro do Castello, and is attended by students in
the different departments, to the number of more than three hundred. A full corps of professors, several of whom have been educated in Europe, occupy the different chairs, and, by their reputation, guarantee to the Brazilian student an extensive course of
lectures and study. The institution is in close connection with
the Hospital da Misericordia, which at all times offers a vast field
for medical observation.
The Theological Seminary of St. Joseph has less attraction for
the Brazilian youth than any other educational establishment
at Rio.
The young Brazileiro, (of course we speak of the gentleman's
son,) after leaving his collegio, enters the Medical Academy, or,
having a warlike inclination, becomes a middy or a cadet, or he
possibly may enter the Seminary of St. Joseph. If he has a legal
turn, he is sent to the Law Schools at S. Paulo or Pernambuco.
The young Brazilian likes nothing ignoble: he prefers to have a
gold lace around his cap and a starving salary to the cares and
toils of the counting-room. The Englishman and German are the
wholesale importers, the Portuguese is the jobber, the Frenchman
is the coiffeur and fancy dealer, the Italian is the pedlar, the Portuguese islander is the grocer, the Brazilian is the gentleman. Every
place in the gift of the Government is full of young attaches, from
the diplomatic corps down to some petty office in the customhouse. The Brazilian, feeling himself above all the drudgery of
life, is a man of leisure, and looks down in perfect contempt upon




THE BRAZILIAN GENTLEMAN.


181


the foreigner, who is always grumbling, fretting, and busy. The
Brazilian of twenty-five is an exquisite. He is dressed in the last
Paris fashion, sports a fine cane, his hair is as smooth as brush can
make it, his moustache is irreproachable, his shoes of the smallest
and glossiest pattern, his diamonds sparkle, his rings are unexceptionable: in short, he has a high estimation of himself and his
clothes. His theme of conversation may he the opera, the next
ball, or some young lady whose father has so many contos.
In spite of all drawbacks, many of these men, in after-life,whether in the diplomatic circle, in the court-room, in the House
of Deputies, or in the Senate,-show that they are not deficient in
talent or in acquirements. They can almost all turn a sentence
well, rhyme when they choose, or make a fine ore rotundo speech,
echoed by the apoiados of their companions. Some few become fine
scholars, and more of them are readers than are generally supposed.
Many of them travel for a year or two, and are educated in Europe
or in the United States. The interest which the Brazilians, with
D. Pedro II. at their head, are now manifesting in learned societies,
-whose ranks are recruited from the very class mentioned,-demonstrates that the "little old men" of twelve have not all turned
out "froth;" though too much of the vain, the light, and the super- - '
ficial must be predicated of the Brazilian, who looks upon cards,
balls, and the opera as essential portions of his existence. From
such men you would not expect much of the "sterner stuff" which
enters into the structure of great statesmen. Nevertheless, the
country has made wonderful progress; and it must be added, that
from time to time there have arisen from the lower ranks of society
men of power, who have become leaders. There is nothing in the
origin or the color of a man that can keep him down in Brazil.
It must be borne in mind that the Brazilian thus described is
not the portrait of the large majority of the citizens of the Empire,
but of one from the higher classes as generally found in the cities.
There are exceptions; but the same religion and the same mode
of thinking have, to a greater or less degree, given a similarity
to all who comprise the upper ranks of society, and from whom
come the magistrates, officers, diplomatists, and legislators. Their
greatest defect is not the want of a polished education, but of a
sound morality, a pure religion.  Without these, a man may be




182


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


amiable, refined, ceremonious; but their absence makes him irresponsible, insincere, and selfish. As nations are made up of individuals, it should be the ardent desire of every Christian and
philanthropist that this Southern people, which have so favorably
set out in their national career, may have that which is far higher
than mere refinement or education.
The duties of the Brazilian citizen are clearly defined in the
Constitution and by-laws of the Empire. Each male citizen who
has attained his majority is entitled to a vote if he possess an
income of one hundred milreis. Monks, domestics, individuals not
in the receipt of 100$000 rent, and, of course, minors, are excluded
from voting. Deputies to the Assembleia Geral are chosen, through
electors, for four years. The Senator, who holds his position for
life, is elected in a manner somewhat different from the Deputado.
Electors, chosen by popular suffrage, cast their ballots for candidates aspiring to the senatorial office. The names of the three
who stand highest on the list are handed to the Emperor, who
selects one; and thus he who has been chosen through the people,
electors, and the Emperor, takes his chair for lifetime in the Brazilian Chamber of Peers. There seems to have been great wisdom
in all these conservative measures, and their excellencies are the
more enhanced when we examine the various laws and qualifications that pertain to elections and candidates in the States of
Spanish America. The Chamber of Deputies consists of one
hundred and eleven members, and the Senate, according to the
Constitution, must contain half that number.  The provincial
legislators are chosen directly by the people.
An election in Brazil is not very dissimilar to an election in the
United States. Rio de Janeiro is divided into ten or twelve parishes
(freguezias) or wards. A list of voters in each parish is posted up
for some weeks before an election, and the Government designates
clerks and inspectors for the various freguezias. The elections are
held in churches. Upon an American expressing to a Brazilian his
surprise in regard to this seeming inconsistency in a Roman Catholic country,-where the importance put upon the visible temple
is as great as if it were the very gate of heaven,-no satisfactory
reply was obtained. The only theory by which the Fluminensian
attempted to account for it was on the supposition that when the




ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES.


183


Constitutional Government was adopted it was deemed advisable
to give a solemnity to the act of voting,-that men in the sacred
edifice and before the altar would be restrained from acts of violence,
and would be otherwise more guarded than in a secular building.
Experience, however, has shown that political rancor will ride over
all religious veneration; for it is said that on certain occasions, in
some of the provinces, the exasperated electors have seized the tall
candlesticks and the slender images from the altar to beat conviction
into the heads of their opponents.
A ballot-box, in the shape of a hair trunk, is surrounded by the
clerks and inspectors; the vote is handed to the presiding officer;
the name of the voter is checked, and the ballot is then deposited.
Groups of people, active electioneerers and vote-distributers, may
be seen in and around the church, like the crowds of the "unterrifled" near the polls in the United States. The Government has
great power in the elections through the numerous office-holders in
its employ; but ofttimes it suffers a defeat. The supreme authorities have the right to set aside an election in cases of violence or
fraudulent procedure.
The parties are the ins and the outs, or Government and
Opposition. The party-lines were formerly more closely drawn,
under the names of Saquaremas, (the Conservatives,) and Luzias,
(the Progressives.) These names are derived from two unimportant freguezias in the provinces of Rio de Janeiro and MinasGeraes, where the elections were hotly contested.
These parties for some years contended for power and principle,
and so warm were their struggles that at times they seemed to
battle more for rule than for.the success of principles. The Luzias
endeavored to promote the welfare of Brazil by adopting laws and
regulations for which the Saquarbmas did not think the country
yet prepared. Both struggled for many years, and alternately held
the reins of government: at last the Saquarema party triumphed,
and since 1848 has been at the head of affairs; but Its principles
have been much modified.
At present the two parties are nearly reconciled, there being few
dissidents. This is owing to the wise policy of the Saquaremas.
They have made good use of their great influence; they have
adopted some of the ideas of their opponents; and they have pro



184


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


moted to Government employment a number of the Luzias who
were men of acknowledged ability and probity.
This reconciliation was mostly owing to the political tactics
of the late Marquis of Parana, who was a most skilful politician
and a fluent speaker. He was an instance of a man of talent
reaching by his industry and energy the highest position in the
gift of the monarch and people. He knew well how to employ
intrigue, and his moral character was by no means spotless; yet at
his death, in September, 1856, party-spirit was laid aside, the faults
of the man were covered, and the energy and talent of the statesman only were remembered.
Among the distinguished politicians and orators of Brazil may
be counted the Marquis of Olinda, (Pedro de Araujo Lima,) who
was educated at the Portuguese University of Coimbra, and has
dedicated more than thirty years of his life to the service of his
country. He was Regent during the minority of the Emperor, and
has been at various times a member of the Cabinet.
The Marquis d'Abrantes) (Miguel Calmon du Pin,) a skilful diplomatist, consummate financier, and a distinguished orator, was at
different periods a member of the Cabinet, and made himself still
better known by a volume giving an account of his diplomatic mission
in Europe. The Marquis d'Abrantes is the President of one of the
most useful and important societies in Brazil,-A Sociedade Auxiliadora da Industria Nacional,-a voluntary company of gentlemen
whose object is to advance the agricultural and mechanical and
mineral interests of the country, by importing model implements,
by correspondence with agriculturalists and manufacturers in all
parts of the world, by combating indifference and indolence
and every unprofitable routine of cultivation, and by developing
the resources of the country.
Among the veteran statesmen may be mentioned Senator Vergueiro, (once Regent during the minority of D. Pedro II.,) who has
materially advanced the prosperity of his country by promoting, at
his own expense, European immigration. A fuller sketch of this
noble octogenarian is found in another chapter.
The Visconde do Uraguay (Paulino Jose Soares de Souza) has
long been a leader in Brazilian politics, and was Minister of Foreign
Affairs when the cruel Dictator Rosas was overthrown by the




BRAZILIAN STATESMEN AND NOBILITY.


185


combined Brazilian and Argentine armies and was expelled from
Buenos Ayres.
The Visconde de Itaborahy (Joachim Jose Rodriges Torres) is a
skilful financier, who has been frequently a member of the Cabinet;
and it is to him that are due the reforms in the public treasury and
the creation of a national bank. He has recently been engaged in
promoting the interests of education, and in reforming public institutions.
The Visconde de Abaete (Antonio Paulino Limpo de Abreo) has
been many times Minister of Foreign Affairs, and is a brilliant and
persuasive orator.
The Visconde de Sepetiba, (Aureliano de Souza Oliveira,) who
has also been frequently a member of the Cabinet, was one of the
first who promoted the organization of companies to execute different enterprises of internal improvement.
The present (1857) Minister of Marine (Joao Mauricio Wanderly) was President for three years of the province of Bahia, and
directed its affairs with so much energy and prudence that he fully
earned the honor of being called by the Emperor to take part in
the Cabinet.
Zacarias de Goes e Vasconcellos, former President of the new
province of Parana, is a brilliant orator, and was called to a place
in the Cabinet which went out in 1853.
Luis Pedreira do Coutto Ferraz, though comparatively a young
man, has been called to places of high honor and trust, and in
1854-55 filled the important post of Minister of the Empire.
The Marques de Caxias-the Minister of War in the Cabinet
which has so long been at the head of affairs-was, at the death
of the Marques of Parana, placed by the Emperor over the Department of Finance. He is a gentleman of ability, affable in his
manners, and distinguished as the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian forces which aided in the complete overthrow of Rosas.
The Visconde de Jequitinhonha, (Montezuma,) as a politician,
diplomatist, and lawyer, ranks among the first men of the
Empire.
Brazil has always been well represented in foreign lands, and
her diplomatic corps is not, like that of the United States, recruited
from mere political partisans, but its members are fitted for their




186


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


posts by education, discipline, and graduation, in the same manner
as the diplomatic ranks of England and France.
Among them no one stands higher than Senhor Carvalho de
Moreiro, who represented Brazil in the United States from 1852 to
1855. This gentleman distinguished himself as an advocate at Rio
de Janeiro, and in addition to his legal acquirements and abilities
he is a man of varied culture and enlarged views.
These are only a few of the leading men of the Empire, and
want of space alone prevents the mention of many more.
Titles of nobility have been often used in the foregoing pages,
and demand a further explanation.
Nobility in Brazil is not hereditary, but bene merito, and has no
landed interest or political influence.  If a Brazilian has distinguished himself by his statesmanship, his valor, or his philanthropy,
and he receives patent of nobility from the Emperor, his son does
not thereby become noble. The title is lost to the family at the
death of its possessor. While it serves as a reward of merit
higher than that of a member of some order of knighthood, it
does not build up a potent aristocratic circle which places itself
beyond the reach of common-born mortals. The titles of nobility
are six,-viz.: Marques, Count, Viscount cor grandeza, Baron cor
grandeza, Viscount, and Baron.
There are six orders of knighthood, three of which have been
established under the present Emperor. These, as well as the titles
of nobility, are doubtless great safety-valves for the ambition and
vanity of a people who have never yet learned the lesson of simplicity. They are, at most, harmless; and, if they make the Brazilians happy and promote the welfare of the country, it does not
become the most rigid republican to complain, or to wish to square
every other Government by his Procrustean bed.




CHAPTER XI.


PRAIA GRANDE-SAN DOMINGO-SABBATH-KEEPING-MANDIOCA-PONTE DE AREAVIEW FROM INGX-THE ARMADILLO-COMMERCE OF BRAZIL-THE FINEST STEAMSHIP VOYAGE IN THE WORLD-AMERICAN SEAMEN'S FRIEND SOCIETY-THE ENGLISH CEMETERY-ENGLISH CHAPEL-BRAZILIAN FUNERALS-TIJUCA-BENNETT' S
-CASCADES-EXCURSIONS-BOTANICAL GARDENS-AN OLD FRIEND-HOME.
Rio DE JANEIRO, sometimes called A Corte (the Court) by the
Brazilians, while situated within the province of the same name,
is only the capital of the Empire. Praia Grande, on the opposite
side of the bay, is the capital of the province of Rio de Janeiro.
The latter city is in a neutral district, like the District of Columbia
in the United States, and all the laws of this metropolis, as those
of Washington, emanate from the General Government.
Ferry-boats, resembling the small steamers on the Thames, run
half-hourly between the Court and Praia Grande, touching at the
neat little village of San Domingo. The passage is made in thirty
minutes, and gives a fine view of the entrance to the harbor, the
whole water-line of Rio, and the various anchorages for the shipping.
Praia Grande and San Domingo stretch around a semicircular
bay, and probably contain about sixteen thousand inhabitants.
On account of the quietness and cheaper rents, many prefer this
side of the water to the urbsfluminis as a place of residence. I here
frequently held religious services, and the Sabbath seemed more
like a day of rest than in Rio, where so many shops are open and
the people generally given to amusement. In regard to the holy
keeping of the day of rest the Brazilians are no more scrupulous
than their co-religionists in France or Italy. Military parades are
as frequent upon that day as any other; and operas, theatres, and
balls are probably more crowded than during the evenings of
secular time. The foreign wholesale establishments are closed;
187




188


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


but many of the native shopkeepers, and nearly all of the small
French dealers, make as great a display, in the morning at least, as
on Monday or Saturday. It must, however, be admitted to the
credit of the Brazilians that they have made great improvements
in this respect. Formerly there was no closing of the smaller
places of business on Sunday, and that day, until within a few
years, was the favorite of the week for holding auction-sales. This
the authorities suppressed by edict; and in 1852, a number of the
Brazilian jobbers, by an agreement, (convenio,) for a while abstained from Sunday dealings; but this move was by no means so
apparent as the suppression of the auctions. In the discussion
which arose in regard to Sabbath-keeping, the Bishop of Rio de
Janeiro, and the leading journals, took an active part. Notwithstanding all these ameliorations, the Lord's day is one of amusement and business, so far as Brazilians are concerned; and its
profanation is such as to shock even those who are not accustomed
to the decent observance of that portion of time in England, Scotland, or the United States.
In Praia Grande and S. Domingo there are beautiful chacaras,
(country-seats,) and quiet, shady nooks, whose delicious fragrance
and coolness contrast refreshingly with the hot landing-place of
the steam ferry-boat.
Twenty minutes' walk from the praia (beach) will bring us into
the sparsely-inhabited environs, where we may see the coffee-tree,
with its cherry-like berries, the noble dome-shaped mangueira,
whose fruit is esteemed so highly by the English in the East Indies,
and orange-trees, whose rich, yellow burdens never become wearisome to the eye or cloying to the palate. There, too, we may see
fields of the mandioca, which plant has been and is as much associated with the sustentation of life in Brazil as wheat in more
northern climes. This vegetable, (Jatropha manihot L.,) being the
principal farinaceous production of Brazil, is deserving of particular
notice. Its peculiarity is the union of a deadly poison with highlynutritious qualities. It is indigenous to Brazil, and was known to
the Indians long before the discovery of.the country. Southey
remarks:-" If Ceres deserved a place in the mythology of Greece,
far more might the deification of that person have been expected
who instructed his fellows in the use of mandioc." It is difficult




THE MANDIOCA ROOT.


189


to imagine how savages should have ever discovered that a wholesome food might be prepared from this root.
Their mode of preparation was by scraping it to a fine pulp with
oyster-shells, or with an instrument made of small sharp stones set
in a piece of bark, so
as to form  a rude
rasp. The pulp was
thenrubbedorground
with a stone, thejuice
carefully  expressed,
and the last remaining moisture evaporated by the fire. The
operation of preparing it was thought
unwholesome, and the
slaves, whose business it was, took the
flowers of the nhambi
urucu in their food,
"to strengthen the
heart and stomach."
The    Portuguese
soon invented mills
and presses for this
purpose. They usually
pressed it in cellars,     MANDIOCA, (JATROPHA MANIHOT.
and places where it
was least likely to occasion accidental harm. In these places it is said
that a white insect was found generated by this deadly juice, itself
not less deadly, with which the native women sometimes poisoned
their husbands, and slaves their masters, by putting it in their
food. A poultice of mandioc, with its own juice, was considered
excellent for imposthumes. It was administered for worms, and
was applied to old wounds to eat away the diseased flesh. For
some poisons, also, and for the bite of certain snakes, it was
esteemed a sovereign antidote. The simple juice was used for




190


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


cleaning iron. The poisonous quality is confined to the root; for
the leaves of the plant are eaten, and even the juice might be
made innocent by boiling, and be fermented into vinegar, or inspissated till it became sweet enough to serve for honey.
The crude root cannot be preserved three days by any possible
care, and the slightest moisture spoils the flour. Piso observes,
that he had seen great ravages occasioned among the troops by
eating it in this state. There were two modes of preparation, by
which it could more easily be kept. The roots were sliced under
water, and then hardened before a fire. When wanted for use,
they were grated into a fine powder, which, being beaten up with
water, became like a cream of almonds. The other method was
to macerate the root in water till it became putrid, then hang it
up to be smoke-dried; and this,.when pounded in a mortar, produced a flour as white as meal. It was frequently prepared in this
manner by savages. The most delicate preparation was by pressing
it through a sieve and putting the pulp immediately in an earthen
vessel on the fire. It then granulated, and was excellent when
either hot or cold.
The native mode of cultivating it was rude and summary. The
Indians cut down the forest-trees, let them lie till they were dry
enough to burn, and then planted the mandioc between the stumps.
They ate the dry flour in a manner that baffled all attempts at
imitation. Taking it between their fingers, they tossed it into
their mouths so neatly that not a grain was lost. No European
ever tried to perform this feat without powdering his face or his
clothes, to the amusement of the savages.
The mandioc supplied them also with their banqueting-drink.
They prepared it by an ingenious process, which savage man has
often been cunning enough to invent, but never cleanly enough to
reject. The roots were sliced, boiled till they became soft, and set
aside to cool. The young women then chewed them, after which
they were returned into the vessel, which was filled with water,
and once more boiled, being stirred the whole time. When this
process had been continued sufficiently long, the unstrained contents were poured into earthen jars of great size, and buried up
to the middle in the floor of the house. The jars were closely
stopped, and, in the course of two or three days, fermentation took




TAPIOCA.


191


place. They had an old superstition that if it were made by men
it would be good for nothing. When the drinking-day arrived,
the women kindled fires around these jars, and served out the
warm potion in half-gourds, which the men came dancing and
singing to receive, and always emptied at one draught. They
never ate at these parties, but continued drinking as long as one
drop of the liquor remained, and, having exhausted all in one
house, removed to the next, till they had drank out all in the town.
These meetings were commonly held about once a month. De Lery
witnessed one which lasted three days and three nights. Thus,
man, in every age and country, gives proof of his depravity, by
converting the gifts of a bountiful Providence into the means of
his own destruction.
Mandioca is difficult of cultivation,-the more common species
requiring from twelve to eighteen months to ripen. Its roots have
a great tendency to spread. Cut slips of the plant are inserted in
large hills, which at the same time counteract this tendency, and
furnish it with a dry soil, which the mandioca prefers. The roots,
when dug, are of a fibrous texture, corresponding in appearance to
those of the long parsnip. The process of preparation is first to
boil them, then remove the rind, after which the pieces are held
by the hand in contact with a circular grater turned by waterpower. The pulverized material is then placed in sacks, several
of which, thus filled, are subjected to the action of a screw-press
for the expulsion of the poisonous liquid. The masses thus solidified by pressure are beaten fine in mortars.  The substance is
next transferred to open ovens, or concave plates, heated beneath,
where it is constantly and rapidly stirred until quite dry. The
appearance of the farinha, when Well prepared, is very white and
beautiful, although its particles are rather coarse. It is found upon
every Brazilian table, and forms a great variety of healthy and
palatable dishes. The fine substance deposited by the juice of the
mandioca, when preserved, standing a short time, constitutes the
tapioca of commerce, so well known in the culinary departments
of North America and Europe, and is now a valuable export from
Brazil.
Another species, called the Aipim, (manihot Aipim,) is common.
It is destitute of all poisonous qualities, and is boiled or roasted,




192


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


and is but little inferior to the potato or the large Italian
chestnut.  It has further the advantage of requiring but
eight months to ripen, although it cannot be converted into
farinha.
Not far from Praia Grande is the foundry, engine-manufactory,
and ship-yard of Ponte da Area, where -four or five hundred
mechanics and laborers, under European and Brazilian supervision, are turning out works of importance and magnitude. In
the year 1854, besides kettles, stills, and boilers, this establishment constructed four steamers with their engines, and two more
steamers and a bark were upon the stocks.
But the most attractive part of this side of the water is the
peaceful and beautiful Rua da Inga and the Praia de Carahy. We
wind through a thoroughfare-if it can be so called-overhung by
graceful shade-trees; and on either side, almost hidden by hedges
of mimosa, creeping and flowering vines, huge plants and cacti in
gorgeous bloom, are the vermilion roofs and the blue arabesques
of Brazilian cottages. In a few minutes we reach the Praia de
Carahy, where the fanning sea-breeze dashes the waves in foaming
brightness against the shell-paved beach. The scene beyond is
indescribable in its beauty and its grandeur; and the view of the
surrounding mountains and Rio de Janeiro nestling at their base
has often reminded me of the observations of Mr. Hillard in regard
to Naples and Edinburgh, when he says, "The works of man's hands
are subordinate to the grand and commanding features of nature
around and above them:.... the magnificent lines and sweeps
of the landscape eat up the city itself."
When I gazed from the craggy cliff of Inga upon the rolling
surf beneath,-the graceful lake-like Bay of Jurujuba on our left,
the islet of Boa Viagem before us, crowned with its picturesque
chapel, dear to mariners and kissed by the breeze-swayed palmtree, and as with silent wonder I beheld far across the water the
giant groupings of the Pao de Assucar, the Tres Irmaos, the widetopped Gavia, the columnar Corcovado, and the distant Tijuca,I could realize the emotions of the same polished and forcible
writer when acknowledging the utter impossibility of describing
the Italian scene to which the Brazilian landscape is equal in
beauty and superior in sublimity. What Mr. Hillard has said of




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THE VIEW FROM INGA.


193


the glorious environs of Naples is doubly true of the view from
Inga: —"What words can analyze and take to pieces the parts and
details of this matchless panorama, or unravel that magic web of
beauty into which palaces, villas, forests, gardens, the mountains
and the sea, are woven? What pen can paint the soft curves, the
gentle undulations, the flowing outlines, the craggy steeps, and the
far-seen heights, which, in their combination, are so full of grace,
and, at the same time, expression? Words here are imperfect instruments, and must yield their place to the pencil and the graver.
But no canvas can reproduce the light and color which play around
this enchanting region. No skill can catch the changing hues of
the distant mountains, the star-points of the playing waves, the
films of purple and green which spread themselves over the calm
waters, the sunsets of gold and orange, and the aerial veils of rose
and amethyst which drop over the hills from the skies of morning
and evening."
Such scenes can befelt, not described.
If we now turn from the white beach and the magnificent
Vista de Ingd, and seek the reddish-colored hills which are
beyond the Bay of Jurujuba, we shall in our rambles frequently


meet portions of the earth freshly thrown up.
by the armadillo; for the pointed snout
and the strong claws of this little bucklerclad animal admirably adapt him for burrowing, which operation he performs with
such astonishing rapidity that it is almost
impossible to get at him by digging. The
hunters, in such a case, resort to fire, and
smoke the armadillo out of his den. Not
being able to stand the fumes of burning
wood, the little fellow rushes through the


This has been done
/..\


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*   J. ~-;J -~ I,;' \,'j,.'
THE ARMADILLO.




new-made aperture, rolls himself up, is easily captured, and his
delicate flesh is soon consigned to the kitchen. This power of
enveloping himself so completely in his shell that he appears like
a round stone or a cocoanut, is a provision of a kind Providence.
The armadillo cannot run with any degree of rapidity, and, when
attacked by birds of prey, he rolls himself up like a hedgehog, and
offers only a solid uniform surface impervious to beaks and talons.
13




194


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Or again, if set upon by a dog or some small quadruped, he " swallows himself" and rolls down a hill. I have before me a specimen........


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of the armadillo that was seized in his
doubled-up state and thrust immediately
into boiling water, which has preserved
him in that position. So little does it resemble the live animal or his natural
elongated appearance, that no friend to
whom I have shown him could divine
what it was, nearly every one taking him
to be some strange Brazilian nut. The engravings afford a perfect likeness of him
from two different points of view: neither
head nor tail can be made of him, unless
the triangular piece is his os fiontis.
In returning to Rio de Janeiro, it is
often an agreeable variety to make the
passage in afalua.* This is a species of
boat with lateen sails, and may be of


twenty or forty tons' burden. They are manned by a captain, who
steers, takes the three-cent fare, and scolds the poor blacks. When
it is calm, the more than half-naked negroes slowly pull at the
long oars, which are so heavy, that, in order to obtain a "purchase," they are obliged to step up on a sort of bench before them,
and thus, rising and falling to a monotonous African ditty, they
form  one of the peculiar sights of Rio. Many of the poorer
classes go as passengers on these faluas; but they are mostly
used for the transportation of light cargoes to various towns on
the bay. If we take a falua to the Saude, we pass through vast
quantities of shipping.
The great interests of Brazilian commerce draw an immense
number of vessels from all portions of the globe. Brazil itself possesses the second navy of the Western World, and her steamfrigates and her sloops-of-war rendered essential service in the
overthrow of the tyrant Rosas at Buenos Ayres.
Since 1839, Brazil has had steamship-lines running along the


* The sail-boats in the engravings on pages 60 and 201 are faluas.




THE COMMERCE OF BRAZIL.


195


whole of her four thousand miles of sea-coast, but it was not until
1850 that steam-communication was established to Europe. It was
then that the Royal British Mail Steamship Company, whose
vessels start from Southampton, began their monthly voyages;
and now Brazil has no less than eight different lines of steamers,
connecting her with England, France, Hamburg, Portugal, Belgium,
and Sardinia. The United States, which hitherto has been the
great commercial rival of Great Britain in Brazil, has not a single
line of steamers to any portion of South America; and, while
England is reaping golden harvests, the balance of trade is each
year accumulating against us. With all this so evident, it does
seem strange that the General Government of the Union, which
has aided in extending our mercantile interests by subsidies to
steamships running to other lands, has been so tardy in regard to
South America, and especially unmindful of Brazil. England's
commerce with Brazil since the establishment of her first steamline in 1850 has increased her exports more than one hundred per
cent., while the United States has required thirteen years to make
the same advance. Her entire commerce with Brazil, imports and
exports, has advanced two hundred and twenty-five per cent. since
her first steam-line was established.  Each year the balance of
trade is increasing rapidly against us. In 1856, the United States
exported to Brazil $5,094,904, while in return the United States
imported from Brazil $19,262,657, or, in other words, our last
year's trading with Brazil left against us the cash balance of
$14,167,753, which we had to pay at heavy rates of exchange.
England, in 1855, sold Brazil $23,000,000, and bought of her in
return only $15,000,000, thus leaving the latter her debtor. Why
is there such a disastrous account against us? British steamers,
energy, and capital, and our neglect, have thus advanced the
commerce of England.    Our Government and our merchants,
notwithstanding their boasted enterprise, have done next to
nothing to foster the trade with Brazil. Purchasing as we do half
her coffee crop and the greater portion of her India-rubber, there
ought to be an effort on our part to introduce effectually the
many productions of our country which we can furnish as well as
Great Britain. Our common cottons are better than the imitations
of the same manufactured at Manchester, England, and yet labelled




196


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


"Lowell drillings" and "York Mills, Saco, Me." We can furnish
many kinds of hardware and other items cheaper and better than
England. The few efforts made by single individuals (as in the case
of Mr. N. Sands,-Filgueiras, Sands & Co.) to introduce the laborsaving machines of our country have already resulted in the establishment of four different Brazilian houses in Rio de Janeiro, where
one can purchase various articles under the comprehensive name of
Genros Norte Americanos. In 1856, the United States purchased onethird of all the exports of Brazil, but the imports from the United
States into the Empire were not one-tenth of the Brazilian imports.
This subject demands investigation from individuals and from our
Government. It does not fall within my province to extend this to
greater length in this portion of the work, but the statistician and
the political economist, as well as those who are engaged in commerce, will find in the Appendix much information in regard to our
business-relations with Brazil; and in this connection it is but just
and due to one who has consecrated his life to the promotion of the
commercial interests of bQth countries, that I should mention the
efforts of Dr_.Thomas ai-ey. This gentleman, though young in
years, but old in experience, visited Brazil in 1854 for the purpose
of travelling through this extensive Empire. On arriving at
Para, on the Amazon, he was so struck with the immense resources
of the country, the trade which, default of exertions on the part
of the United States, was seeking an outlet five thousand miles
away, while our own land was two thousand miles nearer, that he
studied the Portuguese language for the purpose of investigating
the facts in the case. So impressed was he with the glaring truth
that the trade of all Brazil was gliding from us, and that nothing
but steamship-intercourse could restore it, that he gave up his
intended prolonged explorations of the interior, and devoted himself to the endeavor to connect our country by steam with this
growing Empire. He perceived that it could be easily accomplished
by running a mail steamship-line vid the West Indies to the mouth
of the Amazon, and there connecting with the various Brazilian
lines which, having their head-quarters at Rio de Janeiro, touched
not only at every important seaport town and city, but extended
to the fertile regions of the La Plata. He conceived that such a
line might be made subservient to the interests of both the large




A STEAMSHIP LINE TO BRAZIL.


197


fields of commerce comprehended in the West Indies and Northern
and Eastern South America. He did not, however, look upon the
matter as of mere dollars and cents, but as one of essential welfare
to the Western Continent. At a pecuniary loss to himself, he has
travelled twice from Washington to Rio de Janeiro, visiting the
Amazon and the West Indies,-going before the executive heads
and the statesmen of each Government, and has called their attention to the important facts which he has elucidated after patient
investigation.  It was a favorite idea that the interests of this
continent should be united; that the policy of the North and South
American States should be essentially American, and not European;
and that to this end they should be locked in the closest embraces
of steam, by which alone they could cultivate those intimate relations of friendship and that mutual confidence which would result
in the improvement of commerce and the material advancement
of the New World. And as Brazil is the second country of the
Western World and the leader of the South American States, a
connection with her will be beneficial, not only to the commercial
enterprise of both countries, but will be advancing the higher
and better interests of humanity in every nation of our whole
continent.
Our communication with Brazil, and consequently with all South
America, is now exceedingly difficult. We have no means of
sending letters and passengers except by sailing-vessels, which are
slow, unreliable, and but little disposed to accommodate the
interests of rivals. Nearly all passengers and letters now go to
Liverpool, thence to Southampton or the Continent, and thence to
Brazil, La Plata, and the Windward Islands,-a distance of nearly
nine thousand miles. Our commercial men not only have to send
by this most unnatural transit, but are compelled to submit also to
the most harassing disadvantages, and are almost at the mercy of
European rivals. It is therefore to be regretted that the last Congress, in the pressure of the business preceding the inauguration,
did not have time to act upon the report laid before that body. It
is, however, only a work of time, and no doubt another year will
not roll round before this line, so important to the interests of our
country, will be established. In the mean time the able report and
the joint bill reported unanimously by the committees of the




198


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Senate and the House of Representatives, show the high appreciation of the persevering efforts of Dr. Rainey; and the reader will
find in it a complete statement of the case, and of the urgent want
of steam-communication with South America. (See Appendix.)
The various anchorages are plainly laid down in the plan of the
bay; and no sight can be more gay than the forests of masts,
on a Brazilian holiday, decked out in bright flags and flaunting
streamers.
Behind the island of Enxados are the English, French, German,
Portuguese, and Sardinian steamers, which have come over the
pleasantest route that is known in ocean-navigation. I have sailed
on many seas, but I know of no voyage which, all things considered,
is comparable to that from Rio de Janeiro to England. We are out
of sight of land but six days at the longest stretch, (from Pernambuco to the Cape de Verds;) while the average number of days at
sea without stopping are two and a half. From Rio to Bahia there
are but three days' steaming over summer waters; and the ten
or twelve hours at the second city of the Empire gives plenty of
time for refreshing promenades or rides into the country.  In
less than two days we land at Pernambuco, where we spend from
twelve to twenty hours, lay in a stock of fine oranges and pineapples, (capital anti-nauseatics,) and perhaps purchase a few screaming parrots or chattering monkeys to present to our European
friends.  We then steam for St. Vincent, (Cape de Verds,) where
we remain a few hours, and, next steering northward, in fortyeight hours we behold, one hundred and fifty miles at sea, the tall
Peak of Teneriffe lifting itself more than thirteen thousand feet
from the bosom of the ocean. Here we revel in peaches, pears,
figs, and luscious clusters of grapes,-in short, all the fruits of the
temperate zone.  We pass through the Canaries, and in thirty
hours are at Funchal, where the fruit-dose is repeated; a walk upon
the shore (if health-bill clean) is permitted, and, after being bored
a few hours by the pedlars and grape-venders, we bid farewell to
picturesque Madeira, and, at the end of three days, sail up the
mouth of the Tagus and anchor before Lisbon. When we leave
Portugal, we steam along its coast and that of Spain, and in
three days we land at Southampton.  No such steamer-voyage
exists in the world; and those who are in quest of the new, the




ACCESSIBILITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO.


199


strange, and the beautiful, can nowhere so easily and so cheaply
gratify their wishes in those respects as by the trip from Southampton to Rio, or vice versd.
To return from our digression: we now look, from the island of
Enxados, upon what are called the loading and the discharging
grounds or anchorage.
On either hand, over vessels of every class,-from the coastingsmack to the largest freighting-ships,-may be seen the flags of
Spain, Portugal, Sardinia, Tuscany, Naples, France, Belgium,
Bremen, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, England, the United States,
the South American Republics, and Brazil. These vessels are required to anchor at sufficient distance apart to swing clear of each
other in all the different positions in which the ebbing and flowing
tide may place them: thus, boats may pass among them at pleasure. Here and there guard-ships are stationed, to prevent
smuggling; and near by are several hulks of Brazilian men-ofwar, one of which is used as the seat of the Naval Academy.
Situated accessibly as the port of Rio de Janeiro is, upon the
great highway of nations, with a harbor unrivalled, not only for
beauty, but also for the security it affords to the mariner, it becomes a touching-point for many vessels not engaged in Brazilian
commerce. Those that suffer injury in the perils of the sea between
the equator and the Cape of Good Hope generally put in here for
repairs. Many sons of the ocean, with dismasted or waterlogged
vessels, have steered for this harbor as their last hope. At the
same time, nearly all men-of-war and many merchantmen, bound
round Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope, put in here to replenish their water and fresh provisions. Thus, in the course of
business and of Providence, missionaries, either outward or homeward bound, were in various instances thrown among us for a
brief period; and we scarcely knew which to value most,-the privilege of enjoying their society and counsel, or that of extending
to them those Christian hospitalities not always expected on a
foreign shore. We enjoyed many such visits that will long be
remembered, and we seemed to be brought directly in contact with
Russia, India, the Sandwich Islands, and Central and South Africa,
-the countries where the individuals met with had severally
labored.




200


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Such circumstances beautifully illustrate the central position and
the important character of the harbor of Rio de Janeiro, which
forms a converging-point for vessels from any port of the United
States and Europe, and for returning voyages from Australia, California, and the-islands of the Pacific.
Annually more than twelve thousand mariners, sailing under the
flags of England and the United States, are gathered at Rio de
Janeiro. This class of men demands the earnest attention of the
philanthropic Christian. If pestilence visits Rio, they are sure to
fall before it sooner than any other men who resort thither. The
improvidence of sailors is proverbial, and their general dissipation
and recklessness are well known. A greater proportion of these
men die annually than of those who follow any other calling.
They therefore really call for most earnest effort in their behalf,
both morally and physically.
The exertions that have been made among sailors at Rio from
time to time have not been entirely in vain. The American Seamen's Friend Society-a noble institution, which has carried the
church over the world for Americans and Englishmen-established
a chaplaincy at this port more than twenty years ago. No chapel
was ever erected, because the peculiar regulations of the port are
such that vessels lie at anchor away from the shore; hence it has
been usual to hold services on board various vessels that might be
in the harbor. The Bethel flag, with its white dove, would be
hoisted to the main, and, when unfurled to the breeze, like a
church-bell, though mute, would call the hardy mariners from the
various anchorages to come up to the floating tabernacle, there to
join in the hymn of praise, or to listen, in this distant clime, to
the lessons of sacred truth. During a number of years it was my
privilege, in connection with duties on shore, to fill the post of
American Chaplain. It was my custom, when the port was
healthy, to visit the English and American vessels each Friday,
conversing with the officers, dropping a word of advice to the
sailors, and placing in the hand of each a tract to announce the
ship over which the Bethel flag would float on the following Sunday. When the yellow fever prevailed, I daily attended the hospitals and boarded the ships to administer the comforts of the
gospel to the sick and dying sailors. Poor fellows! Many passed




THE ENGLISH CEMETERY.


201


from time into eternity without being able to send a parting message to their distant friends; but, whenever I could ascertain the
address of their relatives, I forwarded their dying words, which
were frequently the outpourings of their faith and hope in Christ.
In this round of duties I was materially aided by Senhor Leopoldo, the guarda-mor, who, with great kindness, made an exception
in favor of the chaplain, allowing me to visit all the vessels in port
without the special daily permit.*
From the loading-ground to the British Cemetery at Gamboa
the distance by water is little more than a mile; and often have I
ENGLISH  CEMETERY  AT  GAMBOA.
had to lead the mournful procession from the landing-place up the
green walks of this quiet and retired resting-place for the dead.
In this beautiful and secluded spot sleep more than one ministerplenipotentiary and admiral. Men of eminent station, as well as the
unknown English and American citizen, the German, the Frenchman, the Swede, and the representatives of the commercial marine
of almost every nation, here slumber in death. No portion of Rio
* This courtesy can be better appreciated when the reader is informed that, by
the narrow and restricted port-laws of Brazil, no one except a custom-house officer
can visit, without permit, a vessel that is discharging. The penalty for each
offence is a fine of fifty dollars....:.:..... D                                   o-'.. —_ l~.~'~=.- _  F
ENGLISH CEMETERY AT GAMBOA.
had to lead the mournful procession from the landing-place up the
green walks of this quiet and retired resting-place for the dead.
In this beautiful and secluded spot sleep more than one ministerplenipotentiary and admiral. Men of eminent station, as well as the
unknown English and American citizen, the German, the Frenchman, the Swede, and the representatives of the commercial marine
of almost every nation, here slumber in death. No portion of Rio
* This courtesy can be better appreciated when the reader is informed that, by
the narrow and restricted port-laws of Brazil, no one except a custom-house officer
can visit, without permit, a vessel that is discharging. The penalty for each
offence is a fine of fifty dollars.




202


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


was ever more impressive to me, whether it was in reading the
solemn funeral-service in the hearing of many, or when, with none
but the sexton, I stood by the new-made grave, or when alone
I wandered through the shady walks. This cemetery belongs to
the English; but the application of any consul for the burial of a
deceased person of another nation is never rejected.
While Englishmen either at home or at Rio have done so much
toward preparing and beautifying a suitable resting-place for the
dead, they have sadly neglected the living who come to this mart.
There is regular service for those who reside in the city; but for
the six thousand mariners who sail hither under the English flag,
no provision has been made. The duties of the English chaplain
confine him to the shore; and, though occasionally English officers
and masters go to the chapel, the sailor is neglected. It may be
said, "There stands the chapel; let him go thither." Men who are
not accustomed to the sound of the church-going bell, and whose
proclivities are not particularly God-ward, have some hesitation to
row one mile upon the water, and then, in a tropic clime, to walk
another, in a strange, city, to a house of worship with which they
do not feel associated by ordinary local ties. For such men, either
the English Bethel Union, or some benevolent association connected
with the Established Church or with Dissenters, should make provision for regular worship. If men will not come to the gospel, we
must take it to them; and the most earnest workman in the vineyard of our Master will find enough to do among the English sailors
in the harbor of Rio de Janeiro. The lower class of English laborers,
either in the mines or engaged in the construction of railways, is
annually increasing, and it is hoped that the effort for ameliorating
the moral condition of the resident workmen, so auspiciously begun
at the Saude, may be followed up on the vast water-parish which
is ever to be found floating on the commodious bay. I am aware
that there are those who look upon it as a more hopeful task to
labor for the good of souls among the heathen than for seamen.
While I would not have a single soldier called in from the distant
outposts, I do believe that, under the circumstances, no distant
field is more encouraging than caring for the spiritual welfare of
those who "go down to the sea in ships."  They may be termed a
"hard set;" but they have noble and generous qualities and great




BRAZILIAN FUNERALS.                 203
temptations. It therefore becomes the English Christian not to
rest until in every important foreign port he establishes worship
for the sailor.
The English Chapel is situated in Rua dos Barbonos, near the
Largo da Mai do Bispo. This neat little edifice was erected in 1823,
almost immediately after the achievement of Brazilian Independence. Service is held here each Sunday morning at eleven o'clock,
and the English resident experiences a homelike feeling when he
finds himself surrounded by his countrymen, and listens to the
sacred and beautiful service to which he was accustomed in the,.    -1 —>  \?;     =
THE ENGLISH CHAPEL.
land of his birth. It is, however, painful to reflect that so few avail
themselves of the opportunity which this chapel affords for hearing
the great truths of the gospel expounded with clearness and ability.
Compared with all other English chapels which I have visited in
many foreign lands, that of Rio de Janeiro is the least frequented.
There are a number of Roman Catholic cemeteries in the vicinity
of the city, which belong to the different brotherhoods. The Brazilian funerals are conducted with much pomp. Formerly interments took place in the churches; but, since 1850, there have been
no intermural burials. Carriages and outriders, and a long train
of friends in vehicles, make up the procession. There are not, to a
great extent, those peculiar customs and ceremonies which were




204


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


formerly consequent upon a death in a Brazilian family. There is
more parade than upon the Continent, and probably more, since the
burial-reform, than in England. The deceased child, often decked
with flowers, is borne to the grave in an open hearse with gilded
pillars. The driver of the hearse, the footman, and the four outriders, upon white horses, are in red livery. Custom forbids the
presence of women at a funeral, and also the attendance of very
near relatives. If the deceased be above ten years of age, the immediate relatives remain at home for eight days, during the first
of which a profound silence is maintained. When friends come to
offer their sympathy, the customary salutation of those who enter
is, "Will you permit me to offer my condolence for the loss you
have sustained?" Silence is then preserved by both parties, and,
after some minutes, the visitor withdraws.
From the cemetery of Gamboa is a vista of the Serra de Tijuca;
and among the many jaunts near the city, none surpasses in interest the ride up these mountains. Passing through the long street
of Engenho Velho, which is lined with the residences of wealthy
families, each surrounded with its chacara or grounds, that glow
with the fadeless verdure of mangeiras, orange-groves, and palms,
interspersed with flowers of the brightest hues, we reach the foot
of the mountain. Here are many picturesque villas, each having
piazzas in front, and often approached by a large stone gateway,
where, in the evening, the family sit to amuse their listless hours
by watching the passers-by. These country-residences are built in
a style that accords well with the glowing climate. The pediments
and cornices of the houses are ornamented with arabesques on a
ground of vivid blue. No ugly clusters of smoking chimneys
deform the roofs. The white walls glitter amid the dark foliage,
or stand in strong relief against the steep mountain-sides. The
native families generally live on the plain, and near the everattractive road; but the Englishman, true to his national character,
climbs the mountain and builds an eyrie among the clouds.
On arriving at a mineral spring, called Agoa Ferrea, you quit
your carriage for the more agreeable mode of travel afforded by
horse or mule. It is true that invalids and hard-hearted people
may cause four mules to drag them up the steep ascent. But no
one possessing eyes, taste, and health, should miss the opportunity








V!EW OF RIO DE JANEIRO FROM    TIJUCA.




TIJUCA.


205


of a horse-back ride. It is difficult to speak calmly of the scenery
about Rio. No pen can do justice to the view that meets the eye
half-way up the mountain. A good cicerone will keep your attention fixed on the flowers that adorn the left bank of the road
until he reaches a low part of the brushwood and pulls in his
horse, exclaiming, "Look!" A wondrous view it is that bursts
upon you. There, unfurled before you, like a fairy panorama,
are the bay with its islands, the distant mountains blending with
the clear blue sky,-a dark precipitous cliff on the right, pouring
down its tiny cascades in silvery lines, that relieve its barren sternness, and on the left a high hill, covered with glossy-leaved coffeeplants: on the plain below rises a single mound, and beyond is the
gleaming city,-its white edifices peacefully encircling the green
hills of Conception, San Bento, and Antonio. Nothing but a large
oil-painting can convey any just idea of this view; and it was here
that an English painter took his stand for a tropic landscape of
surpassing beauty.
After a long gaze you turn away only half satisfied, and immediately lose sight of all on that side of the mountain, but soon discover the open sea beyond the opposite descent. A few minutes more
brings you to the residence of Mr. Bennett, an intelligent Englishman, who has erected in this beautiful spot a boarding-house, where
many of the foreign residents pass the hot months. Here, while
only eight miles from the Praca do Commercio, far from the heat
and noise of the busy city, we could spend our days and nights in
ease and comfort. No mosquitoes fright away sleep with their
fierce war-whoops; no cockroaches-or baratos, as they are called —
crawl over your feet as you sit in the piazza. But do not imagine
that there is total stillness. On the contrary, the air is vocal with
the sounds of that portion of animated nature which loves to disturb nocturnal hours. Pre-eminent above all is the staccato music
of the blacksmith-frog, whose substantial body a man's hands
could not enclose, and every sound that he produces rings upon
the ear like the clang of a hammer upon an anvil, while the tones
uttered by his congeners strikingly resemble the lowing of distant
cattle.
Not far from Bennett's are the coffee-plantations of Mr. Lescene
and of Mr. Moke, which are among the very first that were culti



206


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


vated in Brazil; and, as they are the only fazendas near to the city,
no stranger should omit an early walk to the lovely valley where
they are found.
The excursions from the boarding-house are most varied and
interesting. To climb the Pedra Bonita and gaze upon the mountain-landscape and the far-off meeting of sky and ocean is the
delightful work of a few hours. The charm of Tijuca is that,
while its climate is unchanging June, and its verdure tropical, it
BENNETT'S, TIJUCA.
possesses the sparkling cascades and thundering waterfalls of
Switzerland. If we wander from Bennett's toward Rio, and
turn to our left, a few moments will bring us to a limpid stream
which hangs like a ribbon down the mountain-side, and sends up
"Brave notes to all the woods around,
When morning beams are gathering fast,
And hush'd is every human sound."
This beautiful fall is said to come from a height of three hundred
feet, and reminded me of the leaping brooks of the Valley of the
Rhone, or the graceful cascade of Arpenaz, that swings from an
Alpine cliff into the sweet vale of Maglan. Or again, if we ride
for a half-hour in the opposite direction from the mountain
boarding-house, we reach a wild and verdant spot, where, dismissing




EXCURSIONS.


207


our horses, we climb up through banana-fields and forest, and reach
the foaming waters of the Cascata Grande. Here the Tijuca River
leaps for sixty feet or more over a rocky inclined plain, presenting,
when the volume is increased, an imposing appearance; but, when
the stream is only supplied by the clear springs of the Serra, it
glides down in a transparent sheet, revealing the shining rock
beneath. The river pursues its way over a rock-bed down the
mountain, and loses itself in the lake which mirrors the giant
Gavia.
Mr. Ewbank, who is usually very correct in his facts, has
curiously departed from his accustomed precision in the statement
that it was "in this secluded retreat that the Bishop of Rio lay
concealed during the troubles with the French Protestants of
Coligny's time." No "Bishop of Rio" was in existence "during
the troubles of Coligny's time." The only bishopric in Brazil for
many years was that of Bahia. The French were finally expelled
from the Bay of Rio de Janeiro in 1567, and it was not until this
was effected that the city of San Sebastian or Rio de Janeiro was
founded. Mr. Ewbank was doubtless misled by some one informing
him that the remains near the Cascata Grande were those of walls
erected for the bishop when the French took possession of Rio.
This is perfectly correct; for in 1711, after the disastrous defeat of
the French commander Du Clerc, (in 1710,) Du Guay Trouin came
with an avenging squadron to Rio de Janeiro, and on such a scale
were his preparations that the inhabitants fled to the mountains
of Tijuca, and there remained until the city was taken and sacked,
and did not return before Trouin had sailed away with his heavy
ransom.
But if Mr. Ewbank has been led into error so far as a date is
concerned, he has more than made up for it by his beautiful and
graphic painting of the bright Falls of Tijuca, as it appeared to him
when taking a picnic-dinner upon the glistening stones:-"Our
table extended into the channel; and there we banqueted and
reclined amid scenery far excelling that which Pliny's Laurentinum
dining-chamber opened on. Shielded from the sun by nature's
parasols, far from the busy scenes of artificial life, not a carking
care to trouble us, and our spirits airy as our dresses, we laughed
and talked and dipped our cups in the crystal stream as people did




208


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


in the golden age. Flora adorned the hanging shrubbery; Pomona,
from the distance, looked on; zephyrs played round us; and
naiads-if naiads there be-frisked in the falls and threw spray at
us as they glided by."
From Tijuca there is a very fine excursion around the base of the
Gavia, high up whose steep sides are certain curious hieroglyphics,
which have long occupied the attention of the learned. These
characters seem like Roman letters; but the best explanation of
their existence upon this precipitous wall is that nature has
chiselled them by rains and sun, and, perhaps in times remote, by
little shrubs, whose seeds, deposited by wandering birds, have
grown in the crevices until their swelling roots have aided the rain
in prying off friable portions of the rock.
This excursion can be extended upon the wave-washed beach
around to the Botanical Gardens, above which, from one of the
lesser hills, is a prospect not excelled by the views of Como and
Maggiore. The abrupt Corcovado presents a new face as it looks
down upon the calm Lagoa das Freitas. The stately palms of the
Jardim Botanico seem from our elevation like the trees of a child's
toy garden. The Serra, across the Bay of Rio, takes every shade
of purple and blue during the daytime, and, as the sun at eventide
darts his rays athwart the Pao de Assucar and the Irmoes, the distant white fortress of Santa Cruz stands out from waters and mountains of rose. A lady friend, who sketched for me the opposite engraved scene, accompanied the gift with this remark in regard to
the exquisite tints of that tropic region: —"Years of familiarity
never destroyed for me the loveliness and marvellousness of these
hues, which a painter would hesitate to put upon canvas for exhibition to the inhabitants of a less genial zone." There is less
difficulty, however, in transferring to the sketch-book the bold outlines of those peculiar-shaped mountains which abound throughout
almost every league of the capital province of the Empire; and
the many scenes presented in this portion of " Brazil and the Brazilians," which were taken to support no argument of mine, will
expose the absurdity as well as the inaccuracy of the descriptions
given, even in the latest American edition of McCulloch, of "the
neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro," which "consists in a great measure of plains"!




AN OLD FRIEND.                     209
The Botanical Gardens, to which we can now easily descend, is
situated in this romantic spot, and is reached from the city by a
fine turnpike which leads through Botafogo and under the shadow
of Corcovado. It is not a flowei-garden, but rather a Jardin des
Plantes, where rare exotics, from the tiniest parasite up to the loftiest
palm, come under our inspection. Here you may behold groves of
cinnamon and clove trees, acres of Chinese tea, the Nogaras da
India, the bread-fruit, cacao and camphor trees, besides many others
that are objects of great curiosity. There was one tree, half hidden
F-.  -... i  R  _  r   A n =  m -'.- =LAGOA DAS FREITAS.
by the dome-shaped mangueiras, that I often visited with peculiar
emotions of pleasure. It was a small North American maple. As
I looked upon that little tree,-an exotic in this distant land, where
no wintry blasts would strip it of its foliage, where not even an
autumnal frost would robe it in those gorgeous hues which the
flowers of this summer clime hardly surpass,-I could sympathize
with the Bedouin of the desert who, upon beholding the palm-tree
in the Jardin des Plantes of Paris, was transported far over mountain and sea to the country of his nativity. The most surprising
sight to the Northern stranger in the Botanical Gardens is the long
avenue of the Palma Real, (Oreodoxa regia,) which we enter from
the great gate, and which, in its regularity, extent, and beauty, is
14




210            BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
unrivalled. It is a colonnade of natural Corinthian columns, whose
graceful, bright-green capitals seem to support a portion of the
blue dome that arches above.
But the sun's last rays are empurpling the granite peaks around
us, and, after a gallop through the villa-lined San Clemente, we
reach Botafogo. The lamps are already twinkling, and throw
their light upon the edge of that graceful little bay where the gay
regatta holds its annual festivity. Five minutes more, we dismount
at the Hotel dos Estrangeiros; and thus we have accomplished the
entire circuit of the city San Sebastian de Rio de Janeiro.




CHAPTER XII.


THE CAMPO SANTA ANNA-THE OPENING OF THE ASSEMBLEA GERAL-HISTORY OF
EVENTS SUCCEEDING THE ACCLAMATION OF DOM PEDRO II.-THE REGENCYCONSTITUTIONAL REFORM —CONDITION OF POLITICAL PARTIES BEFORE THE
REVOLUTION OF 1840-DEBATES IN THE HOUSE OF DEPUTIES-ATTEMPT AT
PROROGATION-MOVEMENT OF ANTONIO CARLOS-DEPUTATION TO THE EMPEROR
-PERMANENT SESSION-ACCLAMATION OF DOM PEDRO'S MAJORITY-THE ASSEMBLY'S PROCLAMATION-REJOICINGS-NEW MINISTRY-PUBLIC CONGRATULATIONS
-REAL STATE OF THINGS-MINISTERIAL PROGRAMME-PREPARATIONS FOR THE
CORONATION-CHANGE OF MINISTRY-OPPOSITION COME INTO POWER-CORONATION POSTPONED —SPLENDOR OF THE CORONATION -FINANCIAL EMBARRASSMENTS-DIPLOMACY-DISSOLUTION OF THE CAMARA-PRETEXT OF OUTBREAKSCOUNCIL OF STATE-RESTORATION OF ORDER-SESSIONS OF THE ASSEMBLYIMPERIAL MARRIAGES-MINISTERIAL CHANGE-PRESENT CONDITION.
THE usual carriage-route to and from Gamboa is through the
Campo de Santa Anna. Many important public buildings are upon
the side of this large square. The Church of S. Anna, an extensive
garrison, the Camara Municipal, the National Museum, the Palace
of the Senate, the Foreign Office, and one of the large opera-houses,
are to be found on different portions of the park. It presents an
animated scene on the 3d of May, when the session of the Assemblea Geral is opened by the Emperor in person. The procession
from St. Christovao to the Palace of the Senate is not surpassed in
scenic effect by any similar pageant in Europe. The foot-guards,
(halberdiers,) with their battle-axes,-the dragoons and the hussars
in picturesque and bright uniforms,-the mounted military bands,the large state-carriages, with their six caparisoned horses and
liveried coachmen and postillions,-the chariot of the Empress,
drawn by eight iron-grays,-the magnificent Imperial carriage,
drawn by the same number of milk-white horses decked with
Prince-of-Wales plumes,-and the long cavalcade of troops,-form a
pageant worthy of the Empire. The six coaches-and-six are for
211




212


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


the officers of the Imperial household. Her Majesty Dona Theresa
is surrounded by her maids of honor in their robes and trains of
green and gold. Believing that some fair readers will be gratified
with the details of Dona Theresa's toilette, one who is better acquainted than I am with ladies' costume says that the habillemnent
of the Empress, on state-occasions, is an under-dress of white satin,
heavily embroidered with gold, with a profusion of rich lace falling
deeply over the corsage and forming its sleeves. These are looped
up with diamonds magnificent in size and lustre. The train is of
green velvet, with embroideries in gold corresponding with those
of the skirt. Her head-dress, with the hair worn in long ringlets
in front, is a wreath of diamonds and emeralds in the shape of
flowers rising into the form of a coronet over the forehead, and
from which a white ostrich-feather falls gracefully to the shoulder.
A broad sash, the combined ribbons of different orders,-scarlet,
purple, and green,-crosses the bust from the right shoulder to the
waist, above which a mass of emeralds and diamonds of the first
water sparkles on her bosom. Her smile is one of engaging sweetness, which is not assumed on mere state-occasions, but is seen
habitually, whether this Neapolitan princess is accompanying her
august spouse in an afternoon ride, or whether with a single
attendant she grants a private audience to those who desire to pay
their homage to her majesty.
The Emperor is indeed a Saul,-head and shoulders above his
people; and in his court-dress, with his crown upon his fine, fair
brow, and his sceptre in his hand, whether receiving the salutes
of his subjects or opening the Imperial Chambers, he is a splendid
specimen of manhood. His height, when uncovered, is six feet four
inches, and his head and body are beautifully proportioned: at a
glance one can see, in that full brain and in that fine blue eye, that
he is not a mere puppet upon the throne, but a man who thinks.
The opening of the Chambers is always performed by His Majesty
in person. He reads a brief address from the throne, setting forth
the.condition and necessities of the Empire, and then, pronouncing
the session aberta, descends from the dais, followed in procession
to his Imperial carriage by all the dignitaries of court and members of the Assembly. The cortege returns to San Christovao
through streets that are decorated with hangings of crimson silk




TIHE OPENING OF THE ASSEMBLEA GERAL.


213


and satin brocade. There is not the enthusiasm attending this
ceremony which is manifested at the inauguration of a new President of the United States, but the circumstances are different: the
opening address of the Emperor'corresponds to the annual message
of the President, and there is no occasion for the jubilatic proceedings which are the concomitant parts of an inauguration. The
monarchial principle is deeply imbedded in the heart of the Brazilian, and, in its adaptation to them and their country, it is
infinitely superior to republicanism.
It is appropriate, in connection with the opening of the Assemblea
Geral, to give a sketch of the events succeeding those which
brought the present Emperor to the throne of Brazil.
It will be remembered that it was in the Campo de Santa Anna
that the citizens assembled in April, 1831, and demanded D. Pedro I.
to restore the ministry which was the favorite of the people. Upon
the refusal of the monarch to this request, repeatedly and respectfully urged through proper magistrates, several divisions of the
army and the national guard joined the populace. An adjutant
was sent to the Palace of San Christovio for a final answer, which
was given in the abdication of the monarch under circumstances
which command our highest admiration.
The Adjutant (Miguel de Frias Vasconcellos) returned at full
gallop from San Christovio with the decree of abdication in his
hand. It was received with the liveliest demonstrations of joy,
and the morning air rang with "vivas" to Dom Pedro the Second.
At an early hour all the Deputies and Senators in the metropolis,
together with the ex-Ministers of State, assembled in the SenateHouse and appointed a provisional Regency, consisting of Vergueiro,
Francisco de Lima, and the Marquis de Caravellas, who were to
administer the government until the appointment of the permanent
Regency provided for by the Constitution. The son in favor of
whom this abdication was made was not six years old: nevertheless, he was borne in triumph to the city, and the ceremony of his
acclamation as Emperor was performed with all imaginable enthusiasm. During the progress of these events, the corps diplomatique
had assembled at the house of the Pope's nuncio, to determine on
what course they should take in the progressing revolution. Mr.
Brown, the American charge d'affaires, declined being present at




214


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


this meeting, apprehending that its special design was to protect
the common interests of royalty. Those who met, however, agreed
to present an address to the existing authorities, in which, after
stating that the safety of their several countrymen was perilled in
the midst of the popular movements then taking place, they demanded for them the most explicit enjoyment of the rights and
immunities conceded by the laws and treaties of civilized nations.
They furthermore resolved to wait upon the ex-Emperor in a body,
to learn from his own lips whether he had really abdicated!
These measures were highly offensive to the new Government,
being considered in the light of an uncalled-for interference. That
Government was at the same time highly pleased with the course
pursued by Mr. Brown, and also by Mr. Gomez, the charg6 from
Colombia, who dissented from the policy of the monarchial diplomatic agents. The Minister of State remarked that their conduct
was that of "true Americans."
The 9th of April was appointed as the first court-day of Dom
Pedro II., while the ex-Emperor still remained in the harbor. A
Te Deum was chanted in the Imperial Chapel. The troops appeared
in review; and an immense concourse of people, wearing leaves of
the "arvore nacional" as a badge of loyalty, filled the streets.
They detached the horses from the Imperial carriage, so that they
might draw their infant sovereign with their own hands. When
he had been conveyed to the palace he was placed in a window,
and the unnumbered multitude passed before him. After this he
received the personal compliments of the corps diplomatique, none
of whom were absent, notwithstanding the recent excursion on
board the Warspite.
The new Government courteously offered Dom Pedro I. the use
of a public ship. He declined it, on account of the delay and expense that would be necessary to its outfit; remarking, at the same
time, that his good friends, the Kings of Great Britain and France,
could well afford him the conveyance for himself and family which
had been offered by their respective naval commanders on that
station.
On the 17th of June the Assemblea Geral proceeded to the election of the permanent Regency. The individuals elected were Lima,
Costa Carvalho, and Joao Braulio Muniz. The General Assembly




THE REGENCY.


215


was occupied during this session by exciting debates on the subject
of constitutional reform.
Senhor Antonio Carlos de Andrada presided in the Chamber of
Deputies. Jose Bonifacio, who had been appointed by the ex-Emperor as tutor to his children, was recommissioned by the Assemblea,
that body having decided that the former appointment was invalid.
On accepting his charge, that distinguished Brazilian declared that
he would receive no compensation for the services he might render
in that important capacity,-which declaration he maintained in
the spirit of a true patriot.
Notwithstanding the magnitude of the revolution that had so suddenly transpired, the public tranquillity was scarcely at all disturbed.
On the 7th of October official despatches arrived, bringing the
congratulations of the Government of the United States upon the
new order of things. This was the first demonstration of the sentiments of other nations that was communicated at the Brazilian
court, and as such was received with peculiar satisfaction.
In the month of April, 1832, two military riots occurred in Rio
de Janeiro, and in July following the Minister of Justice, in his
public report, seized the occasion to denounce the venerable Jose
Bonifacio, on suspicion of his having connived at the preceding
disturbances. The report of a committee in the Camara dos Deputados demanded his dismission without a hearing. The Camara
agreed to this by a bare majority, but the Senate dissented, and
that plot for degrading Andrada failed. The Regents sent in their
resignation to the General Assembly. A deputation from the
Chamber of Deputies besought them to remain in office. They
consented, but immediately organized a new ministry.
The next year, however, the opposition triumphed, not in verifying these unjust accusations, but in deposing the old patriot as
tutor to the young Emperor.
The year 1834 was celebrated on account of the important
changes that were made in the Constitution of the Empire. One
of these created annual assemblies in the provinces, instead of the
general councils before held.  The members of the provincial
assemblies were to be elected once in two years. Another abolished the triple Regency, and again conferred that office upon a
single individual, to be elected once in four years.




216


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


After the election for Sole Regent took place, the Senate delayed
for a long time the announcement of the successful candidate; but
at length it was made known that Diogo Antonio Feijo, of San
Paulo, had received a large majority of the electoral votes. Feijo,
although a priest, had been for many years engaged in political
life, and only two years before had been elected a Senator. One
of the last acts of the preceding administration had been to appoint
him Bishop of Mariana, a diocese including the rich province of the
Minas. Feijo was installed Sole Regent on the 12th of October,
1835. On the 24th he issued a judicious proclamation to the Brazilian people, setting forth the principles that he intended to observe
in his administration.
The agitated question of the Regency being settled, affairs assumed a more permanent aspect. Several foreign nations, at this
juncture, advanced their diplomatic agents to the highest grade.
The United States were desired to do the same, but did not consent.
In 1836 the Government, among other suggestions for the public
good, proposed to employ Moravian missionaries to catechize the
Indians of the interior. This measure, together with every other originated by this administration, was opposed with the utmost rancor
and bitterness by Vasconcellos, a veteran politician of great abilities and uncommon eloquence, but of doubtful principles and bad
morals. Notwithstanding the arts and power of Vasconcellos, the
leading measure of the administration prevailed. This was a loan
of two thousand contos of reis (~200,000) for the temporary relief
of the treasury. Open and active rebellions were at this time in
progress in Rio Grande.do Sul, and also in Para. Their influence,
however, was scarcely apparent at the capital, where every thing
seemed quiet and prosperous. The General Assembly was slow in
making provision to suppress these outbreaks, and when they were
about to adjourn Feijo prolonged the session a month, "that the
members might do their duty." Movements for the abolition of
the Regency, and the installation of the young Emperor, had
already commenced, even at this early day. At times, and in
favorable circumstances, they became more apparent.
Feijo's administration was not calculated to be popular. His
character partook of the old Roman sternness. When he had once
marked out a course for himself, he followed it against all opposi



CONDITION OF PARTIES.


217


tion. Disinclined to ostentation himself, he did not countenance it
in others. He neither practised nor abetted the usual arts of flattering the popular will. He sometimes changed his ministers, but
his, advisers seldom or never. At length, so embarrassed did he
find himself between the rebellion of Rio Grande and the factious
opposition that checked his measures for repressing it, that he
determined to retire from his office.
On the 17th of September, 1837, Feijo abdicated the Regency,
and the opposition party came into power. Pedro Araujo Lima,
then minister of the Empire, assumed the Regency by virtue of a
provision of the Constitution, although Vasconcellos was the prime
mover in the new order of affairs. No commotion took place, and
it was evident that the strength of the new Government consisted
in union. A different policy was adopted toward the boy Emperor.
Feijo had been distant and unceremonious; the new administration
became over-attentive. More display was made on public occasions,
and the inclinations of a people passionately fond of the pomp and
circumstance of royalty began to be fully gratified. In October,
1838, the votes of the new election were canvassed, and Lima was
installed Regent. His term of office was to cover the minority of
the Emperor.
Whether the Regent himself expected such a result or not, it
soon became apparent that the dignity of his office was quite
eclipsed by the new honors with which the young sovereign was
complimented.  The frequent changes of ministry hitherto had
embarrassed the diplomacy of the Brazilian Government, and had
caused much dissatisfaction to foreign powers, who were unwilling
to see their claims neglected from any cause. By degrees, however, the foreign as well as the internal affairs of the Government
became more permanently adjusted.
The year 1840 was signalized in Brazil by a new and startling
political revolution, which resulted in the abolition of the Regency.
The Emperor, Dom Pedro II., was now in his fifteenth year; and
the political party opposed to the Regent and the existing ministry
espoused the project of declaring his minority expired, and of
elevating him at once to the full possession of his throne. This
project had been occasionally discussed during the last five years.
But it had always been characterized as premature and absurd. It




218


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


was argued that the Constitution limited the minority of the
sovereign to the age of eighteen years, and that was early enough
for any young man to have the task of governing so vast an Empire. On the other hand, it was urged that, as to responsibility, the
Constitution expressly provided that none should attach itself to
the Emperor under any circumstances. Hence an abolition of the
Regency would, as matter of course, devolve the powers of the
regent upon some other officer. There would be one difference,
however. The Regent, as such, enjoyed the privileges of royalty
itself, being also perfectly irresponsible. This circumstance was
urged as a great and growing evil. However desirable it was for
a sovereign to possess the attribute of irresponsibility, it was a
dangerous thing for a citizen, accidentally elevated to office, to
have the power of dispensing good or evil without expecting to
answer for his conduct. As these subjects were discussed, much
feeling was aroused; but the best-informed persons supposed that
the Regent would be able to defeat the plan laid for his overthrow.
The debate upon the motion in the House of Deputies to declare
the Emperor of age began early in July, and at first turned
principally upon constitutional objections. The legislature had, in
fact, no power to amend or overstep the Constitution. But the
plan was arranged, minds were heated, and the passions of the
people began to be enlisted. Violence of language prevailed, and
personal violence began to be threatened.  Antonio Carlos de
Andrada, already described as a man of great learning and eloquence, but at the same time fiery and uncontrollable, stood forth
as the champion of the assailing party, accusing the Regent and
his ministry of usurpation, especially since the 11th of March, when
the Imperial Princess, Donna Januaria, became of age. His efforts
were powerfully resisted, but his cause rapidly gained favor both
in the Assembly and among the people.
Galvao, until recently attached to the other party, made an
impressive speech on the side of immediate acclamation as
inevitable.
Alvares Machado demanded that party trammels should now be
abandoned. "The cause of the Emperor was the cause of the
nation, and ought to receive the approbation of every lover of the
country."




DEBATES IN THE HOUSE OF DEPUTIES.


219


Navarro, a young but powerful member from Matto Grosso, followed in a violent and denunciatory speech, in which he stigmatized
the Regent, and all his acts, in the most opprobrious language.
While in the heat of his harangue, he suddenly exclaimed, " Viva
a maioridade de sua MIzjestade Imperial!"  The crowded galleries
had hitherto observed the most religious silence; but this exclamation drew forth a burst of enthusiastic and prolonged applause.
Navarro, no longer able to make himself heard, drew his handkerchief from his bosom to respond to the vivas from the gallery.
Members of the other party sitting near him imagined they saw a
dagger gleaming in his hand, and, not knowing whose turn might
come first, began to flee for their lives. One seized Navarro to
keep him quiet; but he, not perceiving the reason of the assault,
furiously repelled it. For a few moments the most intense and
uncontrollable excitement prevailed; but order was soon restored.
Crowds of people now assembled out of doors, demanding the
elevation of the young Emperor. Some went so far as to proclaim
his majority in the public squares of the city. The ministerial
party desperately resisted these strange movements in the House,
but they were unable to stave off the debate.
Limpo de Abreo, (afterward Visconde de Abaete,) an ex-minister, was in favor of the Revolution, but he wished it to be a deliberate and consistent one,-at least preceded by the report of a
committee justifying the step. After much opposition to the measure, the committee was appointed, and a momentary calm ensued.
During the night both parties reviewed their positions. The clubs
and lodges held their sessions, and the opposition met in caucus.
The Regent and his ministry were also in conclave. Vasconcellos,
the Senator from Minas-Geraes, the veteran politician, but a man
who had long been obnoxious on account of great moral delinquencies, was called in as their counsellor.
The session of the Chamber of Deputies next day was opened in
the midst of the deepest anxiety. The galleries were crowded with
people. The report of the committee was anxiously looked for,
and indeed imperiously demanded, but did not appear.
Navarro accused the majority of the committee of treacherously
intending delay. He urged the immediate and unceremonious
declaration of the Emperor's majority. He appealed to the galle.




220


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


ries, and received a deafening response of vivas to Dom Pedro II.
Indescribable confusion ensued. The President of the Chamber
attempted to call up the order of the day; but it was impossible.
The absorbing question must be discussed. The more moderate of
the Opposition wished the young Emperor's elevation deferred till
his birthday,-the 2d of December. The more violent exclaimed
vehemently against any delay whatever.  The debate was protracted to an unusual length. In the midst of it a messenger
entered, bearing documents from the Regent. They were read by
the Secretary. The first was a nomination of Bernardo Pereira de
Vasconcellos as Minister of the Empire! At the mention of the
name of Vasconcellos, irrepressible sensations of indignation were
apparent throughout the House. The Secretary proceeded to read
the second document, which proved to be an act of prorogation,
adjourning the General Assembly over from that moment to the
20th of November following.
Confusion and indignation were now at their height. The people
in the galleries could not be restrained. They poured down a torrent of imprecations upon the administration, mingled with vivas
to the majority of Dom Pedro II. Antonio Carlos, Martin Francisco, (the two Andradas,) Limpo de Abreo, sprang to their feet,
and one after the other entered their vehement protests against
this act of madness on the part of the Government. They charged
the Regent with treason, and declared that every Brazilian should
resist his high-handed measures.  They represented Lima as
clutching, with a death-grasp, the power that was about to escape
from his hands. They denounced him as a usurper, willing to
sacrifice the monarch and the throne, at the hazard of lighting up
the flames of civil war in every corner of the Empire. Vasconcellos
was portrayed as a monster whose name was significant of every
vice and crime, and withal the worst enemy the Emperor had; but
it was into his hands that the young monarch was now betrayed!
The President of the House attempted to enforce the Act of Prorogation, but was prevented. Antonio Carlos de Andrada now
started forth, and called upon every Brazilian patriot to follow him
to the halls of the Senate,-situated upon the Campo de Santa
Anna, and nearly a mile distant. His friends in the Iouse, and
the people en masse, accompanied him. The multitude increased




ACCLAMATION OF DOM PEDRO II.


221


at every step. On the arrival of the Deputies at the Senate, the
two Houses instantly resolved themselves into joint session, and
appointed a deputation, with Antonio Carlos at its head, to wait
upon the Emperor and obtain his consent to the acclamation.
During the absence of the deputation, several of the Senators endeavored to calm the passions of the people. The multitude without had increased to the number of several thousand. No soldiers
appeared; but the cadets of the Military Academy, in the heat of
their juvenile enthusiasm, rushed to arms and prepared to defend
their sovereign.
Presently the deputation returned, and announced that, after its
members had represented to the Emperor the state of affairs which
existed at the present crisis, His Majesty had consented to assume
the reins of government, and had ordered the Regent to revoke his
obnoxious decrees and to pronounce the Chambers again in session. Thunders of applause followed this announcement.  The
enthusiasm of the people knew no bounds. The country was saved,
and no blood was shed! The citizens proceeded to congratulate
one another upon this peaceful triumph of public opinion.
The discussions of the Assembly turned upon the manner of consummating the revolution which had thus singularly commenced.
Lima was now stigmatized as the ex-Pegent, and was pronounced
incompetent to reassemble the body which he had tried to prorogue.  The Marquis of Paranagua, President of the Senate,
declared that neither House was now in session, but that the members of both composed an august popular assemblage, personifying
the nation, demanding that their Emperor be considered no longer
a minor. It was finally resolved to remain in permanent session
until Iis Majesty should appear and receive in their presence the
oath prescribed by the Constitution. The Assembly consequently
remained in the Senate-House all night. A body of the National
Guards, the alumni of the Military Academy, and numerous citizens,
also remained to guard them.
At daylight the people generally began to reassemble. By ten
o'clock not less than eight or ten thousand of the most respectable
citizens surrounded the palace of the Senate. At that hour the
President of the Assembly made a formal declaration of the objects
of the present convocation. The rolls of both Houses were then




222


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


called, and the legal number, both of Senators and of Deputies,
being found present, the President arose and said:"I, as the organ of the Representatives of this nation in General
Assembly convened, declare that His Majesty Dom Pedro II. is
from this moment in his majority, and in the full exercise of his
constitutional prerogatives. The majority of His Majesty Senhor
Dom Pedro II.! Viva Senhor Dom Pedro II., constitutional Emperor and perpetual defender of Brazil!! Viva Senhor Dom Pedro
II.!!"
Millions of vivas from the members of the Assembly, from the
spectators in the gallery, and from the multitude in the Campo, now
rent the air in response, and were prolonged with indescribable
enthusiasm and delight. Deputations were appointed to wait upon
His Majesty when he should arrive, and to prepare a proclamation
for the Empire. At half-past three o'clock the Imperial escort appeared. His Majesty was preceded by the dignitaries of the palace,
and followed by his Imperial sisters. On beholding the young
Emperor, the enthusiasm of the crowd exceeded any former limit.
Nothing but a reiteration of vivas could be heard in the Campo
during the whole ceremony. His Majesty was received with all
possible formality, and conducted to the throne, near which the
members of the diplomatic corps were already seated in their
court-uniform. The Emperor now knelt down and received the
oath prescribed by the Constitution; and, after the auto de juramento was read aloud and solemnly signed, the following proclamation, already drafted by Antonio Carlos de Andrada, and approved
by the Assembly, was now uttered:"BRAZILIANS!-The General Legislative Assembly of Brazil, recognising that happy intellectual development with which it has
pleased Divine Providence to endow his Imperial Majesty Dom
Pedro II., recognising also the inherent evils which attach themselves to an unsettled government,-witnessing, moreover, the
unanimous desire of the people of this capital, which it believes to
be in perfect accordance with the desire of the whole Empire,-viz.:
to confer upon our august monarch the powers which the Constitution secures to him; therefore, in view of such important considerations, this body has, for the well-being of the country, seen
fit to declare the majority of Dom Pedro II., so that he may enter




PUBLIC CONGRATULATIONS.


223


at once upon the full exercise of his powers as constitutional
Emperor and perpetual defender of Brazil. Our august monarch
has just taken in our presence the solemn oath required by the
Constitution.
"Brazilians! The hopes of the nation are converted into
reality. A new era has dawned upon us. May it be one of
uninterrupted union and prosperity! May we prove worthy of so
great a blessing!"
After the ceremonies of the occasion had been completed, His
Majesty proceeded to the city palace, accompanied by the National
Guards and the people. In the evening a numerous and splendid
reception took place, and the joy of the whole city was manifested
by a spontaneous and most brilliant illumination.
To the astonishment of every one, the revolution was now complete. The Regency was abolished; perfect tranquillity prevailed;
and Dom Pedro II.-the boy who, when six years old, had been
acclaimed sovereign of a vast Empire-was now at fifteen invested
with all the prerogatives of his Imperial throne. The youthful
Emperor was very tall for his age, but not of the handsome proportions for which he is now so distinguished. His mind was of
an exceedingly mature cast. As a student he was, it may be said
without any exaggeration, most remarkable in his tastes, application, and rapid advancement. The study of the natural sciences
-not a mere smattering of them, but the most thorough and
abstruse investigation-was his delight; and his facility for acquiring language was such, that this day he can converse in the
principal tongues of Europe. It was therefore no empty phrase
which Antonio Carlos de Andrada used when he spoke of the
"happy intellectual development" of His young Imperial Majesty.
He was not a mere "boy Emperor."
The preceding year had witnessed the inauguration of steamnavigation along the whole Brazilian sea-coast, so that the news
of the recent events at Rio de Janeiro was soon made known in
every town of the extensive Atlantic board, and by special couriers
in a few weeks the most remote parts of the wide Empire were
sending up their vivas for Dom Pedro I1.
Congratulations were the order of the day. Every society,
every public institution, every province, and nearly every town,




224


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


from the capital to the remotest parts of the Empire, hastened, on
the reception of the news, not only to celebrate the event with
extravagant rejoicing, but also to send a deputation to utter, in the
presence of the Emperor, their most profound sentiments of joy at
his elevation to the sovereignty, and their cherished hopes of his
prosperity and happiness.
Thus was accomplished, without bloodshed, the third popular
revolution of Brazil. The Constitution, with the exception of the
article relating to the majority of the Emperor, remained intact.
In regard to the peculiar form of rule of the preceding nine
years, it may be said that there can be no doubt that the government of the Regency was a benefit to Brazil. During the entire
period of its existence it had to struggle with serious financial
difficulties, and also with the formidable rebellion of Rio Grande
do Sul, besides temporal outbreaks in other provinces. Nevertheless, improvement became the order of the day, and, in various
ways, was really secured.
The personal rule of the Emperor commenced under auspicious
circumstances.  He was the object of an enthusiasm which has
never waned. The two leaders of his first Cabinet were Antonio
Carlos and Martin Francisco Andrada.    Their elder brother,
Jos6 Bonifacio, was no more. In 1833, upon his deposition as tutor
to the Emperor, he withdrew from public life, and retired to the
beautiful island of Paqueta in the Bay of Rio de Janeiro, where he
died in 1838.
Antonio Carlos at the very outset frankly and lucidly set forth
the principles uplo which the ministerial action would be based
under the new order of things.  Those principles were safe and
consistent; and from the known energy of the Andradas, together
with their associates, it may be presumed that no efforts were
spared to put them in practice.
The nation at large was exhilarated with the idea of the glorious
revolution that had transpired; but the legislature, tired by its
recent paroxysms, soon fell back into its old method of doing business. The first leading measure of the opposition was the appointment of a Council of State, the members of which were to hold the
office of special advisers to the Emperor. It became an immediate
and protracted subject of discussion, but did not succeed till late in




PREPARATIONS FOR THE CORONATION.


225


the following year. Things throughout the Empire moved on in
their ordinary course, save that, when the subject of the Emperor's
elevation lost its novelty, that of his approaching coronation became
the,theme of universal interest and of unbounded anticipation.
The early part of the year 1841 was fixed upon for the coronation. Preparations for that event were set on foot long in advance
of the time. Expectants of honors and emoluments attempted to
rival each other in parade and display. Extraordinary embassies
were sent out from the different courts of Europe, in compliment
to the Brazilian throne.
While diplomatists and politicians were intent upon sharing the
honors of this occasion, the artisans and shopkeepers of the metropolis displayed quite as much tact in securing the profits of it.
Exorbitant prices were demanded for every article of ornament
and luxury; but those articles had now become necessary, and
aspiring poverty, not less than grudging avarice, was compelled
to submit to extortion.
Before the next session of the General Assembly difficulties had
occurred which seriously embarrassed the administration. Several
of the provinces had resisted the new appointments of presidents,
and in so doing had manifested tendencies to revolution. But the
most serious evil grew out of the long-standing rebellion in Rio
Grande do Sul. In the anxiety of the Cabinet to bring this internal war to a close, Alvares Machado had been appointed an agent
of the Government to treat with the rebels. Much confidence had
been reposed in his personal influence with those in revolt, and he
had been invested with extraordinary and unconstitutional powers.
But, with all the facilities offered them, the insurgents refused to
compromise. Machado was then appointed President of the province.
In this office, instead of wielding a rod of iron, as his predecessors had done, or had attempted to do, he adopted conciliatory
measures, and rather entreated a negotiation. This attitude was
stigmatized as dishonorable to the Empire, and such an outcry was
made in regard to it as to excite general alarm lest the interests
of the throne should be betrayed. This outcry was aimed at the
ministry. A change was demanded, and was at length obtained.
On the 23d of March the Andradas and their friends, with a single
15




226


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


exception, were dismissed; and thus those who had brought about
the new order of things were supplanted, just in time for their opponents to secure the decorations and the emoluments that were
soon to be distributed.
Mortifying as this circumstance may have been in some of its
bearings, it caused no grief to the Andradas in view of their personal wishes. They could point to the early days of their political
prosperity, in proof of their disinterested devotion to their country.
They could now, as then, retire in honorable poverty, preserving
the claim of pure patriotism as a more precious treasure than
wealth or titles. Theirs was the distinction that would cause posterity to inquire why they did not receive the honors they had
deserved. Other men were welcome to the ignominy of wearing
titles they had never merited.
When the General Assembly convened in May, it was found expedient to postpone the coronation. Thus, for two months longer
this anticipated fete continued to be the all-engrossing topic of
conversation and of-preparation in every circle, from the Emperor
and Princesses down to the lowest classes. That anxiously-lookedfor event transpired at length, on the 18th of July, 1841. It was
magnificent beyond the expectations of the most sanguine. The
splendor of the day itself,-the unnumbered thousands of citizens
and strangers that thronged the streets,-the tasteful and costly
decorations displayed in the public squares and in front of private
houses,-the triumphal arches,-the pealing salutes of music and
of cannon,-the perfect order and tranquillity that prevailed in the
public processions and ceremonies of the day, together with nearly
every thing elsethat could be imagined or wished,-seemed to combine and make the occasion one of the most imposing that ever
transpired in the New World. The act of consecration was performed in the Imperial Chapel, and was followed by a levee in the
palace of the city. The illuminations at night were upon a splendid scale, and the festivities of the occasion were prolonged nine
successive days.
So far as pomp and parade could promote the stability of a
Government and secure a lasting respect for a crown, every thing
was done for Brazil on that day that possibly could be done without greater means at command. There were circumstances, how



THE COUNCIL OF STATE.


227


ever, connected with the monarchial pomp and the lavish expenditures of this coronation, which could not fail to be very embarrassing to those who had to struggle with them. The finances of the
Empire were at the very lowest ebb, and constantly deteriorating.
The money used in support of this grand fete, including an expense
of one hundred thousand dollars for an Imperial crown, was borrowed, and added to an immense public debt. In addition to this,
the Government was far from   being stable and settled.  Its
councils were divided, and its policy vacillating. The existence
of this state of things formed a principal pretext for the splendid
demonstration alluded to. It was thought to be an object of the
first importance to surround the throne with such a degree of
splendor as would forever hallow it in the eyes of the people.
After the coronation, the sessions of the General Assembly were
resumed. On the 23d of November a law was passed establishing
the Conselho de Estado. This body was modelled upon the double
basis of the ordinary and extraordinary Privy Councils of Great
Britain. Among the gentlemen composing this Council were Lima,
Calmon, Carneiro Leto, and Vasconcellos. The very individuals who
opposed the Andradas at the period of the young Emperor's elevation, and who were then put down by acclamation, had, in the
short space of a year, not only managed to get back into public
favor, but also to secure life-appointments of the most influential
kind.
Vasconcellos, it is true, sought no titles. They were playthings
which he could easily dispense with for the gratification of his
fellow-partisans. But he loved power, and neither mortifications
nor defeat diverted him an instant from its pursuit. He finally
gained a position which probably suited his inclinations better
than any other, and in which, as the master-spirit of the body,
his influence must be widely felt.
On the 1st of January, 1842, the Honorable Mr. Hunter,* United
States Charg6 d'Affaires at Rio de Janeiro, presented to His Majesty
the Emperor his credentials as envoy-extraordinary and minister

* No foreign diplomatist in Brazil left warmer friends than the late Honorable
Mr. Hunter, of Rhode Island. His accomplishments as a scholar and his affability as a gentleman won the hearts of all.




228


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


plenipotentiary, to which rank he had been advanced. This compliment was speedily reciprocated by the appointment of the
Honorable Mr. Lisboa as the minister of Brazil at Washington.
In continuance of the present historical sketch of Brazilian
affairs, it is painful to add that the year 1842 was marked by
repeated and serious disturbances in different parts of the Empire.
They commenced with the elections for deputies. Various frauds
had been enacted, by suddenly changing the day, hour, and places
of elections. What was worse, bodies of troops and armed men
were introduced to influence votes, while crowds of voters were
brought in from other districts. In short, bribery, corruption, and
force triumphed over the free exercise of public opinion. It is
not to be presumed that one party was guilty of these measures
alone; but it appeared, in the issue, that the opposition had succeeded and that the ministerial party was in the minority. The
conduct of the ministry was such-though they acted with some
degree of plausibility in regard to preventing the regular meeting
of the Assembly and in issuing a decree for an extraordinary
session-that the sounds of rebellion were heard in parts of the
Empire which hitherto had been the most faithful and the most
tranquil. San Paulo and Minas-Geraes were in commotion and
disorder. The utmost consternation prevailed, and even at the
capital an incendiary proclamation was posted up at the corners
of the streets, calling upon the people to free the Emperor from
the domination which had been imposed upon him, and to rescue
both the throne and the Constitution from threatened annihilation.
It is interesting to note that the Brazilians, in their internal
commotions, put the blame in the right place, and have ever
rallied around D. Pedro. He, on the other hand, has always
proved, by his character and by his measures, worthy of their
devotion. The power of the Emperor of Brazil is not like that
of the monarch of Russia, but is as limited as that of the sovereign of the British realm.
The Government was now driven to extreme measures. The
militia was called out, and martial law was proclaimed in the
three disturbed provinces. The supremacy of the law was maintained. The prospects of the Empire were for a short time very
gloomy and unpromising, but by degrees the storm blew over.




THE IMPERIAL MARRIAGES.


229


Order was gradually restored without actual hostilities or the loss
of many lives. The worst consequences of the rebellion were experienced in the districts where it occurred, although public confidence and the national revenue suffered severely.
The elections at the close of the year occurred with more quietness, and on the 1st of January, 1843, the Emperor opened the
General Assembly in person, and a new ministry was appointed.
From that time to this there has been a softening down of parties
and factions; and, though there has always been a certain amount
of corruption and unscrupulousness in the political affairs of the
nation, no great disturbances have affected its welfare, and there,
has been a constant tendency to obedience to law. In connection
with this, financial difficulties were diminished and national
prosperity increased.
The most remarkable public events that transpired at Rio
during the year 1843 were the Imperial marriages. They were
celebrated with great rejoicings and all possible splendor.
As early as July, 1842, the Emperor Dom Pedro II. had ratified a contract of marriage with Her Royal Highness the Most
Serene Princess Senhora Donna Theresa Christina Maria, the
august sister of His Majesty the King of the Two Sicilies. The
marriage was duly solemnized at Naples, and, on the 5th of March,
a Brazilian squadron, composed of a frigate and two corvettes,
sailed from Rio de Janeiro to the Mediterranean, to conduct the
Empress to her future home.
In the mean time, on the 27th of March, a French squadron
arrived, under the command of His Royal Highness Prince de Joinville, son of Louis Philippe. This was Joinville's second visit to
Brazil. Soon after his arrival he made matrimonial propositions
to Her Imperial Highness Donna Francisca, the third sister of the
Emperor. The customary negotiations were closed with despatch.
On the 1st of May the marriage was solemnized at Boa Vista.
On the 13th of May the Prince and his Imperial bride sailed for
Europe.
The Empress Donna Theresa arrived at Rio on the 3d of September, and was received not only with magnificent ceremonies,
but also with sincere cordiality on the part of the Brazilians.
It may be mentioned here that the eldest sister of D. Pedro II.,




230


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Donna Maria, Queen of Portugal, had previously taken, as her
royal consort, Prince Fernando Augusto, of Saxe-Coburg Gotha;
and on the 28th of April, 1844, Her Imperial Highness Donna
Januaria was also married to a Neapolitan prince,-the Count
of Aquilla, brother to the Empress of Brazil and the King of the
Two Sicilies. Thus, in the course of a single year, the Imperial
family of Brazil contracted honorable and flattering alliances with
the courts of Europe.
In 1844, Brazil was rejoiced by the birth of the Imperial Prince
Dom Affonso; but his untimely death the following year brought
mourning upon the nation. In 1846, the Princess Isabella (the
present heir-presumptive) was born, and, in 1847, her sister, the
Donna Leopoldina. In case of the death of these princesses, and
the demise of the Emperor without other issue, the Constitution
provides that the eldest child (Donna Januaria) shall be heir to
the Imperial throne.
In 1850, the slave-trade (which had continued despite solemn
treaties) was effectually put down; and, soon after, a number of the
leading dealers in the inhuman traffic-men who had hitherto held
high position in society-were banished.
The same year witnessed the first steamship-line to Europe;
and now the Empire is united to the Old World by no less than
eight lines.
For the last ten years the progress of Brazil has been onward.
Her public credit abroad is of the highest character. Internal
improvements have been projected and are being executed on a
large scale; tranquillity has prevailed, undisturbed by the slightest
provincial revolt; party spirit has lost its early virulence; the
attention of all is more than ever directed to the peaceful triumphs
of agriculture and legitimate commerce; public instruction is being
more widely diffused; and, though much is yet required to elevate
the masses, still, if Brazil shall continue to carry out the principles
of her noble Constitution, and if education and morality shall
abound in her borders, she will in due time take position in the
first rank of nations.




CHAPTER XIII.
THE EMPEROR OF BRAZIL-HIS REMARKABLE TALENTS AND ACQUIREMENTS-NEW
YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY-THE FIRST SIGHT OF D. PEDRO II.-AN EMPEROR
ON BOARD AN AMERICAN STEAMSHIP-CAPTAIN FOSTER AND THE "CITY OF
PITTSBURG" HOW D. PEDRO II. WAS RECEIVED BY THE "SOVEREIGNS" -AN
EXHIBITION OF AMERICAN ARTS AND MANUFACTURES-DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME
-VISIT OF THE EMPEROR-HIS KNOWLEDGE OF AMERICAN AUTHORS-SUCCESS
AMONG THE PEOPLE-VISIT TO THE PALACE OF S. CIIRISTOVAO-LONGFELLOW,
HAWTHORNE, AND WEBSTER.
WE naturally turn with interest and a laudable curiosity to look
at the character and abilities of the monarch who has been called
by Providence to the head of a growing nation. The Emperor of
Brazil, by the various limits of the Constitution, has not the scope
for kingcraft that is the heritage of Alexander II. or the achievement of Napoleon III. The life of some crowned heads is only an
official one; very few of the Dei gratia rulers possess intrinsic
merit: they are educated, refined, and may or may not be affable.
In the eye of the legitimist their chief distinction is the blood which
has coursed through the veins of generations of kings. He who is
situated half-way between the legitimist and the red republican
regards with a greater or less degree of veneration the representative of executive power which he beholds in the ruler, and is
possibly excited to a certain admiration by the amiable and benevolent character which he who sits upon the throne may possess.
But it is very rare, in the history of nations, to find a monarch
who combines all that the most scrupulous legitimist would exact,
who is limited by all the checks that a constitutionalist would
require, and yet has the greatest claim for the respect of his subjects and the admiration of the world, in his native talent and in
his acquisitions in science and literature. These rare combinations
meet in Dom Pedro II. In his veins courses the united blood of
231




232


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


the Braganzas, the Bourbons, and the Hapsburgs. By marriage
he is related to the Royal and Imperial families of England,
France, Russia, Spain, and Naples. His father (Dom Pedro I.)
was an energetic Braganza; his mother (Donna Leopoldina) a
HIapsburg, and sister-in-law to Napoleon I. His relatives, it will
be seen, are of every grade,-from the constitutional monarch to
the most absolute ruler.
His powers, modified by the Brazilian Constitution, have already
been considered; and it remains to point out his chief and commanding title to the regard of his nation and the world.
He has devoted much time to the science of chemistry, and his
laboratory at San Christovio is always the scene of new experiments. Lieutenant Strain, the noble hero of the Darien Expedition,-whose science is as well known as his kindness and bravery,
-informed me that, on a visit to Rio de Janeiro more than ten
years ago, he found the Emperor a thorough devotee to the studies
of natural phenomena. Dr. Reinhardt-who has spent many years
in Brazil as a naturalist-visited the capital of the Empire when
D. Pedro II. was not yet out of his teens: the latter heard that an
American savant was about to enter upon a scientific exploration
of the Empire, and sent for him to aid him in performing certain
new chemical experiments, accounts of which had been perused by
his Majesty in the European journals of science. Dr. Reinhardt
further added, that the young monarch, in his enthusiasm, paid no
attention to the time that flew by as they, in a tropic clime and a
close room, were cooped up for hours over fumigating chemicals.
It is well known at Rio de Janeiro that he is a good topographical engineer, and his theoretical knowledge of perspective is
sometimes put in practice; for the German Prince Adalbert, in
the published account of his visit to Brazil, states that the Emperor
presented him with a very creditable painting from the Imperial
palette. He has a great penchant for philological studies. I have
heard him speak three different languages, and know, by report,
that he converses in three more; and, so far as translating is concerned, he is acquainted with every principal European tongue
His library abounds in the best histories, biographies, and encyclopedias. Some one has remarked that a stranger can scarcely start
a subject in regard to his own country that would be foreign to








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CAMERA DO     SENADO.
(The Annual Opening of the, Assemblea Geral by D. Pedro II.)




THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF D. PEDRO II.


238


Dom Pedro II. There is not a session of the Brazilian Historical
Society from which he is absent; and he is familiar with the modern
literature of England, Germany, and the United States, to a degree
of minuteness absolutely surprising. When Lamartine's appeal for
assistance was wafted over the waters, it was the Emperor of
Brazil who rendered him greater material aid than any other, by
subscribing for five thousand copies of his work, for which he
remitted to the sensitive litterateur one hundred thousand francs.
His favorite modern poet is Mr. Longfellow, for whom he has an
unbounded admiration.
In literature and science he is not, however, confined to large
tomes, but a portion of each morning is allotted to the perusal
of foreign periodicals and journals, as well as the publications
of Brazil. That which emanates from his own pen is rarely seen;
but I have before me some original lines by the monarch, which a
member of the diplomatic corps at Rio copied from the album
of one of the Imperial household.  They were doubtless never
intended for the public eye; but the justness of their sentiment in
English, if not the mellifluousness of their Portuguese, is appreciable by every reader of this work. (See Appendix.)
In 1856, the Honorable Luther Bradish, the accomplished and
dignified presiding officer of the New York Historical Society, at
the June meeting of that association, proposed Dom Pedro II. as
an honorary member of that learned body. The proposition was
seconded by Marshal S. Bidwell, Esq., and I need hardly add that
the vote was carried by acclamation. The same society, on a subsequent evening, was briefly addressed by the Rev. Dr. Osgood,
whose remark in regard to the Emperor of Brazil is as true as it
is forcible:-" Dom Pedro II., by his character, and by his taste,
application, and acquisitions in literature and science, ascends from
his mere fortuitous position as Emperor, and takes his place in the
world as a man."
The Brazilian ruler receives his talents in a direct line: Dom
Pedro I. was a man of great energy and ability, and Donna Leopoldina was not without some of that power which characterized
Maria Theresa. The early studies of Dom Pedro II. were conducted by the Franklin of Brazil,-Jose Bonifacio de Andrada;
and we know not how much his tastes for science may have been




234


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


influenced by that ardent admirer of the study of nature. His
mind early became imbued with such pursuits, and, when growing
up to manhood, as we have already seen, he omitted no opportunity for making additions to his store of knowledge.
The first time that I saw the Emperor he was in citizen's dress,
accompanied by the Empress. They were in a coach-and-six, preceded and followed by horse-guards. He likes a rapid movement,
and, whether on horseback or in a carriage, his chamberlains and
guards are kept at a pace contrary to the usual manifestations
of activity among the Brazilians. Two of the dragoons precede
the coach at full gallop, and, at the blast of their bugles, the street
is cleared of every encumbrance in the shape of promenaders and
vehicles. It has, however, occurred to me that the neck-muscles
of their Majesties must be exceedingly fatigued after their frequent
city and suburban rides, for the humblest subject who salutes them
is reciprocated in his attention.  Their usual afternoon-drive is
through the Catete and Botafogo to the Botanical Garden.
A combination of circumstances brought me afterward into a
much closer relation with his Majesty than as a mere spectator
of his fine form when he passed rapidly by. In 1852, during the
temporary absence of Mr. Ferdinand Coxe, the Secretary of the
United States Legation at Rio de Janeiro, I was chosen to fill his
place, and finally, after his resignation, I was appointed Acting
Secretary. In September, 1852, it became my duty to go to the
Palace of San Christovio in company with Governor Kent, who, in
the absence of the Minister-Plenipotentiary, held the post of Charge
d'Affaires in addition to that of American Consul. The occasion
that demanded this official visit of Governor Kent was, in accordance with court-etiquette, to thank his Majesty for having accepted
the invitation of the American Captain Foster to visit the "City
of Pittsburg."  This large merchant-steamer was on its way to
California vid the Straits of Majellan, and, while stopping for coals
in the harbor of Rio de Janeiro, the captain invited the Emperor
and his court to an excursion on board the splendid specimen of
American naval architecture under his command. The Emperor
having signified his acceptance, all was made ready, and, at eleven
o'clock, the guns of the forts and of the men-of-war told that the
Imperial party were embarking in the state-barges for the steamer.




THE EMPEROR ON AN AMERICAN STEAMER.


235


The day was most beautiful, and Captain Foster spared no pains in
adorning his fine steamer in a manner worthy of his guests. Flags
and streamers were suspended from every mast, the standards of
the North American Republic and the South American Empire
floated in unison, while a full orchestra from the flower-strewn
deck sent forth the national anthems of Brazil and the Union.
When the barges reached the "City of Pittsburg," Captain
Foster, with the American Charge d'Affaires by his side, received
the Emperor, and, when welcoming him on board, placed the
steamer at his Majesty's order.
Dom Pedro II. was accompanied by the Empress, and also by
the Cabinet Ministers, the Imperial household, and the chief
officers of the army and navy. All were in full court-dress, with
the exception of their Majesties.
The excursion was of unusual interest. The fine steamer of
twenty-two hundred tons ploughed her way through the various
anchorages until she reached the men-of-war; the cannon of the
forts saluted her as she passed, and the vessels-of-war not only
sent forth their booming salvos, but the yards were manned, and
the sailors shouted their loud vivas to D. Pedro II. In the mean
while, the Emperor examined the " City of Pittsburg" from the coalbunkers to her engine; and, as it fell to my duty to make many of
the explanations, it afforded an opportunity for observing the man
and forgetting the unbending features of the Emperor. He was
not content with beholding the mere upper-works of the machinery,
but descended into the hot and oily quarters of the lower part
of the ship, where the most intricate portion of the engine was
situated: a half-hour was afterward devoted to studying the
engraved plan of the machinery, which was further explained by
the chief engineer of the steamer, and by Mr. Grundy, an English
engineer, who has long been connected with the Brazilian navy.
When the investigation of the engine was concluded, the Emperor
wished to visit the forward-deck. Now, Americans are the vainest
people in the world, and we were all afraid that on this part of
the vessel Dom Pedro would not only be shocked with the appearance of some very rough specimens of humanity on their way
to the gold-regions of the Pacific, but that the said specimens would
not give His Majesty the reception which was due to his station as




236


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


the Executive head of the most powerful South American Government. The Emperor's attention, however, could not be diverted to
a different point; and the captain, fearing and trembling, was led
to the forward-deck. There, upon the taffrail, sat representatives
of the New York "Mose," the Philadelphia "Killer," and the Baltimore "Plug-ugly."  The captain's heart sank within him: he was
proud of his ship, proud of his illustrious guest, but he had very
little to be proud of in some of his passengers,-especially the
unkempt and unterrified, who were even more picturesque after
their voyage than upon election-day.  The Emperor now approached the sovereigns,-ay, near enough to have them "betwixt
the wind and his nobility." Then occurred a scene, rich beyond
description, which could never have taken place with others than
Americans for actors. One of the unshaven, whose tobacco had,
up to this time, occupied the greater portion of his mouth and
thoughts, suddenly tumbled from the taffrail, discharged his quid
into the ocean, and, hat in hand, yelled forth, in a well-meaning
but terrific voice, "Boys, three cheers for the Emperor of the
Brazils!" In a twinkle of an eye every Californian was upon his
feet; and never, in their oft-fought battles for the "glorious Democracy," did they send forth such round and hearty huzzas as they
did that day to D. Pedro II. The suddenness, the earnestness, the
good intention, and the enthusiasm of the whole procedure were
most mirth-provoking. The captain's fears subsided: his pons asinorum was crossed, and he took breath and laughed freely. The
Emperor returned the impromptu salute with great respect, and,
for the occasion, with becoming gravity.
The Empress and her suite were not less pleased with the commodious saloons and richly-decorated cabins of the steamer than
her Imperial spouse had been with all its mechanical appointments.
The "City of Pittsburg" was at the command of the Emperor;
but on we steamed, notwithstanding a portion of the court became
exceedingly sea-sick. His Majesty was too well pleased with his
new floating-dominion to resign it so soon; and thus we passed ten
miles beyond the Sugar-Loaf before the order was given to return.
The panorama of coast-mountains never appeared to me more
magnificent than on that bright September day.




How THE " SOVEREIGNS" RECEIVE AN EMPEROR.   237


The captain had prepared a sumptuous collation, but there was
an obstacle which seemed more difficult to surmount than the
forward-deck. The Imperial pair were not even in the habit of
dining with their suite, and, except on rare state-occasions, eminent
Ministers-Plenipotentiary had never been invited to partake of a
repast in the same room with their Majesties. There was no precedent of a collation having been given on the deck of an American
vessel, and, above all, on board of a mere commercial ship. No
one liked the idea of consulting the Emperor about an affair apparently so trifling as to the manner in which he desired to eat,
and therefore Captain Foster, who is as modest as he is hospitable,
took the whole matter into his own hands and made a precedent.
The "City of Pittsburg" was constructively a part of the United
States, and the captain was determined to do the honors of his
country as he would have done them on the banks of the Hudson.
Their Majesties were accommodated with an entire. table to themselves, which, like six others in the ship, was separated from its
fellows by the space of two feet. The American party occupied
the adjoining table; the ministers and noblemen were seated at
another in a different part of the saloon, while the chamberlains
stood near the Emperor. Perhaps D. Pedro had no objection to
the proximity of the Americans, considering that they were all
" sovereigns."  Captain Foster, who spoke French, proposed, with
a dignity becoming the occasion, the health of their Majesties;
and all passed off as easily and as happily as if there had been
a thousand and one ceremonies and precedents to have been
supported and followed.
We entered the harbor amid the booming of cannon, and at
sunset the Imperial party again embarked in the state-barges,
having spent what they afterward declared to have been one
of the most agreeable days of their lives. Again and again have
I heard their Majesties express their remembrance of that excursion; and none of Captain Foster's personal friends felt a deeper
sympathy for him than did D. Pedro II. and Donna Theresa when
they learned, through the public journals, the sad fate of the "City
of Pittsburg" in the harbor of Valparaiso.
In 1854, I returned for a few months to the United States.
Having often had occasion while in Brazil to remark the igno



238


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


rance which prevailed in regard to my own country, and the reciprocal ignorance of the people of the United States in regard to
Brazil, I desired to do all that was in the power of a single individual to remove erroneous impressions and to bring about a
better understanding between the two countries.  There were
higher objects in view than the mere diffusion of knowledge and
the promotion of commerce; and, now that two years have elapsed
since this little effort was undertaken, I have the satisfaction of
knowing that new avenues of reciprocity have been opened, that
school-books have been prepared for Brazil in the American style,
and that thousands of dollars' worth of some of the articles displayed have been ordered since 1855.
I shall here introduce, even at the hazard of some repetition, the
greater part of a letter addressed to the "New York Journal of Commerce" and the "Philadelphia Ledger," which gives an account of
the effort to which I have referred. It is on my part due to others to
premise that many did not fully understand the proposed enterprise, and, after hearing of its success, regretted that they had not
had an opportunity of being represented in the "Exposition" at
the capital of Brazil.
"Rio DE JANEIRO, May 23, 1855.
'MESSRS. EDITORS:-[After a few preliminary remarks, I wrote
as follows:] The motives which prompted me to undertake this
affair were simply the good of the United States and Brazil, When
laboring for several years as a missionary-chaplain at Rio de
Janeiro, I found great ignorance in regard to our country, its progress, and its producing-resources. I also discovered a reciprocal
ignorance in the United States concerning Brazil. In the latter
country we were known as a bold, hardy race, which consumed
two-thirds of the Brazilian coffee-crop, for which we sent, in return,
flour and a few articles of no great note. In the United States,
Brazil was often classed among the Spanish countries of America:
few people were aware that the Portuguese language was spoken,
and that here was the only monarchy in America, and the only
other constitutional Government on the Western continent which
has marched forward in tranquillity and material prosperity. I here
found English, German, and French goods and publications, with
some few exceptions, the mode,-and this, too, when many of the




EXPOSITION OF AMERICAN MANUFACTURES AT RIO. 239


same articles were to be bought cheaper in the United States; and
I also ascertained that our ships often came in ballast for coffee,
paying for it cash at most exorbitant rates of exchange, when
European vessels brought cargoes at a profit in payment for the
chief staples of Brazil.
"In Brazil I found a very great want of school-books. In Chili
and New Grenada I saw Spanish books published by Messrs. Appleton, and I desired to see the same for the youth of Brazil, where
very great attention is awakening to the subject of education. I
observed here scientific societies which rank, in dignity and devotion to belles-lettres, with the New York Historical Society, and like
associations of our own land.
"It was my ardent wish, first, to see this seven millions of
tolerant people possessing sound morality and true religion. It
was my next desire to see men of science and learning in Brazil
linked with the kindred spirits of our vigorous land; to behold
good school-books in the hands of Brazilian children; and to see
our manufactures taking their stand in this country, which is so
great a consumer.
"In 1854, on account of the ill health of a member of my family,
I was compelled to leave suddenly my field of labor for the United
States. There, after several months, it became evident that I
should have to abandon the land of my adoption. It was, however, necessary for me to return to Brazil, in order to settle up my
affairs. It was then that, through the public journals, I offered
my services to convey to Rio de Janeiro, free of charge to the
donors, any articles that might be sent to my address. These
objects I solicited for the Emperor, for scientific and literary associations, and for exposition to the public. I was a clergyman, and
I thought that no one could accuse me of speculation. For two
months was I, more or less, engaged at my own expense in making
solicitations in person, as well as by the press and by letters. I
regret to say that many persons who should have been interested
in such an enterprise did not choose to respond to the solicitations
of an unknown name, and thus the Exposition was not so rich
in some departments as it otherwise would have been, although
I with pleasure record that there were some influential men who
lent the weight of their names to the project.




240


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


"At length a number of artists, publishers, merchants, and manufacturers were induced to send specimens of books, engravings,
sculpture, and manufactures; but these were few in comparison to
those who might have contributed to their own future benefit.
"Messrs. Corner & Sons, of Baltimore, generously placed their
bark at my disposal for a free passage. In the month of March,
the good bark 'Huntingdon' left Baltimore with my packages on
board. Robert C. Wright, Esq., of that city, and his first clerk,
Mr. W. R. Jackson, did every thing in their power to facilitate the
enterprise, and to them more than to others I am indebted for
the successful consummation of my desired object. In April we
arrived at Rio de Janeiro, and for three weeks I had such vexation
and delay that I almost despaired of a prosperous termination.
Through the kindness of Senhor Carvalho de Moreiro, then Brazilian Minister at Washington, and by a letter from Hon. William
Trousdale, the American Minister here, my boxes and packages
were admitted free of duty. The custom-house regulations of this
country are exceedingly strict, and I had to give an account of
every thing that I had brought for the statistical purpose of the
Minister of Finance. As I had no list of the articles nor of their
values, as many of the boxes contained one hundred different
tightly-made packages, and as there were many objects of a fragile
nature, and as every thing had to be opened by officers who might
not be the most careful, I suffered mentally and physically both
before and after the examination. It was no easy matter to undo
so many parcels, and it was hard to restore again some fine specimens after a clumsy underling had put a nail through them.
"The chief collector of the custom-house believed, from the day
that I arrived until the day of the examination, that I was meditating some plot against the finances of the country, and openly
told some of the merchants that I intended to sell these things.
[That gentleman afterward became a very warm and an attentive
friend.] But when I had patiently assisted in opening for examination box after box, and we came to one containing the splendid
photographs of Fredericks & Gurney, the chief examiner said to
one of the others, 'Go call the second collector.' He came, and,
after expressing his astonishment at such perfection in photography,
he sent for the collector-in-chief. This latter gentleman left his




OBSTACLES OVERCOME.


241


platform in the large public hall of the custom-house, and found his
way to the store-room. His admiration knew no bounds when he
saw the large life-sized photograph of Webster,-the last likeness
of the.great statesman. From this time onward, his suspicions in
regard to my project ceased. He looked with great pleasure into
Colton's fine maps, and delighted in a critical examination of the
exquisite bank-note engraving of Danforth & Wright and that of
Toppan & Carpenter, who had contributed some most beautiful
specimens of this mingling of the beautiful with the useful in art.
The examination and noting down the contents of the boxes went
on very swiftly from the time of this visit of the chief collector.


THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.


" One week after the custom-house was cleared, I received an order
from the Minister of the Empire, granting me a large hall in the
National Museum, for the purposes of an Exposition. The same
day I went to the palace, and communicated to the Emperor that
I should be ready to receive him at eleven A.M. next day, (May 16,)
16




242


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


at the Museum. His Majesty received me, it seemed to me, with
more amiability than his usual serious countenance indicated, and
I soon discovered, from a remark which he made, that I was indebted to His Excellency Senhor Carvalho de Moreiro for a full
explanation to His Majesty of my project, which was on my part
far more philanthropic than commercial.
"That night sleep did not visit me, so busily was I engaged in
the arrangement of the whole affair. The next day, at five minutes
before eleven, (His Majesty is noted for his punctuality,) I heard
the well-known bugle-blast of the Imperial horse-guards; and, before
my assistants had time to withdraw, the coaches containing Dom
Pedro II. and the chamberlains drew up at the Museum.
"By the aid of some kind friends, I had so disposed the six hundred different objects that the exhibition was not wanting in an
imposing appearance. The American and Brazilian flags fell in
graceful folds over the portrait of Washington and the likenesses
of the Emperor and his father. The maps of Colton and others,
and engravings from New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, covered
the walls. Books and small manufactured articles occupied tables;
beautifully-designed wall-papers and sample-books of mousseline de
laines were suspended; and large agricultural implements were
arranged on platforms provided for the occasion.
"His Majesty commenced at one end, and with great earnestness
and interest examined every thing in detail. He made many inquiries, and manifested a most intimate knowledge with the progress of our country.  He was filled with admiration at the
specimens of books, steel engravings, chromo-lithography, (of
Philadelphia,) and agricultural implements. Every now and then
you might have heard him calling to some of his noblemen or
chamberlains to come and admire with him this or that work of
the useful or beautiful arts. He was not, however, indiscriminate
in his praise, but was perfectly frank in his criticism.
"Being himself a thorough student of physical science, and a
good engineer, he examined with minuteness the splendid edition
of the United States Coast Survey, from the bureau of the United
States Coast Survey, Washington; and he appreciated at their
just value the various scientific works that occupied a conspicuous table.




ADMIRATION FOR MR. LONGFELLOW.


243


"For half an hour he pored over Youman's Atlas of Chemistry,
and praised its thorough excellence and simplicity. While examining a work on physiology, I heard him remarking upon the
superiority of the Craniology by the late Dr. Morton; and he informed me that he possessed the writings of that eminent student
of the human frame. Ie was also well read in the immense tomes
of the pains-taking, erudite, and conscientious Schoolcraft, whose
works on the aborigines of North America were sent out by the
Chief of the Bureau of Indian Affairs at Washington.
"His Majesty was deeply interested in the various maps, geographies, and school-books sent out by Colton, Appletons, Woodford & Brace, T. Cowperthwait, and Barnes. The finely-illustrated
publications of the various benevolent societies of our land were
sent out for the Imperial family, and attracted deserved attention.
The Emperor was much pleased with the only specimens of woodengraving, which were forwarded by Mr. Van Ingen, of the firm of
Van Ingen & Snyder, whose skill has illustrated this work.
"The earnest examination which he gave the machinery, manufactures, and agricultural implements justified the reputation
which Dom Pedro II. enjoys in this respect. Howell's wall-papers,
after drawings by the students of the Philadelphia Academy of
Design, and the beautiful silk manufactures of Horstmann and
Evans,-which ought to be classed among works of art,-called
forth much praise.
"He next approached the table where were the books presented
by the Appletons and Parry & McMillan. Taking up the 'Republican Court,' he said, 'I am astonished at such perfection in binding.' I replied, 'And none of those volumes were bound expressly
for your Majesty." The binding of Appletons' books was superb.
He opened the 'Homes of the American Authors,' and surprised
me by his knowledge of our literature. He made remarks on Irving, Cooper, and Prescott,-showing an intimate acquaintance
with each. Iis eye falling on the name of Longfellow, he asked
me, with great haste and eagerness, 'Avez-vouz les poemes de
Monsieur Longfellow ' It was the first time that I ever saw Dom
Pedro II. manifest an enthusiasm which, in its earnestness and
simplicity, resembled the warmth of childhood when about to
possess itself of some long-cherished object. I replied, 'I believe




244


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


not, your Majesty.' 'Oh,' said he, ', am exceedingly sorry, for
I have sought in every bookstore of Rio de Janeiro for Longfellow,
and I cannot find him. I have a number of beautiful morceaux,
but I wish the whole work; I admire him so very much.' That
evening I found, among the books sent by Parry & McMillan, the
'Poets and Poetry of America.' In this volume is a biographical
sketch of Longfellow, as well as some of the choicest selections
from his pen. This, with T. Buchanan Read's 'New Pastoral,'
were afterward commented on and received with the most visible
pleasure by His Majesty.
"I was absent from the part of the hall where Dom Pedro II.
was looking at some steel engravings, (bank-notes,) and when I
returned I found him engaged in a discussion with his first
chamberlain as to John Quincy Adams,-the chamberlain (as the
majority of even well-educated foreigners) supposing that John
Quincy Adams was the elder Adams. The Emperor insisted that
John Quincy Adams was not the early advocate of liberty and
the 'comrade,' as he termed him, of Washington,-but that he
was the son of John Adams, and, like his father, was a President
of the United States. And soon after he gave a very thorough
re-examination of the 'Republican Court,' and pointed out to the
chamberlain the distinguished mother of John Quincy Adams.
He was very anxious to see a portrait of Jefferson. One of my
assistants found a very neatly-engraved portrait of the sage of
Monticello from the burin of Toppan & Carpenter. When he
received it, you should have heard him, without pedantry or
affectation, expatiate with great minuteness, correctness, and
judgment on the character of Jefferson as compared with that
of Washington.
"Approaching some very fine lithographs published by Williams
& Stephens, of New York, I introduced His Majesty to 'Young
America,' that handsome but independent-looking lad, and to
'Uncle Sam's Youngest Son, Citizen Know-Nothing.' I thought
that I had now a subject of which His Majesty really knew nothing; but I found that I was mistaken, as he recounted to some one
the pranks that this young fellow had been playing, and added that
he was a citizen of some power and knowledge, judging from the
recent (1855) elections in the United States.




SUCCESS OF THE EXPOSITION.


245


"Thus the whole day was occupied in the examination and explanation of the American collection.
"A few days after the Exposition was closed, I had the many
things destined for the Imperial family taken to the large palacete
of the Marquis d'Abrantes, situated in one of the most charming
environs of Rio,-viz.: the shore of the Neapolitan-shaped Bay of
Botafogo. His Majesty was spending some weeks here for the
benefit of sea-bathing. I passed the guards at the gate, and as I
ascended the steps the Emperor saw me, and, meeting me at the
door, thanked me heartily for what I had done. I desired him to
allow me to remain a few moments until the boxes arrived, as I
must give him some explanations as to the secret lock of the most
excellent trunk sent him by Peddie & Morrison, of Newark, N. J.
With his permission I went into the beautiful garden, where were
the richest and rarest of flowers in a land of perpetual bloom.
The air was truly loaded with sweet fragrance. There were fountains and statuary, many brilliant-plumaged birds, and, indeed,
every thing in nature and in art to please and to gratify those alive
to the beautiful. When looking upon a scene so enchanting I
could only desire that this land, for which God has done so much
in a natural point of view, might possess the solid mental and
moral advantages which belong to our more rugged North through
the instrumentality of education and religion.
"The blacks soon arrived with the heavy boxes and the nicelyfinished plough, (sent by B. Myers, of Newark, N.J.,) all of which,
by the order of the chamberlain, were placed in the ante-room,
where His Majesty again examined and admired them. The first
thing that he inquired for was 'i1y Longfellow,' (in the 'Poets
and Poetry of America;') the next, 'Youman's Atlas of Chemistry:' he then asked for the beautiful specimens of chromo-lithography, (by Sinclair & Duval, of Philadelphia,) and finally inquired after the steam fire-engine which made its travels from
Cincinnati to Boston last spring. I furnished him with a plan
of it which had been given me by a clerk in the Baltimore Sun
office. He instantly took it, and began to explain its operations to
a French savant who was visiting the palace. For one hour he
was engaged in a review of the products of our country. He
called the Empress, who also expressed her gratification in the




246


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


highest terms as I displayed the beautiful books sent for herself
and the princesses. Her Majesty was not only pleased with what
had drawn forth the praises of her Imperial spouse, but she, as
well as her maids of honor, displayed the woman in the delight
manifested at the fancy soaps and other articles of toilette sent
out by H. P. & W. C. Taylor, of Philadelphia, and Colegate & Co.,
of New York. Many thanks were given to me for those who had
been so kind in remembering the Imperial family of Brazil, and
I left the palace, feeling that, so far as the head of the Brazilian
Government was concerned, all was most successful.
" With His Majesty's subjects the enterprise was not less fortunate.  On the 17th and 18th the Museum was visited by some
thousands, and astonishment and admiration were constantly upon
the lips of the Brazilians. Each evening I was completely worn
out by answering the many questions that were propounded from
every side. I have no doubt that a proper exhibition of American
arts and manufactures, arranged by business-men and those who
have means to carry it out, would redound a thousandfold to the
benefit of American commerce. For, during my walks among
those who were examining the various articles, I heard remarks
which convinced me that it only required to have our country's
productions known to cause a large importation. During and
since the Exposition, I have had many orders for books, engravings, wall-papers, and Manchester prints; and this morning
I had an application for a sugar-crushing machine, and a large
lithographic printing-press. My reply in all cases has been, 'I am
not a commercial man; I am not here for that purpose; I have
no pecuniary interest whatever in this matter: but there are
houses here which have correspondents in America.'
"Upon the evening of the 16th, the Statistical Society of Brazil
held its meeting in the same hall where were the products of the
United States. The Viscount Itaborahy presided, and invited me
to address the Society. I was very glad to have the opportunity
of explaining my plans to such a body of gentlemen, and found
them most sympathetic: they freely expressed their desire to see
the United States and Brazil more closely united. These remarks
were reported for the press, and my motives were thus moro
widely made known to the people.




A PLEASING INCIDENT.


247


"The contributions from Washington, from the Bureau of the
Coast Survey, and from the Patent-Office, and the splendid work
on the North American Indians, to which Schoolcraft has devoted
his life, were looked upon by the Historical and other Societies as
a very great acquisition to their libraries. In this connection I
must not omit to mention some important medical works sent out
by Lippincott, Grambo & Co., which were presented to the Imperial
Academy of Medicine. From these associations I received letters
of thanks, showing that the contributions of the various donors
are justly appreciated. The Brazilian Historical and Geographical
Society published in the daily press the list of historical and other
works and library-catalogues that had been thus added to their
own increasing literary stores.
"I have already occupied too much of your space, and I must
still beg leave to add a few remarks.
"I do not claim the 'Exposition' to have been a perfect collection
of what the United States can produce. It was far from it; but,
from the interest it has created in this city of three hundred
thousand inhabitants, from the independent approbatory remarks
of the daily press, and from the desires which come from all quarters that the exhibition should continue, I think that a, favorable
impression has been made, and I also believe that, from this little
affair, we may legitimately argue that there is a most favorable
opening here for the various manufactures, &c. of our country. It
would require patience and capital, and perhaps the hazarding of
something at first; but I believe that the end would more than
recompense the adventurers. One or two Americans, a few years
ago, commenced the importation of American agricultural implements, &c., and now there is quite a commerce in this line. If importation should be extended, and this people could know what we
produce, our commerce would be most rapidly increased. Speculators are not wanted, but moral, sound, enterprising business-men,
who will furnish the best articles at the lowest price.
"In conclusion, without wishing to excite expectations which
will not be realized, or without desiring to overestimate any thing
which has been done in this Exposition, I can only say that, however far short I may have come in my efforts, my intentions have
been good, and, when I shall leave Brazil to return to the work of




248


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


my Master in my own land, I shall have at least the consolation o0
having endeavored to bring about a closer relation between the
strongest Government of South America and the great Republic
of the North.
"I remain, gentlemen, very respectfully,
"Your obedient servant,
" J. C. FLETCHER."
A pleasing incident connected with this affair grew out of the
late arrival at Rio of one of the presents destined for the Emperor.
After the "Exposition," I departed from the city and became engaged in my legitimate labors in another part of the Empire. In
the month of July I returned from the Southern provinces, and
found that the Messrs. Merriam, of Springfield, Massachusetts, had
sent out a superb edition of Webster's unabridged quarto Dictionary.
I had also a few more books which were to be placed in the Emperor's own library. An account of the presentation of these
volumes was given in a private letter to Mr. J. P. Blanchard, of
Boston, from which I extract the following:"The gift of Messrs. Merriam arrived during my absence in the
Southern provinces; but so soon as I returned I procured it from the
custom-house, and in due time conveyed it to the palace. Of course
it was too late for the Exposition in the National Museum; but,
as your State had been very poorly represented in May, I was glad
to have this specimen of Massachusetts publication, and this monument of the patient and faithful labors of a man who has done
so much to define and classify our mother-tongue.
"It was within two days of my departure for Bahia and Pernambuco that I stole a few hours to go out to the Imperial Quinta
of Boa Vista,-the Palace of S. Christovio. It is usual to go thither
in a coach drawn by at least two horses; but, finding a nice new
tilbury and a bright mulatto driver, I entered his vehicle, and, with
'Webster's Dictionary,' Hawthorne's 'Mosses from an Old Manse,'
and Longfellow's 'Hyperion,' I was soon whirling, through the
garden-lined streets of Engenho Velho, to the palace. The Palace
of S. Christovao is situated in one of the most picturesque environs
of Rio de Janeiro. It stands in bold relief against the lofty green
mountains of Tijuca, and is surrounded by the beautifully-foliaged




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WEBSTER, HAWTHORNE, AND LONGFELLOW.


249


trees of the tropics. It has every adjunct that cal make it a
delightful residence. As we rolled through the long avenue of
mango-trees, I saw the coach of one of the Ministers bowling along
with the servants in livery. My establishment looked small in
comparison with this brilliant equipage; but I felt that the three
books which I bore with me would delight His Majesty more than
all the carriages of the court.
"I descended after the Minister had entered, and was conducted
to an ante-room by a chamberlain, to whom I made known the
purport of my visit and the nature of my volumes. Not wishing
to trust my precious load to any servant, I carried the three tomes
(no light burden) before me. After passing many corridors, I came
to a large, wide gallery, which overlooked a courtyard where
bright fountains were playing and the choicest and most fragrant
flowers were blooming.
"I had supposed that it was a day fbr private audience; but the
long gallery was filled with gentlemen in waiting,-noblemen,
Judges of the Supreme Court, Ministers, Charges, and officers en
grande tenue, and some of them covered with decorations. I then
learned from Senhor Leal, and from the Neapolitan Charg6 d'Affaires,
that the 13th of July was the anniversary of the Imperial Princess
Leopoldina, and these gentlemen had come to felicitate their Majesties on the return of this anniversary. I took my stand at the
extreme end of the waiting train, thinking that I had better have
chosen a day when His Majesty was less occupied. Presently Dom
Pedro II. appeared, his fine manly form towering above every
other. He was dressed in black; and, with the exception of a
star which sparkled upon his left breast, his costume was simple,
and its good taste was most apparent when contrasted with the
brilliant uniforms of the court.
"I conjectured that His Majesty would first receive the congratulations of the glittering throng that stood between him and
the plainly-dressed clergyman. Judge, then, of my surprise when,
merely bowing, he passed by the many titled gentlemen and representatives of foreign courts, and came directly to the 'Webster,'
'Hawthorne,' and 'Longfellow.' With a pleasant smile, he addressed
me, and led me to an open arch that overlooked the flowers and the
limpid fountain. There he examined the books and bestowed high




250


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


eulogium upon the Dictionary,-not only for the beautiful style in
which it had been prepared by the publishers, but for the almost
encyclopedic character of the work. He spoke of Mr. Hawthorne
as an author of whom he had heard, and was glad to possess the
'Mosses from an Old Manse.' I called his attention particularly
to the 'Celestial Railroad,' which caused an allusion to Bunyan's
'guide and road-book to the Celestial City.' Since the month
of May he had procured all the poetical works of Mr. Longfellow,
but had not yet added to his library any of his (Mr. Longfellow's)
prose compositions. He therefore considered 'Hyperion' a most
interesting acquisition.
"His Majesty conversed for a long time on the objects for which
I came to Brazil, and expressed his gratitude for the souvenirs
which he had received from citizens of the United States. I
stated to him that I would visit the Northern provinces and then
return to my native land. He expressed the customary wishes of
a bon voyage, &c., but, with great earnestness, said to me, in conclusion, 'Mr. Fletcher, when you return to your country, have the
kindness to say to Mr. Longfellow how much pleasure he has given
me, and be pleased to tell him conbien je l'estime, combien je l'aime!
-how much I esteem him, how much I love him.'"
Thus ends, so far as my own personal effort is concerned, that
which I undertook to do. It has been the feeble effort of a single
individual to make his country better known, and to advance the
interests of a Higher than any earthly government. If the results
will not prove gigantic, my intentions, I trust, have not been other
than pure and good.




CHAPTER XIV.


BRAZILIAN LITERATURE-THE JOURNALS OF RIO DE JANEIRO-ADVERTISEMIENTSTHE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS-EFFORT TO PUT DOWN BIBLE-DISTRIBUTION-ITS
FAILURE-NATIONAL LIBRARY-MUSEUM-IMPERIAL ACADEMIES OF FINE ARTSSOCIETIES-BRAZILIAN HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL INSTITUTE-ADMINISTRATION OF BRAZILIAN LAW-CURIOUS TRIAL.
THE Brazilians, having a ruler with such literary and scientific
tastes, will assuredly make more progress in this direction than
formerly.
On account of the restrictive policy of Portugal, no printingpress was introduced into this country until 1808. The general
taste for reading is mostly confined to the newspapers and the
translations of French novels. Authors are by no means numerous
in the Empire; but there have been within the last few years
a number of very creditable provincial histories, scientific disquisitions, and one or two attempts at the general history of Brazil.
The bookstores abound with French works on science, history,
and (too often) infidel philosophy.
There is, however, a Government bookmaking which is prolific
in the most interesting details. I refer to the annual Relatorios or
Reports of the Ministers of the Empire, Finance, Justice, Foreign
Affairs, War, and the Navy. These are well written and well
printed, and contain the most valuable matter for the statesman,
the statistician, or the general reader.  The Relatorio of the
Minister of Justice must demand an amount of labor unknown to
officials in the United States or in England; for every case that goes
before a jury in each of the twenty provinces must come under his
revision and must be placed in its proper table. The crime, age,
sex, and nationality of the criminal are given, together with the
punishment. In addition to this, matters of prison-discipline and
the varied interests of ecclesiastical affairs are not forgotten.
251




252


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


The periodical literature of Rio has, within a few years, been
improved in character by the establishment of a Medical Review
and also of a Brazilian and Foreign Quarterly. The last-mentioned
periodical has been conducted with great spirit and literary enterprise, and promises to be of utility to the country; yet even in
this there is a too frequent resort to translations. If Brazilians
would only take the time to write, and make the effort to think
for themselves, foreigners would soon find their productions to be
interesting and valuable, and would prize them accordingly.
The press being free, I doubt whether any journals in the United
States, England, or the Continent, contain so many communications from subscribers as those of Rio de Janeiro. As all of these
comnunicacoes must be accompanied with the cash, journalism in
Brazil is a lucrative "institution."  Some of the editorials of the
Jornal do Commercio and the Correio Mercantil will compare favorably with those of New York or London. The Correio has an able
corps-editorial, and is an exceedingly readable paper. In the
Appendix will be found a leader from  the Jornal do Commercio
which was elicited by a most provoking and uncalled-for note on
the African slave-trade, which was sent by the British Minister at
Rio de Janeiro to the Brazilian Secretary of State.
The appearance of the newspapers of Rio is like that of the
Parisian journals, only the Brazilian dailies are larger, in clearer
type, and upon superior paper. The bottom of each sheet contains
the light reading, in what is called the folhetim; and each Sunday
the Correio Mercantil has several columns of pacotilha, (gossip.)
The Jornal do Commercio, the Mlercantil, and other journals, are
printed on linen paper manufactured at the corte.
The newspaper-press in Rio is quite prolific. It issues four
dailies, several tri-weeklies, and a varying number of from six to
ten weeklies and irregular sheets. During the session of the
National Assembly, verbatim reports of the proceedings and debates of that body are published at length-like those of the
English Parliament and the American Congress-on the morning
after their occurrence.
The Rio Mercantile Journal-which has been ably edited for a
number of years by Mr. I. Levy-is a valuable commercial monthly
in the English language. In 1853, Mr. Nathaniel Sands commenced




THE JOURNALS OF RIO DE JANEIRO.


253


a newspaper, entitled 0 Agricultor Brazileiro, which was devoted to
the promotion of agricultural information.  I have found this
journal most interesting and able in its matter, reliable in its
statistics, and equal to any similar publication in North America
or Europe. It is therefore with regret that I record its want of
support and consequent cessation; but, as the Brazilianfazendeiros
consult the two existing volumes and examine their valuable information, I have no doubt that the planter-public will call for a
revival of such a work under the same or a kindred name.
Much pains is taken by some of the journals to give commercial
intelligence fully and correctly; while none of the sheets are filled
with stereotyped advertisements.
One of the most enterprising typographias is that of Sr. Paulo
Brito, a mulatto of great energy and liberal sentiments. The press
of the Dous de Decembro turns out fine specimens of work. The
matter of the advertising-columns of the various newspapers is
renewed almost daily, and is perused by great numbers of general
readers for the sake of its piquancy and its variety.  Several
peculiar customs may be noticed, growing out of the Church and
Brotherhood advertisements mentioned in a previous chapter, and
the patronage of the numerous lotteries authorized by Government. Persons frequently form companies for the purchase of
tickets, and those at a distance order their correspondents to purchase for them. In order to avoid any subsequent transfer or
dispute, the purchaser announces, through the newspaper, the
number of the ticket bought and for whose account,-as, for
example:-" M. F. S. purchased, by order of J. T. Pinto, two halftickets, Nos. 1513 and 4817, of the lottery in behalf of the theatre
of Itaborahy."  "The treasurer of the company entitled 'The
Friends of Good Luck' has purchased, on the company's account,
half-tickets Nos. 3885 and 5430, of the lottery of the cathedral
of Goyaz." Following this custom, individuals who wish to publish
some pert thing usually announce it as the name of a company
for the purchase of lottery-tickets, although that name extends
sometimes through a dozen lines of rhyme.
The Brazilians have a most effectual way of collecting debts, which
ought to be made known for the benefit of creditors in other portions
of the world. The recipe is found in the following advertisement:



254


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


"Senhor Jos6 Domingos da Costa is requested to pay, at No. 35
Rua de S. Jose, the sum of six hundred milreis; and in case he shall
not do so in three days, his conduct will be exposed in this journal,
together with the manner in which this debt was contracted."
Another will show that the clergy are not always spared:"MR. EDITOR:-Since the vicar of a certain parish, on the 8th
instant, having said mass with all his accustomed affectation,
turned round to the people and said, with an air of mockery,
'As we have no festival to-day, let us say over the Litany,' &c.,
I would respond, that the reverend vicar knows well the reason
why there was no festival. Let him be assured, however, that
when intrigue shall disappear the festival will take place; but, if
he is in a hurry, let him undertake it at his own expense, since
whosoever says the paternoster gets the benefit.*
"(Signed)      AN ENEMY TO HYPOCRITES."
A school-teacher, after announcing his terms for tuition, thus
continues and concludes,-the italics beinghis own:"The first-class day-scholars are instructed in the different
branches of science and literature, including the English, French,
Portuguese, and Latin languages. Second-class pupils receive a
plain education, consisting of reading, writing, grammar, arithmetic, and Christian doctrine.
" The director, not being in the habit of making splendid advertisements or puffs in the daily papers, or of throwing dust in the eyes
of the public, can only promise that, being the father of a large
family and knowing what care and attention children require as
to their morals and education, he will do his duty toward them
accordingly."
The last specimen which I give illustrates the early marriages
which frequently take place in Brazil; but I defy any other
country to furnish the like of the following advertisement, which
appeared in the Jornal do Commercio of Rio de Janeiro in 1852. It
is so unique that I furnish the original as well as the translation:"Precisa-se de uma senhora branca de afianqada conducta, e com
inhelligencia bastante para fazer companhia a uma menina casada


* " Quem rese o Pater noster come o pao."




FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.


255


de menor idade, aqual precisa de algumas instruccoes proprias de
seu estado. Quem estiver nestas circumstancias annuncie por esta
folha para ser procurada."
" Vanted.-A white lady of faithful character and with sufficient
intelligence to be the companion [or, literally, " to make the company"] of a young bride who is a minor, and who is in need of
some instructions appropriate to her state. Whoever possesses
these qualifications may make known her address in the columns
of this journal."
Various allusions to the entire freedom of the press have already
been made; and it may be mentioned, in this connection, that there
was an interesting example of its use for advertisements for promoting the Bible in Brazil, and also its employment to put down
an effort for the diffusion of the Sacred Scriptures. My co-author,
(Dr. Kidder,) in the early part of his religious labors in Brazil, commenced by circulating the Bible. I prefer to give his experience
in his own words. After speaking of the general influence of the
mother-country upon Brazil, he says,"Portugal has never published the Bible or countenanced its
circulation save in connection with notes and comments that had
been approved by inquisitorial censorship. The Bible was not
enumerated among the books that might be admitted to her colonies when under the absolute dominion. Yet the Brazilians, on
their political disenthralment, adopted a liberal and tolerant Constitution. Although it made the Roman Catholic apostolic religion
that of the State, yet it allowed all other forms of religion to be
held and practised, save in buildings 'having the exterior form of
a temple.' It also forbade persecution on the ground of religious
opinions. By degrees, enlightened views of the great subjects of
toleration and religious liberty became widely disseminated among
the people, and hence many were prepared to hail any movement
which promised to give them what had so long been systematically withheld,-the Scriptures of truth for their own
perusal. Copies exposed for sale and advertised in the newspapers found many purchasers, not only from the city, but also
from the distant provinces.
"At the mission-house many copies were distributed gratuitously; and on several occasions there was what might be called




256


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


a rush of applicants for the sacred volume. One of these occurred
soon after my arrival. It was known that a supply of books had
been received, and our house was literally thronged with persons
of all ages and conditions of life,-from the gray-headed man to
the prattling child,-from the gentleman in high life to the poor
slave. Most of the children and servants came as messengers,
bringing notes from their parents or masters. These notes were
invariably couched in respectful, and often in beseeching, language. Several were from poor widows who had no money to buy
books for their children, but who desired Testaments for them to
read at school. Another was from one of the Ministers of the
Imperial Government, asking for a supply for an entire school out
of the city.
"Among the gentlemen who called in person were several principals of collegios, and many students of different grades. Versions in French, and also in English, as well as Portuguese, were
sometimes desired by amateur linguists. We dealt out the precious volumes according to our best judgment, with joy and with
trembling. This being the first general movement of the kind, we
were at times inclined to fear that some plan had been concerted
for getting the books destroyed, or for involving us in some species
of difficulty. These apprehensions were contradicted, however, by
all the circumstances within our observation; and all who came
made their errand on the ground of its intrinsic importance, and
listened with deep attention to whatever we had time or ability to
address to them concerning Christ and the Bible.
"It was not to be presumed, however, that so great an amount
of scriptural truth could at once be scattered among the people
without exciting great jealousy and commotion among certain of
the padres.  Nevertheless, others of this class were among the
applicants themselves. One aged priest, who called in person, and
received by special request copies in Portuguese, French, and
English, on retiring, said, 'The like was never before done in this
country.' Another sent a note in French, asking for L'Ancien et
le Nouveau Testament. In three days two hundred copies were distributed, and our stock was exhausted; but applicants continued to
come, till it was estimated that four times that number had been
called for. All we could respond to these persons was to inform




FAILURE OF OPPOSITION TO THE BIBLE.


257


them where Bibles were kept on sale, and that we anticipated a
fresh supply at some future day.
" We were not disappointed in the opposition which was likely
to be called forth by this manifestation of the popular desire for
the Scriptures. A series of low and vile attacks were made upon
us in a certain newspaper, corresponding in style with the wellknown spirit and character of their authors. Indeed, in immediate
connection with this interesting movement a periodical was started,
under the title of O Catholico, with the avowed object of combating
us and our evangelical operations. It was an insignificant weekly,
of anonymous editorship. After extravagant promises, and repeated efforts to secure permanent subscribers, it made out to
struggle against public contempt for the space of an entire month.
Yielding to the stress of circumstances, it then came to a pause.
An effort was made to revive it some time after, with the more
imposing title of O Catholico Fluminense. Thus its proprietors
appealed as strongly as possible to the sympathy and patriotism
of the people, by the use of a term of which the citizens of Rio de
Janeiro are particularly proud. Under this heading it barely succeeded in surviving four additional numbers, in only one of which
was the least mention made of the parties whose efforts to spread
the pure word of God had given it origin.
"This species of opposition almost always had the effect to
awaken greater inquiry after the Bible; and many were the individuals who, on coming to procure the Scriptures, said their attention was first called to the subject by the unreasonable and fanatical
attempts of certain priests to hinder their circulation. They
contemned the idea, as absurd and ridiculous, that these men should
attempt to dictate to them what they should not read, or set up an
inquisitorial crusade against the Bible. They wished it, and if for
no other reason, that they might show that they possessed religious
liberty, and were determined to enjoy it. They poured inexpressible contempt upon the ignorance, fanaticism, and even the immorality, which characterized some of the pretended ministers of
religion, who dreaded to have their lives brought into comparison
with the requirements of God's word.
"Those of our friends who were consulted on the subject almost
invariably counselled us to take no notice of the low and virulent
17




258


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


attacks made upon us, with which the people at large had no sympathy, and of which every intelligent man would perceive the unworthy object. Such articles would refute themselves, and injure
their authors rather than us.
" The results justified such an opinion. One gentleman (a Portuguese) in particular said to us, with emphasis, 'Taking no notice
of these things, you ought to continue your holy mission, and
scatter truth among the people.' With this advice we complied,
and it is now a pleasing reflection that our energies and time were
devoted to vastly higher and nobler objects than the refutation of
the baseless but rancorous falsehoods which were put forth against
us. We knew full well that this opposition was not so much against
us as against the cause of the Bible, with which we were identified,
and we were content to 'stand still and see the salvation of the
Lord.' And most delightful it was to witness the results of that
overruling Providence which can make the wrath of man tributary
to the divine praise.
"The malignity 'of this worse than infidel opposition to the
truth excited the curiosity of numbers to examine whether indeed
the word of God was not 'profitable for instruction and for doctrine.' The results of such an examination upon every candid
mind may be easily conjectured. Thus the truths of inspiration
found free course to hundreds of families and scores of schools,
where they might be safely left to do their own office upon the
minds and hearts of the people.
"Some instances of the happy and immediate effects of circulating
the Bible came to our knowledge; but it is reserved for eternity
to reveal the full extent of the benefit. While subsequently travelling in distant provinces, I found that the sacred volumes put
in circulation at Rio de Janeiro had sometimes gone before me, and
wherever they went an interest had been awakened which led the
people to seek for more."
There are other means than newspapers for the progress of the
Brazilians in knowledge and belles-lettres.
In addition to the various colleges and academies described in
another chapter, there are a number of public institutions and associations whose object is the cultivation of literature and science,
and the diffusion of knowledge.




NATIONAL LIBRARY.


259


The Bibliotheca National contains 100,000 volumes. These consist chiefly of the books originally belonging to the Royal Library
of Portugal, which were brought over by Dom John VI. The
collection is annually augmented by donations and Government
aid. It was thrown open to the public by the Portuguese monarch,
and has ever since remained under suitable regulations, free of
access to all who choose to enter its saloon and read. This library
is open daily from nine A.M. till two P.M., and was formerly entered from the Rua detraz do Carmo; but the Government has
recently purchased the commodious private residence of Sr. Vianna,
which is beautifully situated in the vicinity of the Passeio Publico,
where the accommodations will doubtless be superior to those
which it has hitherto possessed. When it was located in the old
library-buildings, it presented an interesting sight to the visitor.
Tables covered with cloth, on which were arranged writingmaterials, and frames designed to support large volumes, extended
through the room fiom end to end. The shelves, rising from the
floor to the lofty ceiling, were covered with books of every
language and date.  You might here call for any volume the
library contained, and sit down to read and take notes at your
pleasure. The newspapers of the city and various European
magazines were always ready for the reader. Not only this apartment, but also various alcoves and rooms adjoining it on either
hand, were filled all around with books. This collection has also
been increased by valuable private donations, among which that of
the books of the late Jose Bonifacio de Andrada deserves especial
mention.
The publicity of such a library cannot fail to have a beneficial
influence upon the literary taste and acquirements of the students
of the metropolis,-which, by degrees, will extend itself to the
whole community. While the student at Rio may find in the
National Library nearly all that he can desire in the field of ancient
literature, he may also easily gain access to more modern works
in the subscription-libraries.
The English, the German, and the Portuguese residents have
severally established such libraries for their respective use. That
of the English is somewhat extensive and valuable.
Among the Government institutions must be classed the National




260


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Museum, on the Campo de Santa Anna, which is gratuitously thrown
open to visitors; and great numbers avail themselves of this pleasant and instructive resort. The collection of minerals has been
much augmented in value by a donation from the heirs of Jose
Bonifacio de Andrada. They presented to the Museum the entire
cabinet of their father, who in his long public career had rare
opportunities for making a most valuable collection. At an early
period of his life he was Professor of Mineralogy in the University
of Coimbra, Portugal, where he published several works that gained
him a reputation among the scientific men of Europe. Through
his life he had been
~.._.. _~_      industrious in ga_____- ________ =thering   together
models of machines
and mechanical imTE~ ARYEGEprovements, togei ther with choice
engravings   and
i~.K~ "7~ ~             coins;  and    his
t(f  heirs   certainly
could  not  have
-\    made a more magupon the nation.
The department of
mineralogy is well
arranged but contains many more
foreign than native
specimens.   The
same lack of Brazilian  curiosities
THE HARPY EAGLE.           formerly prevailed
in other departments, although in that of aboriginal relics there has been from
the establishment of the Museum a rich collection of ornaments




BRAZILIAN HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL INSTITUTE. 261


and feather-dresses from Para and Matto Grosso. There is a constant enlargement and improvement in every respect. Still, it
may be said that while the cabinets of Munich and Vienna, Paris,
St. Petersburg, London, and Edinburgh have been enriched by
splendid collections from Brazil, in various departments of natural
history, yet in the Imperial Museum of Rio de Janeiro but a meagre
idea can be formed of the interesting productions-mineral, vegetable, and animal-in which the Empire abounds.
It was here that I saw a very fine living specimen of the great
harpy eagle, from the forests of the Amazon.
There is an Imperial Academy of the Fine Arts, which was
founded in 1824, by a decree of the National Assembly. It is at
present organized with a Director and four Professors,-viz.: of painting and landscape, of architecture, of sculpture and of design, and
a corresponding number of substitutes. This institution is open to
all who wish to be instructed in either department, and about
seventy students are annually matriculated,-the greater proportion
in the department of design. This Academy also provides funds
for the support of a certain number of its most meritorious alumni
at Rome, where they have ample opportunity for studying the
classic productions of ancient and modern art.
The Conservatorio de Musica is a State Academy where instruction in instrumental and vocal music is given to both sexes by
competent professors. There is also a Conservatorio Dramatico, to
whose censorship were submitted, in 1854, two hundred and fifty
plays, of which one hundred and seventy were approved, fifty-four
were amended or suppressed, and thirty-three were of such a character as not only to be suppressed but to merit unqualified rebuke.
The Sociedade Statistica and the Sociedade Auxiliadora da Industria both enroll many public-spirited men and good writers. But
the association which in its character, dignity, and numbers is
the first in all South America is the Brazilian Historical and Geographical Institute, organized at Rio de Janeiro in 1838, which has
done more than any other society to awaken the spirit of Brazilian
literary enterprise. This association adopted as its fundamental
plan the design of collecting, arranging, and publishing or preserving documents illustrative of the history and geography of
Brazil. Several distinguished persons took a deep interest in it




262


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


from the first. The Government also lent a fostering hand. The
General Assembly voted an annual subsidy in aid of its objects, and
the Department of Foreign Affairs instructed the attach6s of the
Brazilian embassies in Europe to procure and to copy papers of
interest that exist in the archives of different courts, relative to
the early history of Brazil. By this movement individual exertions
were aroused, and the spirit of inquiry was excited in different
parts of the Empire as well as abroad, and interesting results have
already been accomplished.
During the first year of its existence, this Institute numbered
near four hundred members and correspondents, and had collected
over three hundred manuscripts, of various length and value. The
most important of these it has already given to the world, together
with some valuable discourses and essays furnished by its members.
The first Friday of each month is devoted to the sittings of this
association; and none of its members and patrons are so punctual
or take so deep an interest in all its proceedings as Dom Pedro II.
Its organ is a Quarterly Review and Journal, which publishes the
proceedings of the society at length, together with all the more
important documents read before it. We have been particularly
interested in the articles it has contained upon the aboriginal tribes
of South America, and also in its biographical sketches of distinguished Brazilians.
On the whole, it may be questioned whether the Portuguese
language contains a more valuable collection of miscellany than is
thrown together in the pages of the Revista Trimensal ou Jornal
do Instituto Historico Brazileiro.
Almost all the leading men of Brazil belong to the learned professions. Such a thing as an eminent mechanic or merchant holding high position in the State I believe to be unknown. There
are certain officers who hold their appointment and receive pay
under Government, in accordance with a rule which deserves particular mention. The professors of some of the public institutions,
and perhaps the attach6s of some of the Government bureaux,
receive a certain annual salary. It may not be large; but, after
holding office for a stipulated number of years, the employee, if his
conduct has been without reproach, can retire, and is paid from the
Imperial Treasury a sum equal to the added salaries of his whole




ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.


263


term of service. This is a strong inducement to the faithful discharge of duty, and perhaps operates to keep unscrupulous demagogues from seeking office as a reward for party exertions. It is
thus that the under-officers in the Brazilian Government acquire a
full knowledge of the difficult routine of the various Departments;
and the changes of ministry leave no difficulties for the new Cabinet
to surmount in carrying on the machinery of government. The
Brazilian mode certainly seems more in accordance with common
sense than the rotation-in-office principle which prevails in the
United States.
In another chapter will be found the course of study pursued in
the chief law-school of the Empire. The administration of justice
is much simpler than in England or the United States. There are
almost the same magistrates and judges, under different names.
The delegado or subdelegado is the justice of the peace; the juiz
municipal answers to the circuit judge or the presiding officer of
the Court of Common Pleas; the Juiz dos Orphoes is the Judge of
Probate; the Juiz de Direito is the Judge of the Supreme Court.
There are district supreme judges in all the provinces, and there is
a Supremo Tribunal de Justicia, which corresponds to the Supreme
Court of the United States.
From the experience of Governor Kent with the Brazilian tribunals, and from the interesting letters of Rev. Charles N. Stewart,
I cull the following facts in regard to the mode of conducting a
criminal trial at Rio de Janeiro. The party accused is first brought
before the subdelegado in whose district the crime has been committed. He is verbally examined, and his replies, as well as the
questions, are all recorded. The accused is asked his age, profession, &c. as minutely as the magistrate thinks proper. He is not
compelled to answer, but his silence may lead to unfavorable inferences. The examination of the prisoner is followed by that of
the witnesses, who are sworn by placing the hand upon the Bible.
The administration of the oath is of the most solemn and impressive character, and in this respect at least the Brazilians read us a
wholesome and a needful lesson. All rise-court, officers, bar, and
spectators-and stand in profound silence during the ceremony.
When the jury retires there is also a great manifestation of respect,
-all standing until the twelve have left the court-room.




264


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


The subdelegado, after the preliminary examination, decides
whether the accused shall be held for trial, and submits the papers
with his decision to a superior officer, who usually confirms it, and
the accused is imprisoned or released on bail.
In civil cases, unless of very great importance, the jury does not
form a part of the judicial administration. The jury consists of
twelve men. "Forty-eight are summoned for the term; and the
panel for each trial is selected by lot, the names being drawn by a
boy, who hands the paper to the presiding judge. In capital cases
challenges are allowed without the demand of cause. The jury
being sworn and empannelled, the prisoner is again examined by
the judge-sometimes at great length and with great minuteness
-not only as to his acts, but as to his motives. The record of the
former proceedings, including all the testimony, is then read. If
either party desire, the witnesses may be again examined, if present; but they are not bound over, as with us, to appear at the
trial. Hence, the examination of the accused and the witnesses at
the preliminary process is very important and material. In many
instances, the case is tried and determined entirely upon the record
as it comes up."-Brazil and La Plata.
When the record is read, witnesses are produced on the side of
the Government, and the prosecuting-attorney addresses the jury.
The testimony, or the witnesses of the defendant, are then introduced, and his advocate addresses-sometimes at great lengththe twelve on whose decision hangs the destiny of his client. The
prosecutor replies if he deem it best; after which the judge briefly
charges the jury and gives them a series of questions in writing,
the answers to which constitute the verdict; and thus, it will be
seen, special pleading and legal skirmishing is in a great measure
defeated. The decision in each case is by majority, and not by
unanimity, as with us. A case begun is generally finished without
an adjournment of the court, though it should continue through
the day and the entire night.
The arrangement of the court-room is somewhat different from
that in the United States. The judge, with his clerk, sits on one
side of the hall, and the prosecuting-attorney on the other. The
jury, instead of being in a "box," are seated at two semicircular
tables placed at the right and at the left of the judge. The lawyers




TRIAL BY JURY.


265


do not stand when they address the jury, but, like the professores
on examination-day, the collegios always make their speeches ex
cathedra. The lawyers not engaged in the suit which may be
before the court occupy a kind of pew which resembles the box for
criminals in English and American halls of justice.
The following verdict of a jury was returned in a case of homicide which occurred in Rio in 1851. The trial came off in the
spring of 1852, and the " return" is translated from one of the daily
newspapers printed at the capital, and gives a clear and concise
notion of the nature of the questions propounded by the judge, and
the ease with which a jury can come to a speedy conclusion in
regard to the guilt or innocence of any accused individual:Questions propounded by the Judge to the Jury, and the Verdict rendered,
in the Second Trial of B.
In this case the first jury fully acquitted the respondent. The
presiding judge appealed to the Court of Relacao, consisting of all
the judges, twelve in number. This court, on hearing, sustained
the appeal and ordered a new trial.
QUESTIONS.
1. Did the defendant, B., on the 23d of September of the last
year, kill, by discharging a pistol, the Italian, C., in D.'s hotel?
Answer. Yes; (by twelve votes.)
2. Did he commit the offence in the night-time?
Ans. Yes; (by eight votes.)
3. Did the defendant commit the offence with superiority of
arms, in a manner that C. could not defend himself with a probability of repelling the attack?
Ans. Yes; (by eleven votes.)
4. Did the defendant commit the offence proceeding with concealment or surprise?
Ans. No; (by seven votes.)
5. Are there any circumstances extenuating the offence in favor
of the defendant?
Ans. Yes; (by eight votes.) By Act 18, ~ 3, of the Criminal
Code:-"If the defendant commits the crime in defence of his
proper person;" and ditto, ~ 4 of same article:-" If the defendant




266


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


commits the offence or crime in retaliation or revenge of an injury
or dishonor which he has suffered."
6. Do the jury find that the respondent commits the act
(or offence) in defence of his person?
Ans. Yes; (by seven votes.)
7. Was the defendant certain of the injury (or evil) which he
intended to avoid (or escape from)?
Ans. Yes; (by seven votes.)
8. Was the defendant absolutely without other means less
prejudicial?
Ans. No; (by eight votes.)
9. Had the defendant provoked the occasion for the conflict?
Ans. No; (by eight votes.)
10. Had the defendant done any wrong which occasioned the
conflict?
Ans. No; (by eight votes.)
11 and 12, (like 9 and 10,) in reference to the family of the defendant, if they had provoked, &c.; and answered, No, (by twelve
votes each.)
Upon this verdict the court adjudged B. guilty, and sentenced
him to twelve years' imprisonment at hard labor and the costs.
An appeal was again taken to the same Court of the Relacao.
He was pardoned by the Emperor, October, 1852, upon application
of the Minister-Plenipotentiary of his (B.'s) country and by the
petition of others.
The following is a curious case of some legal interest:-In
February, 1853, a black man was put on trial before the jury on
charge of having a pocket-knife, (jack-knife, as we call it.) It did
not appear that the black had done or threatened any injury; but
the crime was, having a prohibited article. During the trial, a
white man appeared and claimed the negro as his slave. This
claim was made part of the case on trial, and the jury were directed
to determine whether he was free or the slave of the claimant.
They found, by the judge giving the casting vote, that he was
free, and, by ten votes, that he was guilty of the crime. He
was sentenced to one month's imprisonment as a freeman. Thus,
he obtained a judicial sen tence which secured his freedom  and




COMPLAINTS OF CORRUPTION.


267


had to stay one month as a lodger in jail. A lucky jack-knife
to him!
It is impossible, in a work like this, to enter fully into the merits
and demerits of the mode of administering law in Brazil. From
time to time many charges of corruption have been brought, by
rumor, against those who administer it, and doubtless, in some
cases, corruption has existed.  Those who have had property
awaiting certain decisions of the Juizes dos Orphoes have complained that it was much reduced before judgment was rendered.
Foreigners have also murmured at what they termed unfairness,
and have hinted that some of the magistrates have not been above
bribery.
It would not be altogether just to compare the administration
of law in Brazil to that of England; but I hazard nothing in saying
that in no country of South America is there greater personal
security and a fairer dispensation of justice than in this Empire.
Each year the various codes are becoming better digested; and the
number of eminent men in the legal profession has placed it, in
point of mental ability, in the first rank of the learned vocations.




CHAPTER XV.


THE CLIMATE OF BRAZIL-ITS SUPERIORITY TO OTHER TROPICAL COUNTRIES-COOL
RESORTS-TRIP TO ST. ALEXIO-BRAZILIAN JUPITER PLUVIUS-THE MULATTO
IMPROVISOR-SYDNEY SMITH'S "IMMORTAL" SURPASSED-A LADY'S IMPRESSIONS
OF TRAVEL-AN AMERICAN FACTORY-A YANKEE HOUSE-THE RIDE UP THE
ORGAN MOUNTAINS-FORESTS, FLOWERS, AND SCENERY-SPECULATION IN TOWNLOTS-BOA VISTA-HEIGHT OF THE SERRA DOS ORGOES-CONSTANCIA-THE
"HAPPY VALLEY"-THE TWO SWISS BACHELORS-YOUTH RENEWED  PROSAIC
CONCLUSION-TODD'S "STUDENT'S MANUAL"-THE TAPIR-THE TOUCAN-THE
FIRE-FLIES —EXPENSES OF TRAVELLING-NOVA FRIBOURGO-CANTA GALLOPETROPOLIS.
THOSE whose tropical experience has been in the East Indies or
the western coast of Africa can have no just conception of the
delightful climate of the greater portion of Brazil. It would seem
as if Providence had designed this land as the residence of a great
nation. Nature has heaped up her bounties of every description:
cool breezes, lofty mountains, vast rivers, and plentiful pluvial irrigation, are treasures far surpassing the sparkling gems and the
rich minerals which abound within the borders of this extended
territory. No burning sirocco wafts over this fair land to wither
and desolate it, and no vast desert, as in Africa, separates its fertile provinces. That awful scourge, the earthquake,-which causes
strong men to become weak as infants, and which is constantly
devastating the cities of Spanish America,-disturbs no dweller in
this Empire. While in a large part of Mexico, and also on the
west coast of South America,-from Copiapo to the fifth degree
of south latitude,-rain has never been known to fall, Brazil is
refreshed by copious showers, and is endowed with broad, flowing
rivers, cataracts, and sparkling streams. The Amazon,-or, as the
aborigines term it, Para, " the father of waters,"-with his mighty
branches, irrigates a surface equal to two-thirds of Europe; and
the San Francisco, the Parahiba do Sul, the vast affluents of the
268




THE CLIMATE OF BRAZIL.


269


La Plata, under the names of the Paraguay, Parana, Cuiba, Paranahiba, and a hundred other streams of lesser note, moisten the
fertile soil and bear their tributes to the ocean through the southern
and eastern portions of the Empire. Let aly one glance at the
map of Brazil, and he will instantly be convinced that this land is
designed by nature for the sustenance of millions.
Now, there must be some reason for this bountiful irrigation,
this fertility of soil and salubrity of climate.
Lieutenant Maury-who seems almost literally to have taken
"the wings of the morning" and to have flown to the uttermost
parts of the sea-has shown conclusively why it is that Brazil is
so blessed above corresponding latitudes in other lands. South
America is like a great irregular triangle, whose longest side is
upon the Pacific. Of the two sides which lie upon the Atlantic,
the longest-extending from Cape Horn to Cape St. Roque-is
three thousand five hundred miles, and looks out upon the southeast; while the shortest-looking northeastward-has a length of
two thousand five hundred miles. This configuration has a powerful effect upon the temperature and the irrigation of Brazil. The
La Plata and the Amazon result from it, and from those wonderful
winds, called the trades, which blow upon the two Atlantic sides
of the great triangle. These winds, which sweep from the northeast and from the southeast, come laden, in their journey over the
ocean, with humidity and with clouds. They bear their vapory
burdens over the land, distilling, as they fly, refreshing moisture
upon the vast forests and the lesser mountains, until, finally caught
up by the lofty Andes, in that rarefied and cool atmosphere they
are wholly condensed, and descend in the copious rains which perpetually nourish the sources of two of the mightiest rivers of the
world. The prevailing winds on the Pacific coast are north and
south. No moisture is borne from the ocean to the huge barrier
of mountains within sight of the dashing waves, and hence the
aridity of so much of the hypothenuse of the triangle. I have
beheld the western and eastern coasts of South America within
thirty days of each other, and the former seemed a desert compared with the latter.
No other tropic country is so generally elevated as Brazil.
Though there are no very lofty mountains except upon its extreme




270


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


western border, yet the whole Empire has an average elevation
of more than seven hundred feet above the level of the sea.
This great elevation and those strong trade-winds combine to
produce a climate much cooler and more healthful than the corresponding latitudes of Africa and Southern Asia. The traveller,
the naturalist, the merchant, and the missionary do not have their
first months of pleasure or usefulness thrown away, or their constitutions impaired by acclimating fevers.
The mean temperature of Brazil-which extends from nearly
the fifth degree of north latitude to the thirty-third of south
latitude (almost an intertropical region)-is from 81~ to 88~
Fahrenheit, according to different seasons of the year. At Rio de
Janeiro,-on the authority of Dr. Dundas,-the mean temperature of thirty years was 73~. In December, (which corresponds to
June in the Northern Hemisphere,) maximum, 89i~; minimum,
70~; mean, 79~. In July, (coldest month,) maximum, 79~; minimum, 66~; mean, 73j~. I can add, from my own observations for
several years, that I never saw 90~ attained in the summer-time,
and the lowest in the winter (June, July, and August) was 60~,
and this was early in the morning.
The heat of summer is never so oppressive as that which I have
often experienced, in the hot days of July and August, at New
York and Boston, where frequently the high point of 104~ or
105~ Fahrenheit has been reached. It must, however, be conceded
that three months of weather ranging between 73~ and 89~ would
be intolerable if it were not for the cool sea-breeze on the coast
which generally sets in at eleven A.M., and the delicious landbreeze which so gently fans the earth until the morning sun has
flashed over the mountains. In the interior the nights are always
cool; and it may be added that, one hundred miles from the seacoast, the climate is entirely different.
Rio is happily situated in its accessibility to the elevated regions.
An hour's ride leaves you among the cascades and coolness of
Tijuca; six hours by steamer, railway, and coach lift you up to
the mountain-city of Petropolis; or twelve hours will bring you
amid the sublimities of the Serra dos Org6es and the silent and
refreshing shades of Constancia, where, at Heath's, we may be far
away from the dust, din, and diplomacy which are the constant




TRIP TO ST. ALEXIO.


271


concomitants of the commercial and political capital of Brazil.
Again, we may vary our route and ascend the mountains to the
elevated uplands upon which are situated the prosperous towns
of Nov4 Fribourgo and Canta Gallo, with their adjacent flourishing
coffee-plantations. All of these are delightful resorts, and are becoming each summer more and more frequented.
Not far from the usual route to Constancia is the sweet little
valley of St. Alexio, where an American has erected a cottonfactory in the midst of the most beautiful tropic scenery. To
some it might be a profanation that these wilds should be startled
by any other sounds than the leaping streams from the Serra, or
the songs of birds and the shrill music of the cicada; but perhaps
there are few who would not be content to behold industry taking
the place of indolence, though they might yield to none in love for
the beautiful.
I visited St. Alexio a number of times, and enjoyed the kind
hospitality of its director, who through many obstacles had at last
triumphed in establishing the first successful cotton-manufactory
in the province of Rio de Janeiro.
My last visit to St. Alexio was made under such circumstances
of weather that I am constrained to give it as an instance of what
must be expected at certain seasons of the year. Though in the
province of Rio de Janeiro there is no "rainy season," properly so
called, yet many visitors to the capital will not soon forget the
drenching rains, made doubly perceptible by the uncouth waterspouts (see those in the engraving of the " Senate-House") which
formerly poured more than a miniature cascade upon the passersby. But of these spouts it may now be said their "occupation's
gone," and by a city ordinance they will soon be where Intrudo
is,-among the curiosities of Rio that have only a historical
existence.
The usual mode of getting to St. Alexio is by steamer to
Piedade, and thence by carriage to the secluded valley some eight
or ten miles from the landing-place. On the occasion of the visit
referred to, I was accompanied by a number of friends, among
whom was Mr. M., the worthy director and one of the owners of
the "Fabrica."
We left the Quai dos Mineiros (not far from the Convent of San




272


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Bento) in the little clumsy steamer that plies between Rio and the
upper end of the bay. The morning was bright, but we were
soon overtaken by a thunder-storm.  Such rain! In temperate
zones we fancy that we know what is meant by rain. Quite a
mistake! It is child's play when compared to the pouring torrents of the tropics. There was no cabin, and the curtains but
half performed their office. In rushed the water over our clothes,
under our feet, and out at the scuppers, like holy-stone day on
board ship.
When we were sufficiently wet, the rain abated and the curtain
rose. And well that it did so; for the bad weather had driven in
all the motley crowd of troupeiros usually occupying, along with
their more respectable animals, the forward-deck of the boat; and
the hot steam arising from the greasy cattle-drivers, the unkempt
muleteers, and the damp darkies, was not the most agreeable to
the lady portion of our company.
The time was beguiled in looking at the glorious scenery and in
listening to the improvisation of a mulatto who was going to a
festa in Maje, there to sell his wit and his doces. He told long
stories in verse, and imitated different voices with admirable skill.
When asked to improvise on Paqueta, the lovely insular gem that
we were passing, he immediately dashed off in a strain of poetry,
describing the beauties of the island, and then descanted on the
faults and failings of its inhabitants, and in a satiric strain worthy
of Juvenal lashed the proceedings of the people who frequented the
religious festas that are annually held on its bright shores. He
concluded with a eulogy on Jose Bonifacio de Andrada, who here
ended his days. In short, had Corinne heard him, jealousy would
have saved her the trouble of dying for love. Jesting apart, the
man's talent was of a high order, and the harmonious and flowing
verse showed the adaptation of the Portuguese language to
rhythmical composition
After a hasty repast at a rude inn near the landing-place of
Piedade, we prepared for the road. Up came our equipage. I
must, in justice to our worthy host, say that his nice American
vehicle had received some injury, so that he could only send his
mules and engage the best conveyance afforded by the village of
Maje. We felt some slight remorse at the destruction of life that




A LADY'S IMPRESSIONS OF TRAVEL.


273


our entrance into the venerable vehicle must have caused, as it
seemed to have served as a temporary refuge to some gay, locked-out
rooster. But we ought not to speak ill of the aged. Guiltless
alike of paint and washing, it far outdid Sydney Smith's "Immortal," which, doubtless, was kept in perfect cleanliness by his tidy
Yorkshire servants. However, the sight of a good team reconciled
us to the rudeness of the vehicle. Four fine mules plunged along
through mud and water: I then understood how philosophical it
was to avoid the trouble of washing a carriage. The Hyde Park
turn-out of Count D'Orsay or the Earl of Harrington, in one short
mile, would have been on a par with ours. We forded juvenile
rivers and newly-made brooks; we lumbered up hill and down
dale; now the coachman made a skilful detour close to a bank to
avoid a deep mud-hole on the other side, and now he was obliged to
pass under some tree whose overhanging branches gave us a capital
douche. After some miles of this travel we stopped at a venda to
give the animals breath and water before the gallop down the slope.
Soon we were off again.
" On, on we hasten'd, and we drew
Their gaze of wonder as we flew!"
And there was as black a tempest gathering for us poor Giaours as
ever threatened to wet that uncomfortable, sword-waving rider of
the "blackest steed!"  Down came night and Brazilian rain!
What had formerly been the hood of the carriage was transformed
into a sort of a kitchen-sink, with a hole in the middle, through
which poured the water. Luckily, we had an umbrella: this was
inserted in the hole, and thus the stream was averted from our devoted heads.
In the midst of all this our driver gave a loud whistle, and
thereupon out rushed four dark figures from a hut by the roadside.
A lady of the party afterward described her romantic impressions
of this scene as follows:"What my companions felt I know not; but it was quite allowable for me, a poor, weak woman, to give myself over as robbed,
or, at least, 'murthered!' One man jumped on the box with a
huge stick in his hand, and the others followed behind, uttering a
series of unearthly yells and undesirable epithets, but all addressed
to the mules; and, as I knew that the skins and skulls of those
18




274


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


beasts were thicker than mine, I was consoled. It was a party
sent to push'us up a steep hill; for be it known to all who are
ignorant of the idiosyncrasy of these animals, that, when once they
consider the task assigned to them unreasonable, no persuasion
can induce them to set shoulder to the work. No doubt they cry
to Jupiter, but he will not help them; and so they stand still, or
allow the vehicle to draw them backward; and on the edge of a


THE  FABRICA  AT  ST. ALEXIO.


precipice this is not a pleasant way of travelling. So, after each
mule had clearly learned from the yelling quartette the estimation
in which he was held, we gained the summit. How gladly we
rolled down into that beautiful valley where the factory raises its
white walls! We afterward beheld it under a bright sun, and
Southey's remark that 'even nature herself abhors a factory, and
refuses to clothe its walls with climbers,' is here contradicted, for




A GROVE OF SENSITIVE TREES.


275


the lovely glen in whose bosom this building reposes would lend
grace to any structure.
"tHow hearty was our welcome from the pretty Virginia hostess
who met us as we entered, all forlorn! Right gayly we recounted
our fright and adventures, and it was the old story over again:" 'She loved us for the dangers we had pass'd,
And we loved her that she did pity them.'
"Byron could not bear to see a lady eat,-it is so unethereal.
Strictly speaking, it is a singular process,-throwing sundry morsels
into a hole in your face and using your chin as a mill. Of course,
it was only the masculine part of the company who partook of
the Westphalia ham, broiled chicken, and other dainties prepared
by the good hostess. Such proceedings did not agree with the
poetical feelings of my more celestial nature!"
The following morning we surveyed the locality. The proprietor's house stands at a short distance from the factory, and
both were actually framed in the United States, brought out in
pieces, and put together in Brazil. The pine used for the house
has, in spite of predictions to the contrary, proved superior in
durability to Norwegian pine. A meadow of bright green slopes
away from the house toward a clear, rapid brook, which, after
rains, may well be called a river; but in dry weather it is easily
traversed on the stones that strew its bed. Mr. M. had long and
painful researches to find a stream that never dries up even in the
hottest season. At last he discovered this little river, and here
took up his abode. The hills rise around, covered with the most
luxuriant growth; here and there a stately palm rises like a chieftain above its fellows; farther on, the mountains stretch away and
blend with the clear blue of the heavens. On the branches sing
bright-plumaged birds, that seem, in the early morning, to call on
the sensitive-plant trees to awake from their night's slumber. It
was, indeed, hard for me to realize that the little sensitive-plant
which I had looked upon at home as among the most delicate of
exotics is here reproduced in almost giant forms. Its family abounds
in Brazil, and the grove that surrounds the residence of Mr. M. is
actually composed of trees which quietly fold their leaves in repose
at vespers, only to be awakened by the morning sun and the sing



276


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


ing-birds. The city-friends of Mrs. M. used to offer their condolence that she was so far removed from society in that retired vale;
but they were always cut short in their proffered sympathy by the
information that no sense of loneliness prevailed in that sweet
spot. There one may find companionship in those majestic mountains "precipitously steep," the flowering woods, the forest-voices,
and the gushing music of brooks and fountains.
A  YANKEE  HOUSE  IN  BRAZIL.
The remembrance of St. Alexio is like that of a pleasant dream,
or the sunny memories of the secluded vales and sparkling waters
at the base of the Dent du 7iidi,-not a day's ride from the upper
end of the Lake of Geneva.
Mr. M. deserves the greatest credit for his persevering efforts
which placed here this first successful cotton-manufactory in the
province. Others had endeavored to establish similar fabricas, to
be driven by steam-power, in the city; but they were failures. Not
only had Mr. M. to contend with nature, but probably his worst
annoyances came from a dilatory Government. As to operatives,
the factory is supplied from the German colony of Petropolis.
Another has paid a just tribute of merit to Mr. M.; and I can
heartily subscribe to the sentiments therein contained:-" Though
it is only in the more common fabrics in cotton that the manufacturer can yet compete with British and American goods, yet he




BLOOMING FORESTS OF THE SERRA DOS ORGOES.       277
[Mr. M.] deserves a medal of honor from the Government, and
the patronage of the whole Empire, not only for the establishment of the manufactory, but for the living example —set
before a, whole province of indolent and sluggish natives-of
Yankee energy, ingenuity, indefatigable industry, and unyielding
perseverance."
It is a comfortable day's ride from St. Alexio to Constancia,though the usual manner of procedure is to start at mid-day from
Rio in the steamer, arrive at Piedade at three o'clock, where
mules and guides are awaiting those who have been prudent enough
to announce by letter to the "jolly Heath" their intention of
spending a few days amid the Serra dos Orgoes: A few hours
across the lowlands bring us through the town of Maje to Frechal,
(or Frexal,) where the weary and the lazy often spend a night in
a dirty inn, surrounded by crowds of children, (the proprietor is
the father of twenty-three meninos,) and by vast troops of mules,
which, laden with coffee, are on their way to the steamer at
Piedade. But for those who love a dashing ride up the mountains,
on a road in some places paved as the old Roman causeways,those who wish to feel an evening atmosphere which in coolness
and chilliness reminds one of the temperate zone,-the Barreira
will be the resting-place. Here is the toll-gate of this fine mountain mule-path, which must have been built at an immense cost,
as several miles are paved like the streets of a city.
We zigzag up the steep sides of the Serra, looking down upon
the tops of majestic forest-trees whose very names are unfamiliar,
and whose appearance is as curious as picturesque and beautiful.
Dr. Gardner, who made a most thorough investigation of the flora
of the Organ Mountains, has recorded in his interesting travels the
vegetal riches of this lofty range, and those who would revel in
descriptions of palms, Cassice, Lauri, Bignonias, Myrtacae, Orchidee, Bromeliacece, ferns, &c. &c. must turn to the pages of a work
which, though necessarily deficient in the history, politics, and
present condition of Brazil, is the most unassuming and charming
book ever written on the natural aspect of the tropic land under
consideration.
In the months of April and May, (October and November in
Brazil,) only the autumnal tints of our gorgeous North American




278


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


woods can compare with the sight of the forest of the Serra dos
Org6es. Then the various species of the Laurus are blooming, and
the atmosphere is loaded with the rich perfume of their tiny snowwhite. blossoms. The Cassice then put forth their millions of golden
flowers, while, at the same time, huge trees-whose native names
would be more unintelligible, though less pedantic, than their
botanic terms of Lasiandra, Fontanesia, and others of the Mlelastoma tribe-are in full bloom, and, joining rich purple to the
brightest yellow, present, together with gorgeously-clothed shrubs,
"flowers of more mingled hue than her [Iris's] purpled scarf
can show."   From time to time a silk-cotton-tree (the Chorisia
speciosa) shoots up its lofty hemispherical top, covered with
thousands of beautiful large rose-colored blossoms, which gratefully contrast with the masses of vivid green, purple, and yellow
that clothe the surrounding trees. Floral treasures are heaped
on every side. Wild vines, twisted into most fantastic forms or
hanging in graceful festoons,-passion-flowers, trumpet-flowers,
and fuchsias in their native glory,-tree-ferns, whose elegance of
form is only surpassed by the tall, gently-curved palmito, which
is the very embodiment of the line of beauty,-orchids, whose
flowers are of as soft a tint as the blossom of the peach-tree, or as
brilliant as red spikes of fire,-curious and eccentric epiphytes
draping naked rocks or the decaying branches of old forest-monarchs,-all form a scene enrapturing to the naturalist, and bewildering with its richness to the uninitiated, who still appreciate the
beauty and the splendor that is scattered on every side by the
Hand Divine. The overpowering sensation which one experiences
when entering an extensive conservatory filled with the choicest
plants, exotics of the rarest description, and odor-laden flowers,
is that (multiplied a thousandfold) which filled my mind as I gazed
for the first time upon the landscape, with its tiers of mountains
robed in such drapery as that described above; and yet there was
such a feeling of liberty, incompatible with the sensation expressed
by the word "overpowering," that it is impossible to define it. In
the province of Minas-Geraes, from a commanding point, I once
beheld the magnificent forest in bloom; and, as the hills and undulating plains stretched far away to the horizon, they seemed to be
enveloped in a fairy-mist of purple and of gold.




SPECULATION IN TOWN-LOTS.


279


The Barreira is situated in a spot of great wildness and sublimity;
for the Organ-peaks, that rise thousands of feet above, seem like
the aiguilles which start fantastically from the glaciers of Mont
Blanc; and the rushing, leaping, thundering cascades are comparable to the five wild mountain-torrents, "fiercely glad," that
pour into the Vale of Chamouny. I was once at the Barreira during
a tropic storm, and the foaming, roaring rivers, which hurried
down with fearful leap from the very region of dread lightning
and clouds, madly dashed against the huge masses of granite, as
if they would have hurled them from their mighty fastenings, and
tore their way into the deep valley beneath with sounds that
reverberated among the giant peaks above, giving:me a new commentary on the sublime description in the Apocalypse:-"And I
heard a voice from heaven, as the-voice of many waters and as the
voice of a great thunder."
From the Barreira we ascend by zigzags to the uplands, where
is situated the former fazenda of Mr. March.  His residenceso often visited by Langsdorf, the celebrated Russian voyager,
Burchell, the African traveller, and Gardner, the botanist-is now
to be numbered among the things that were; for the spirit of
enterprise and money-making has laid out in this elevated valley
a new resort for the Fluminenses, and speculation in town-lots
among the Organ Mountains was rife as I left the shores of Brazil.
I hope that it may prove a successful enterprise; for here the
wearied and jaded from the city will find coolness, salubrity, and
quiet in the midst of the most imposing scenery.
Before reaching March's and the former mountain-home of Mr.
H —n, (whose hospitality many a visitor to Brazil will have occasion to remember,) we climb along the very sides of one of the most
precipitous of the Organ-pipes. Hence is a view of commanding
extent,-of mountain, plain, bay, and ocean,-embracing, it is said,
a panorama of more than two hundred miles in circumference, in
the midst of which, though distant, the capital of the Empire is
seen gleaming amid its verdant and lofty environs. The point
for beholding this landscape is appropriately called Boa Vista,
("beautiful view.")  So enraptured was the Rev. Charles N.
Stewart with the grandeur of the scene, that he doubts if-in its
combination of mountain, valley, and water-it has a rival; and




280


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


adds that, in his wide experience in various continents, he only
remembers one other prospect that approximates to it,-viz.: the
pass "through the mountains of Granada, followed by the first
view of the 'Vega,' with the city, the walls, and the towers of the
Alhambra, and the snow-covered heights of the Nevada above all,
gloriously lighted by the glowing hues of the setting sun."
At the elevation of Boa Vista the climate is very much cooler
than at Rio. In the month of June the thermometer has been
known to fall as low as 32~ Fahrenheit just before daybreak; but
this is rare: 40~ in the morning and 70~ in the warmest portion
of the day is the winter regime; and, in the summer, 60~ and 80~
are the two extremes. In January and February, (the July and
August of the Southern tropics,) violent thunder-storms often
occur,-generally in the afternoon,-and then pass over, leaving
the evening delightfully cool.
Here and at Constancia nearly all the European fruits and vegetables thrive; and, as at Madeira and Teneriffe, the apple and the
orange, the pear and the banana, the vine and the coffee-plant,
may be seen growing side by side. Mr. Heath receives quite an
income from the productions of his vegetable-gardens; and, at Rio,
the fine cauliflower, (so difficult of cultivation in the tropics,) the
best asparagus, and most of the artichokes, peas, carrots, &c. come
from Constancia, and are esteemed as rare in that land as the
carefully-cultivated hothouse pineapple in England. Two English
shillings per head are given for the largest Constancia cauliflower
at Rio. This kind of garden, it has seemed to me, might be increased in number in the upper region of the Serra, where are
many fertile little valleys, all well irrigated by small streams of
cool and limpid water. If they could be managed with the care,
industry, and perseverance which Mr. Heath has brought to bear
upon such cultivation, they could not but bring a lucrative return
to their proprietors, and would confer a great benefit upon the
growing city of Rio de Janeiro.
Like the mountains of Tijuca and the curious elevations around
Rio, the whole of the Organ range consists of granite. The alluvial
soil is very deep and rich in the valleys, and underneath it exists
the same red-colored, slaty, ferrugineous clay which is so common
throughout Brazil.




THE ALTITUDE OF THE MOUNTAINS.


281


The scenery becomes more tame as we leave Boa Vista, and we
seem to be far removed from the climate of the plains, though
around us the palms, ferns, cacti, tillandsias, &c. tell us that we are
not beyond the limits of Capricorn. Creeping and drooping plants,
bright flowers and foliage, still abound.  Occasionally, howling
monkeys hold a noisy caucus over your head, or a flock of bright


THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS.


parrots glides swiftly over the tall and gracefully-bending bamboos,
which are a distinctive feature in the landscape. This giant of the
grass-tribe has frequently been found in these mountains from
eighty to one hundred feet in height and eighteen inches in diameter. They do not, however, grow perpendicularly, nor often
singly, but, in vast groups, shoot up fifty and sixty feet, and then
curve gently downward, forming most cool and beautiful domes.
As we look back, we have a view of the Organ-pipes, and the
aspect which they present is entirely different from that ragged,




282


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


pointed, and diminutive appearance which they show when seen
from the bay. From our nearness and our altitude they seem like
sharp naked mountains rising above a sea of foliage. The range
from which they are detached is still more lofty, and is most
massive in its character. Few persons have ascended these mountains, and those have either been naturalists or daring hunters.
Dr. Gardner made probably the most thorough scientific exploration, and up these heights Heath has often pursued the clumsy
tapir or the lithe jaguar. The sloth, howling monkeys, the Brazilian otter, a little deer, (Cervus nemorivagus,) and two kinds of
peccari, may still prove attractions to the naturalist and the sportsman; but every year they are becoming more rare. Of birds there
are many varieties, remarkable for their brilliant plumage, and a
few are much sought after for their delicacy, the jacu and jacutinga
being the most esteemed.
The difficulties of the ascension of these mountains consist of
the thickets of underwood, the serried ranks of great ferns and
trailing bamboos, in addition to the steepness of the Serra. The
paths of the tapir, however, render the undertaking much more
feasible than it otherwise would be.     Dr. Gardner, after two
attempts,-the latter made several years after the first,-attained
the highest summit of the range. These mountains-known in
geographies as a portion of the Brazilian Andes, the Serra do Mar,
and the Organ Mountains-have been variously estimated to possess an altitude ranging from five thousand seven hundred feet up
to eight thousand feet. The naturalist mentioned above made the
only calculations of their height that have come under my observation; and, though they are only approximate, I give them, in this
note, as interesting from the manner in which he reached his conclusions. According to him, the elevation of the highest peak is
seven thousand five hundred feet above the level of the sea.*
* In the first ascent, Dr. Gardner accidentally broke his barometer before he had
made a single observation; but, when on his last excursion he attained the highest
summit, with the aid of the thermometer he made the estimate in the manner thus
recorded:-" At mid-day the thermometer indicated 64~ in the shade, and I found
that water boiled at a heat of 198~; from which I estimate the height of the mountain above the sea-level to be 7800 feet. A register of the thermometer-kept




CONSTANCIA.


283          &


From March's an hour's brisk trotting will bring us within sight
of Constancia.  Mr. Heath, when expecting guests, is almost


HEAT  HS,  (CONSTANCIA.)


sure to meet them at an inner gate of his estate, about a half-mile
from his residence, the main building of which rises from the midst


during our stay in the upper regions of the Serra and observed on the level of
Mr. March's fazenda-gave a mean difference of temperature between the two
places of 12~ 5/. Baron Humboldt estimates the mean decrement of heat within
the tropics at 1~ for every 344 feet of elevation, and considers this ratio as uniform
up to the height of 8000 feet, beyond which it is reduced to three-fifths of that
quantity, as far as the elevation of 20,000 feet. It has, however, since been found
that, in general, the effect of elevation above the level of the sea, in diminishing
temperature, is, in all latitudes, nearly in proportion to the height, the decrement
being 1~ of heat for every 352 feet of altitude: this would give 4400 feet for the
elevation of the highest peak of the Organ Mountains above Mr. March's fazenda:
and, as this is 3100 feet above the level of the sea, we have for the total greatest
elevation 7500 feet."-Gardner's Travels in Brazil, second edition, p. 405.




284


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


of the little cottages like a huge Bernese chalet.  The smaller
buildings are filled, in the summer-time, with boarders who come
up to enjoy the cool air of Constancia and the bracing douche of
the cascade which rushes down from the hill opposite. In this
quiet cul-de-sac the Northerner is reminded, by the moss-roses and
violets, of his own far-off land in springtime. Not far from the
front-door, as we approach the main edifice, is a large clump of
roses of a diminutive kind, growing in wild profusion. The tuberose, the Cape jessamine, and the delicate heliotrope, fill the air
with sweets; and these and the arbors, with their honeysuckles,
attract the tiny humming-birds, who sparkle in the sunshine like
winged emeralds of richest hue.
Who that has been to Constancia will forget the material comforts with which Heath surrounds one? It is one of the few resorts
for health and recreation that I have visited where the proprietor
seems more like a host entertaining his friends than a landlord
fleecing his boarders. His anecdotes keep up a constant cheerfulness, while his adventures among the forests and the mountains
of Brazil are full of instruction.  He accompanied Gardner on
many of his excursions, and has been a perfect Nimrod. When
the felis-onca abounded, the neighbors were sure to send for Heath
to avenge depredations upon their folds; and many a well-sent
bullet from his rifle has brought the beautiful jaguar-the monarch
of the feline tribe in the Western World-to terms, which no troops
of hounds or Brazilian guns could have effected. He informed me
that many years ago his first visit to Constancia was in hunting
the tapir which had made such havoc in the fields of Indian corn
belonging to March'sfazenda, of which he was then the major-domo.
The number of these huge animals that he has in former years
killed in one season at Constancia has been thirty-two. This was
merely in the line of duty; for, if he had made a business of it,
he could have "bagged" more tapirs, jaguars, peccari, &c. in one
year than ever Gordon Cumming or Gerard did of their giant
game in the wilds of Kaffraria or Algeria.
It has often been a subject of wonder to me that of the tapir,
the largest animal of South America, so little should be known. It
also derives an interest from the fact that, though one of its species
exists in the Old World, it was not discovered until long after the






THE AMERICAN TAPIR.                  285
Tapir Americanus; for the Malay tapir, differing but little from its
Occidental congener, was never described until the governorship
of Sir Stamford Raffles in Java.
The tapir forms one of the connecting-links between the elephant and the hog. Its snout is lengthened into a kind of proboscis, and, with the exception of the trunk of the elephant, which
it resembles, is the longest nasal appendage belonging to any
quadruped. It is, however, devoid of that clever little-finger with
which nature has enriched the trunk of the land-leviathan. This
curious animal has many fossil relatives, but only three living
species (two of them belonging to South America) have as yet
been discovered.
THE  TAPIR.
The tapir is extensively distributed over South America east of
the Andes, but especially abounds in the tropical portions. It
seems to be a nocturnal vegetarian,-sleeping during the day, and,
sallying forth at night, feeds upon the young shoots of trees, buds,
wild fruits, maize, &c. &c. It is of a deep-brown color throughout,
approaching to black, between three and four feet in height, and
from five to six in length. The hair of the body, with the exception of the mane, is scanty, and so closely depressed to the surface
that it is scarcely perceived at a short distance. Its muscular




286


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


power is enormous; and this, with the tough, thick hide (almost
impervious to musket-ball) which defends its body, enables it to
tear through thickets in whatever direction it chooses. The jaguar
frequently springs upon it, but is often dislodged by the activity
of the tapir, who rushes through the bushes and underwood and
endeavors to brush off his enemy against the thick branches. Its
ordinary pace is a sort of trot; but it sometimes gallops, though
awkwardly and with the head down. It is very fond of the water,
and high up on the Organ Mountains are pools where it delights
to wallow. Its disposition is peaceful, and, if not attacked, it will
neither molest man nor beast; but, when set upon by the hunter's
dogs, it cal inflict terrible bites. Mr. Heath informed me that each
time it seizes a dog with its teeth the flesh is cut completely from
the bone of the canine intruder. The flesh of the tapir is dry, and
is often eaten by the Indians of the interior, by whom it is hunted
with spears and poisoned arrows. It takes to the water, and is
not only a good swimmer, but appears almost amphibious, being
enabled to sustain itself a long time beneath the surface: hence it
has sometimes been called Hippopotamus terrestris. The largest
which Mr. Heath ever shot weighed fourteen Portuguese arrobas,
(about four hundred and fifty pounds,) though doubtless much larger
exist in the Amazonian regions. Naturalists divide the American
tapir into two species,-that of the lowlands and that of the mountains,-the latter, found on eastern slopes of the Andes, differing
but little from the one already depicted and described.
The peccari is often met with in the woods of Brazil; and this
little native swine is the most pugnacious fellow imaginable.
Neither men nor dogs inspire reverence; for he will attack both
with impunity. It is gregarious in its habits, and will, with its
companions, charge most vehemently, no matter how great the
odds. It is, I believe, one of the very few animals that has no
fear of the detonation of fire-arms.
There are many beautiful and secluded walks and rides in the
vicinity of Constancia, and frequently Mr. Heath accompanies his
guests in the wild and romantic spots which here abound. I once
climbed with two companions to the top of the mountain seen on the
right in the sketch of Constancia, (page 283;) and, though I have
made many ascensions among the Alps and the Apennines, I




TODD'S "STUDENT'S MANUAL"-TIIE "HAPPY VALLEY." 287
have never experienced so much fatigue and difficulty as on that
occasion. We were the first, with one exception, to stand upon
that height and behold the wondrous view around. I afterward
made a sketch of the Organ Mountains at a point some miles distant from Heath's, and where the peaks presented the appearance
of irregular saw-teeth; and I could then appreciate better than
before the Spanish and Portuguese terms (Serra and Sierra,-a saw)
for mountains.
The sketch alluded to (though not engraved) was made on the
fly-leaf of a book which I reread in the Serra dos Org6es, and which
has since circumnavigated with me the Continent of South America. That book was an English edition of Todd's "Student's
Manual,"-a work which delighted my boyhood, which gave me
new resolution in college, and whose cheerful style, beautiful illustrations, and healthy thought cause it to be a most agreeable companion when no longer under tutors and governors.
Mr. Heath once took our company, through a little belt of forest,
to a valley not more than two miles distant from Constancia.
From the edge of the woods we looked down upon a dell whose
narrow end was next to us. Beyond, on either side of the mountain-spurs which formed the valley, were the dark-green coffeetrees and the pretty shrubs of the Chinese tea-plant. Far beneath
us, almost embowered amid giant bananeiras and orange-trees, we
perceived the red tiles of a cottage.  We descended by a little
path to this half-hidden habitation, and were introduced to the proprietors, two Swiss brothers, who, after having served in the English army, retired upon a good pension, and here, in quiet, were
enjoying life in one of the healthiest and most delightful places upon
the earth. The elder brother had not been to the city for eighteen
years. He had visited the United States when a younger man, but
only that portion which constitutes the northern border of New
York. While we were conversing with them, a flock of wild parrots came swooping into the open windows, screaming with delight
as they ate the sunflower-seeds which these benevolent old bachelors
had scattered for them.  The edges of the coffee-terreno (where
the berries are spread out to dry) were lined with large orangetrees, whose boughs bent downward with their golden burden;
running roses had festooned themselves upon shrubs, trees, and




288


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


outhouses, diffusing grateful fragrance from the thick clusters of
buds and blossoms; purling brooks mingled their noisy, gleesome
music with the more softened cadence of a distant waterfall, and
the whole scene had so much of peace and felicity pervading it,
that the "Happy Valley" of Dr. Johnson's imagination seemed
here to find its counterpart in reality.
I paid many pleasant visits to this pretty spot, and the lovely
valley grew upon me by the hour. In the cottage of the two
Swiss I found the best current periodicals, in French, German,
English, and Portuguese, all of which languages they speak with
fluency. The contrast was, however, most striking, as we conversed about Grindenwald, Martigny, the Riga, and the shores of
Lake Leman, (accurate paintings of which hung on the walls,)
and then looked forth upon a landscape of perennial bloom and of
unchanging verdure. They took me to their garden, where they
were, for their pleasure, cultivating moss-roses (which grow with
difficulty in Brazil) and vines brought from the warmer parts of
their native Switzerland.
During one of my visits they informed me that they had purchased this plantation from a gentleman now residing in the State
of Indiana, and they were equally surprised when I informed them
that that State was my terre natale. They had kept up an active
correspondence with the former proprietor, whom they represented
as a lover of music and Goethe, but that since 1849 they had received no intelligence from him, and they feared that he had fallen
victim to the cholera, which had swept through the Mississippi
Valley during the year mentioned. They desired me to write to a
friend to see if Mr. R. were dead or alive: accordingly, I wrote to
one of the professors of South Hanover College, Indiana; and my
correspondent ascertained that Mr. R. was still in the land of the
living. Professor T. visited him, and found Mr. R. a venerable
German of more than threescore years and ten; but his love for
music had not abated, and he was ready to battle for Goethe at a
moment's notice. He had not forgotten his friends in Brazil, but,
from some cause unknown, had not written to them; and hence
their apprehensions. When, however, he heard the description of
the "Happy Valley" in the sunny land of the Southern Cross, the
vision of its roses, golden fruits, fadeless green, and murmuring




PROSAIC CONCLUSION.


289


brooks came so vividly before him, that, aged as he was, his youth
seemed renewed, and he resolved to return once more to that which
was his first and beautiful home in the New World. I know not
if he carried his resolution into effect, but I can readily imagine
how powerfully one may be stirred up by the memory of beauty
which is inseparable from that peaceful dale in the Serra dos
Org6es.
It seems a lame and prosaic conclusion to the romance of the
little valley for me to state what I am about to record. The
Swiss brothers in 1855 sold their secluded home, with its brooks,
roses, and quiet, one of them got married, and both have come
down to the new town on the site of March's old fazenda; and I
fear that the elder brother, once brought within sight of the growing Imperial city, will be tempted to pass over the forty intervening
miles of mountain, plain, and water, and in the busy haunts of men
enter deeper into speculations and forget the tranquillity of the
"Happy Valley."
In one of my early walks on Heath's plantation, I was very
much struck with a tall tree that shot up near the pathway. Its
trunk was a little inclined,-otherwise remarkably straight; but its
chief attraction was the long and venerable moss which hung from
the wide.spreading branches and was gently swayed by the perfume-laden morning-breeze. I sat down to sketch it, and while
thus engaged I was startled by a loud chattering; and in an
instant a flock of brilliantly-colored birds, in curious flight, came
from the neighboring wood and alighted upon the solitary tree.
Though their motion on the wing was exceedingly clumsy, they
were most nimble as they leaped from limb to limb. They kept
up a continual chattering, as if they had met together to arrange
their plans for the day. I soon perceived that, notwithstanding
their brilliant plumage, which made the lofty tree seem laden with
large golden oranges, they were as uncouth in appearance as they
had been awkward in flight. Their bill was apparently of most disproportionate length, which did not, however, hinder their active
movements among the gnarled branches and pendent moss. Presently, having settled upon their arrangements for the day, they
took a unanimous vote, which was uttered in such a viva voce scream
that the very mountains resounded with wild, unearthly notes.
19




290


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


This was my first acquaintance with the toucan, which in its
appearance is one of the most eccentric members of the feathered
tribe. The feathers of the breast of the ramphastos dicolorus are
of the most brilliant orange, chrome, and deep-rose colors, and
form a prominent feature in the feather-dresses and ornaments of
the wild Indians of the interior.  In the sixteenth century the
"high-born" dames of the courts of Europe esteemed as their most


THE MOSS-COVERED TREE.


gorgeous and picturesque robes those trimmed with the breastfeathers of the toucan. Its tongue is long, stiff, and is tipped and
edged with little, hairlike feathers. It has a singular manner of
taking its food. I have watched one in a tame state eating Indian
corn; and it would take one grain in its huge bill, throw up its
head, elevating its long appendage, and by a series of quick jerks
the grain would be tossed along the stiff tongue into the throat.




THE TOUCAN.


291


The toucan belongs to climbing-birds, and is classed with parrots, woodpeckers, and cuckoos. Its foot, provided with two toes
in front and two behind, is admirably adapted to the purposes of
climbing and clinging. Its bill is by no means solid, and might
be termed honey-combed in its structure, and hence is light. This
long and heavy-looking instrument seems to be very sensitive and
well supplied with nerves, as its owner may be often seen scratching the curious organ with its foot.
Waterton speaks of one species of the toucan in Northern Brazil
(the toucans are only found in Tropical America) which "seems to
suppose that its beauty can be increased by trimming his tail,
which undergoes the same operation as our hair in a barber's shop;
only with this difference,-that it uses its own beak (which is serrated) in lieu of a pair of scissors. As soon as his tail is fullgrown, he begins about an inch
from the extremity of the two
longest feathers in it, and cuts
away the web on both sides of
the shaft, making a gap about
an inch long: both male and       - 
female adorn their tails in this  }:
manner, which gives them a re- 
markable appearance amongst 
all other birds."
The toucan is a most grotesque  iI
specimen of ornithology, and the  -:
Aracari, (Pteroglossus,) with his
huge bill and goggle-eyes, ap- 
pears like a melancholy Jaques,          THE TOUCAN.
or a spectacled German idealist,
who has banished himself far from the haunts of men, to speculate
on the miseries of human nature and the exalted excellence of the
"populous solitude of bees and birds
And fairy-form'd and many-color'd things."
The student of natural history can find much to gratify him in
the Organ Mountains. There are many beautifully-colored snakes,
(only a few of which are very venomous,) a vast variety of lizards,




292


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


curious frogs and toads,-as some one has remarked,-from the
small tree-kind, not more than an inch long, to those marsh ones
which are nearly large enough to fill a hat. Beautiful butterflies
vie with the flowers which from time to time they taste, or their
brilliant wings are reflected from the small pools on whose banks
they alight in countless numbers. Large wasp-nests as well as
tropical leaves adorn the branches of trees. In some places, beetles
like gems attach themselves to the foliage and flowers of low
shrubs, and at night the air is lighted up with fire-flies which
Gardner compares, in brilliancy, to "stars that have fallen from
the firmament and are floating about without a resting-place."
One evening I walked from Heath's toward the " Happy Valley,"
but, not prolonging my promenade far in that direction, I entered
a forest and pursued my way to the edge of a precipice, or rather
a crater-like hollow whose centre was a thousand feet below me
and whose sides were covered with trees. The night was dark,
and it had fallen so suddenly after the brief twilight, that, so far as
anticipation was concerned, I was unprepared for it. Before retracing my steps I stood for a few moments looking down into the
Cimmerian blackness of the gulf beneath me; and, while thus
gazing, a luminous mass seemed to start from the very centre. I
watched it as it floated up, revealing, in its slow flight, the long
leaves of the Euterpe edulis and the minuter foliage of other trees.
It came directly toward me, lighting up the gloom around with its
three luminosities, which I could now distinctly see. This was the
pyrophorus noctilucus, so well known to every traveller in the
Antilles and in Tropical America. It is of an obscure, blackish
brown, and the body is everywhere covered with a short, lightbrown pubescence. When it walks or is at rest, the principal light
it emits issues from the two yellow tubercles; but, when the wings
are expanded in the act of flight, another luminous spot is disclosed in the hinder part of the thorax. These luminosities-supposed to be phosphoric in their composition-are so considerable
that the fire-fly is often employed in the countries where it prevails
as a substitute for artificial light.
In the mountains of Tijuca I have read the finest print of "Harper's Magazine" by the light of one of these natural lamps placed
under a common glass tumbler, and with distinctness I could tell




THE FIRE-FLY AND THE IGUANA.


293


the hour of the night, and discern the very small figures which
marked the seconds of a little Swiss watch. The Indians formerly
used them instead of flambeaux in their hunting and fishing expeditions; and when travelling in the night they are accustomed to
fasten them to their feet and hands. In some parts of the tropics
they are used by the senhoritas for adorning their tresses, or their
robes, by fastening them within a thin gauze-work; and through
them their bearers become indeed "bright particular stars."  It
was of this fire-fly (which resembles, in every thing but color, the
"snapping-bug" of the Mississippi Valley) that Mr. Prescott, in his
" Conquest of Mexico," narrates the terror which they inspired in
the Spaniards in 1520.   "The air was filled with 'cocuyos,'
(pyrophorus noctilucus,) a species of large beetle which emits an
intense phosphoric light from its body, strong
enough to enable one to read by it.  These
wandering fires, seen in the darkness of the
night, were converted by the besieged into an
army with matchlocks."   Such is the report
of an eye-witness, —old Bernal Diaz.        THE BRILLIANT FIRE-FLY.
In one of my rides toward Canta Gallo, I
saw in the road the large lizard called the iguana. There is nothing
to me disgusting in this clean-looking reptile, whose skin, composed
of bright, small scales, resembles the finest bead-work. I had often
seen them at Rio spitted and hawked about the city; for the flesh
is esteemed a great delicacy,-resembling in its appearance and
taste that bonne bouche for epicures, a frog's hind-leg. The usual pictures of the iguana do not render it full justice; they represent it
as horrid in appearance as the imaginary baleful-breathed, javelintongued dragon from which good St. George delivered so many
devoted virgins. The iguana is from three to five feet in length,
and is oviparous. A lady member of my family possessed one
which was a great favorite, and she has kindly furnished me with
some notes on her pet. I insert them verbatim.
"Pedro [the iguana] afforded me much amusement. From his
close resemblance to the snake-tribe, it was difficult for strangers
to rid their mind of the impression that he was venomous. Such
is not the case with iguanas. Their only means of defence is their
very powerful tail; and a sportsman told me that he has had a




294


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


dog's ribs laid bare by a stroke of an iguana's tail.  My poor
pet, however, was not warlike, having been long in captivity. He
was given me as a 'Christmas-box' by a friend, and soon became
tame enough to go at liberty. He was about three feet long, and
subsisted upon raw meat, milk, and bananas. He had a basket in
my room, and when he felt the weather cool would take refuge
between the mattresses of my bed. There, in the morning, he
would be found in all possible comfort. One evening we missed him
from all his usual hiding-places, and reluctantly made up our minds
that he was lost; but, on rising in the morning, two inches of his
tail hanging out of the pillow-case told where he had passed a
snug night! My little Spanish poodle and he were sworn foes.
The moment Chico made his appearance, he would dash forward to
bite Pedro; but Chico thought, with many others, that 'the better
part of valor is discretion.' So he made off from the iguana as
fast as his funny legs could carry him. Then Pedro waddled slowly
back to the sunny spot on the floor and closed his eyes for a nap.
When the winter (a winter like the latter part of a Northern May)
began, he became nearly torpid, and remained without eating for
four months. He would now and then sun himself, but soon returned to his blanket.
"I frequently took him out on my arm, and he was often specially invited; but I cannot say that he was much caressed. It
was in vain that I expatiated on his beautiful bead-like spots of
black and white, on his bright jewel eyes and elegant claws.
They admired, but.:-:- _-   kept their distance. I
aL_-:: ____-_ —==-=:=-  ~=:-~ had a sort of malicious
pleasure in  putting
him suddenly down at
Z:  the feet of the stronger
sex, and I have seen
him elicit from naval
officers more sympTHE IGUANA.            toms of terror than
would   have   been
drawn forth by an enemy's broadside or a lee shore. But, alas
for the 'duration of lovely things!' During the summer-months




TRAVELLING EXPENSES.


295


he felt his old forest-spirit strong within him, and he often sallied
forth in the beautiful paths of the Gloria. On one of these occasions he met a marauding Frenchman. Pedro, the caressed by me
and the feared by others, knew no terror. The ruffian struck him
to the earth. It was in vain that a little daughter of Consul B. tried
to save him by crying, '11 est a Madame:' another blow fractured
his skull! My servant ran up only in time to save his body from
an ignominious stew-pan; but life was extinct. The assassin fled,
and Rose came back with my poor pet's corpse. On my return he
was presented to view with his long forked tongue depending from
his mouth. He was sent, wrapped in black crape, to a neighbor
who delighted in fricasseed lizards, but who, having seen him
petted and caressed, could not find appetite to eat him!
"Thus ended the career of poor Pedro, after a life of pleasant
captivity; and perhaps it might be said of him, as of many others,
'He was more feared than loved '"
From Constancia to Nova Fribourgo, or Morro Queimado, is a
mountain and forest path, which is sometimes taken by travellers
who wish to visit the villa named above. The route most frequently
traversed is by steamboat from Rio de Janeiro, on the bay as far as
the Mlacacui River, and up this stream to the Engenho de Sampaio.
Thence we may go by carriage or mule-back to the flourishing
town of Porto das Caixas, which is the general rendezvous for
the troops of mules that bring coffee and sugars from the Swiss
colonies of Nova Fribourgo and Canta Gallo and a large section
of the neighboring country. Here are also debarked the goods
which return from the capital in exchange for produce.
In addition to its commercial importance, it is distinguished as
the family-residence of the Visconde de Itaborahy, (Senhor Joaquim
Jose Roderigues Torres.) The traveller will here find a very good
hospedaria, (inn,) kept by a Frenchman, whose prices, though not so
moderate as in the interior of the country, may, with other expenses,
be interesting to voyageurs who may come after me. I find in my
note-book the following entry for myself and companion:"Hospedaria de M. Boulanger.-Two dinners, two candles, two
beds, coffee for two, two breakfasts, and the stabling of two mules,
— 7$200," (equal to about sixteen English shillings.)
At the excellent boarding-house of Mr.. Lowenroth, at Nova




296


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Fribourgo, you pay 2$ (one dollar) per diem for every thing. At
Canta Gallo, thirty miles farther in the interior, I paid 6$000 (thirteen and sixpence English) per diem, for myself, guide, and three
mules. At Pedro Schott's, (a regular Tete noire chalet of rude construction,) situated in a wild, secluded spot half-way between the
bay and Nova Fribourgo, for two dinners, two beds, two lights, and
the stabling of two mules,-4$500, (ten shillings twopence.)  At
Constancia and at Petropolis you pay 4$000 (nine shillings) per
diem, the price of a first-class hotel in the United States. It must
be remarked, however, that wine is never extra, and, as this is obtained at a cheap rate direct from Lisbon and Oporto, it is placed
upon every table.  On going into the fertile province of MinasGeraes, I found that for myself and company we were charged at
Petropolis 16$000, (nearly nine dollars,) and the next night at a
little inn called Ribeirao we paid for the same accommodations
4$000, (two dollars and twenty cents.) Upon the sea-coast I have
always found the living expensive to the foreigner. Farther in the
interior the prices diminish. At the Ponta do Jundiahi, in the province of S. Paulo, dinner for myself and guide, and feed for three
animals, the price was but 1$500 (three shillings and fivepence English.) The common Brazilian travels at a rate one-fourth cheaper
than either the North American or the European. He rarely stops
at the hospedaria, but, when he considers the day's journey ended,
whether at two o'clock P.M. or six P.M., he rides under a rancho,
gives a few handfuls of milho (maize) to his mule, and afterward
turns him out to pasture. He then-if he has no servant with him
-joins with others occupying the same rancho, andfeijoes, and carne
secca, greased with a little toucinho, and well stiffened with farinha
de mandioca, form a substantial supper, which has as an adjunct
coffee, red Lisbon, or water from the running brook. I have found
sleep as sweet on a raw hide spread in the dust of a rancho as in
the soft bed of the best New York hotel. The ranchos (mere tilecovered sheds) are found all over the country, and, like the caravanserais of the East, are often erected by the authorities; but in
many instances they have been built by some vendeiro, who charges
nothing for the shelter thus afforded to the troupeiros and the thousands of sacks of coffee and sugar on their way to the seaboard
marts. The vendeiro, however, does not count without his host, for




NOVA FRIBOURGO AND CANTA GALLO.


297


troupeiros need feijdes, carne, farinha, cachaga, and coffee for themselves, and milho for their mules. Then an extra girth, a saddleblanket, a pointed knife, and an iron spur, are often wanted; and
the Portuguese vendeiro thus accumulates property, and in time
becomes a fazendeiro, but does not give up the shop, which always
brings him a good return.
Those who intend travelling long journeys in Brazil would do
well to purchase their own mules. Horses and mules (the latter
are much more serviceable) may be hired at the rate of from 5$000
to 10$000 (eleven to twenty-two English shillings) for each fifty
miles, or for a certain sum the trip.
The coffee-plantations of the elevated uplands of Nova Fribourgo and Canta Gallo rank among the best in the province of Rio
de Janeiro: many of them are owned by Swiss and Frenchmen
who came to Brazil at the invitation of Dom Joao VI., in 1820; but
the colony of which they formed a part fell through, and the most
energetic men have become proprietors. The Baron of New Fribourg has immense plantations in the vicinity of N. Fribourgo,
where he not only employs slaves, but many emigrants from Portugal, the Azores, and Madeira. His residence in the villa whence
he derives his title is a large mansion built in good taste. A Protestant chapel of small dimensions is presided over by an old Lutheran
clergyman who came to Brazil with the early German colonists.
I could, however, perceive that there was but little Christian
vitality among this people.  Lutherans of the old Church-andState School are among the very last men to propagate the gospel.
There is more hope of some of the new pastors in the more recentlyestablished German colonies.
At Nova Fribourgo are a number of excellent schools, the chief
of which is the Instituto Collegial of Mr. John H. Freese. This
gentleman has devoted many years to instruction in this cool and
healthful spot, and many hundred young Fluminenses have here
received an education in English and French, as well as in the
Portuguese language. I have met with the scholars of Mr. Freese
in different parts of the Empire, and they always manifested a
general intelligence beyond the alumni of other similar institutions.
His Noces Geraes dcerca da Educaado da Mocidade Brazileira show
that he has given much attention to the subject of education.




298


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Between N. Fribourgo and Canta Gallo the scenery is remarkably
Alpine, and such is the cultivation that one is readily reminded of
the sweet valleys of Switzerland. In the neighborhood of Canta
Gallo I found a number of intelligent German, Swiss, and French
gentlemen, whose coffee-plantations bring them most lucrative
incomes. I was not a little surprised at a kind offer of a German,


NEAR THE VILLAGE OF NOVA FRIBOURGO.


who manifested the beginning of his hospitality by asking me if I
would not take ein grog, and was as astonished at my refusal as I
had been at his offering.
At the plantation-house of Mr. D., a Swiss from Zurich, I was
surrounded by many reminiscences of his fatherland; and when I
gazed upon his finely-cultivated fields, which stretched before his
mansion, I could almost believe myself in some of the green vales
of the Oberland, large paintings of which graced the walls of the




EXTENT OF THE BAY OF RIO DE JANEIRO.


299


salon. The illusion was rendered more complete when night had
hidden every palm-tree and flowering cactus, and I heard only the
sounds of the French and German languages, or from the piano
the simple notes of the Ranz des Vaches, sweet nocturnes, and the
majestic strains of Mendelssohn and Beethoven. I could scarcely
believe myself a hundred miles in the interior of Brazil. I, however, realized that I was not in the land of Tell when I returned
to Canta Gallo preceded by a negro in livery, who bore (on horseback) a flaming torch, whose flashes of light revealed overhanging
mimosas, bignonias, and long, bending bamboos.
The old hotel-keeper at Canta Gallo is a tall Frenchman who
was one of the body-guard of Napoleon I., which fact his mellifluous
Franfais, as well as rude fresco-paintings, soon inform you.
In returning from this excursion, there is a magnificent view of
the whole bay, extending as it does within its mountain-walls one
hundred miles in circumference. The most important ports upon
the borders of this bay are Maj6, Piedade, Porto da Estrella, and
Iguassu. At these several places great quantities of produce are
delivered by troops from the interior and embarked in steamers
andfalluas for the capital.
A glance at the map shows the Bay of Rio de Janeiro to
contain numerous islands, of various form and extent. Ilha do
Governador, or Governor's Island, is much the largest, measuring
twelve miles from east to west. Most of these islands are inhabited, and under tolerable cultivation. If any thing can add to
the imposing scenery of this magnificent bay, it is the vast number
of small vessels that are seen constantly traversing it, dotting the
green surface of the water with their whitened sails. From morning to evening may be seen, plying in every direction, open and
covered boats, canoes, lanchas, falluas, and smacks.
One of the most attractive residences for the people of Rio
during the hot season is the newly-formed colony of Petropolis,
situated about three thousand feet above the level of the sea. An
agreeable steamboat-transit amid the picturesque islands brings
you to Maua, the terminus of the first railroad formed in Brazil,
and for which the Empire is indebted to the enterprise of that
enlightened and patriotic Brazilian, Evangelista Ireneo da Souza,
who, on the opening of this railway was created Baron of Maua by




300


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


the Emperor. The road is about ten miles long, and leads to the
foot of the mountains, where carriages, each drawn by four mules,
receive the travellers. The ascent is by an excellent road, which
was built by the Government at an enormous expense, and reminds
one of the Simplon route. In some parts the side of the mountain is so steep that three windings are compressed into a space
small enough to allow of your being heard as you speak to the
persons in the carriages going the opposite direction. When you
reach the summit, before descending into the valley in which
stands the town, a magnificent prospect opens before you. All the
bay and city of Rio, with the plains of Maua, across which lies the
diminutive railroad, are mapped out below.
In the year 1837, Dr. Gardner writes, "We passed through the
small, miserable village of Corrego Secco." This is now Petropolis. All the neighboring land was at an earlier date obtained by
the Emperor D. Pedro I. with a view to forming a German colony.
This design was interrupted by his abdication, but has been carried out by his son, the present Emperor. It now contains ten
thousand inhabitants, and on every side are beautiful residences
of wealthy Rio families who resort thither during the summer.
Nothing can exceed the beauty of the vicinity. Roads, bordered
by villas, stretch away from the centre, between hills still covered
with virgin forest. Many of these, inhabited by the German
colonists, bear the name of places in Fatherland, and the mind is
pleasantly transported to scenes in the Old World. The highroad
to the mining-district is through Petropolis, and troops of mules,
laden with coffee, sugar, and sometimes gold, are perpetually passing down to the head of the bay, where their loads are transferred
to falluas and steamers to be transported to the city.
The palace of the Emperor stands in the centre of the town, and
when finished and surrounded by cultivated grounds, will present
a beautiful appearance. Small streams intersect the streets and are
crossed by bridges, adding much to the singular aspect of the place.
There are Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches, large hotels,
and many shops. Here the Baron de Maua. has a mansion pleasantly situated at the meeting of two mountain-brooks. Many
foreigners have villas here and there,-the English generally
seeking the heights.




PETROPOLIS, THE MIOUNTAIN-CITY.


301


The colonists belong to a low class of Germans, and brought
with them few arts and but little education. It seems difficult in
any tropical climate to prevent the morals and industry of emigrants from deteriorating, and this is particularly to be observed
in slave-countries. The degraded colonist, while setting himself
above the African, engrafts the vices of the latter upon the
European stock, and thus sinks to a lower grade than the negro.
The German in Brazil has the want of a sound moral people surrounding him, to sustain and elevate him: therefore it is no marvel
if he sink lower and lower in the scale of civilization. Much,
however, is being done for the Germans of Petropolis. Dr. Hoffmann, as the pastor of the church and superintendent of the schools,
takes a deep interest in the welfare of his countrymen both spiritually and intellectually.
SWISS  VALLEY,  NEAR  PETROPOLIS.
It is not possible to obtain a view of the entire town of Petropolis at one glance, because it is scattered in various valleys
among the hills. More rain falls here than in Rio, and the tiny
rivulets often become rushing streams, and the mule-troops labor
on through miles of mud. This moisture keeps the air cool and
freshens the flowers that cluster round the white-walled cottages
which gleam from their dark-green background. The accompany



302


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


ing view is taken in the Swiss valley, where, as you listen to the
German accents of the villagers, fancy might induce you to believe
yourself in Europe, did not the waving palm and rustling banana
remind you that you dwelt under a tropic sun.
Petropolis is annually becoming of greater importance. Its
salubrious and delightful climate will make it a large and fashionable resort for the Capital of the Empire, and perhaps the day is
not distant when it will become the second city in the province. It
stands at the entrance to the fertile province of Minas-Geraes, and,
should some plan be devised for constructing a railway up the
mountains, its growth will be most rapid. If the Baron of Maua
would pay a visit to the United States and examine the Pennsylvania railways, or the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, he may be
encouraged to persevere.       Mr. Cathcart invented a locomotive
for the Madison (Indiana) and Indianapolis Railroad which climbs
a grade of four hundred feet to the mile; and this powerful
machine might overcome every difficulty. The mountain-barrier
once passed, and a portion of the rich interior regions of Brazil
would then be brought within a short distance of the seaboard.*
* Another railway is now being built from the capital into the interior, the following notice of which is in a late number of the "National Intelligencer":"The present Emperor of Brazil, in furtherance of the enlightened policy adopted
from the beginning of his reign, has taken under his protection the construction of
a great line of iron-rails, which is to connect the richest provinces of his Empire.
This main line-called 'Dom Pedro II. Railroad'-is so planned as to be extended
and gradually ramified in every direction for the accommodation of travellers and
transport of the produce of the various parts of the country. The first section of
it is now being built by Mr. Ed. Price, an English contractor, and will soon be completed. The second-fourteen and a quarter leagues in extent, through a mountainous region, including the Tunnel of Mendes, the construction of which tunnel
alone is estimated at $420,000-has been already surveyed and traced out by our
own countryman, Colonel Charles F. M. Garnett, chief engineer of the company,
with the assistance of his corps of engineers.
"The Brazilians desire our co-operation in the completion of the national enterprise they have now in view. Every inducement is offered to us, not only in regard
to the liberal compensation assured to our contractors by the ample funds possessed
by the company, but also in taking into consideration the facilities that our countryman, Colonel Garnett, would afford to Americans acting in the undertaking submitted to his direction."




CHAPTER XVI.


PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE TO THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES-THE PASSENGERS-UBATUBA-EAGERNESS TO OBTAIN BIBLES-THE ROUTINE ON BOARDABORIGINAL NAMES-SAN SEBASTIAN AND MIDSHIPMAN WILBERFORCE-SANTOSBRAZILIANS AT DINNER-INCORRECT JUDGMENT OF FOREIGNERS-S. VINCENTEORDER OF EXERCISES-MY CIGAR-PARANAGUA-II.B.M. "CORMORANT" AND THE
SLAVERS-MUTABILITY OF MAPS-RUSSIAN VESSELS IN LIMBO-THE PRIMA DONNA
-AN ENGLISH ENGINEER-ARRIVE AT SAN FRANCISCO DO SUL.
ALTHOUGH I had resided several years in the Empire, I had never
visited its Southern provinces. In June, 1855, duty as well as
inclination gave me the privilege which I had so long desired.
Having been kindly provided by Brazilian, German, and English
friends at Rio with letters of introduction, and being particularly
fortified by a strong carta de recommendacdo from the venerable
Senator Vergueiro, (one of the last of the constitutional patriots,)
I had every facility for seeing Southern Brazil to advantage.
Wishing to have ample leisure, I procured my passport, several
days before my departure, at the proper bureau. One of the first
lessons learned by the traveller in Brazil is patience and conformity
to all existing formalities. No matter how absurd the regulation,
as, for instance, that which requires one to obtain a passport in
leaving the city of Rio de Janeiro for the provinces, (where it is
never demanded,) you must submit. Protestations only bring a
shrug of the shoulders from the snuff-taking official, and woe be to
you if the hour for closing the bureau slips around before you have
obtained the necessary document. To be perfectly en regle, the
departing citizen or stranger must have his name registered either
in the custom-house or printed in some public journal three days
before his passport is granted, in order that his creditors may have
an opportunity of knowing his movements. But the passport system, as well as quarantines, never prevented the adit or exit of
rogues or pestilence.
303




304


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


In addition to this, I had prepared, the day before, my baggage,
consisting of a trunk and a number of large boxes of books, and
I had made arrangements with an under-clerk of a mercantile house
to have these put on the steamer at an early hour. Believing
myself perfectly secure, I was busily engaged in writing up to
within half an hour of the time of departure. On entering the
mercantile establishment referred to, I found that my baggage was
still, quietly resting where I had left it the day previous. There
was just time to hurry it down to the Consulado in a cart. Off we
started, and, on reaching this place, we went through a set of
formalities in shipping the boxes; then, taking a boat, (for vessels
there do not lie in docks,) we arrived at the steamer, and had the
mortification to be informed by the Brazilian second mate that the
objects of our haste could not be received on board at that hour
without a special permit from the office of the steamer, which
was in a street one mile distant from the Consulado.
The blacks rowed me quickly to the shore, where I jumped into
a tilbury and rattled through the streets to the much-coveted
bureau of the Southern Steam-Packet Company. I obtained the
permit, and, with as great celerity in returning as in coming, I was
soon on board. I leave to the reader to judge how much easier
and more reasonable the whole matter would have been in England
or the United States, even if blame were to be attached to me for
not attending to my own luggage and seeing it fairly on the
steamer the day before.
Once on board, I found that there had been no need of my great
fretting, for the engine snorted and hissed more than an hour
before we left the moorings. Our passports were all examined by
the police-officer, and our personal identities were verified by the
agent of the packet, in order to discover if all the passengers had
paid their fare: the captain took his stand upon the wheel-house,
and to his "Small turn ahead" we moved through the assembled
shipping of the loading, discharging, and man-of-war anchorages,
until a "Stop her" brought us under the guns of Villegagnon.
Here we received the last visit of the agent, and then the Government officials boarded us to see that all was right and-you
imagine that we steamed out of the bay, in which imagination you
would be egregiously mistaken; for we lay before Villegagnon for




UBATUBA.


305


two mortal hours, tossing up and down in a delightful swell which
rolled in directly from the blue Atlantic. Something had been left
behind by the captain's wife, which (of more value than a bandbox) proved to have been a large package of money "expressed"
to the South; and hence our delay.
It was after five o'clock when we passed the giant sentinels of
the Sugar-Loaf and Santa Cruz. The passengers, with the exception of myself, a Frenchman, and a Lombard, were either Brazilians or Portuguese.  The captain, though a Baltimorean, had
renounced his allegiance to the United States, and had been naturalized in Brazil. Night soon came on, and a heavy rolling sea
compelled me to take to my berth,-not, however, before I had seen
the Brazilians horribly sea-sick; and all of them have such a bilious
look that one would anticipate for them an unusual degree of suffering upon the "vasty deep."
Early the next morning I could see from my cabin-window the
mountains of the coast. The same magnificent scenery which so
delights the traveller in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro is reproduced
all the way to Rio Grande do Sul, only the mountains vary in form,
and in some places the palm-trees are more luxuriant. When I
came upon deck, we were just entering the beautiful Bay of Ubatuba.
Two vessels were riding at anchor; and, for a small place, there is
considerable trade in coffee, which is brought down from the
interior and thence shipped to Rio.
The village of Ubatuba stretches along a circular beach, and its
bright houses are thrown out in prominent relief by the verdant
mountains that lift themselves in the background. The storm had
ceased; and I rarely have witnessed a lovelier scene than was presented by this Southern landscape. The captain, seeing the calmness of the water, had the good sense, at this juncture, to invite
the passengers to a most substantial breakfast, for which each one
on board had been fully prepared by his night's tribute paid to the
angry waves.
Every eye beamed with pleasure (doubtless the breakfast had had
something to do with it) as the vision of beauty before us came in
review. Good-nature and kindness is a predominant characteristic
of the Brazilian; but even a churl would have been alegre under
our present circumstances.
20




306


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


We only exchanged mails and took in oranges, (a hundred of the
most luscious could be purchased for an English threepence,) and,
bidding farewell to Ubatuba, in a short time we were sailing close
to woody islands or the green shore. The sea was smooth, the
passengers were all upon deck, and the best of feeling pervaded the
whole company. Wishing to profit by the occasion, I descended
to my trunk and brought up a Portuguese Bible, which I offered
to a passenger on the conditions laid down in the rules of the
American Bible Society. Only a few moments elapsed ere I had
disposed of all the volumes of the Sacred Word which were at my
convenience, and on every side my fellow-voyagers were reading
with eagerness a book they had never seen before. From time to
time I was called on for explanations, and I was renewedly convinced of the freedom from bigotry which is a distinguishing negative quality of the Brazilians. An officer of the Imperial navy had
just returned from the Brazilian squadron at the river Plate, and,
in seeking the bosom of his family at Santos, wished the Scriptures as a present for his children, and, when purchasing them,
he remarked, "Though I am a man forty-five years of age, I have
never before seen A Santa Biblia in a. language which I could'
understand."
Ubatuba differs in a certain respect from a number of neighboring towns, inasmuch as it rejoices in one of the euphonious
aboriginal terms which were found throughout the country at its
discovery. Not many leagues from this village is the large town of
Angra dos Reis and the island denominated Ilha Grande dos Magos,
which names were given by Martin Affonso de Souza. Although
several of these harbors and islands had been previously discovered.and probably named, yet-owing to the circumstance that Souza
became an actual settler, combined with the fact that in following
the Roman calendar he flattered the peculiar prejudices of his
eountrymen-the names imposed by him have alone remained to
posterity. The 6th day of January, designated in English as that of
the Epiphany, is termed, in Portuguese, Dia dos Reis Magos, (Day,of the Kings or Royal Magi.) The island of S. Sebastian and the
port of S. Vincente were named, in like manner, on the 20th and
22d days of the same month. The Indian names of Brazilian
towns are among some of the most flowing and fine-sounding




MIDSHIPMAN WILBERFORCE AND THE MOSQUITOS.     307


found in any language:-as Itaparica, Pindamonhangaba, Inomerim,
Guaratingitd, Parahiba and its diminutive Parahibuna, &c.,-the
h in each case non est litera.
It was only a few hours' run from Ubatuba to our next stoppingplace. We were constantly passing one of the boldest and most
picturesque coasts that I have ever seen. Near the island and the
town of San Sebastian, (the latter on terra firma,) I was continually
reminded of the banks of the Rhine and of the lake and mountain
scenery of Switzerland, though here perpetual verdure crowns cliff
and crag, and the valleys were covered with plantations of coffee
and sugar, and the orange-groves were prodigal of their golden
fruit. The shore was steep and high, and well-wooded promontories stood out with minute distinctness in the bright, pure atmosphere. The island of San Sebastian is only separated by a narrow
strait from the mainland, and it seemed to me, as I gazed upon it,
like one of the fabled IIesperides. The steep rocky sides of its
mountain-ridge are interspersed with belts of forest, from whose
thick-foliaged bosom cascades of Alpine magnitude dashed their
foaming treasures hundreds of feet below.
It was in a hamlet on this romantic island that Wilberforcea rollicking, fun-loving English midshipman-says he
saw the traces of Portuguese     ',     ' 
hands in a neat white church:,
which rose from the midst 
sence of a church is in itself
sufficient to show whether 
Portuguese  or  Brazilians
have founded the village.                             e 
It is said that the first building that Portuguese settlers       THE ROADSIDE VENDA.
erect is a church: the first
that Brazilians build is a grog-shop." And then he significantly
adds, "We order these things better in England, and build both at




308


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


the same time." I cannot say that the remarks of Midshipman
Wilberforce are altogether exact; for it is a fact that the Brazilians
already have too many churches for the priests, and also that they
do commence the nucleus of their village by a venda, which not
only serves as a drinking-house, but as a
place for lodging and eating. The Brazilians
are a temperate people, as I have already: 1  observed, and are not given to drunkenness
as the Northern nations; therefore "grogshop" is not the correct term to express the
foundation of a Brazilian settlement. Religion and the venda are not always inseparable; for you will frequently find a little
cross erected near its entrance, and sometimes an alms-box affixed to the door, on
which is painted "white souls and black"
T     HE A L M S-B  lifting up from the flames of purgatory hands
of supplication; and hard must be the heart
that can resist the piteous spectacle.
The midshipman is, however, entirely just in his observations on
mosquitos and the very vicious sand-flies called borachudas. Both
his indignation and poetry arise at the trouble they gave him; for
he eloquently bursts forth in the following:-" Any one who should
write an ode to Brazilian scenery [near San Sebastian] would
probably begin," Ye mountains, on whose woody heights
The greedy borachudah bites;
Ye forests, in whose tangled mazes
The dire mosquitos sting like blazes!'and so on to the end of the canto. Things that would be poetical
in themselves are sadly spoiled by the introduction of such utilitarian adjuncts as mosquitos. Greedy animals! I am ashamed
of you. Cannot you once forego your dinner and feast your mind
with the poetry of the landscape?"
San Sebastian is twelve or fourteen, miles long, and of nearly
equal width. It is well cultivated and somewhat populous. Like
Ilha Grande, it was a rendezvous for vessels engaged in the slave



SANTOS.


309


trade. Such craft had great facilities for landing their cargoes of
human beings at these and contiguous points; and if they did not
choose to go into the harbor of Rio to refit, they could be furnished
at this place with the requisite papers for another voyage. For no
other object was the vice-consulate of Portugal established in the
villa opposite.
The sun was setting as our little steamer issued from the Bay of
S. Sebastian, and before daylight was gone we neared the Alcatrazes, two rocky islands of curious shape, conspicuous objects well
known to all travelled Paulistos.
Before retiring to my cabin I had an interesting conversation
with a Portuguese who was proud of his little native peninsular
kingdom, and boasted of her great deeds and past prowess, but
spoke not of her present glory. The Lombard passenger entertained me with sketches of the Milanese revolt of 1848, and with
warlike chansons, in which the name of Carlo Alberto II RBe di
Sardegna was ever prominent.
The next morning we arrived at Santos, situated a few miles up
a river of the same name, which is the chief port of the flourishing
province of St. Paul's. Here I landed my two boxes intended for
the interior, and which I hoped would reach their destination
before I returned to Santos, so that I could ride swiftly after them
and not be delayed as I had been in similar excursions in the rural
part of the province of Rio de Janeiro. I had some difficulty with
the custom-house; and no one but strangers who have gone
through this experience in Brazil can imagine the various annoyances to which every species of goods is subjected. There are
no objections to the books because they are Bibles, but you must
pay duty (small, it is true) a second time upon them. I thought
because I had paid duties once at Rio that that was sufficient; but
here they have a provincial tariff from which no one is exempt. I
had letters from Senator Vergueiro to his two sons, who have a
mercantile house here, and also the father and the sons have immense plantations in the interior; and it was to one of these
plantations that I determined to go, and, while doing good, be
enabled to see for myself the condition of the thousand European
colonists which the enterprising Vergueiros have under their
charge.




310


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Senhor Jose Yergueiro, the principal of the Santos house, (Vergueiro & Filhos,) was absent, and his brother, the fourth son of
the Senator, was indisposed. But at his order every kindness was
shown me by the clerks of the establishment; and through one of
them my books were soon liberated from the custom-house. I
declined their invitation to dine at the Trapiche, for I had already
accepted the kind offer of my Brazilian compagnons de voyage at
the hotel of Senhor Francisco. Senhor F. was said to be a perfect
polyglot; but I found, by trying him in three languages, that he
only spoke a smattering of each. The dinner was plentiful and
excellent. I found that the convivial qualities of the Brazilians
were as remarkable as those of John Bull,-not that there was
drinking to any excess, but they ate heartily, and cheered most
lustily at every toast or sentiment, with which it seemed our feast
was as plentifully provided as with substantial food and doces. The
Brazilians are great toasters; and I have seen a table at which
twenty or more persons were assembled, and each proposed at
least one sentiment, while some proposed during the sitting the
health of as many as six different individuals. Some of these
toasts would be concluded by a song vociferated by the whole company as loudly as if German students had been the performers.
The company at Senhor Francisco's consisted of merchants,
physicians, a number of Government civil officers, and one colonel
of the regular army. Wine in abundance was placed upon the
table; yet it was used in great moderation by those who did partake of it, while others seemed to abstain from it altogether. In
settling the bill, ($1 each,) not one of them would allow me to share
a penny of the expense; and throughout the whole repast, it being
known that I was a Protestant clergyman, they were most respectful in their bearing, and all approved of the work in which I
was engaged. I have been thus particular in mentioning this little
incident, because some writers and visitors in Brazil, but who certainly have never seen beyond a ship-chandlery, hotel, or at
furthest some coast-city, have complained that Brazilians are inhospitable, selfish, and altogether distrustful of strangers. As to
inhospitality, away from the great towns it cannot be predicated of
them; and even in Rio and Bahia, the largest cities of Brazil, I
have met with the very warmest welcomes from Brazilians whom




HOSPITALITY AND KINDNESS.


311


I had never seen until I handed them my letters of introduction.
Among the pleasantest memories of my life will be the recollection
of the kind hospitality manifested towards me by Brazilians at the
metropolis, where more than elsewhere coldness is said to abound.
As to selfishness and distrust of strangers, they possess the one in
common with human nature, and of the other they do not possess
more than is manifested by Englishmen or Americans when approached by the newly-arrived foreigner without letters of recommendation.
From the hotel of Senhor Francisco we went on board of our
steamer. That evening a knot of our passengers, together with
the captain and his mate, sat up to a late hour conversing in regard
to the demoralizing literature which floods the land from France.
They listened with great attention to remarks which were in favor
of laying the axe at the root of the tree; and a corrupt religion
was measured by the only true standard,-that great Rule of Faith
given to us by God in His word.
The next day our steamer did not leave Santos until noon, so that
I had an opportunity of going again to the warehouse of Senhor
Vergueiro & Filhos. I was glad to find that the youngest Vergueiro
was able to be in his counting-room, though Senhor Jose had not
yet returned from the interior. He regretted much that I could
not then accept the hospitality of their house, stating that his
father had written to them requesting that they would pay me
every possible attention, but hoped that on my return from San
Francisco do Sul I would give them a long visit. All this was said
in a manner so unaffected and cordial as to preclude all idea
of formality or insincerity.
At twelve o'clock the "vapor" left Santos, and we were soon
steaming down the river.
Santos is situated upon the northern portion of the island of S.
Vicente, which is detached from the continent merely by the two
mouths of the Cubatao River. The principal stream affords entrance at high-water to large vessels, and is usually called Rio de
Santos up as far as that town. At its mouth, upon the northern
bank, stands the fortress of S. Amaro. This relic of olden time is
occupied by a handful of soldiers, whose principal employment is
to go on board the vessels as they pass up and down, to serve as a




312


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


guard against smuggling. The course of the river is winding and
its bottom muddy. Its banks are low and covered with mangroves,
so that the foreground is not very inviting; but from the wheelhouse a fine prospect of back-country and distant mountains presented themselves on the north. The captain pointed out the site
of St. Vincent,-the first regularly-established colony in Brazil.
How Martin Affonso de Souza could have chosen this place in preference to the present situation of Rio is indeed hard to account
for, except on the ground that the Tamoyo Indians were too
numerous around the Bay of Nitherohy.
The sea becoming rough, I took to my old and sovereign remedy
against nausea,-viz.: a good berth,-and did not rise until I found
that the sun was high above the mountains, and that we were entering the intricate harbor of Paranagua. Before crossing the bar, we
saw outside a Brazilian schooner tossing up and down at anchor. The
captain, with his glass, perceived that it was one chartered by the
Steam-Packet Company, and was loaded with coals from which he
was to obtain his fuel for the remainder of the voyage. It was of
the utmost importance, then, that the schooner should cross the bar.
With the present wind it would be impossible. The steamer's
head was put for the schooner. It was with difficulty that any
one became aroused, and then the utmost indifference was manifested by the captain of the little sailing-vessel at a proposition
which would have made an English or a Yankee skipper dance
with joy,-i.e. to be towed in. His drawling reply was, "Se o
Senhor quizer," (If the gentleman wishes it.) This was perfectly in
accordance with the general want of energy which characterizes a
certain class of Brazilians. The vessel was attached to the P-,
and we were soon over the bar, steering up the difficult channel.
A number of letters which I wrote to a friend during this voyage
were preserved and afterward returned to me; and I have thought
it best from time to time to introduce portions of them which possess
at least the interest of being penned amid the scenes which they
describe. The following was written from the next port south of
Paranagua.
0~Paranaguai~. ~        "SAN FRANCISCO DO SUL, 
"PROVINCE OF SANTA CATHARINA.
"This is not that San Francisco of wonderful growth, of adventurers, and of golden dreams. As to gold, there is none; as to




ORDER OF EXERCISES ON THE STEAMER.


313


adventurers, only two runaway sailors; and as to rapid growth,
that is reversed, for here there are plenty of houses to let,-plenty
'hurrying [the only haste to be discovered] on to indistinct decay.'
"But I will go back for a day or two in my journey.
"I left Santos on the 15th. It is delightful to travel on a Brazilian steamer, provided that you are not in a hurry. They take
things so easy: I mean both steamers and people. And let me say
that, of all the travellers with whom I have ever voyaged, the Brazilians are the most good-natured and agreeable after you have
made their acquaintance. They are very obliging, yet from time
to time can display as much selfishness as other 'humans' on a
vessel,-that little world in miniature, where all that is bad is easily
brought to light. Pacienza is the motto of these steamers. When
you arrive at a town, after having been 'terribly' pitched about
and sea-sick, you may now count upon a good twenty-four or thirtysix hours on land. It is a great luxury. The passengers desert
the vessel, (although good dinners are provided on shipboard,) and
off they rush to the hotels; or, in default of this, they seek the
Casas de Pasto, and feast to such an extent that you would deem
them half famished.
"The 'order of exercises' on board the steamer at sea may be
easily stated. Each morning at six o'clock the cabin-boy wakes
you up by giving you a cup of coffee, (noir,) and thirty or forty
minutes afterward a large bowl of mingau, (arrowroot, or maizemush,) well sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, is placed on the
table, and a strapping big fellow, fortified with a ladle, is ready to
serve you with all the grace and celerity which appertains to the
same kind of presiding genii that you meet with at the Faubourg
du Temple in Paris. At ten o'clock a huge breakfast consisting of
roast and boiled beef, pork, fresh fish, pirao, (a dish of mandioca,)
&c. &c., is placed before you. Fall to, help yourself, and your neighbors will do the same without any rifardo; and, when satisfied or
fatigued with this operation, vary the business by imbibing the tea
which the steward has just brought simmering in. Now mount
the deck. If the sea is not heavy, pipes, cigars, and promenades
are the next in the programme. The scenery on shore is my cigar;
and up to the present time there has been no diminution of my
enjoyment in this respect. If any thing, the mountains are still




314


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


more fantastic and varied than at Rio, and the bays and islets are
perfectly picturesque. The passengers are full of pranks and jokes
for an hour or so, and then they take a nap or read. I will venture
to assert there never was before so much Bible-reading on board
of a Brazilian vessel. On account of the warmth of the climate,
each of these coast-steamers have, all around the upper deck, little
cabins, or, more properly, respectable dog-houses, with a slidingdoor. Although there are comfortable berths below, these upper
apartments are the choicest to be had; for, night or day, you are
always sure of fresh, pure air. My fellow-passengers were stretched
around in these little cabins with the sliding-doors pushed back, and


VIEW OF PARANAGUA.


I thus nad an opportunity of seeing them as I walked the deck.
I was often called upon to explain the Scriptures, and rejoiced in
the opportunity of scattering the seed, which, though sown in ap



THE "CORMORANT" AND THE SLAVERS.


315


parently unpropitious ground, the Master can cause to spring up
an hundredfold.
"We arrived at Paranagua on the Saturday morning after leaving Rio, and now I can say that I have been in the newest Brazilian province,-that of Parana.  The entrance of the bay is a
perfect puzzle, and the mountains beyond the city are both lofty
and picturesque. While the sun was streaming down upon the
deck of our steamer, I took a rough sketch of a portion of the
outer harbor, which I herewith enclose to you, premising the impossibility to do justice to this whole coast without the power of a
Constable, a Turner, or a Calame.
"Paranagua was formerly a celebrated rendezvous for scoundrels
of all nations engaged in the slave-trade; and when the British
Government, a few years ago, ordered its cruisers to make a
vigorous demonstration on the Brazilian coast, the 'Cormorant,'
of the Royal Navy, steamed up these sinuosities, entered the harbor, and cut out a whole nest of slavers. The fort was well situated
near the bar, and H. B.. ' Cormorant' must pass that point.' After
a slight resistance before yielding their vessels, the pirate captains
and crews ran around by land to the fort and manned the guns,
anxiously awaiting the 'Cormorant' as she should proceed to sea,
dragging her trophies after her. Proudly she again ploughed
through the winding approach to the ocean. The guns of the fort
were well pointed, but H. B. M. Cormorant' proved to be as much
of a sagacious fox as a rapacious bird, for, perceiving the trap laid
for her, she prepared a most ' artful dodge.' Her crew very adroitly
placed the largest slaver between herself (the man-of-war) and the
fort, and then onward steamed the 'Cormorant.' Bang went the
cannon of the fortress: the balls touched not the bird of prey; but,
in the twinkling of an eye, she slipped beyond the slaver, discharged
the heavy guns from her bows, and the dislodged cannon of the fort
told how capital had been the aim of H.B.M.'s gunners.  The
slavers, however, prepared to respond; but the discreet 'Cormorant'
cunningly retired behind the big vessel, though but for an instant.
She sailed once more onward, and discharged her farewell shot with
such telling effect upon the old fort that the inmates made no
further attempt to hinder the 'Cormorant,' which soon gained the
open sea, and in a few moments, by skilful scuttling, put the slave



816


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


vessels beyond the reach of o trafico, as you know the Brazilians
call the accursed slave-trade.
"Most of our passengers went ashore here, many of them bound
for Curitiba, the capital of this new province. Their great kindness I shall not soon forget; and I am happy to think that they
will carry the Bible, perhaps for the first time, where probably
few have ever seen the records of salvation.
"I also went ashore. Paranagua is a pretty and a clean town,a little in decay I thought at first; but a second inspection told me
that I had not done justice to the only port of Parana. This town
contains about three thousand inhabitants, and annually exports
mate to the amount of one million of dollars. Mat6 is the dried
leaves and young stems of a species of oak which is gathered
in the interior and brought down in raw-hide cases, exceedingly
tightly packed, and is hence shipped for the Spanish-American
Republics.
"I found a number of large wholesale stores doing a good business with those who brought hither the products of the backcountry. One of these merchants invited me to go to the house
of his brother for the purpose of examining a map of the province,
which I had in vain sought for in the metropolis, the boundaries
not having as yet been definitely fixed. Fancy my feelings when,
after threading a number of streets, I entered a house where a
recent floor-scrubbing made every thing appear damp, and a large
map was brought forth which seemed to have imbibed as much of
humidity as possible without being wet; and, though it was perfect
in every part save one, that part was just what I wished to see,viz.: the boundary between Parana and S. Paulo. Moisture, mildew, and mice had carefully eradicated every design of the engineer
and every scratch of the engraver, so that I was left to return,
mourning over the mutability of maps and the carelessness of man
in Paranagua.
"In one of the streets the ruins of a church attracted my attention; and I was informed that it was an edifice nearly completed
by the Jesuits when they were expelled. You can scarcely travel
a hundred miles along the Brazilian sea-coast (which stretches,
with its bays and inlets, nearly four thousand miles) without
encountering, in some rich valley or upon some picturesque emi



THE RUSSIANS AND THE PRIMA DONNA.


317


nence, the immense churches, chapels, and convents of this order,
whose members entered Brazil when its prosperity was at its
height and when its ambition was hindered by no external circumstances. I have been more surprised at the hugeness of some of
the conventual edifices in Brazil than at any thing of the kind I
have ever seen in France, Germany, or Italy.
"As the little canoe in which we went from the steamer to the
town neared the inner harbor, where vessels were moored close to
the shore, I perceived two which looked remarkably desolate and
forlorn. They were Russian vessels which were found near this
port at the commencement of hostilities, and, fearing to be nabbed
by some H.B.M. 'Bulldog,' Grabber,' or 'Jowler,' slid into this
out-of-the-way place.  It appears very singular to see these
Northern birds of the ocean clipped of their wings here. They are
truly out of place; for their yards are taken off, the topmasts are
down, and, with their stiff hulks, awnings of canvas in the houseroof style, and with their general want of rigging, they seem like
the 'Fury' and 'Hecla' in their Greenland clothes, or rather as
if the winter-bound Bay of Archangel were their resting-place, and
it and the surrounding shores were suddenly clad by the 'Hand
divine' with the warmth and flowers and verdure of this perpetualsummer land.                               L
"When, on my return, I reached the steamer, I found that a
lady whose peculiar taste in dress had attracted the attention of
all on board was attended by a number of 'spruce gentlemen'
whose well-trimmed moustaches and highly-polished patent-leather
shoes indicated that they belonged to a class very different from
the poncho-clad passengers bound to Curitiba and the Sert6es. It
was not long before I ascertained that the lady in question was the
'bright particular star' of a theatrical company then travelling the
provinces, and that the gentlemen were from the same establishment, they having arrived some days previous to their prima
donna assoluta.
"The passengers who were destined for Santa Catharina remained that night upon the steamer; but the next day, (Sunday,)
at an early hour, all left, with the exception of myself, to pass the
hours of sacred time at Paranagua, where a grand festa was to take
place in honor of some saint. One of the greatest inducements was




318


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


to attend the theatrical performances of the strolling actors, who
were to give dignity and honor to the occasion by stupid and
vulgar comedies. You will think, perhaps, 'What is the use of
disseminating the word of God among such a people?' I will
reply, 'Be not weary in well-doing;' and it is God's own word.
My duty is to scatter it far and wide, to preach it by precept
whenever I can, and by example always, and then leave the rest
to Him. I have already found more than one notable instance in
Brazil, where a Bible, left under circumstances just as untoward,
has produced its fruits.
"I spent my day on board, but had very little quiet while the
steamer was receiving her cargo of coals from the schooner alongside, from which-in some manner very unaccountable to the
skipper-there were many tons short. I had all to myself,
a large table well spread with viands; but, being of a social
nature, I invited the engineer (a common-sense and wide-awake
fellow of the Manchester machine-shop stripe) and the Brazilian
second mate to join me. I find out from the Englishman that
there are many of his countrymen and their children at the Saude,
[a division of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro,] uncared-for
either morally or intellectually. They are too far from the English church to attend service: but this plea of distance perhaps is
only put forward to hide the real one of indifference. Now, can
you not put something in train for them? They are workmen,
and he says that both adults and children are not doing what they
ought, one class running to cacha.a and the other to ignorance, and
'Sunday is no Sunday.' Next year there are a thousand English
and Irish laborers coming out for the Pedro Segundo Railway, and,
on account of the distance and the pulpit-duties of Mr. -   a
clergyman, he cannot have facilities for attending to their minds
or souls.
[In regard to the matter here referred to, some English ladies
and an American theological student (then on a visit to Brazil)
took it up, and interested both English and American merchants
in the plan. They furnished the means, and, just as all was well
organized, a competent man was found in an English mate, then
on his homeward voyage from Australia, and intending to devote
the remainder of his days to God in some other employment than




LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION.


319


that of following the ocean, and was persuaded to take charge of
the new school, which in a short time was in full operation, and
disseminating its ameliorating influences upon both parents and
children.]
"The next day (Monday) we left Paranagua. After a fine run
of eight hours along a coast abounding in repetitions of Corcovados and Peaks of Tijuca, we entered the safe Bay of San Francisco do Sul.
"Letters of introduction are great things in Brazil. They have
smoothed the way for me everywhere previous to arriving at this
port, and I here find no exception to the general rule expressed
in the line above. Mr. V., the agent of the steamer, received me
very kindly, and my boxes were soon despatched and landed upon
the beach, which was filled with fishermen, mulatto women, halfnaked children, and an indescribable lot of sundries in the shape
of timber, rice spread out to dry, canoes drawn up, &c. &c. In
another hour the steamer had rounded the promontory, and was
soon out of sight on its way to Desterro. So, for the present, I
will say,-Adeos."




CHAPTER XVII.


THE PROVINCE OF PARAN,-MESSAGE OF ITS FIRST PRESIDENT-MATE, OR PARAGUAY TEA-ITS CULTURE AND PREPARATION-GROWS IN NORTH CAROLINA-SAN
FRANCISCO DO SUL-EXPECTATIONS NOT FULFILLED-CANOE-VOYAGE-MY COMPANIONS NOT WHOLLY CARNIVOROUS-A TRAVELLED TRUNK-THE TOLLING-BELL
BIRD-ARRIVAL AT JOINVILLE-A NEW SETTLEMENT.
THE province of Parana, whose chief port, Paranagua, I had
just left, merits a still further mention. It commenced its full
provincial career about the year 1853, though for a number of
years previously projects had been entertained in the General
Assembly at Rio to set off the comarca of Curitiba from San Paulo
as a distinct province. As to its limits, they are essentially
those of the old district of Curitiba. Its first President, Zacarias
de Goes e Vasconcellos, was Minister of Marine in 1852-53, and is
one of the instances so frequent in Brazil of a young man who,
rising rapidly by his talents, attains the highest positions of State.
He is probably the youngest person ever called to take a seat in
the Imperial Cabinet, where by his eloquence and by his readiness
at response (for the ministers are interpellated as formerly in
France and as now in England) he rose to an eminent place among
the statesmen of Brazil.
In 1854, he opened for the first time the Provincial Assembly of
Parana, and his Relatorios (messages) of that year and the following, now both before me, display ability and research.
He places the population at 62,000, only one-sixth of which is
composed of slaves; and, if his statistics be correct, the province of
Parana must enjoy a salubrity beyond any other portion of the
world,-the births exceeding the deaths between two and three
hundred per cent.
He enforces upon the legislators the duty of making the common-school education far more obligatory than it is. "Primary
320




EDUCATION AND PARAGUAY TEA.


321


instruction," he urges, "is more than a mere right of the child, a
duty discharged toward him; it is a rigorous obligation. It is
thus that you (the representatives) should consider and dispose of
the subject in the legislation of the new province.
" The people oblige themselves to be vaccinated. They respond
to this without fail, for vaccination is a preservative from fatal
pestilence.
"Now, primary instruction is, so to speak, a moral vaccine, which
preserves the people from that worst of pestilences,-ignorance,from those crude notions which bring man to the level of the brute,
and which change him into the fit and facile instrument for robbery, assassination, revolution, and, in fine, for all evil.
"Primary education is more: it is a kind of baptism with which
man is regenerated from the dark ignorance in which he is born,
and truly effects his entrance into civil society and into the enjoyment of those rights and privileges which are his heritage."
When we consider what are the views of Roman Catholics in regard to baptism, we can see the force of the remarks of Senhor
Zacarias.
The President does not merely confine his attention to the early
training of the youth of his provincial charge, but his remarks in
reference to the various branches of agriculture show him to be
a man of enlarged views, and that he is as ready to combat indolence as ignorance. He alludes to the fact that wheat was formerly not only an article of cultivation in the fertile comarca of
Curitiba, but that it was exported. This branch of agriculture is
now almost abandoned, and, according to his statements, because a
large portion of the population, eschewing the labor required in the
production of the cereals, rush to the virgin forests, and there,
stripping the evergreen leaves and the tender branches of the flex
Paraguayensis, easily convert them into the popular South American
beverage known as the yerba mate or herva Paraguaya, and thus
amass fortunes or obtain a livelihood without the intervention of
persevering industry or great exertion.
Large quantities of this kind of tea are annually exported from
the province of Parana. Senhor Zacarias would not have the teabearing Ilex uprooted to produce the same effect as the vigorous
Marquis de Pombal brought about by the destruction, in the last
21




322


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


century, of the vineyards of Portugal; but he wishes to control its
gathering, to moderate the inclinations and the causes that push
the people into this branch of labor for a few months and then
leave them indolent for the remainder of the year.
The mate of Paraguay, doubtless from prejudice, is considered
superior in quality to that of Parana; but the inhabitants of the
interior neighboring Spanish provinces prefer the former to the
latter, as they are accustomed to use the beverage without sugar;
while in the cities of Buenos Ayres and Montevideo the former is
the favorite, and is almost always sweetened before consumption.
In the interior of the province of San Paulo, after my visit to
Santa Catharina, I met with an American physician, a man of
great scientific tastes and acquirements, who has taken up his
residence in South America for the purpose of research in his
favorite study of botany. In the course of many interesting conversations with him in regard to the various vegetable riches and
wonders of the surrounding regions, I was not a little pleased to
find that he was perfectly acquainted with the mode of preparation, as well as the class and family, of the plant in question.
Mate, as I have already mentioned, is the name of the prepared
article of the tree or shrub which is commonly known to botanists
as the Ilex Paraguayensis. It is classified by Von Martius as belonging to the jRhamnee family, and he gives it the scientific name
of Cassine Gongonha. The Spaniards usually denominate it Yerba
de Paraguay, or mate.
While in Paranagua, I observed many raw-hide cases which the
blacks were unloading from mules or conveying to the ships riding
at anchor in the beautiful bay. Upon inquiry, I learned that these
packages, weighing about one hundred and twenty pounds each,
consisted of mat6. This substance, so little known out of South
America, forms truly the principal refreshing beverage of the
Spanish Americans south of the Equator, and millions of dollars are
annually expended in Buenos Ayres, Bolivia, Peru, and Chili in its
consumption.  This town of Paranagua, containing about three
thousand inhabitants, exports every year nearly a million of dollars'
worth of mate.
In Brazil and in Paraguay it can be gathered during the whole
year. Parties go into the forest, or places where it abounds, and




PARAGUAY TEA IN NORTH CAROLINA.


323


break off the branches with the leaves. A process of kiln-drying is
resorted to in the woods, and afterward the branches and leaves are
transported to some rude mill, and there they are by water-power
pounded' in mortars.
The substance, after this operation, is almost a powder, though
small stems denuded of their bark are always permitted to remain.
By this simple process the mate is prepared for market. Its preparation for drinking is equally simple. A small quantity of the
leaf, either with or without sugar, is placed in a common bowl, upon
which cold water is poured. After standing a short time, boiling
water is added, and it is at once ready for use. Americans who
have visited Buenos Ayres or Montevideo may remember to have
seen, on a fine summer evening, the denizens of that portion of the
world engaged in sipping, through long tubes inserted into highlyornamented cocoanut bowls, a liquid which, though not so palatable as iced juleps, is certainly far less harmful. These citizens of
Montevideo and Buenos Ayres were enjoying with their bombilhas
a refreshing draught of mate. It must be imbibed through a tube,
on account of the particles of leaf and stem which float upon the
surface of the liquid. This tube has a fine globular strainer at
the end.
Great virtues are ascribed to this tea. It supplies the place of
meat and drink. Indians who have been laboring at the oar all
day feel immediately refreshed by a cup of the herb mixed simply
with river-water. In Chili and Peru the people believe that they
could not exist without it, and many persons take it every hour
of the day. Its use was learned from the natives; but, having been
adopted, it spread among the Spaniards and Portuguese, until the
demand became so great as to render the herb of Paraguay almost
as fatal to the Indians of this part of America as mines and pearlfisheries had been elsewhere.
It grows wild, and never has been successfully cultivated,
although attempts were made by the Jesuits of Paraguay to transplant it from the forests to their plantations. These attempts have
been considered by many without result; still, there are others who
consider that the experiment justifies further efforts, and are urging
this day the domestication, so to speak, and the cultivation, of mate
under a regular system.




324


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


But that which astonished me most in the doctor's conversation
was the statement that a shrub similar to the Ilex Paraguayensis
was indigenous to the United States, and that a decoction of its
leaves and branches was actually used as a beverage in the region
where it grew.
His life had been full of adventure in every portion of the globe;
and, when he was a younger man, he roamed over each Southern
and Western State, hunting for the weed which was vulgarly supposed to cause the "milk-sickness." Although he did not find the
cause of that disease, which has so damaged many a speculation in
Western towns and villages, yet he made the acquaintance of a
little tree in North Carolina, from the leaves of which many of
the country-people of the old North State "make tea." If I remember rightly, he informed me that it was the Ilex euponia; but
scientific readers must not hold me responsible for this name, as
my note-book may probably mislead me. A few years afterward,
Dr. - was in this, the most glorious field for a botanist in the
world,-this Southern Brazil, whose magnificent flora has been the
wild delight of every favored follower of Linnaeus who has been
permitted to enter it. In the course of his rambles he encountered
the flex Paraguayensis, and immediately saluted it as his old acquaintance (under features but little different) of North Carolina.
Some months elapsed, and he visited Paranagua; and he was almost
as much surprised at another discovery, which was not, however,
in the botanical line. He found, in this out-of-the-way part of
Brazil, an American woman engaged in the delightful art of
preparing feijoes and toucinho (pork and beans) for natives and
foreigners who might patronize her establishment. In conversation with Dr. -    in regard to the mate, she exclaimed, "Why,
doctor, this is the same truck we use in Caroliner to make tea."
Here was a most striking confirmation of the true conclusion
of science.
Now, if this tree or bush really abounds in North Carolina, why
may not the enterprise of some of her citizens add to the exports
(laid down in every geography as tar, tobacco, turpentine, and
lumber) mate? Brazil and Paraguay are reaping their millions
from a shrub which grows spontaneously, and the subject is really
worth investigation in the United States.




SAN FRANCISCO DO SUL.


325


Returning from the new province of Parana, attention will be
now directed to the province of Santa Catharina.
San Francisco is an ancient town which has evidently seen better
days. The arrival of a stranger with such a peculiar cargo as
mine created quite a sensation in the usually-stagnant society of
this northern portion of the province of Santa Catharina. All the
idlers, gossipers, men of business, and even the Padre, came to see
the new books. The priest found no objection to them, and two
hours had not elapsed before they were all disposed of, and I made
my arrangements to ascend the river San Francisco do Sul to the
German and French colonies founded on the lands once belonging
to the Prince de Joinville.
In the mean time, with Mr. V. and two new acquaintances, both
Germans, I strolled around the town, which is finely situated
on an island separated from the mainland only by a very small
stream. Before us stretched a bay three miles in width and six in
length. It is well protected from the ocean, and in it is discharged
the river San Francisco do Sul, which flows from the mountains
that rear their green summits far in the distance. That lofty ridge,
in its highest elevation, is more than four thousand feet above the
level of the sea, and from its inland base to the rich plain where
Curitiba is situated there is a gradual ascent of twenty miles.
With an energetic people, this district-which in regard to fertility
and climate is one of the finest in the world-would bloom with a
cultivation not surpassed by the rich fields of Lombardy or the
model farms of Midlothian.
Great hopes were entertained at the beginning of this century
that San Francisco do Sul would become a flourishing mart, on
account of the road which would open the high plains to the commerce of the bay. Furthermore, there was great activity at that
time, the chief occupation of the inhabitants consisting in shipbuilding and in the cutting of timber. Vessels of large dimensions
were formerly built here, as well as coasters, at the order of merchants from Rio, Bahia, and Pernambuco. The wood used was so
strong, holding the iron so firmly, that ships built of it were of the
most durable quality, and were in greater esteem with the Portuguese and Spaniards than those built in Europe. In 1808, Mr.
Mawe, one of the earliest English voyagers in Brazil, wrote that,




326


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


on account of its ship-building, "the harbor of San Francisco do
Sul is likely to become of considerable value to Brazil; and if it
be connected with Curitiba, the cattle of which have been found
superior to those of Rio Grande, there is every probability that at
no distant day the Portuguese navy will touch here to be supplied
with salt provisions."
As I looked upon the silent streets of San Francisco,-as I beheld its bay innocent of any vessel except the smallest coasters,
and its once-busy shipyards containing but two small mandioca
sloops upon the stocks,-I thought how wide a difference there was
between the reality of the present and the speculations of half
a century ago in regard to the commercial activity and future
growth of the town, situated upon the waters of Babitonga, by
which name the natives called the bay. It was thought that the
establishment of a colony of Europeans in the vicinity of the decaying town would resuscitate it; but thus far there has been no
such result, and I fear that many a year will elapse before this
can be accomplished.
I determined to start for the colony at an early hour the next
morning, and to this end Mr. V. kindly sought for a canoe belonging to a gigantic slave who rejoiced in the appropriate name of
Jos6 Grande. After nightfall the African made his appearance,
and it was settled that we should commence our trip at three and
a half o'clock in the morning.
Mr. V. regretted that the circumstance of his boarding prevented
his offering me his hospitality, but recommended me to a hotel, or,
more properly speaking, a regular country-inn, which had just
been opened by a German from the colony of Donna Francisca.
My experience in that establishment was at the time detailed in a
letter to a friend at Rio:
"Herr Sneider, mine host, and all his family, spoke scarcely
any thing but German, and as much of English and Portuguese
as can be compressed into 'yes' and 'Sim, Senhor.' By-the-way,
I have picked up a certain quantum of that same jaw-breaking
language of Goethe and Schiller, which I have neglected since my
university days for the tongues of Southern Europe. My supper
was perfectly German; for it closed with beer, which, in default of
barley, had been made from rice, that abounds in this vicinity.




HERR SNEIDER'S INN.


327


Having finished my repast, I gave orders that, as they had prepared supper enough for three men, the remainder should be
arranged for my breakfast in the canoe, as it would be entirely
too early to partake of that meal before embarking.
" We then had a mutual-instruction society,-an exchange of English and German. How many children there were I cannot say;
but there was any quantity of blooming fresh frauleins from nineteen years and downward, together with a number of healthy, rosy
boys. It had been so long since I had looked upon blue-eyed and
fair-haired children that they were quite a curiosity.  Having
occasion to see Mr. V. before retiring, I said to them, 'I go now to
Mr. V.'s: when I return, I wish to have a large room and a good
clean bed.' A patron of the inn informed me that I should be
thus accommodated in every particular.
"When I again entered Ierr Sneider's, I was told that my room
was ready, and, upon my signifying my intention to go to bed, the
whole family,-Herr S., Frau S., Frauleins S., and the boys,-to my
astonishment, followed me to the apartment, which proceeding I
did not fancy, because it did not seem quite convenable, taking into
view the feminine portion of the procession. I, however, concluded
to be led to my quarters, of which I entertained the highest expectations. These expectations were realized so far as the size of
the chamber was concerned; but, unfortunately, mine was not the
only bed in it, for there were four or five others, filled with snoring
occupants. I determined to be gracious and make no complaint,
for assuredly my clean sheets would make up for a little too much
of society. So, pulling down the supposed coverlet, I found that it
was a feather-bed for a regular Prussian winter. These Germans,
when they left Fatherland, could conceive of no country where
winter and snow could not even be exotic. I discovered also that,
instead of the good, healthy, and hard Brazilian mattress, there
was a second huge feather-bed; and I must thrust myself between
these. When my eyes got beyond the first, I found my clean
sheets to be of the color of the dirty Minas cotton which so plentifully
(or scantily, as the case may be) clothes the slaves throughout the
Empire. A closer inspection informed me that they had seen
whiter days, and had also made the acquaintance of many other
lodgers, which fact I roundly asserted, and to which they partly




328


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


assented. I, however, resolved to make the best of it, when they
would let me,-for they hung around as if they would never give
me the opportunity of going to rest. A young German shipchandler had his bed in the same room, and, without ceremony,
commenced to divest himself before the company preparatory to
sleep. This I could hardly do, and seated myself and began to
read. Finally the family left me, with many schlafen Sie wohl.
Having read as long as I wished, I determined to enter my bed,
fortified with a pair of pantaloons, (I had not forgotten the
sheets,) which after a time, proving rather uncomfortable with
feather-beds, I threw to one side. But this operation caused
the young ship-chandler much concern; for, hearing me moving
around in the dark, and supposing me ill, he screamed for the
family, and the scene which ensued is indescribable with pen:
only the pencil of Rembrandt could depict the depth of shadow
and the rich chiaro-oscuro, and that of Teniers the ruddy,
jolly features of the group of young Germans thus aroused
to see what 'was the matter with the American, who by this
time was snugly ensconced in his bed and almost bursting with
laughter.
"I slept badly, and at half-past three o'clock heard the ponderous step of Jos6 Grande. Following him through the deep
gloom that hung around, we (for I had given a bright German lad
permission to go with me) entered the canoe, which was soon
shoved from the shore, and were propelled by Jose toward Donna
Francisca. Young Germany and myself lay down in the bottom
of the narrow 'dug-out.'
"The morning was dark and drizzly, and a feeling of loneliness
crept over me as I lay listening to the pattering raindrops and the
dripping oar disturbing the oppressive silence. I thought of those
so dear to me, but who now were separated from me by thousands
of miles of ocean; but I was less lonely when I breathed a prayer
for them and felt in my heart the ever-cheering sentiment of
poor Pringle:"'A still small voice comes through the wild,
(Like a father consoling his fretful child,)
Which banishes bitterness, wrath, and fear,Saying, "Man is distant, but God is near!"'




A TRAVELLED TRUNK.


329


"I tried to sleep, but it was impossible; so, after three hours, I
said to Jose, 'We will breakfast.' On opening the budget, I found
two plates, four pieces of meat, and-nothing else,-not even a knife
and fork; but, as I am neither a lion, a vulture, nor even a Guacho
of Corrientes, I could not breakfast on flesh alone. The rain had
now ceased, and I proposed to Jose to land and to purchase something from one of the farm-houses on shore. 'N~o ter nada, senhor,'
('They have nothing,') was Jose's sage reply. Nevertheless, at my
request, he put into a pretty cove at the foot of a mountain, and
sallied forth for a bargain. He soon returned, accompanied by a
sickly-looking boy, bringing oranges, bananas, and enough farinha
for four men. Young Germany and myself fell to work while
Jose's strong arm was sending us over the glassy waters. At Rio
de Janeiro I had often looked with admiration upon the slaves in
the boats stuffing and throwing farinha into their mouths; but I
never then dreamed that I should employ my digits for the same
purposes. I must admit, however, that there was neither gracefulness nor dexterity on my part; for my face became powdered
with the effort to 'pitch in' the farinha a la Brazilienne. We had
one other compagnon de voyage, but not an eating one. Faithful old
trunk! What sketches thou mightest give of Europe, America,
(North and South,) and of the African Isles!-what gcenes thou hast
witnessed in three zones, on the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans,
in the Straits of Majellan and on the Isthmus of Panama, in the
Mexican Gulf, and, lastly, on the Rio San Francisco do Sul! Each
time that I open thee, and see there imprinted 'W. S. Chase,
trunk and harness maker, Providence, R.I.,' my thoughts run
over the past, and I recall the bright summer-day that I bought
thee, when on the eve of my first voyage 'over the seas and
far away.' Thou callest up a host of memories,'the fond recollections of former years,And the shadows of things that have long since fled
Flit over the brain like the ghosts of the dead.'
"Speaking of sketches, I send you one which I took of myself
and fellow-voyagers. They are after (a very long way, indeed)
a compound of Gainsborough and Turner, with a slight addition
of Wilkie and Kenny Meadows thrown in."




330


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


The river became narrower, and every moment some large
aquatic bird would be startled by our voices or by the dash of the
oar. Now it would be a beautiful white ibis, then a blue heron or
a band of dancing cranes. From the mangrove-bushes and the
-— 9-... ~?
ASCENDING THE RIO S. FRANCISCO DO SUL.
more distant woods we could hear the sometimes harsh and sometimes musically-solemn sound of the uruponga, or tolling-bell bird,
making the air resonant with its peculiar and solitary note. I had
listened again and again to these birds in my journeys in different
parts of Brazil, but I never had the good fortune to see but one,
and that was in the province of San Paulo. The sound which the
uruponga (what a sweet aboriginal onomatope!) sends forth varies
little, but it can always be said to be metallic. To hear it from
afar, it is not unlike the tolling of a bell; but, when distance does
not mellow the cadence, it is more like striking an anvil or the
filing of a large piece of iron. To listen to it in a Brazilian forest
at mid-day, ringing forth its mournful knell when every other
songster is mute, powerfully disposes one
"' To musing and dark melancholy."
Wallace says, in his account of the Amazonian regions, "We
had the good fortune one day to fall in with a small flock of




THE TOLLING-BELL BIRD.


331


the rare and curious bell-bird, (Casmarhynchos carunculata,) but
they were on a very thick, lofty tree, and took flight before we
could get a shot at them. Though it was about four miles off in
the forest, we went again the next day, and found them feeding on
the same tree, but had no better success. On the third day we
went to the same spot, but from that time saw them no more.
The bird is of a pure white color, the size
of a blackbird, has a broad bill, and feeds
on fruits. From the base of the bill above            /
grows a fleshy tubercle, two or three
inches long and as thick as a quill, sparingly
clothed with minute feathers: it is quite 
lax, and hangs down on one side of the
URUPONGA, OR
bird's head.  The bird is remarkable for   OLLONG-BELL BORD.
its loud, clear, ringing note,-like a bell,which it utters at mid-day, when most other birds are silent."
Waterton, in his wanderings in Demerara, often alludes to the
campanero, (uruponga.) In one passage he says, "It never fails to
attract the attention of the
passenger: at a distance
of nearly three miles you
may hear this snow-white 
bird tolling every four or           __ _
five minutes, like the dis-  '
tant convent-bell.  From
six to nine A.M. the forests: 
resound with the mingled  ____
strains of the feathered 
race; after this they gradually die away.  From
eleven to three all nature
is hushed in midnight.
silence, and scarce a note 
is heard saving that of the
campanero.",                      -
No bird has been more
misrepresented by artists than the uruponga. The mistake has
been in copying stuffed specimens. The accompanying illustration




332


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


is one of many that represents the uruponga with a stiff horn in
the unicorn style. The body is well enough, but the rhinocerosappendage is utterly at variance with nature. The little engraving
is a correct likeness of this singular bird, whose small, flexible, and
drooping appendage is very similar to that which is a part and
parcel of every turkeycock.
I was struck by the fact that, though the aquatic birds were at
first startled by us, they did not seem to have much fear. They
flapped their great wings and moved slowly from us a few paces,
and then speedily resumed their former position.
On, on sped our canoe under the sturdy strokes of Jose. The
scenery was still more striking and beautiful. A background of
high mountains was prefaced by gentle eminences and by a woody
margin of bright-green trees. Even the tall African, whom no
one would have suspected of a taste for these glorious views, exclaimed, from time to time, "E muito bonito, senhor!" ("It is very
beautiful, sir.") By the way, Jose gave me his idea of Protestants,
-viz.: people who were not baptized, and were destined to
inferno.
After some hours' rowing, the river became exceedingly narrow,
so that the trees, with their rich parasites, completely overarched
us. This was near the new village of Joinville, in the colony of
Donna Francisca. We jumped ashore, tied our canoe to the stump
of a recently-fallen tree, and tramped over-or, rather, through-a
road which was like a sponge soaked with water. Here, indeed,
was the beginning of a new town in the wilderness,-houses stuck
down in the woods, and plenty of mud anc children: but for the
difference of the flora, I would have believed myself beyond the
Missouri, on the borders of Kansas. On every side the forest was
to be seen, and here and there an opening, in the centre of which
was the cabin of the colonist. The smallness and newness of the
houses, the deadened trees, the muddy streets, and the general
appearance of every thing, reminded me of a pioneer settlement
in the West. It was curious to see men from the Rhine, and
some from the environs of Berlin, here planted amid wild woods,
in cottages of the rudest construction, thatched with palmleaves.
The "Hotel" of Herr Palma was my goal, and a hearty welcome




THE WELCOME.                     333
awaited mo; for the letters of Mr. V., in addition to the prospect of gain from the stranger, prompted it. The German cannot
forget his native land; and one glance showed me that, though
hard work must necessarily be the morning, noon, and night regime
of the colonist in these woods, yet here were all the appliances for
amusement,-a ballroom, a gallery for the orchestra, and a ten-pin
alley. Mine host sent immediately for the schoolmaster, so that
I might receive every mark of honor and distinguished villageconsideration.




CHAPTER XVIII.


COLONIA DONNA FRANCISCA-THE SCHOOL-TEACHER-THE CLERGYMAN-A TURKBIBLE-DISTRIBUTION-SUSPECTED-A B C-THE FALLEN FOREST-THE HOUSE OF
THE DIRECTOR-A RUNAWAY-THE VILLAGE CEMETERY-MORAL WANTSORCHIDACEOUS PLANTS-CHARLATANISM-SAN FRANCISCO JAIL-THE BURIAL OF
THE INNOCENT, AND THE MONEY-MAKING PADRE-THE PROVINCE OF STA. CATHARINA-DESTERRO-BEAUTIFUL SCENERY-SHELLS AND BUTTERFLIES-COAL-MINES
-PROVINCE OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL-HERDS AND HERDSMEN-THE LASSOINDIANS-FORMER PROVINCIAL REVOLTS-PRESENT TRANQUILLITY ASSURED BY
THE OVERTHROW OF ROSAS.
THE Colonia Donna Francisca is a new enterprise, whose origin
may be stated in a few words. In 1843, Prince de Joinville married Donna Francisca, the sister of the Emperor of Brazil. With
her hand he received, as a dower, a large forest-estate in the province of Santa Catharina.  A few years ago, at some of the
watering-places of Germany, the Prince met with Senator Schroeder,
of Iamburg, who proposed to him a plan for making his dower
profitable,-viz.: to grant a certain portion of land to a company,
who should form a colony upon it. The Prince granted nine square
leagues, reserving a certain number of acres for himself in the most
desirable situations. The company was formed, and agreed to
bring out some sixteen hundred colonists within a given time.
From March, 1851, to March, 1855, the number, according to contract, had arrived. The greater portion of the colonists are from
German Switzerland, though France and Germany are represented
by a respectable minority. The village of Joinville contains about
sixty houses; in the surrounding country there are one hundred
and twenty buildings, and others in construction. After deducting
deaths, there are something like fifteen hundred inhabitants in this
colony; while there are a considerable number of French, and
French Swiss, in an adjoining colony founded by Prince de Joinville
334




THE TEACHER AND THE CLERGYMAN.


335


on his own lands. Two-thirds of all the colonists are doubtless
Protestants, while the other third are Romanists.
What will be the success of the colony remains to be seen. The
colonists, with few exceptions, are not of the first class who seek
the New World; and doubtless the company, wishing to fulfil their
contract as to numbers, were not by any means careful in the
selection of the emigrants. They are obliged to pay for their land,
which is much dearer than in the United States, and, having the
thick forests to fell, are soon out of funds. Their distance from
any market, and the impossibility of obtaining remunerating crops
until the hard labors of the pioneer are performed in the unbroken
wild wood, operate powerfully against all but the most courageous
hearts. With lands, however, (which the company has now obtained,) away from the low district bordering the river, the prospect
will be brighter. I am nevertheless convinced that the best means
of colonizing Brazil is not by private speculation in village-lots and
farming-grounds.
Ierr Palma returned, accompanied by the school-teacher.' The
latter was a dandified-looking gentleman, dressed in the latest
Parisian fashion, but withal a person not wanting in ability or in
acquirements; for at his rooms I found chemical apparatus, with
which he was constantly experimenting, and I qlso ascertained
that he was an engineer and an artist of no ordinary merit. He
offered his services to go with me to the Lutheran clergyman, and
to be at my disposition generally. To the clergyman I had no
letters. In a few moments I was at his house, which was most
scantily furnished: indeed, I have rarely seen in the backwoods of
the United States a minister surrounded with so little comfort, or
so few of the necessaries of life. He spoke neither French nor
Portuguese, and his stock of English exceeded very little my stock
of German; so that I had great difficulty in making him comprehend my mission. I attempted to be more explicit through the
teacher, to whom I spoke in French, which he translated into German. Still he did not seem to comprehend, and I left his house
feeling somewhat discouraged at my reception, especially when I
contrasted it with the warm co-operation which I had received
from the Lutheran clergyman at Petropolis.
In the mean time a rumor ran through the village that a




336


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


stranger with Bibles had arrived, and when I returned to the little
inn I had as much as I could do to attend to the visitors. Among
them was an accomplished and refined lady, the daughter of an
LL.D. of Hamburg, and wife of the head-director of Prince de
Joinville's colony, which must not be confounded with the Hamburg colony in Joinville. My German Bibles and Portuguese
Testaments were soon exhausted, but I had some still left at San
Francisco, for which they paid me the money, and I sent them the
next day after my return.
The clergyman now joined us. He was a little more cordial
this time. I invited him and the school-teacher to take tea with
me. During the repast, the latter left us a few moments, and
then returned; but while he was absent, the clergyman said to me,
(" How did you become acquainted with the teacher? He is a turncoat." I then understood his reserve, and non-comprehension of
my remarks which I had made in the presence of the pedagogue
at the parsonage.  The teacher was born in Bulgaria,-was a
Mohammedah: he afterward went to Germany, and finally came
to Brazil with some Belgian savants whose object was scientific
exploration. The young man became attached to a Brazilian girl
twelve years of age, renounced his religion, became a Romanist,
and married her. I could still further appreciate the cautious
movements of the clergyman, when he informed me that he himself was a Bohemian by birth, was educated in Vienna, and was
the means of turning some seventy Papists to Protestantism,
and on this account he was expelled from Austria. Although I
received the kindest of treatment from the schoolmaster, truth
compels me to say that among the people of the village he has
the reputation of being Roman Catholic only in theory, for in
practice he was as much of a Turk as if he resided in the heart of
the Ottoman Empire.
The company around me was a mixed one, some being Romanists,
others Protestants. In the course of the evening an honest-looking Bernese Swiss came into the room. I saluted him, and spoke
of the Bible, but observed that he viewed me with a cautious eye.
Soon I saw him and the pastor go out together. They returned in
a few minutes; and a short time after the Bernese took me aside
and said, "I am convinced that you have a good object in view. I




SUSPECTED OF BEING A JESUIT.


337


was afraid you were a Jesuit," (he had not forgotten the Sonder.
bund in his own country;) "but the pastor assures me that you are
not. I wish to do good. I once hoped to be a missionary, but
early circumstances prevented, and therefore I must be content to
work through others: so please accept this small sum of money,
and all that I wish you to do is to spread the good news of the
blessed Saviour." After he went away, the pastor handed me
another small sum, which the same Bernese had given him for me.
The total was only nine francs; but that sum is equal to one hundred francs in the United States. I afterward sent him, from San


A GERMAN EMIGRANT'S CABIN AT DONNA FRANCISCA.


Francisco do Sul, sufficient Bibles in return for his gift, and hope
that he will thus be more immediately made the instrument of
spreading "the good news of the blessed Saviour."
It was late when my visitors retired. The next morning, at
22




338


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


an early hour, mounted upon a wild-looking horse, and dashing
through mud and mire, I went to breakfast with the director of
the Hamburgese (the Joinville, not the Prince's) colony. As I
rode along, I saw on either hand the small cottages of the colonists,
(distinguished from Brazilian houses by their chimneys,) reared
amid the overshadowing, broad-leafed banana-trees, in this land of
no winter. But they have a hard lot, for the forest-land is difficult
to clear; the soil is not so rich for cereals and other productions
which they have been accustomed to cultivate, and, above all, the
people are poor, and, many of them being from the lowest classes
in Germany, quite a number give themselves up to drink. It was
on this latter account that the pastor solicited German temperancetracts.
As I passed one house, in the midst of hundreds of palms and
other magnificent trees, I heard the sweet sound of a mother
teaching her little one to lisp its A B C.
It was a new sight for me to behold the primeval forest of the
tropics being prostrated under the fell swoop of the woodman's
axe. On every side, noble palms and rare and gigantic parasites
were hurled in wild confusion to the ground. Near the house of
Mr. H., I saw one of these wood-kings lifting his solitary head
amid his fallen companions. The monarch was crowned and festooned with magnificent orchidse and clambering wild vines. His
own bright-green foliage spoke of life and vigor; but the dripping
dew-drops seemed like falling tears mourning the desolation
around.  But, to make this world a fit habitation for man,
nature, as well as man, must make her sacrifices: so utility reconciled me.
The little long-tailed birds (closely resembling the whidah-birds
of Africa) that I had often seen pining in cages were here in glorious
freedom, playing before me, gracefully floating from fern to fern,
-or swinging in fearless glee upon the pendent parasitic vanilla,which lbaded the morning air with its rich perfume.
The house of Mr. H. was prettily situated, and, in this remote,corner of the world, it was as interesting as it was strange to con
over, in his little parlor, the last London "Illustrated News,"
"La Presse," and the Paris "Illustration."  Madame H., from La
Belle France, demonstrated that others besides American women




THE VILLAGE CEMETERY.


339


could enter the backwoods and undergo with contentment the
hardships and the excitements of a pioneer life.
When Mr. H. and myself were ready to return to the village, our
horses were brought to the door; but mine had the bad taste to
break his halter, and, snorting a loud adieu, away he went, careering along the road toward Joinville. His free movement, crested
mane, and distended nostril, made him look for all the world like
one of the steeds on the Elgin marbles; only he was minus his
rider. As he disappeared from sight, he flung his heels high in the
air, and gave a series of farewell kicks and other antics which were
enough to provoke laughter from even brooding melancholy. Mr.
H. kindly furnished me with another horse, and the last that I saw
of my steed was just as we reached Joinville. He had entered a
small sugar-plantation, and was enjoying a most delightful repast
of the tender young cane.
Before entering the village, we turned aside from the road,
ascended a forest-crowned hill, upon whose sides was the rural
cemetery where were buried the colonists of the Hamburg settlement. It was a sad yet beautiful spot. The morning sun had
risen high above the forests, yet the dense foliage was still
sparkling with matinal freshness. Each day and each year the
sun will shine upon that remote little cemetery; but those who
there sleep will never again behold the morning glories of this




340


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


bright land. The earth was yet fresh that covered the remains
of one of the finest men of the colony: a few wreaths immortelles
had been hung with rustic taste by some kindly hand near the
humble grave; but no father or mother or gentle sister would
ever shed the silent tear over the sleeping dead.
From the same hill we had a fine view of the village. The
living and the dead are thus brought near each other; but man is
a forgetful creature, and the lessons of cemeteries and new-made
graves are as easily forgotten in this retired nook as amid the busy
hum of the vast city.
Before leaving the colony, I visited the school, which is sustained
by the common-school fund of the province, and I found that the
Bulgarian had not been neglectful of his little charge, which he
instructed in both German and Portuguese.
In wandering through Joinville, I called upon a colonist who
has a brother in New York, and, while in his house, a gentlemanly-looking man entered. By his conversation I ascertained
that he was a physician. So soon as he knew who I was, and in
what capacity I had visited the colony, he took me warmly by the
hand, and I learned that he was one of those physicians who care
for the souls as well as for the bodies of their patients. My intercourse with him was very pleasant; for, in addition to his piety,
I found him a gentleman of cultivated mind, having been educated
at the University of HIalle; and that which particularly interested
me was that he had, apart from his professional studies, attended
the lectures of Tholuck.
He, as well as the Lutheran clergyman, highly approved of the
proposition of another German pastor in the Empire, which is to
have an ordained missionary colporteur to go from colony to
colony throughout Brazil, with Bibles and tracts, encouraging
such communities as have pastors; by the printed Word and religious works rallying those who are without a clergyman; and
performing the rites of marriage where, for want of a minister,
this-so essential to the purity of a community-has been to a
great extent neglected.
There are German colonies scattered here and there throughout
the whole length of the Brazilian sea-coast, and there is, from the
nature of the case, a loud call upon the evangelical Germans of our




ORCHIDACEOUS PLANTS.


341


land to care for the spiritual welfare of their countrymen in Brazil.
I believe that such a work, carried on by a few of the Lutheran
churches of the United States, would redound in great good. They
could thus direct the operations of the man who should be called
to this labor better than a large benevolent society that has fifty
other lands in view. Such an enterprise is of the most imperious
necessity, not only for keeping alive evangelical piety, but the
knowledge of Protestant Christianity.
On returning to the hotel, I found that a large basket of orchidaceous plants of the rarest species had been prepared according
to my order, which I sent as a present to a kind friend at Rio de
Janeiro. The lot, with the basket, cost but three dollars: in England
they would have brought a
fabulous price, considering the
rage that now exists among.royal and   noble  horticul- 
turalists for these  curious
subjects of Flora's kingdom.       S.
They can be easily trans-               N/
ported over the ocean, if care          A       3
be taken that all contact with
salt water be avoided. I found;)         "
that there was a naturalist    A, 1~       '
not far from Rio who often 
sent orchidse to   England.
Brazil is exceedingly rich in
parasites and air-plants; but
none among the vast variety     / 
is more graceful than the
vanilla, which is found in 
greater  or less abundance
from  the northern limit of
the Empire to the province 
of St. Catharine's.  Its little
star-like flower, its pretty leaf,     THE VANILLA.
and its delicious fragrance,
make it an object of beauty and of admiration. I. however, could
never understand why the vanilla-bean should be imported into




342


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Rio from Mexico and Central America vid New York, when the
plant itself abounded in Brazil.
I left the colony with sincere regret that I could not remain
longer and see more of the people; but, according to the announcement, the steamer which was to take me back to Santos was to
arrive the next morning. So I bade farewell to my newly-made
friends, and, after several hours' hard rowing in the cramped-up,
narrow canoe, arrived at San Francisco do Sul.
The steam-packet was not in the harbor on the appointed day,
and I passed the time very agreeably with  ir. V. and a number
of Germans, one of whom was a young physician educated at
Breslau, but was about to retire in disgust from the colony and
from Brazil. He was certainly more adapted to a formed than to
a forming society. He alleged, as his principal reason, that Brazil
was a great field for charlatanism; that pretenders and quacks
could always succeed better than the regular scientifically educated. He instanced the case of a barber of the Schleswig-Holstein
army, who emigrated to the new province of Parana and is now
the physician in highest repute in that region.  I was further
informed that this ci-devant knight of the razor had recently appeared in the theatre at Paranagua with a decoration bespangling
his breast, pretending that it was conferred in Europe for his distinguished surgical services! My Breslau friend was evidently a
cultivated man, and well read in his profession, but home-sickness
was doubtless the disease that made him look at every thing with
distorted vision; for I doubt if there can be found on the Western
Continent a country where the Government and the medical
faculty are more strict than in Brazil.  There are successful
charlatans under the very eyes of the medical schools in Paris,
and it is not therefore strange that examples occur in a vast,
thinly-populated country.
Often, leaving my companions, I would stray alone into the
foliaged walks which are found on every side, and there I could
be as retired as if a thousand miles from the haunts of man.
A favorite place was the ruins of an old convent on the summit
of a vine-clad hill, near which were the new foundations of
an hospital erected as an expiatory offering by some rich
lady of San Francisco: she having died, her pious work, I




THE BURIAL OF THE INNOCENT.


343


fear, will soon be in the same condition as that of the
Jesuits.
In one of my rambles I paid a visit to the jail, the only occupant of which was a German who, in a fit of anger, had struck
the director of the Hamburg colony. Now, it is perfectly allowable in Brazil to call a man very hard names and cheat him as
much as you please with impunity; but to strike a man is beyond
all bounds of decency, and the jail or some other punishment is
sure to follow. The prisoner seemed very happy under the circumstances, having a finer room than that which I occupied at
Herr Sneider's, and perfect freedom to go where he pleased at
certain hours of the day.
From the jail I entered the large church, situated near the
centre of the village. The floor was so constructed of wood that
it could be lifted up in sections, which was always done when
interments took place. Here for nearly two centuries people had
been buried who died with the fond hope of being brought nearer
to heaven by having their bodies within these precincts made by
man's hands. An old negro was digging a grave, and each time
his heavy hoe (the spade is rarely used) went down, it ruthlessly
crunched and smashed through skulls and ribs and whatever else
is fragile in our poor human frame. The fragments were pitched
up as common clay.
I was disturbed in my meditations of this scene by the fat, jolly,
round padre, who, with a giggling face, gave orders, in a loud and
any thing but solemn voice, to an assistant who was bearing a coffin
to the centre of the church. It was a small coffin, yet it was large
enough. It was uncovered, and in it lay, in the slumber of death, a
little girl of twelve months. A sweet smile was upon her features;
her tiny hands were clasped together, and her eyes were open and
beaming with such a lovely expression that they seemed to be
gazing into heaven.  The tinsel and the ornaments with which
the body was bedecked I scarcely saw. Three women, clad in deep
mourning, and with mantillas of richest broadcloth trailing from
their heads to the ground, swept noiselessly through the church,
giving one lingering look at the innocent dead. The priest approached and saluted me. I had seen him upon my arrival, and
made bold to make a few inquiries in regard to the child. He in



344


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


formed me that he was just preparing to say mass for it: I, however,
took up the words of our Saviour, and said, "Of such is the kingdom of heaven," and that the little one redeemed by the Saviour
was already an angel in the realms of light, and that there was no
need of saying mass for such, even waiving the question of right to
say mass for any one. He replied with an e verdade, senhor, but,
notwithstanding, went on to his work,-because he made by it
money,-because the church is corrupt, and man seeks out new
inventions rather than follow the plain precepts of truth.
After speaking with him against intermural burials, I espied a
pulpit, and asked him if he preached: he answered, "Sometimes,
especially at the festas."  To all my remarks on preaching the
righteousness of Christ only, he bowed, grinned, uttered many
e verdades and muito obrigados, (it is very true; I am much obliged
to you;) and I left, profoundly convinced that a moral earthquake
will be necessary to shake off the indifference of the Brazilian
priesthood before their minds will be directed aright.
The steamer entered the bay, and I turned my face northward.
The province of St. Catharine, in which the colony of Donna
Francisca is situated, is the smallest in the southern part of the
Empire. In fertility and salubrity it is second to none. Its resources, however, have been developed only fifty or sixty miles from
the coast: beyond this, the aborigines still abound, and farther in
the interior they are warlike, and cherish a deadly hatred to the
white man. Yet I would not convey, through this statement, the
impression that the province is a howling wilderness; for the towns
on the sea-coast, the villages, and the flourishing small plantations,
more remote from the littoral, and the numerous colonies founded
by the Imperial and provincial governments, by private companies
and by single individuals, on the belt of land stretching from the
Rio San Francisco do Sul to the Mampituba, all speak of a certain
amount of civilization and progress. The population is estimated
at ninety thousand.
The capital of the province is often called Santa Catharina, though
its proper and full name is Nossa Senhora do Desterro, which may
be translated either "Our Lady of the Desert" or of " Banishment."
It is situated upon the island which gives the name to the province,
and its harbor, though small, is compared with that of Rio de




SANTA CATHARINA.


345


Janeiro for excellence and beauty.  Desterro is the seat of a
considerable trade; yet the planters are not engaged in grand
agricultural operations, as in the provinces farther north. The
coffee exported thence enjoys a high reputation, and is of a
superior quality.
The island of Santa
~ "' ~Catharina is mountainous and finely wooded,
5(.k)~,..4  and the scenery with
which the city of Des-:~3  [terro is surrounded has been the
- admiration of every traveller who
has been privileged to visit this
picturesque region. A friend who
resided many    years ago in the
islands of the Pacific, on visiting
anE"  r-    t\>Xt/      St. Catharine's wrote home his impressions, stating that the general
aspect of all around him was so
like the South Seas that he felt as if he were suddenly transported thither and were again amid the scenes of bygone years.
HIe added, "The palm-tree tossing its plumed branches in the
wind, the broad leaves of the banana rustling in the breeze, the






346


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


perfume of the orange-blossoms and Cape jessamine, the sugarcane, the coffee-plant and cotton-bush, the palma Christi and guava,
the light canoe upon the water, and the rude huts dotting the
shore,-all hurried me in imagination to the Marquesas, the Society,
and the Sandwich Islands."
There is a commerce here in artificial flowers made from
beetles' wings, fish-scales, sea-shells, and feathers, which attract
the attention of every visitor. These are made by the mulheres
(women) of almost every class, and thus they obtain not only
pin-money, but some amass wealth in the traffic. The wreaths,
necklaces, and bracelets made from the scales of a large fish are
not only curious, but are exceedingly beautiful. Their effect at
night is that of the most brilliant set of pearls, and they are as
much superior in splendor to the small specimens of fish-scale
flowers manufactured in Ireland, and exposed in the Sydenham
Palace, London, as the diamond surpasses the glisten of cutglass.
Not only tropic fruits and flowers are here to be found in profusion, but the choicest horticultural productions of Europe can be
cultivated to perfection; and such is the salubrity of the air, that
Desterro is often visited by invalids from the more northern provinces, and even from more distant countries. 
The natural history of Santa Catharina is peculiarly interesting.
Among the shells abounding on the coast there is a species of Murex,
from the animal of which a beautiful crimson color may be extracted. It is, however, the department of entomology which has
excited the most lively admiration of the naturalists who have
visited the province. The butterflies are the most splendid in the
world. Langsdorff says they are not like the tame and puny
lepidopters of Europe, which can be caught by means of a small
piece of silk. On the contrary, they rise high in the air, with a
brisk and rapid flight. Sometimes they light and repose on flowers
at the tops of trees, and rarely risk themselves within reach of the
hand. They appear to be constantly on their guard, and, if caught
at all, it must be when on the wing, by means of a net at the extremity of a long rod of cane. Some species are observed to live
in society, hundreds and thousands of them being sometimes found
together. These generally prefer the lower districts and the banks




COAL-MINES AND RIO GRANDE DO SUL.


347


of streams. When one of them is caught and fastened by a pin on
the surface of the sand, swarms of the same species will gather
round him, and may be caught at pleasure.
It has been rumored for many years that mines of coal exist
within the bounds of the province; but, notwithstanding some
examinations by order of Government, no satisfactory discoveries
have yet been made. Doctor Parigot, who was employed to make
surveys in the province in 1841, reported the existence of a carboniferous stratum, from twenty to thirty miles in width and about
three hundred in length, running from north to south through the
province. The best vein of coal he opened he pronounced half
bituminous, and situated between thick strata of the hydrous oxide
of iron and bituminous schist; but hitherto there has been no very
encouraging result from these explorations. In the neighboring
province of Rio Grande do Sul, coal of a better kind, though somewhat argillaceous, has been found in the mountains at a place
called Herval, not far from S. Leopoldo. It is hoped, however, that
a further descent into the mines will bring to light a better quality,
-a great desideratum, as the coal for the consumption of all the
steamers and steam-manufactories in Brazil is imported from
England.
The province of Sao Pedro do Rio Grande do 'Sul (more commonly known as simply Rio Grande do Sul) constitutes the extreme
southern portion of the Empire of Brazil. It is so called from the
first parochial Church of St. Peter, (S. Pedro,) and the river
called Grande, (see on the map Barra do Rio Grande,) near whose
margins it was erected. In many of the official papers of the Empire, this province occurs as S. Pedro, to distinguish it fiom Rio
Grande do Norte. In the salubrity of its climate and the fertility
of its soil it resembles the Republic of Uruguay, upon which it
borders. It is admirably adapted for European immigration, and
the most successful of all the colonies established by the Imperial
Government is that of S. Leopoldo, founded in 1825, which to-day
numbers a busy and prosperous population of more than eleven
thousand souls.
All the cereals and fruits of Central Europe can be cultivated in
this province, and formerly immense quantities of wheat were
grown, so that not only was there sufficient for home-supply, but




348


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


for exportation. This branch of agriculture has now so dwindled
that flour is, to some extent, imported from the United States.
The great wealth of Rio Grande do Sul consists of that which
constituted the riches of the patriarchs,-flocks and herds. The
Guachos of Buenos Ayres are not more expert on horseback or
more skilful in the use of the lasso than are the Rio Grandenses,
whose occupation from childhood is the care and culture of the
herds of cattle which roam the vast campinas or prairies. It has
been estimated that in the province of Rio Grande do Sul, not
mentioning parts of Santa Catharina and S. Paulo which are
devoted to the same purposes, five hundred thousand cattle are
slaughtered annually for the sake of preserving their hides and
flesh, while as many more are driven northward for ordinary consumption. Mlost of the carne secca, or jerked beef, in common use
throughout Brazil, is prepared here. After the hide is taken from
the ox, the flesh is skinned off in a similar manner from the whole
side, in strips about half an inch in thickness. The meat, in this
form, is stretched in the sun to dry. But very little salt is used in
its preservation, and, when sufficiently cured, it is shipped to all
the maritime provinces, and is the only kind of preserved beef
used in the country. Stacks of this meat (emitting no very agreeable odor) lie piled up, like cords of wood, in the provision-houses
of Rio de Janeiro.
In the financial year 1853-54, Rio Grande do Sul exported the
value of near $3,000,000 in hides, horns, hair, and wool, $1,000,000
of which were imported into the United States.
The character of the people is somewhat peculiar, owing to their
circumstances and mode of life. They are generally tall, of an
active and energetic appearance, with handsome features, and of a
lighter skin than prevails among the inhabitants of the northern
portions of the Empire. Both sexes are accustomed, from childhood, to ride on horseback, and consequently acquire great skill in
the management of those noble animals upon which they take their
amusements as well as perform their journeys and pursue the wild
cattle of their plains.
The use of the lasso is learned among the earliest sports of boyhood, and is continued until an almost inconceivable dexterity is
acquired. Little children, armed with their lasso or bolas, make




LASSOING WILD CATTLE.


349


war upon the chickens, ducks, and geese of the farmyard, until
their ambition and strength lead them into a wider field.
For the pursuit of wild cattle the horses are admirably trained,
so that, when the lasso is thrown, they know precisely what to do.
Sometimes, in the case of a furious animal, the rider checks the
horse and dismounts, while the bull is running out the length of
his raw-hide rope. The horse wheels round and braces himself to
sustain the shock which the momentum of the captured animal
must inevitably give. The bull, not expecting to be brought up so
At0LI,: 
(v        /       v\
THE  LASSO.
suddenly, is thrown sprawling to the ground. Rising to his feet,
he rushes upon the horse to gore him; but the latter keeps at a
distance, until the bull, finding that nothing is to be accomplished
in this way, again attempts to flee, when the rope a second time
brings him to the ground. Thus the poor animal is worried, until
he is wholly within the power of his captors.
Nor is it only in Rio Grande do Sul or San Paulo that scenes of
this kind may be observed. They were formerly witnessed in Rio
de Janeiro itself. At the Matadoura publico, situated on the Praya
d'Ajuda, before the municipal butcheries were removed to the spacious abattoirs at San Christovao, vast numbers of cattle were daily
slaughtered. Among the droves that reached the capital from the




350            BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
distant sertoes was occasionally an ox so wild and powerful that
he was not disposed to surrender life without a desperate struggle.
He would break from his enclosure and dash into the streets of the
city, threatening destruction to whoever opposed his course. A
horse, accoutred with saddle and bridle, and with a lasso fastened
to him by a strong girth, stood ready for the emergency, and was
mounted in an instant to give pursuit. The chase was widely different in its circumstances from that which occurs in the open
campos; but perhaps no interest was lost in the rapid turning of
corners of streets, the heavy clatter of hoofs upon the pavement,
and the hasty accumulation of spectators. In a short time, usually,
the noose of the lasso whirled around the horns of the fugitive,
an area was cleared, and the scene already described was enacted,
until the runaway ox was killed on the spot or led away in triumph
to the slaughter. The lasso is, moreover, in frequent use in the
Campo de Santa Anna, in the same city, where vast herds of mules
\
THE GUAYCURUS.
are frequently congregated for sale. The purchaser has only to
indicate which animal out of the untamed multitude he would like
to examine, and the tropeiro soon has him "slippernoosed" at the
end of his long rope, by which he holds or leads him at will.
This portion of Brazil was inhabited at the period of the settlement by two peculiar tribes of savages. On the eastern part of




TRANQUILLITY SECURED BY THE FALL OF ROSAS.  351


Rio Grande do Sul and in St. Catharine's were the Carijos, who were
said to be the most humane of all the aborigines, and were the
most accessible to European manners and cultivation.   North of
the province under consideration were the Guaycurus,-Indian cavalry,-so called because the Portuguese found them ready to give
battle on horseback. Where they obtained these horses is an unexplained mystery, but doubtless they were procured either
through the Spaniards on the Pacific coast, or from some of the
earliest settlements on the La Plata. I have in my possession an
old picture of Guaycurus charging regulars, and their position
reminds one of that resorted to by the wild Camanches of New
Mexico.
Rio Grande do Sul is in population and commerce the fifth or
sixth province in the Empire. Until the rapid augmentation of
exports from Para, she occupied with certainty the fifth place.
For a series of years Rio Grande was in open rebellion against
the Imperial Government, to which fact allusion has already been
made. The effect of this struggle was the proclamation of freedom to the slaves by both parties, so that the number of those
in bondage was greatly diminished. The proximity of this province to the Spanish-American Governments doubtless did much,
before the Empire of Brazil was fully established in strength, to
incline it to republican notions, and it was thought at one time
that Rio Grande would sever itself from the Empire, and, like the
Banda Oriental, or Uruguay, (once a province of Brazil,) become
an independent State.    But, between generous concessions and
vigorous measures, Rio Grande was brought back to allegiance,
and to day none of her sister-provinces excel her in loyalty to the
existing regime. Brazil, however, has taken effectual means and
preventives that her southern border be no longer disturbed. The
tyrant Rosas* was overthrown through the aid of the Brazilian
* Allusion having been made to the part which Brazil took in the overthrow of
the Nero-Borgia of the New World, the following note from Mr. Hadfield's work
will give an outline of the history of affairs in the Argentine Confederation:"In January, 1831, the provinces of Buenos Ayres, Entre Rios, Corrientes, and
Santa Fe, entered into a federal compact, to which all the other provinces at
subsequent periods became parties. The union was a voluntary alliance. No
general Constitution was promulgated, and the adhesion of the several members




352


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


army and navy, and Uruguay is now in effect under her protection,
and is bound to keep the peace. When Paraguay can be approached on some reasonable diplomatic basis,-when Brazil shall
have thrown off all the restriction which now hampers the comwas left to be secured by the resources of the person who might obtain the direction of affairs. This Argentine Confederation, like the Republic which it had succeeded, soon fell into a state of anarchy; and it was not till the election of General
Rosas as governor or captain-general, with almost absolute power, in 1836, that
even temporary quiet was secured. By this arrangement the provincial Government of Buenos Ayres was invested with extraordinary powers, and temporarily
charged with the transaction of all matters appertaining to the common interests
of the confederation, and the carrying out of its business with foreign nations.
Rosas had previously served as governor and captain-general of Buenos Ayres for
the usual term of three years, and had obtained unrivalled influence in that province, chiefly through his military powers as displayed against the Indians.. His
decision and energy secured for a while internal peace, and the provinces began to
recover from the effects of the long-prevalent anarchy. But cruelty and despotism
marked his sway at home, and his ambition, which continually prompted him to
endeavors to extend his power over the whole country watered by the Plata and the
Parana, led him into disputes with foreign powers; and these ultimately brought
about his downfall. His commercial policy had for its object to secure for Buenos
Ayres the monopoly of the trade of the Plata, his political policy to obtain a like
territorial superiority.
"On the death of Francia, Dictator of Paraguay, Rosas refused to acknowledge
the independence of that power, insisting that it should join the Argentine Confederation. At the same time he refused to allow the navigation of the Parana by
vessels bound to Paraguay. Lopez, the new Dictator of Paraguay, therefore entered
into alliance with the Banda Oriental, now called Uruguay, with which Rosas was
at war. These powers applied for assistance to Brazil. The war was prolonged
until the whole country on both sides of the Plata and the Parana was in a state
of confusion. On the earnest appeal of the merchants and others interested, Great
Britain volunteered her mediation, but it was rejected by Rosas, who marched his
troops within a few miles of Montevideo, which his fleet at the same time blockaded. The Emperor of Brazil now interfered, and sent a special mission to request
the interposition of the courts of London and Paris. The British and French
Governments, in February, 1845, decided on sending plenipotentiaries to the Plata
to offer their mediation, and to announce their intention to enforce a cessation of
hostilities, if needful, by an armed intervention. The offer was rejected by Rosas,
but readily accepted by his opponents. The united fleet of England and France at
once commenced operations by seizing the fleet of Rosas which was blockading
Montevideo, and the island of Martin Garcia, which commands the entrances of
the Parana and the Uruguay. The harbor of Buenos Ayres was at the same time
declared under blockade, and the combined fleet prepared to open the Parana and
to convoy as far as Corrientes any merchant-vessels that might desire to ascend
that river. Rosas on his part made hasty preparations to intercept the fleet by
planting batteries with parks of heavy artillery at Point Obligado, and placing
three strong chains across the river, supported by twenty-four vessels and ten fireships. On the 19th of November, 1845, the combined fleet, consisting of eight




HOPE OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.


353


merce of the mighty affluents of the La Plata that are within
her borders,-a development and a prosperity will accrue to
the southern portion of the Empire which will be productive of
great results for Brazil and that part of America south of the
tropic of Capricorn.
sailing and three steam vessels, forced the passage with trifling loss to itself, but
entirely destroying the batteries and considerably injuring the army of Rosas. On
the return of the fleet, with a convoy of one hundred and ten vessels, it was encountered at San Lorenzo by a very powerful battery, which Rosas had erected in
an admirable position, in the full expectation of destroying a large number of the
merchant-vessels and of crippling the naval force. The battery commanded the
river, and was difficult of attack by the steamers; but it was speedily silenced by a
rocket-brigade which had been the previous night secretly landed on a small island
in the river. The combined fleet escaped with trifling loss; the rocket-brigade lost
not a man; but four of the merchant-vessels, which, through unskilful pilotage, ran
ashore, were burned to prevent them falling into the hands of Rosas. The loss to
the Argentine army was very great. Again plenipotentiaries were sent out by the
combined powers, but Rosas refused to yield; and England Withdrew from the
blockade in July, 1848. It was, however, continued by France until January, 1849.
On the final withdrawal of the two great powers in 1850, Brazil determined on
active interference. The power of the Dictator, General Rosas, essentially despotic,
and devoted to the maintenance of the supremacy of Buenos Ayres, had moreover
become intolerable to the provinces, which desired a federal and equal union.
Accordingly, toward the close of 1850, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay entered
into a treaty, to which Corrientes and Entre Rios, as represented by General
Urquiza, became parties, by which they bound themselves toicontinue hostilities
until they had effected the deposition of Rosas, 'whose power and tyranny' they
declared to be 'incompatible with the peace and happiness of this part of the world.'
Early in the spring of 1851, a Brazilian fleet blockaded Buenos Ayres, and soon
after an Argentine force commanded by Urquiza crossed the Uruguay.     The
struggle was now virtually terminated. General Oribe, who commanded the army
of Rosas at Montevideo, made a show of resistance, but it was merely to gain
time in order to complete his arrangements with Urquiza, and he soon after capitulated. His soldiers for the most part joined the army of Urquiza, who-at the head
of a force amounting, it is said, to seventy thousand men-crossed into Buenos Ayres.
A general engagement took place on the plains of Moron, February 2, 1852, when
the army of Rosas was entirely defeated. Rosas, who had commanded in person,
succeeded in escaping from the field; and, in the dress of a peasant, he reached
in safety the house of the British minister at Buenos Ayres. From thence, with
his daughter, he proceeded on board H.B.M. steamer Locust, and on the 10th of
February sailed in the Conflict steamer for England."


23




~


CHAPTER XIX.
JOURNEY TO SAN PAULO-NIGHT-TRAVELLING-SERRA DO CUBATAO-THE HEAVEN
OF THE MOON-FRADE VASCONCELLOS —ANT-HILLS-TROPEIROS -CURIOUS
ITEMS OF TRADE-YPIRANGA-CITY OF SAN PAULO-LAW-STUDENTS AND CONVENTS-MR. MAWE'S EXPERIENCE CONTRASTED-DESCRIPTION OF THE CITYRESPECT FOR S. PAULO-THE VISIONARY HOTEL-KEEPER.
ON my return from the province of Santa Catharina I again
touched at Paranagua, and, with the usual slowness which characterized Brazilian coast-travelling a few years ago, I came leisurely
to Santos, and thence proceeded to the city of San Paulo. A young
Brazilian had the intention of accompanying me to the capital of
the province; but when I informed him that it was my determination to start for the interior the day of my arrival at Santos, he at
first laughed at me, considering it an impossibility, and intimated
that I would gladly accept the proffered hospitality of friends.
When he found me unmoved in my resolution, he dropped his
smiles, and looked at me with that pity which is bestowed upon the
hopelessly insane.
At half-past five o'clock in the evening I set out alone. I have
often heard exclamations of surprise, from those who have never
been in Brazil, at the very idea of journeying without a companion in a land which their imaginations have pictured as the
abode of brigands and wild beasts. Though I have compassed
many leagues solus, I have never met with the former, and the
latter have been quite harmless. My horse, in size, in his trappings, and in general appearance, was befitting a Calmuck Tartar.
He had never made the acquaintance of a curry-comb, but got over
the fine road which leads to Cubitao with a speed worthy of a better-looking animal. It was dark before I reached the bridge which
spans the Rio do Cubitao; and, not feeling exactly sure of a hospedaria, I rode up to a little way-side venda, and my inquiries were
answered very satisfactorily in French. The same man I saw upon
354




A ZIGZAG ROAD.


355


my return, and learned from him that he came to Brazil twenty
years ago under the impression that gold was as plentiful as pavingstones. He directed me to an inn kept by a German beyond the
bridge. Having given my name at the Begistro, and having paid a
slight toll, I clattered over, and was soon at the house of the German. I felt half inclined to push onward over the mountains, so as
to make San Paulo before mid-day of the morrow. I however concluded to refresh myself and horse, and gave orders for supper.
The refreshment, so far as sleep was concerned, was a minus quantity, and at an early hour I was astride my steed and on my way
up the Serra. The road which traverses this range of mountains
is probably the finest in Brazil, with the exception of the Imperial
highway to Petropolis. When Dr. Kidder visited this portion of
the Empire, there existed a very excellent road, made at great expense; yet, owing to its steepness, it was perfectly impassable for
carriages. His description of that route is as follows:"It embraces about four miles of solid pavement and upward of
one hundred and eighty angles in its zigzag course. The accomplishment of this great work of internal improvement was esteemed
worthy of commemoration as a distinguished event in the colonial
history of Portugal. This appears from a discovery made on my
return. Halting on the peak of the Serra, my attention was drawn
to four wrought stones, apparently imported. They corresponded
in size and form to the mile-stones of the United States, and had
fallen prostrate. One lay with its face downward, so embedded in
the earth as to be-to me at least-immovable. From the others,
having removed with the point of my hammer the moss and rubbish
by which the tracery of the letters was obscured, I deciphered as
follows:"I MARIA I. REGINA,
NESTE ANNO, 1790.
OM.NIA VINCIT AMOR SVBDITORVM.
FES SE ESTE CAMINHO NO FELIS GOVERNO DO ILL0 E EX~ BERNARDO JOSE DE
LORENO, GENERAL DESTA
CAPITANIA.




856


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


"A solid pavement up this mountain-pass was rendered essential
from the liability of the road to injury by the continued tread of
animals, and also from torrents of water which are frequently precipitated down and across it in heavy rains. Notwithstanding the
original excellence of the work, maintained as it had been by
fiequent repairs, we were obliged to encounter some gullies and
slides of earth, which would have been thought of fearful magnitude had they not been rendered insignificant in comparison with
the heights above and the deep ravines which ever and anon
yawned beneath precipitous embankments. At these points a few
false steps of the passing animal would have plunged both him and
his rider beyond the hope of rescue. Our ascent was rendered
more exciting by meeting successive troops of mules. There would
first be heard the harsh voice of the tropeiros urging along their
beasts, and sounding so directly above as to seem issuing from
the very clouds: presently the clattering of hoofs would be distinguished, and at length would be seen the animals, erectis
auribus, as they came borne almost irresistibly down by their
heavy burdens.  It was necessary to seek some halting-place
while the several divisions of the troop passed by, and soon their
resounding tread and the echoing voice of the guides would be
lost in the thickets beneath."
The above description of the road was strictly true fifteen years
ago; but now, by judicious engineering, the grades are not nearly
so steep, and at a vast expense the whole is finely macadamized.
Still, the ascent is too precipitous for heavily-laden carriages. But
this will soon be remedied. English engineers are surveying a
route into the interior which may extend as far as the province
of Goyaz; and it is the fond hope of the Vergueiros that the time
is not distant when the coffee of Campinas, Limeira, and Itui will
be brought upon wheels to Santos. In the engraving the present comparatively greatly-winding highway is in strong contrast
with the almost perpendicular road made by the early Jesuits
before the one of which Dr. Kidder speaks.  The Jesuits' Road
is the dark line seeming to divide the conical mountain into
equal parts.
As I pushed up with my sorry-looking steed, the Serra became
enveloped in mist, so that I could scarcely see a rod before me; but




"THE HEAVEN OF THE MOON."                357
upon my return the mountains were not only bathed in glorious
sunlight, but the plains beneath and the distant ocean seemed
brought near, as by magic. There was a wildness and sublimity
in the landscape which I have not seen surpassed in the vicinity of
Rio de Janeiro. From the summit of the mountain the dark and
rugged gorges were not even clothed with the abundant foliage
which is found everywhere else. Streams burst forth from some
of the loftiest peaks, and thundered down into the deep ravines
beneath.,,-^;.      -I.,/- -..',,. -
'                                         I-~,:~ =  = —., -^,-?-iR^^;r.../.
THE BRIDGE AND SERRA DO CUBITAO.
The Jesuit Vasconcellos made the ascent of this Serra two hundred years ago, and his description of the scenery is sketched with
a masterly hand; but his estimate of the altitude was certainly
extraordinary:"The greater part of the way you have not to travel, but to get
on with hands and feet, and by the roots of trees; and this among
such crags and precipices, that I confess my flesh trembled when I
looked down. The depth of the valleys is tremendous, and the
number of mountains, one above another, seems to leave no hope
of reaching the end. When you fancy you are at the summit of
one, you find yourself at the bottom of another of no less magnitude. True it is, that the labor of ascent is recompensed from time




358


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


to time; for when I seated myself upon one of these rocks, and
cast my eyes below, it seemed as though I was looking down from
the heaven of the moon, and that the whole globe of earth lay
beneath my feet. A sight of rare beauty for the diversity of
prospect, of sea and land, plains, forests, and mountain-tracks, all
various, and beyond measure delightful. This ascent, broken with
shelves of level, continues till you reach the plains of Piratininga,
in the second region of the air, where it is so thin that it seems as
if those who newly arrive could never breathe their fill."
Dr. Kidder thus criticizes Vasconcellos:"The last sentence is as erroneous as the preceding are graphic
and beautiful. I should not, however, deem it necessary to correct
the statement, had not Southey, upon its authority, represented
this ascent to continue eight leagues to the very site of S. Paulo,
which is upon the plains of Piratininga. The truth is, that from
the summit of the Serra, before stated to be three thousand feet
above the sea, the distance to S. Paulo is about thirty miles, over a
country diversified with undulations, of which the prevailing
declination, as shown by the course of streams, is inland. Nevertheless, so slight is the variation from a general level, that the
highest point within the city of S. Paulo is estimated to be precisely the same altitude with the summit mentioned. What inconvenience would be experienced from rarefaction of the atmosphere
at such an elevation may be easily determined."
It however appears to me that the estimated altitude of the
Serra, made by the good frade Vasconcellos, was a just one according to his standard; for, even considering that he did not have the
asthma, to go up a steep mountain, ("the heaven of the moon"
in elevation,) not by travelling, "but to get on with hands and
feet, and by the roots of trees, and this among such crags and
precipices," was assuredly sufficient to make one pant and feel
as if he were "in the second region of the air" and "could never
breathe his fill." I once encountered a tall, lank Californian on
the Isthmus of Panama. It was at the end of a hot and sultry
day: the pedestrian gold-digger had set his face toward the Pacific, while I was seeking the port of Aspinwall. I accosted him,
and inquired the distance to Obispo, (at that time the terminus of
the Panama Railway.) "Stranger," said he, "they call it five




MULES AND MULETEERS.


359


miles; but I can assure you that it is about five hundred, for I never
have been so tired in all my life." He estimated distance as Frade
Vasconcellos estimated the altitude of the Serra de Cubatao.
Having once attained the summit of the mountain, I galloped
over the upland plains, feeling more uncomfortable from the cold
than ever before in Brazil. At ten o'clock I reached the hotel of
M. Lefevre, a Frenchman from Roussillon, at whose well-provided
table my chilliness was soon removed.
The plains between this and San Paulo, where there was no cultivation, were dotted by termite-ant-hills of such a size and form
as to remind one of the pictures of a Hottentot village. In some
places the industrious little creatures had literally ploughed up
the ground for many yards around. The earth composing the
outer shell of these insect-habitations becomes so indurated by
the action of the sun that they retain their original erect position
and oval form for scores of years.
The country over which I passed, save that the earth has a
marked ferruginous appearance, resembles what are called the
"oak-openings" of the western parts of the United States. In
the vicinity of the village of San Bernardo there are considerable
plantations of coffee and Chinese tea.
I was constantly meeting with troops of mules laden with coffee,
on their way to Santos, or passing others returning from the seaboard to the interior. It may be here remarked, that ordinary
transportation to and from the coast is accomplished with no inconsiderable regularity and system, notwithstanding the manner.
Many planters keep a sufficient number of beasts to convey their
entire produce to market; others do not, but depend more or less
upon professional carriers.  Among these, each troop is under
charge of a conductor, who superintends its movements and
transacts its business. They generally load down with sugar and
other agricultural products, conveying, in return, salt, flour, and
every variety of imported merchandise. I was informed that two
hundred thousand mules annually arrived with their burdens at
Santos. A gentleman who had for many years employed these conductors in the transmission of goods stated that he had seldom or
never known an article fail to reach its destination.
The Paulista tropeiros, as a class, differ very much from the




360


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Mineiros and conductors that visit Rio de Janeiro. They have a
certain wildness in their look, which, mingled with intelligence
and sometimes benignity, gives to their countenance altogether a
peculiar expression. They universally wear a large pointed knife,
twisted into their girdle behind. This faca de ponta is perhaps
more essential to them than the knife of the sailor is to him. It
serves to cut wood, to mend harnesses, to kill and dress an animal,
to carve food, and, in case of necessity, to defend or to assault.
Its blade has a curve peculiar to itself, and, in order to be approved,
must have a temper that will enable it to be struck through a thick
piece of copper without bending or breaking. This, being a favorite
companion, is often mounted with a silver handle, and sometimes
encased in a silver sheath, although it is generally worn naked.
Many foreigners (among them Englishmen) have purchased these
knives to take home as curiosities, not knowing that they were
manufactured in Great Britain or in the northeastern part of
France. Lady Emeline Stewart Wortley, in her interesting gossiping letters from the New World, states that she procured in Peru,
as a great curiosity, a poncho of the country, so that she might
show to her friends in England the peculiar costume and the manufactures of the people who are descended from Castilian adventurers and the subjects of Atahualpa.   Before leaving South
America, some kind friend engaged in commerce, not wishing Lady
Emeline to be duped, broke her pleasant delusion by informing her
that the poncho in question was from the looms of Scotland. It
might also be mentioned that many of the beautiful water-vases
seen by foreigners at Rio de Janeiro are manufactured at the potteries in Staffordshire, and are sent out in large quantities to South
America. The mysteries of the supply of distant countries with
the productions considered as peculiar to those lands would form
a curious book, far more interesting than the "blue-books" of Old
England, or the annual "Commerce and Navigation" issued from
the United States financial department.*
* Paper manufactured in New England bears the stamp "Bath Post" and " Paris."
Large establishments near New York import labels and wrapping-paper from France,
to put in and around hats which go over the Union as made on the banks of the
Seine. Staffordshire not only makes water-vases supposed in South America to




I




VIEW    OF THE    CITY    OF   S. PAULO.
(Dy   ichiards, qftIer a Sketch by Mrs. Elliot, f S. Paulo.)


~d.. ----^-"C~rU1.~~



ENTRANCE TO SAN PAULO.


361


Before the sun had set, I saw in the distance the city of San
Paulo. Its elevated position on a small table-land that springs up
from the plain, and its many towers and steeples and old conventual
buildings, give it an appearance far more imposing than a town of
greater population. Before ascending the hill, I passed the pavilion erected on the margin of the Ypiranga to commemorate the
declaration of Brazilian independence which was emphatically
made by Dom Pedro I. when (September 7, 1822) in this place he
exclaimed "Independencia ou Aiorte!" Such a spot should be hallowed in the thought of every Brazilian, as well as memorable
throughout the world; and it is therefore not much to the credit
of Brazil or to the province of San Paulo, fertile in patriots, that a
more fitting monument, of "enduring brass or marble," has not
hitherto been erected commemorative of an event of such vast
national interest.
Eventide was setting in as I splashed through the Tiete, the first
of the La Platan affluents that I had crossed; and I soon ascended
to the city. When I entered the first street, I felt more convinced
than ever that I was south of the tropic of Capricorn; for, though
verdure unchanging can be seen everywhere, yet in the nights of
June (which answers to December in the northern hemisphere)
there is experienced a chilliness which renders overcoats comfortable. Mine had been left behind by accident, and not only my
feelings told me of its absence, but, beholding several law-students
well cloaked, I was forcibly reminded of my carelessness and my
consequent suffering.  I fell into conversation with the young
"limbs of the law," and found them exceedingly affable and communicative, as they kindly guided me to the hotel of Senhor C.
Observing a large convent near at hand, I remarked that a new
country like Brazil had little need of a body of monks and friars.
I was somewhat surprised at the earnest and ready reply of one,
who, apparently uttering the sentiments of the party, said, "No,
Senhor, we need none of them: they are a lazy set; and we
approve of what the King of Sardinia has recently done in regard


have been manufactured on the spot, but drives a good trade with statues of the
Virgin, supposed to be the production of Italy and France, where they adorn so
many houses of the peasantry.




362


BRAZIL AND TIIE BRAZILIANS.


to convents."  Brazil has few monks in her splendid conventual
buildings, and those few, with the exception of the Italian Capuchins, are indolent, luxurious, and licentious. The many edifices
already secularized are used for state arsenals, provincial palaces,
libraries, hospitals, &c.
I could not but contrast my introduction to S. Paulo with the
entrance of Mr. Mawe, who nearly half a century ago made the
acquaintance of the same city. In my case I rode into town and
went to the hotel in the same manner as I would have done in
Boston, Liverpool, or Geneva. But Mr. Mawe's experience with
Brazil was immediately succeeding the opening of the country by
royal decree in 1808.  In his very readable "Travels" he says,
"Our appearance at S. Paulo excited considerable curiosity among
all descriptions of people, who seemed by their manner never to
have seen an Englishman before. The very children testified their
astonishment,-some by running away, others by counting our fingers and exclaiming that we had the same number as they. Many
of the good citizens invited us to their houses, and sent for their
friends to come and look on us. As the dwelling we occupied was
very large, we were frequently entertained by crowds of young
persons of both sexes who came to see us eat and drink. It was
gratifying to us to perceive that this general wonder subsided into
a more social feeling: we met with civil treatment everywhere, and
found great pleasure in a more refined and polished company than
we had seen in the Spanish settlements."
Though San Paulo is still distinguished for its "refined and
polished" society, it is hard at this day to conceive of the curiosity
at seeing strangers which must have been one of the direct consequences of Portugal's Japanese policy toward the colony of Brazil.
S. Paulo is situated between two small streams upon an elevation
of ground, the surface of which is very uneven. Its streets are
narrow, and not laid out with regard to system or general regularity. They have narrow side-walks, and are paved with a ferruginous conglomerate closely resembling old red sandstone, but differing from that formation by containing larger fragments of
quartz,-thus approaching breccia.
Some of the buildings are constructed of this stone; but the
material more generally used in the construction of houses is the




TAIPA HOUSES.


363


common soil, which, being slightly moistened, can be laid up into
a solid wall. The method is to dig down several feet, as would be
done for the foundation of a stone house, then to commence filling
in with the moistened earth, which is beaten as hard as possible.
As the wall rises above ground, a frame of boards or planks is made
to keep it in the proper dimensions, which curbing is moved upward as fast as may be necessary, until the whole is completed.
These walls are generally very thick, especially in large buildings.
They are capable of receiving a handsome finish within and without, and are usually covered by projecting roofs, which preserve
them from the effect of rains. Although this is a reasonable precaution, yet such walls have been known to stand more than a
hundred years without the least protection. Under the influence
of the sun they become indurated, and are like one massive brick,
impervious to water, while the absence of frost promotes their
stability.
From San Paulo I wrote to one of my friends at Rio a letter,
from which I take the following extracts:" June 26, 1855.
"I am in a cold room,-such cold as I have not before experienced in Brazil. The moon is shining coldly; men creep
about in cloaks, (I wish I had one,) and the 'only thing that
possesses caloric is the candle which throws its dim light upon this
paper. I ought, however, to except the stirring strain of a distant
bugle, that really fills the night-air with a warming melody.
1"Here I am stopped, because people do nothing d'appressado
(in a hurry) in Brazil. I put my two boxes ashore at Santos on
the 14th, and they were not sent forward until the 23d; and
to-day I passed the rancho where the troop encamped last night.
This evening they have reached a point two miles beyond San
Paulo,-at which rate they will attain their destination-Limeira
-about the 14th of July, the day on which I hope to sail from
Rio for the northern provinces. But if possible I shall hire extra
mules, overtake my boxes, transfer them to my animals, and push
on so as to reach the colony of Vergueiro (more than one hundred
miles from here) by Saturday night.
"Tell Senhor Fernando Roche that his friend, Senhor Seraphim,
has been most useful and kind to me, running over the whole town




364


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


to procure for me the requisite animals. Do you think that an
American or an English merchant would have done as much, late
at night, for a stranger three hours after his arrival?
"I fear you will find me quite complaining, and place me in the
category of those travellers who, like Smollett, were always scolding and grumbling about the inconveniences of the country in
which they were 'voyaging.' I assure you that I take things as
much like a philosopher as possible,-eating all kinds of food in
all sorts of places, and sleeping where I would have scruples about
making a daylight examination. Fancy, I slept, or at least attempted it, last night in a dirty German hospedaria, with a wild
parrot overhead and my Calmuck horse haltered just the other side
of a thin partition: so, between the music of one biting his chain,
and the other crunching his milho, (Indian corn,) I got a very small
share of 'nature's sweet restorer.'
"Yesterday I left Santos, although I was informed that it was
impossible to start for the interior the same day that I arrived.;
yet my kind friends, the Vergueiros, enabled me to keep my word
which I gave on board the steamer, to the effect that night should
see me on my way. To-day I rode thirty-two miles, which you
know, as Paulistas travel, is a good day's journey. As I drew near
to San Paulo and gazed upon the green prairies dotted by herds,
the white houses surrounded by trees, and in the background the
distant mountains, I seemed to behold, as in years gone by, the
like scenes of Burgundy, Piedmont, and Northumberland.
"I felt a more profound respect for San Paulo than for any South
American city that I have yet visited. It was larger than I anticipated, and its houses, with their overhanging eaves, give it an
appearance not unlike that of Vevay, on the Lake of Geneva.
These eaves, I should say, extend over the streets five or six feet,
protecting the passers-by from the rain and sun, and giving a Swiss
picturesqueness to the whole.
"My feelings of respect, however, arose not from the size of the
city, nor from its picturesqueness, but because there is a more intellectual and a less commercial air about the people than you see
elsewhere in Brazil. You do not hear the word dinheiro constantly
ringing in your ear, as at Rio de Janeiro. There are no less than
five hundred law-students in the legal college here established, and




THE LAW-STUDENTS.


365


their appearance really recalls the Dane law-school of Harvard
University and the students of Heidelberg. The genus student is
the same the world over,-full of pranks, fun, and mischief. The
week of my arrival, several scores of these fellows had 'kicked up
a row' (as one of them elegantly expressed it) at the theatre, so
that the President of the province ordered a strong police-force to
be present at the next representation, and it was not without difficulty that order was preserved.
"In entering the city, I fell in with a number of these young
legalists, who conducted me to the hotel where many of their
classmates were whiling away their time at billiards; and, judging
from the sound of rolling balls and 'lucky hits' at this late hour,
one would suppose they will have little opportunity for preparing
their morning lesson.  The hotel-keeper is a young Brazilian,
educated at  's, in Nova Fribourgo, and speaks very good English.
He has too many projects, however, to succeed. His last plan is
to establish a sort of Surrey Zoological Gardens, for concerts, exhibitions, and recreation generally, at Rio de Janeiro. His chosen
spot for this purpose is on the Praia Vermelha, not far from the
Sugar-Loaf. Speaking of gardens, I am reminded of plantations,
and will only say that to-day I saw immense plantations of what I
had first supposed to be coffee, but which proved to be genuine
Chinese 'green tea.'
"But now to bed: if rolling billiard-balls will let me sleep, I will
be refreshed for the journey of to-morrow.
"P.S. Wednesday morning.-I have a horse, a conductor, and
two mules, and shall be off in a few moments. You will next hear
from me at Limeira."




CHAPTER XX.


HISTORY OF SAN PAULO-TERRESTRIAL PARADISE-REVERSES OF THE JESUITSENSLAVEMENT OF THE INDIANS-HISTORICAL DATA-THE ACADEMY OF LAWSCOURSE OF STUDY-DISTINGUISHED MEN-THE ANDRADAS-JOSE BONIFACIOANTONIO CARLOS-ALVARES MACHADO-VERGUEIRO-BISHOP MOURA-A VISIT
TO FEIJO-PROPOSITION TO ABOLISH CELIBACY-AN INTERESTING BOOK-THE
DEATH OF ANTONIO CARLOS DE ANDRADA-HIGH EULOGIUM — MISSIONARY
EFFORTS IN SAN PAULO-EARLY AND PRESENT CONDITION OF THE PROVINCEHOSPITALITIES OF A PADRE-ENCOURAGEMENTS-THE PEOPLE-PROPOSITION TO
THE PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY-RESPONSE-RESULT-ADDENDA-PRESENT ENCOURAGEMENTS.
THE history of San Paulo takes us back to. an early period in the
settlement of the New World by Europeans. It has already been
remarked that, in 1531, Martin Affonso de Souza founded S.Vicente,
the first town in the captaincy, which for a long time bore the
same appellation. There had previously been shipwrecked on the
coast an individual by the name of Joio Ramalho, who had acquired the language of the native tribes and secured influence
among them by marrying a daughter of one of their principal
caciques. Through his interposition, peace was secured with the
savages and the interests of the colony were fostered. By degrees
the settlement extended itself inland, and in 1553 some of the
Jesuits who accompanied Thome de Souza, the first captain-general,
found their way to the region styled the plains of Piratininga, and
selected the elevated locality on which the city now stands, as the
site of a village, in which they commenced to gather together and
instruct the Indians.
Having erected a small mud cottage on the spot where their
college was subsequently built, they proceeded to consecrate it by
a mass, recited on the 25th of January, 1554. That, being the day
on which the conversion of St. Paul is celebrated by the Roman
Church, gave the name of the apostle to the town, and subsequently
366




A TERRESTRIAL PARADISE.


367


to the province. St. Paul is still considered the patron saint of
both. A confidential letter, written by one of these Jesuits to his
brethren in Portugal, in addition to many interesting particulars
on other subjects, contains the following passage, which may serve
to show how the country appeared to those who saw it nearly three
hundred years ago. This letter exists in a manuscript book taken
from the Jesuits at the time of their expulsion from Brazil, and
still preserved in the National Library at Rio de Janeiro. Its date
is 1560. No part of it is known to have been hitherto rendered
into English previous to the translation made by Rev. Dr. Kidder.
"For Christ's sake, dearest brethren, I beseech you to get rid of
the bad idea you have hitherto entertained of Brazil: to speak the
truth, if there were a paradise on earth, I would say it now existed
here. And if I think so, I am unable to conceive who will not.
Respecting spiritual matters and the service of God, they are
prospering, as I have before told you; and as to temporal affairs,
there is nothing to be desired. Melancholy cannot be found here,
unless you dig deeper for it than were the foundations of the palace
of S. Roque. There is not a more healthy place in the world, nor
a more pleasant country, abounding as it does in all kinds of fruit
and food, so as to leave me no desire for those of Europe. If in
Portugal you have fowls, so do we in abundance, and very cheap;
if you have mutton, we here have wild animals, whose flesh is
decidedly superior; if you have wine there, I aver that I find myself better off with such water as we have here than with the
wines of Portugal.  Do you have bread, so do I sometimes, and
always what is better, since there is no doubt but that the flour of
this country (mandioca) is more healthy than your bread. As to
fruits, we have a great variety; and, having these, I say let any
one eat those of the old country who likes them. What is more,
in addition to yielding all the year, vegetable productions are so
easily cultivated (it being hardly necessary to plant them) that
nobody can be so poor as to be in want. As to recreations, yours
are in no way to be compared with what we have here.
"Now, I am desirous that some of you should come out and put
these matters to the test; since I do not hesitate to give my opinion,.
that, if any one wishes to live in a terrestrial paradise, he shouldi
not stop short of Brazil. Let him that doubts my word come and




368


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


see. Some will say, What sort of a life can that man lead who
sleeps in a hammock swung up in the air? Let me tell them, they
have no idea what a fine arrangement this is. I had a bed with
mattresses, but, my physician advising me to sleep in a hammock, I
found the latter so much preferable, that I never have been able to
take the least satisfaction, or rest a single night, upon a bed since.
Others may have their opinions, but these are mine, founded upon
experience."
The Jesuits, unhappily, did not find this paradise to be perennial.
Their benevolence, and their philanthropic devotedness to the Indians, brought down upon them the hatred of their countrymen,
the Portuguese, and of the Mamalucos, as the half-breeds were
denominated. These two classes commenced at an early day the
enslavement of the aboriginals, and they continued it through successive generations, with a ferocious and bloodthirsty perseverance
that has seldom found parallel. As the Jesuits steadfastly opposed
their cruelties, the Portuguese resorted to every means of annoyance against them. They ridiculed the savages for any compliance
with the religious formalities in which they were so diligently instructed,-encouraging them to continue in their heathen vices, and
even in the abominations of cannibalism. Nevertheless, these missionaries did not labor without considerable success. The Government was on their side, but was unable to protect them from the
persecutions of their brethren, who, although calling themselves
Christians, were as insensible to the fear of God as they were
regardless of the rights of men. From the pursuit of their imagined interest, nothing could deter them but positive force. As the
Indians were driven back into the wilds of the interior, through
fear of the slave-hunters, the Jesuits sought them out, and carried
to them the opportunities of Christian worship and instruction. It
was thus that a commencement was made to the celebrated Reductions of Paraguay, which occupy so wide a space in the early
history of South America. Sometimes the Paulistas would disguise themselves in the garb of the Jesuits, in order to decoy the
natives whom they wished to capture. At other times they assaulted the Reductions, or villages of neophytes, boasting that the
priests were very serviceable in thus gathering together their
prey.




HISTORICAL DATA.


369


Voluntary expeditions of these slave-hunters, styled bandeiras.
spent months, and sometimes years, in the most cruel and desolating wars against the native tribes. Instigated by the lust of
human plunder, some penetrated into what is now the interior of
Bolivia on the west; while others reached the very Amazon on the
north. As the Indians became thinned off by these remorseless
aggressions, another enterprise presented itself as a stimulant to
their avarice. It was that of hunting for gold. Success in the
latter enterprise created new motives for the prosecution of the
former. Slaves must be had to work the mines. Thus, the extermination of the native tribes of Brazil progressed, for scores of
years, with fearful rapidity. One result of these expeditions was
an enlargement of the territories of Portugal and an extension
of settlements. By the growth of these settlements four large
provinces were populated. They have since been set off from that
of S. Paulo, in the following order:-Minas-Geraes, in 1720; Rio
Grande do Sul, in 1738; Goyaz and Matto Grosso, in 1748.
During the period when Portugal and her colonies were under
the dominion of Spain, a considerable number of Spanish families
became inhabitants of the captaincy of S. Paulo; and when, in
1640, that dominion came to an end, a numerous party disposed
itself to resist the Government of Portugal. They proceeded to
proclaim one Amador Bueno, king; but this individual had the
sagacity and patriotism peremptorily to decline the dignity his
friends were anxious to confer upon him. The Paulistas have
been subsequently second to none in their loyalty to the legitimate
Government of' the country; unless, indeed, the unhappy disturbances that occurred among them in the years 1841-42 be considered as forming an exception to this remark. It is now one
of the most prosperous provinces of the Empire.
My colleague remained many days in the provincial capital, and
gives the following account of its institutions and great men:"The Academy of Laws, or, as it is frequently denominated, the
University of S. Paulo, ranks first among all the literary institutions of the Empire. I enjoyed an excellent opportunity'for visiting it, being introduced by the secretary and acting president, Dr.
Brotero. This gentleman-whose lady is a native of the United
States-deserves honorable mention, not only for the zeal and
24




370


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


ability with which he administers the affairs of tho institution
of which he has since become the president, but also as an author.
He has published a standard work on the Principles of Natural
Law, and a treatise upon Maritime Prizes.
"The edifice of the Curso Juridico was originally constructed as
a convent by the Franciscan monks, whom the Government compelled to abandon it for its present more profitable use. Being
larger and well built, a few alterations rendered it quite suitable
to the purposes for which it was required. The lecture and recitation rooms are on the first floor, the professors' rooms and library
on the second; these, together with an ample court-yard, compose
the whole establishment, save two immense chapels still devoted
to their original design. In one of these I found several very
decent paintings, and also an immense staging, upon which workmen were engaged finishing the stucco-work upon the principal
~arch of the vaulted roof. Both chapels abounded with mythological representations of the patron saint, both in images and
colors. The library of the institution, containing seven thousand
volumes, is composed of the collection formerly belonging to the
Franciscans, a part of which was bequeathed to the convent by the
Bishop of Madeira; the library of a deceased bishop of S. Paulo;
a donation of seven hundred volumes from the first director; and
some additions ordered by the Government. It was not overstocked with books upon law or belles-lettres, and was quite deficient in the department of science. The only compensation for
such deficiencies was a superabundance of unread and unreadable
tomes on theology. Among all these, however, there was not to
be found a single copy of the Bible-the fountain of all correct
theology-in the vernacular language of the country; a rarer
volume than which, at least in former years, could scarcely have
been mentioned at S. Paulo. This particular deficiency I had the
happiness of supplying by the donation of Pereira's Portuguese
translation, bearing this inscription:"AO BIBLIOTHECA DA ACADEMIA JURIDICA DE S. PAULO
DA SOCIEDADE BIBLICA AMERICANA
PELO SEU CORRESPONDENTE
CIDADE DE S. PAULO,                        D. P. KIDDER.
16 de Fev'o de 1839. 1




THE ACADEMY OF LAWS.


371


"The history and statistics of the institution were kindly communicated to me by the secretary, in a paper, from which the
following abstract is translated:"The Acadeniy of the Legal and Social Sciences of the city of
S. Paulo was created by a law dated August 11, 1827. It was formally opened, by the first professor, Dr. Jos6 Maria de Avellar
Brotero, on the 1st day of March, 1828,-Lieutenant-Genera! Jose
Arouche de Toledo Rendon being first director.
"The statutes by which it is governed were approved by law,
November 7, 1831.
"The studies of the preparatory course are-Latin, French,
English, Rhetoric, Rational and Moral Philosophy, Geometry, Iistory, and Geograply.
"The regular course extends through five years. The several
professorships are thus designated:"First Year.-lst professorship, Philosophy of Law, Public Law,
Analysis of the Constitution of the Empire, and Roman Law.
"Second Year.-lst professorship, Continuation of the above subjects, International Law, and Diplomacy; 2d professorship, Public
Ecclesiastical Law.
"Third Year.-lst professorship, Civil Laws of the Empire;
2d professorship, Criminal Laws, Theory of the Criminal Process.
"Fourth Year.-lst professorship, Continuation of Civil Law;
2d professorship, Mercantile and Maritime Law.
"Fifth Year.-lst professorship, Political Economy; 2d professorship, Theory and Practice of General Law, adapted to the Code of
the Empire.
"The age of sixteen years and an acquaintance with all the preparatory studies are requisite in order to enter the regular course.
No student can advance without having passed a satisfactory
examination on the studies of the preceding year. When the
examinations of the fifth year are passed acceptably, the Academy
confers the degree of Bachelor of Arts; and every Bachelor is
entitled to present theses on which to be examined as a candidate
for the degree of Bachelor of Laws.
"In examinations on the course, students are interrogated by
three profebssors for the space of twenty minutes each. Competitors for the Doctorate are required to argue upon their




372


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


theses with nine professors successively, each discussion lasting
half an hour.  At the end of each examination, the professors,
by secret ballot, determine the approval or rejection of the
candidate.
"In order to explain the peculiarities of the above course of
study, it should be remarked that, in its arrangement, the University of Coimbra was followed as a model. The education imparted by it may be formal and exact in its way, but can never be
popular. The Brazilian people look more to utility than to the
antiquated forms of a Portuguese university; and I apprehend it
will be found necessary, ere long, in order to secure students at
the University of S. Paulo, to condense and modernize the course
of instruction."
In 1855, the prosperity of the Law-Academy was no longer a
matter of doubt, as at that time there were two hundred and
ninety-six students in the five classes, and three hundred more in
the preparatory course, which, by recurring to their list of studies,
I find (minus the Greek language) to be very similar to the studies
in most colleges in the United States. Under Senhor Brotero, the
institution at San Paulo has become exceedingly popular, and,
doubtless, is far more practical than in the first years of its existence. It is here and at the Pernambuco Law-School (which contains three hundred and twenty students in the regular course)
that the statesmen of Brazil receive that education which so much
better fits them for the Imnperial Parliament and the various legislative assemblies of their land than any preparatives that exist in
the Spanish-American countries.
"IMy sojourn at S. Paulo," continues Dr. Kidder, "was rendered
increasingly interesting by repeated interviews with several distinguished citizens of the province. One evening, while walking in
company with several gentlemen in the extensive gardens of Senhor
Raphael Tobias d'Aguiar, a popular ex-president of the province
and one of its largest land-proprietors, the conversation turned
upon the different foreign travellers in Brazil. Mawe was recollected by. some; but St. Hilaire, the French botanist, enjoyed the
highest consideration of all, as having accomplished his task in the
most thorough manner.
"Senhor Raphael related a very interesting anecdote, communi



DISTINGUISHED MEN.


373


cated to him by St. Hilaire. A poor man in England, in reading
the work of Mr. Mawe, had become so enthusiastic with the idea
of the vegetable and mineral riches of Brazil, that, in order to get
to the country, he actually came out in the capacity of a servant.
After reaching Rio de Janeiro, he had by some means found his
way up the Serras into the interior, where his industrious exertions had been rewarded with success, and where the botanist
found him actually possessed of a fortune.
"Among the distinguished men of S. Paulo, I will first mention
the Andradas,-three brothers, whose family residence is Santos.
These brothers were all educated at the University of Coimbra, in
Portugal, and received the degrees of Doctors in Jurisprudence and
Philosophy, and the younger that of Mathematics.
"Jose Bonifacio, the eldest, after his graduation, travelled several
years in the northern countries of Europe,-devoting himself meanwhile to scientific researches, the results of which it was his intention to publish in Brazil. On his return to Portugal he was created
Professor of Metallurgy in Coimbra, and of Medicine in Lisbon.
While engaged in these professorships, he published several treatises of much merit, among which was a dissertation on 'The
Necessity of Planting New Forests in Portugal, and particularly
of Fir-Trees along the Sandy Coasts of the Sea-Shore.' His valor
was called out by the invasion of Portugal, when he organized and
headed a body of students who determined to do what they could
toward repelling the army of Napoleon. In 1819 he returned to
Brazil in time to take a leading part in the revolution of independence.
"Antonio Carlos returned to Brazil soon after having completed
his education. In the year 1817, while executing the office of
Ouvidor in Pernambuco, he was arrested as an accomplice of the
conspirators in a revolt which broke out at that time. He was
sent to Bahia and thrown into prison, where he remained four
years. As a proof of his philanthropy as well as of his indomitable
energy of mind, it must be mentioned that he spent this long
period almost exclusively in instructing a number of his fellowprisoners in rhetoric, foreign languages, and the elements of
science. Being at length liberated, he returned to San Paulo,
where he was shortly afterward elected deputy for that province




374


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


in the Cortes of Lisbon. He assumed his duties in that body, and
remained in it until the increasing insults and aggravations which
were heaped upon the Brazilians, without the hope of redress,
forced him and several of his colleagues, among whom was Feijo,
to withdraw and embark secretly for England. Having arrived at
Falmouth, they published a solemn declaration of the motives
which induced them to desert the Cortes and to quit Lisbon.
Thence they returned to their native country.
"Martin Francisco, the younger brother, had won high distinctions as a scholar, and, from early life, was the frequent
subject of political honor.  At the first organization of the
Imperial Government he was created Minister of Finance, and
in this capacity did the country important service,-his elder
brother being at the same time Minister of State and of Foreign
Affairs. At this period the three brothers were all elected members of the Assembly which convened to prepare a Constitution
for the Empire.
"Before the discussions of that body were brought to a close, the
Emperor was induced, by the coalition of two minor parties, to
dismiss the Andrada Ministry and to appoint Royalists as their
successors. The powerful opposition which the brothers immediately arrayed against those by whom they had been supplanted
made the position of the new Ministry and that of the Emperor
also extremely embarrassing. Attacks produced recrimination,
until the Emperor at length resolved upon the rash and desperate
expedient of dissolving the Assembly by force, which he succeeded
in accomplishing, and then apprehended the three brothers Andrada
and a few others who were leaders of the opposition. They were
all, without the least examination or trial, conveyed on board a
vessel nearly ready for sea, and transported to France.
"Their time in Europe was not idly spent. Already acquainted
with all the more important modern languages, they devoted themselves to literary pursuits and the society of the learned with all
the enthusiasm of students.
"In the year 1828, the two younger brothers returned to Rio,
and, after a short detention in the prison of the Ilha das Cobras,
received a full pardon from the Emperor. Jose Bonifacio came out
in 1829 from France.




JosE BONIFACIO-ANTONIO CARLOS DE ANDRADA.    375


"The French admiral, who had known him in Europe, sent immediately to offer him every attention; but Andrada requested
him to make no demonstration, as he was very uncertain how he
might be received. But as soon as the arrival of the ship was
known, Calmon, the Minister of Finance, went immediately on
board to offer his congratulations and every kind civility. On
Andrada's interview with the Emperor, it is said that the latter
proposed an embrace, and that all the past should be forgotten.
Andrada replied, with Roman firmness, that the embrace he would
most cheerfully give, but to forget the past was impossible.
"The Emperor then proposed to him to enter into the Ministry,
but he declined, assuring His Majesty that he only returned to
Brazil to live in retirement. Nevertheless, Jose Bonifacio, in his
old age, was the individual to whom the Emperor, on his abdication, confided the guardianship of his children.  Ite had then
proved the faithlessness of many of those officious partisans who
had urged him forward in his attempted overthrow of the men
who were his earliest and most devoted friends. The Emperor
had learned, by painful experience, how to appreciate real
patriotisn.
"Antonio Carlos and Martin Francisco had no sooner returned
to their native province, than they were immediately restored by
their countrymen to important offices, and have ever since retained
a prominent position in the national councils. They have, moreover, continued the same ardent and fearless advocates of their
principles that they were in early life.
"It has been said, and perhaps justly, that 'the Andradas, when
in power, were arbitrary, and, when out of place, factious; but
their views were ever great, and their probity unimpeachable.'
Their disinterestedness was manifest, and is deserving of eulogy.
Title and wealth were within their reach; but they retired from
office undecorated, and in honorable poverty. In many of their
acts they were doubtless censurable; yet, when the critical circumstances of Brazil at the period are taken into consideration, surely
some apology may be made for their errors. When old age required Jose Bonifacio to withdraw from public business, he retired
to the beautiful island of Paqueta, in the Bay of Rio de Janeiro.
He died in 1838; and, if there is any one fact that more loudly




876


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


than another upbraids the lack of literary enterprise in Brazil, it
is that no memoir of so distinguished an individual has made its
appearance, or, so far as I could learn from his brothers, was ever
contemplated.
"Both Antonio Carlos and Martin Francisco are distinguished,
powerful orators. The latter is clear, expressive, and chaste in
his diction; the former is fluent, impetuous, and sometimes extravagant. Antonio Carlos is particularly fond of the arena of debate,
and few questions come before the Provincial or National Assembly
which are not subjected to the searching analysis of his acute mind
and to the often-dreaded ordeal of his flaming rhetoric. His speeches
abound in beautiful illustrations from the French, Spanish, Italian,
and English poets; and, when discussing questions of jurisprudence
and diplomacy, his references display a critical acquaintance with
standard English authors upon those subjects. As a random specimen of his style of eloquence, I will translate a pagrgraph fiomn his
speech in the General Assembly at Rio de Janeiro, in 1839, on the
much-debated question whether foreign troops should be hired to
compose the standing army of the Empire.
"After having gone through with an elaborate argument, he
says, 'I am unwilling to weary the house. I have proved that the
measure is anti-constitutional, that it is injurious to the dignity
of Brazil, that it is useless, that it is impolitic, and that it will be
oppressive to the nation.
"' Now I must close. It pains me to think that such a measure
can possibly be approved. Such is the aversion I cherish toward
it, that I am caused to fear that, if it should p)ass, some of our
citizens will wish themselves alienated from the land of their birth;
alienated, I was about to say, from a degraded nation. But this
tongue cannot utter such a reproach, nor this heart anticipate
such an injury, to the Brazilian people.
"'Every night, when I seek rest upon my humble couch, the
first act of devotion I render to God is a thanksgiving that I was
born upon this blessed soil,-in a country in which innocence and
liberty were natives, but from which they temporarily fled away
on the approach of those iron fetters of social bondage which
Cabral, the accidental discoverer, imported in connection with the
limited civilization of Portugal.




ANTONIO CARLOS AND ALVARES MACHADO.


377


"'Eis, descobreis Cabral os Brazis nao buscados,
C' os salgados vestidos gotejando,
Pesado beijas as douradas prayas,
E 6s Gentes que te hospedao, ignaras
Do Vindouro, os grilhoes langas,
Miscrandos! Entiao a liberdade,
As azas nao manchadas de baixa tyrannia
Soltou isenta pelos ares livres.
"'So it was an infamous series of oppressive laws and shameful
proscriptions was imposed upon our poor ancestors, and would
have rested upon us to-day, had not the grand achievement of our
national independence set us free! Allow me to remark a startling
coincidence.  To-morrow will be the anniversary of that independence,-an event ever to be remembered.   To-day an effort is made,
which, if successful, will throw clouds and gloom over it, and thus
efface the brightest picture in our history.
"'How   is it that we, who were able to shake off the yoke of
foreign bondage without the aid of mercenary troops, are supposed
to be incompetent to crush rebellion within our own borders?
Shamefil reflection! Is Bento Gonsalves some European adventurer?  No! he is a Brazilian, like us; and least of all can he
withstand Brazilians.
"'My heart is overflowing, but my tongue fails to express my
thoughts.  If this measure pass, I shall have nothing left me to
do but to hide my head, and to weep and sigh, in the language of
Moore,"'Alas for my country! her pride is gone by,
And that spirit is broken which never would bend:
O'er the ruin her children in secret must sigh,For 'tis treason to love her, 'tis death to defend.'
"An intimate friend and political associate of Antonio Carlos is
Senhor Alvares Machado, another aged Paulista, also celebrated
for his prompt and often passionate eloquence. A brief extract
from one of his speeches in the Chamber of Deputies forcibly
expresses the provincial pride which the Paulistas cherish together with their sentiments of independence. 'How,' said he,
'can the present administration expect to intimidate us, who never
succumbed to the founder of the Empire? We spoke the language




378


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


of liberty, of justice, and of truth, to a king and the descendant of
kings.
"'On one occasion it was proposed to construct our constitution
after the monarchial model, and to accomplish this intrigues were
set on foot in all the provinces. What then was our language?
"Sire," said we to the monarch, "despotism may be planted in the
province of S. Paulo, but it will be upon the bones of the last of
her inhabitants."'
"Another prominent member of the provincial legislature of
S. Paulo was Vergueiro, a Senator of the Empire. This gentleman, a Portuguese by birth, has long been conspicuous in Brazil.
Previous to the independence of the colony, he was one of the
deputies to the Cortes of Lisbon, and had there distinguished himself above most of his colleagues for the open and explicit manner
in which he defilndcd the interests and privileges of the land of his
adoption. Subsequently, while in the Brazilian Senate, he maintained his reputation as a skilful debater and a sincere friend of
liberal institutions. During the scenes connected with the abdication
of the first Emperor, he acted an important part, and, as has
already been stated, was appointed at the head of the provisional
Regency.
"During one of my visits to the Provincial Assembly of S. Paulo,
this gentleman made a long and interesting speech on the subject
of the outbreak and disorders at Villa Franca.
"The sessions of this legislative body are held in an apartment
of the old College of the Jesuits, which has long since been appropriated to the uses of the Government. My attendance upon its
deliberations was not very frequent, although several of my visits
were quite interesting. Probably no provincial legislature in the
Empire presented a greater array of learning, of experience, and
of talent, than did this. At the period of which I am speaking,
Martin Francisco de Andrada occupied the Presidential chair, while
Senhores Antonio Carlos, Vergueiro, Alvares Machado, Raphael
Tobias, the Bishops of S. Paulo, of Cuyaba, and Moura, the Bishopelect of Rio de Janeiro, with various other gentlemen of distinction,
took part in the proceedings.
"At the close of one of the sessions, I had the pleasure of meeting several of these gentlemen in a saloon adjoining the hall of




A PROPOSITION TO RECEDE FROM ROME.


379


debates, and of hearing from them the warmest expressions of
American feeling and of a generous interest in the affairs of the
United States.
"Antonio Maria de Moura was considered the special representative of the ecclesiastical interests in this legislature. This individual had gained a great degree of notoriety during a few years
previous. He had been nominated by the Imperial Government to
fill the vacant bishopric of Rio do Janeiro.  The Pope of Rome
was, for some reasons, displeased with the nomination, and accordingly refused to consecrate him. This circumstance gave occasion
for long diplomatic negotiations, and for a time threatened to interrupt friendly relations between Brazil and the Holy See. For
several years questions relating to this subject were frequently
and freely discussed before the National Assembly. During these
debates expressions were often used not the most complimentary to
His Holiness, and facts of a startling character were brought to
view. For example, a reverend padre, in speaking on the subject,
alluded to a canonical objection to this candidate, which, he said, was
very generally known,-viz.: the illegitimacy of his birth: 'that,
however, was a trifling matter, it having been dispensed with in
the case of two of the actual bishops of the Empire. But this
gentleman had signed a report declaring against the forced celibacy
of the clergy, and, when interrogated by His Holiness on the
subject, had refused to give explanations.'*
"The longer this subject was discussed, the wider the difference
seemed to grow. The Pope was unwilling to recede from his
position, and the Brazilians resolved not to brook dictation from
the Pope.
"The proposition to make the Brazilian church independent of
His Holiness was more than once started, and it was finding
increased favor with the people. But the question was regarded
solely in its political bearings. Consequently, it became an object
for the Government to settle it in the easiest way practicable. On
the accession of a new ministry, measures were adopted to satisfy
Moura and to induce him to step out of the way. Accordingly,


* See Jornal do Commercio, June 30, 1839.




380


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


he was at length persuaded to waive his claim, and to resign an
office which he could not be permitted to fill peaceably. The question was then easily disposed of. The Government made another
nomination, which the Pope approved,-at the same time complimenting the rejected candidate with the title and dignities of
bishop in partibus infidelium. At the time I met him, Padre Moura
did not appear to be over thirty-five years of age. His demeanor
was affable and his conversation interesting. He was understood
to be the confidential adviser and assistant of the old Bishop of S.
Paulo. He had been for a series of years engaged in political
life, and will probably continue in similar engagements, since they
will be in no wise inconsistent with the obligations of his office of
bishop in partibus.
" I had the honor of more than one interview with the ex-Regent
Feijo. The first was in company with an intimate friend of his, in
the lower room of a large house, where he was staying as a guest,
in the city of S. Paulo. There were no ceremonies. His reverence
appeared to have been lying down in an adjoining alcove, and had
hastily risen. His dress was not clerical. In fact, his garments
were composed of light striped cotton, and appeared by no means
new; while his beard was apparently quite too long for comfort in
so warm a day. Ite was short and corpulent, about sixty years of
age, but of a robust and healthful appearance. His countenance
and cranium bore an intellectual stamp and conveyed a benevolent
expression, although there might have been something peculiar in
the look of his eyes, which gave rise to a remark made to me before
I saw him, that he had 'the physiognomy of a cat.' His conversation was free and very interesting. My friend mentioned to
him that I had made several inquiries respecting the customs of the
clergy and the state of education and religion in the country. He
proceeded to comment upon these several topics, and expressed no
little dissatisfaction with the actual state of things, particularly
among the clergy. He said 'there was scarcely a priest in the
whole province that did his duty as the Church prescribed it, and
especially with reference to catechizing children on the Lord's
day.'
"He was on the eve of a journey to Itui and Campinas, and, being
asked when he would set out, replied, Dizem no Domingo, ('Sunday




PROPOSITION TO ABOLISH CLERICAL CELIBACY.


381


is talked of;') thus indicating that even he himself had not too high
a respect for the institution of the Sabbath-day. On another occasion I called on him at his own house in Rio de Janeiro, while
he was in attendance on the Senate, of which he was a member,
and for a long time president. It was in the morning, and I found
him alone in his parlor, occupied with his breviary; while at the
same time there lay on the table by which he was sitting afaca de
ponta, or pointed knife, of the species already described, enclosed
in a silver sheath. I presented him with copies of some tracts that
we had just published in the Portuguese language for circulation in
the country. He received them  courteously, and again entered
into conversation respecting various plans for the religious alnelioration of Brazil. He, however, seemed to have little faith, and less
spirit, for making further exertions, having been repeatedly baffled
in his cherished projects for improvement.  So little encouragement, indeed, had he met with from his brethren the clergy, that
he was inclined to compare some of them to the dog in the manger,
since they would neither do good themselves, nor allow others to
do it.
" Feijo is a remarkable man. Like many others among the Brazilian clergy, he entered upon a political career in early life, and
laid aside the practical duties of the priesthood. His abandonment of the Cortes of Portugal, to which he had been elected in
the reign of Dom John VI., has already been mentioned.
"After the establishment of the independent Government of
Brazil, he became a prominent member of the House of Deputies.
During a debate in that body he listened to what seems at first to
have struck him as a very strange proposition,-viz.: 'that the
clergy of Brazil were not bound by the law of celibacy.' Coming,
however, as the statement did, from a gentleman of great learning
and probity, it secured his candid attention. Subsequent reflection,
while meditating upon the means of reforming the clergy, and
examining the annals of Christianity, convinced him not only that
the proposition was correct, but also that the most fruitful source
of all the evils that affected this important class of men was a
forced celibacy. Whereupon, as a member of the Committee on
Ecclesiastical Affairs, he offered to the House his views on the subject in the form of a minority report.




382


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


"In this report he proposed, 'that since celibacy was neither enjoined upon the clergy by divine law nor apostolical institutions,
but, on the contrary, was the source of immorality among them;
therefore, the Assembly should revoke the laws that constrained
it, and notify the Pope of Rome of the necessity of revoking the
ecclesiastical penalties against clerical matrimony; and, in case
these were not revoked within a given time, that they should be
nullified.'
"As a matter of course, such a report, coming from an ecclesiastic of high standing, excited a great deal of attention. To the
surprise of many, it was received with great favor by both priests
and people. This circumstance, together with his own convictions
of duty, prompted the author to develop his opinions at length
and in a systematical treatise. Thus originated his celebrated work
on Clerical Celibacy. From the remarks of a competent critic on
that work, we select the following:-'lt is really a novelty in the
'literary world. We can, in truth, say no less than this:-that the
book contains unquestionably the best argument ever advanced, in
any Papal or Protestant country, against the constrained celibacy
of priests and nuns. It sets forth all that a Protestant can say, and
what a Roman Catholic priest, in spite of every early prejudice, is
constrained to say, against a cruel and unnatural law, enacted
against the immovable law of the almighty Creator.'
"The author is master in ancient as well as in modern Catholic
lore,-in canon law, and in the writings of the fathers; and we
should be no less amazed than instructed by seeing any one of his
brother-prelates in America or in Europe come out with any thing
like a rational answer to 'FEIJO'S DEMONSTRATION OF THE NECESSITY OF ABOLISHING CLERICAL CELIBACY.'
"Notwithstanding the violent attacks made upon him in connection with this startling attempt at innovation, yet he was subsequently elevated to the highest offices in the gift of the nation.
He was, successively, appointed Minister of State, Regent of the
Empire, and Senator for life.
" lie was, moreover, elected by the Imperial Government as
Bishop of Mariana, a diocese which included the rich and important
province of Minas-Geraes. IHe, however, did not see fit to accept
this dignity, but, on resigning his Regency, returned to his planta



THE DEATH OF DISTINGUISHED MEN.


383


tion, a few miles from the city of S. Paulo, where he resided during
my visit to that part of Brazil.
"After that period his health declined, and a pension of four
thousand milreis per annum was conceded to him, in consideration
of his distinguished services in the past. In 1843 he died."
Since the above was written by my co-laborer in this work, many
of the leading men whom he met at San Paulo have gone to their
rest. Antonio Carlos, Martin Francisco de Andrada, and Alvares
Machado, are no more. The constitutional Empire which, with
self-sacrificing toil, they aided in erecting, and for which they suffered in the crucible of political persecution, exists on a firm foundation, and their labors are not forgotten, though as yet no lofty
monument rears its form to tell of their true patriotism.
Antonio Carlos de Andrada expired on the 5th of December,
1845, and from the Necrologia in the Annuario do Brazil for 1846 I
extract the following testimonial to his talent, worth, and statesmanship. It may be remarked that, if every foreigner who investigates the character of the deceased finds so much to command
his admiration, we should pardon the high strain of eulogium pronounced by his countrymen upon one who, for so many years, nobly
filled the first places in the gift of the monarch and the people.
"The Assemblea. Geral of 1844 being dissolved, Antonio Carlos de
Andrada was, in 1845, newly elected Deputy for his native province
of San Paulo. But he had scarcely been informed of his election
by the Paulistas, when he heard that he had been chosen Senator
for Pernambuco, after having also received the popular votes of the
provinces of Para, Minas, Ceara, and Rio de Janeiro. He took his
seat thus late in life in the Senate-chamber,-a tardy recompense
for his great merit.
"In literature, in Parliament, and in the whole Empire, his death
left a great void, which will long be felt by all his compatriots.
"With no other ambition save that of serving his country,-the
sole glory desired by his generous heart,-he neither desired nor
sought for honors.
"The Councillor Carlos Antonio de Andrada was of medium
height and of a robust constitution: every feature of his face expressed genius, feeling, and energy of mind. Of easy and graceful
manners, mild and jovial in familiar conversation, he rendered




384


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


himself agreeable to every one who approached him. Severe for
himself, he was indulgent to others, and ready to pardon an offence
or an injustice done to him. He was a devoted fiiend, and a generous adversary to his competitors in public life: he never employed
his power to injure others, but always to protect the weak. An
excellent father, a loving husband, the best of brothers,-there was
not a single domestic virtue which was not found in Antonio
Carlos!"
What matters it if to such a man no monumental stone be
erected?"The fame is lost which it imparts:
Who for his dust a tear would claim
Must write his name on living hearts."
The conclusion of the eulogy to the deceased statesman is the
highest encomium that could be pronounced upon a public man in a
government where, too often, those in power have not scrupled to
enrich themselves at the expense of the State.
There is the noblest and most eloquent praise in the simple fact
and statement,-viz.: "Such was the Councillor Antonio Carlos
de Andrada: he lived and died poor!"
The following details of the missionary efforts of my colleague
and predecessor will be found, I doubt not, deeply interesting:"Although two hundred years had elapsed since the discovery
and first settlement of the province of San Paulo, it is not known
that a Protestant minister of the gospel had ever visited it before.
Although colonized with the ostensible purpose of converting the
natives, and subsequently inhabited by scores of monks and priests,
there is no probability that ever before a person had entered its
domains, carrying copies of the word of life in the vernacular
tongue, with the express intent of putting them in the hands of the
people.
"It is necessary to remind the reader, that, throughout the entire
continent to which reference is now made, public assemblies for the
purpose of addresses and instruction are wholly unknown. The
people often assemble at mass and at religious festivals, and nearly
as often at the theatre; but in neither place do they hear principles
discussed or truth developed. The sermons in the former case are
seldom much more than eulogiums on the virtues of a saint, with




HOSPITALITIES OF A PADRE.


385


exhortations to follow his or her example. Indeed, the whole system of means by which, in Protestant countries, access is had to
the public mind, is unpractised and unknown. The stranger, therefore, and especially the supposed heretic, who would labor for the
promotion of true religion, must expect to avail himself of providential openings rather than to rely on previously-concerted plans.
The missionary, in such circumstances, learns a lesson of great
practical importance to hinmself,-to wit, that he should be grateful
for any occasion, however small, of attempting to do good in the
name of his Master. The romantic notions which some entertain
of a mission-field may become chastened and humbled by contact
with the cold reality of facts; but the Christian heart will not be
rendered harder, nor genuine faith less susceptible of an entire
reliance on God.
"The unexpected friendship and aid of mine aged host at San
Bernardo, already mentioned, was not a circumstance to be lightly
esteemed. Scarcely less expected was the provision made for me,
at the city of S. Paulo, of letters of introduction to gentlemen of
the first respectability in the various places of the interior which I
wished to visit. At one of those places, the individual to whom I
was thus addressed, and by whom I was entertained, was a Roman
Catholic priest; and it affords me unfeigned satisfaction to say,
that the hospitality which I received under his roof was just what
the stranger in a strange land would desire.
"When on reaching the town where he lived I first called at his
house, the padre had been absent about two weeks, but was then
hourly expected to return. Iis nephew, a young gentleman in
charge of the premises, insisted on my remaining, and directed my
guide to a pasture for his mules. In a country where riding upon
the saddle is almost the only way of travelling, it has become an
act of politeness to invite the traveller, on his first arrival, to rest
upon a bed or a sofa. This kindness, having been accepted in the
present instance, was in due time followed by a warm bath, and
afterward by an excellent but a solitary dinner. Before my repast
was ended, a party of horsemen passed by the window, among
whom was the padre for whom I was waiting. After reading the
letter which I brought, be entered the room and bade me a cordial
welcome. He had arrived in company with the ex-Regent Feijo,
25




386


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


with whom I had previously enjoyed an interview at the city of S.
Paulo, and from whom he had received notices of me, as inquiring
into the religious state of the country. My way was thus made easy
to introduce the special topic of my mission. On showing me his
library,-a very respectable collection of books,-he distinguished,
as his favorite work, Calmet's Bible, in French, in twenty-six
volumes. lie had no Bible or Testament in Portuguese. I told
him I had heard that an edition was about to be published at Rio,
with notes and comments, under the patronage and sanction of the
Archbishop. This project had been set on foot in order to counteract the circulation of the editions of the Bible-societies, but was
never carried into effect. lie knew nothing of it. lie had heard,
however, that Bibles in the vulgar tongue had been sent to Rio de
Janeiro, as to other parts of the world, which could be procured
gratis, or for a trifling consideration. Judge of the happy surprise
with which I heard from his lips that some of these Bibles had
already appeared in this neighborhood, three hundred miles distant
from our depository at Rio. Iis first remark was, that he did not
know how much good would come from their perusal, on account
of the bad example of their bishops and priests. I informed him
frankly that I was one of the persons engaged in distributing these
Bibles, and endeavored to explain the motives of our enterprise,
which he seemed to appreciate.
"He said Catholicism was nearly abandoned here and all the
world over. I assured him that I saw abundant proofs of its
existence and influence; but he seemed to consider these 'the
form without the power.' Our conversation was here interrupted;
but, having an opportunity to renew it in the evening, I remarked
that, knowing me to be a minister of religion, he had reason to
suppose I would have more pleasure in conversing on that subject
than upon any other.
"I then told him I did not comprehend what he meant by saying
that Catholicism was nearly abandoned. Ile proceeded to explain
that there was scarcely any thing of the spirit of religion among
either priests or people. He, being only a diacono, had the privilege
of criticizing others. IHe was strong in the opinion that the laws
enjoining clerical celibacy should be abolished, since the clergy
were almost all de facto much worse than married, to the infinite




AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION.


387


scandal of religion; that such was their ignorance that many
of them ought to sit at the feet of their own people to be instructed in the common doctrines of Christianity; that the spirit
of infidelity had been of late rapidly spreading, and infecting the
young, to the destruction of that external respect for religion and
the fear of God which used to be hereditary. Infidel books were
common, especially Volney's 'Ruins.' I asked whether things were
growing better or worse. 'Worse,' he replied; 'worse continually!'
'What means are taken to render them better?' 'None! We are
waiting the interference of Providence.' I told him there were
many pious persons who would gladly come to their aid if it were
certain they would be permitted to do the work of the Lord. IIe
thought they would be well received if they brought the truth;
meaning, probably, if they were Roman Catholics.
"I asked him what report I should give to the religious world
respecting Brazil. 'Say that we are in darkness, behind the age,
and almost abandoned.' 'But that you wish for light?' 'That we
wish for nothing. We are hoping in God, the Father of lights.'
"I proceeded to ask him what was better calculated to counteract the influence of those infidel and demoralizing works he had
referred to than the word of God. 'Nothing,' was the reply.
'Iow much good, then, is it possible you yourself might do, both
to your country and to immortal souls, by devoting yourself to the
true work of an evangelist!' He assented, and hoped that some
day he should be engaged in it.
"I had before placed in his hands two or three copies of the New
Testament, to be given to persons who would receive profit from
them, and which he had received with the greatest satisfaction.
I now told him that whenever he was disposed to enter upon the
work of distributing the Scriptures we could forward them to him
in any quantity needed. He assured me that he would at any
time be happy to take such a charge upon himself; that when the
books were received he would circulate them throughout all the
neighboring country, and write an account of the manner of their
disposal.  We accordingly closed an arrangement, which subsequently proved highly efficient and interesting. When I showed
him some tracts in Portuguese, he requested that a quantity of
them should accompany the remission of Bibles. On my asking




388


3BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


how the ex-Regent and others like him would regard the circulation of the Scriptures among the people, he said they would rejoice
in it, and that the propriety of the enterprise would scarcely admit
of discussion. 'Then,' said I, 'when we are engaged in this work
we can have the satisfaction to know that we are doing what the
better part of your own clergy approve.' 'Certainly,' he replied:
'you are doing what we ought to be doing ourselves.'
':Seldom have I spent a night more happily than the one which
followed, although sleep was disposed to flee from my eyelids. I
was overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness and providence of
God, in thus directing my way to the very person out of hundreds
best qualified, both in circumstances and disposition, to aid in promoting our great work. This fact was illustrated in the circumstance that, although I had a most cordial letter of introduction to
the vigario of the same village, which I left at his house, I did not
see him at all, he happening to be out when I called. To use the
expression of a gentleman acquainted with the circumstances, 'he
hid himself,' as though fearing the consequences of an interview,
and, by not showing at least the customary civilities to a stranger,
greatly offended the gentleman who had given me the letter. The
padre whose kindness I experienced had paused in his clerical
course some years before, and was engaged in the legal profession,
although he retained his title and character as a priest. In correspondence with this circumstance, there is scarcely any department
of civil or political life in which priests are not often found. After
the second night I was under the necessity of taking leave of him
in order to pursue my journey.
"At another village, a young gentleman who had been educated
in Germany was often in my room, and rendered himself very
agreeable by his frank and intelligent conversation. lie represented this to be one of the most religious places in the country,
having a large number of churches and priests in proportion to
the population. In one church particularly the priests were unusually strict, and, in the judgment of my informant, quite fanatical. They always wore their distinguishing habit, were correct
in their moral deportment, required persons belonging to their
circle to commune very often, and, moreover, discountenanced
theatres. This latter circumstance was unusual; for, in addition




How SUICIDE IS RESTRAINED.


389


to the clergy being often present at such amusements, there was
even in that place the instance of a theatre attached to a church.
"I introduced to this young gentleman the subject of circulating
the Bible. IIe at once acknowledged the importance of the enterprise, and expressed great desires that it should go forward; saying
that the Brazilians, once understanding the objects of the friends
of the Bible, could not but appreciate them in the most grateful
manner. He proposed to converse with his friends, to see what
could be done toward distributing copies among them. I put two
Testaments in his hands as specimens. The next morning he told
me that, having exhibited them the evening previous to a company
of young persons, there had arisen a universal demand for them,
and many became highly urgent not tQ be overlooked in the distribution. He consequently repeated his assurance that the sacred
books would be received with universal delight, and requested a
number of copies to be sent to his address. I was told that here
also many of the rising generation had very little respect for religion, through the influence of infidel writings and of other causes.
The apology for almost any license was, 'I am a bad Catholic.'
The people generally assented to the dogmas of the Church, but
seldom complied with its requirements, except when obliged to do
so by their parents or prompted by the immediate fear of death.
The rules requiring abstinence from meats on Wednesdays and
Fridays, also during Lent, had been abolished by a dispensation
from the diocesan bishop for the last six years, and the Provincial
Assembly had just asked a repetition of the same favor. The decision of the bishop had not then transpired, but many of the people
were expressing a disposition to live as they should list, be it
either way.
"Just previous to my visit to this place, a young man of a respectable family, having sunk his fortune in an attempted speculation on a newly-arrived cargo of African slaves, had committed
suicide. It was said to be the first instance of that crime ever
known in the vicinity, and the result was an unusual excitement
among all classes. I may here observe, that suicide is exceedingly
rare throughout the whole of Brazil; and there can be but little
question that the rules of the Church, depriving its victim of Christian burial, have exerted a good influence in investing the subject




390


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


with a suitable horror and detestation. Would to Heaven a similar
influence had been exerted against other sins equally damning but
more insidious! The very abomination of moral desolation could
exist in the same community almost unrebuked.
"At a third village I was entertained by a merchant of truly
liberal ideas and of unbounded hospitality. lie also offered to cooperate with me in the circulation of the sacred volumes, not only
in his own town, but also in the regions beyond.
"Having accomplished a journey of about two hundred miles
under very favorable circumstances, I again reached the city of
S. Paulo. I had not stayed so long in various places as I should
have been interested and happy to do, in compliance with urgent
invitations. I had, however, important reasons for not indulging
my pleasure in this respect. My mind had dwelt intensely upon
the state of the country, as shown by facts communicated to me
from various and unexceptionable sources. I had anxiously inquired how something for its good might be accomplished; whether
there was any possibility of exceeding the slow and circumscribed
limits of private personal communication of the truth. Iope, in
answer, had sprung up in my mind, and was beginning to be
cherished with fond expectation.
"From the idea of distributing a couple of dozens of Testaments
in several schools of the city, I was led to think of the practicability of introducing the same as reading-books in the schools
of the whole province. This seemed to be more desirable from the
fact, universally affirmed, that there then prevailed an almost entire
destitution of any books for such use in the schools. The Montpellier Catechism was more used for this purpose than any other
book; but it had little efficacy in fixing religious principles upon a
proper basis, to resist the undermining process of infidelity.
"Encouraged by the uniform thankfulness of those individuals to
whom I presented copies, and also by the judgment of all to whom
I had thought proper to suggest the idea, I had finally resolved to
offer to the Government, in some approved form, a donation of
Testaments corresponding in magnitude to the wants of the province. Fortunately I had, in the secretary and senior professor
of the university, a friend fully competent to counsel and aid in the
prosecution of this enterprise. I laid the whole subject before him.




PROPOSITION TO TIIE PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY.


391


He informed me that the proper method of securing the object
would be by means of an order from the Provincial Assembly,
(if that body should see fit to pass one,) directing the teachers
of schools to receive said books for use.
"Early next morning he called with me to propose the subject
to various prominent members of the Legislative Assembly. We
visited gentlemen belonging to both political parties: two priests,
one a doctor in medicine and the other a professor in the Academy
of Laws; the Bishop-elect of Rio de Janeiro, who was confidential
adviser of the old Bishop of S. Paulo,-the latter also belonging to
the Assembly; and at length the Andradas. Each of these gentlemen entertained the proposition in the most respectful manner,
and expressed the opinion that it could not fail to be well received
by the Assembly. The bishop, who was chairman of one of the
committees to which it would naturally be referred, said he would
spare no effort on his part to carry so laudable a design into effect.
He, together with one of the padres referred to, had purchased
copies of the Bible, at the depository in Rio, for their own use,
and highly approved of the edition we circulated.
"Our visit to the Andradas was peculiarly interesting. These
venerable men, both crowned with hoary hairs and almost worn
out in the service of their country, received me with gratifying
expressions of regard toward the United States, and assurances
of entire reciprocity of feeling toward Christians who might not
be of the Roman Church. They were acquainted with, and appreciated the efforts of, the Bible Societies: they, moreover, highly
approved of the universal use of the Scriptures, especially of the
New Testament. They pronounced the offer I was about to make
to be not only unexceptionable, but truly generous, and said that
nothing in their power should be wanting to carry it into full
effect. Indeed, Martin Francisco, the president of the Assembly,
on parting, said that it gave him happiness to reflect that their
province might be the first to set the example of introducing the
word of God to its public schools. Senhor Antonio Carlos, at the
same time, received some copies of the Testament as specimens of
the translation, which, with the following document, as chairman
of the Committee on Public Instruction, he presented in course of
the session for that day:



.392


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


"'Proposition to the Honorable Legislature, the Provincial Assembly
of the Imperial Province of S. Paulo.
"' Whereas, having visited this province as a stranger, and having
received high satisfaction, not only in the observation of those natural
advantages of climate, soil, and productions with which a benignant
Providence has so eminently distinguished it, but also in the generous hospitality and esteemed acquaintance of various citizens; and,
"' Whereas, in making some inquiries upon the subject of education, having been repeatedly informed of a great want of readingbooks in the primary schools, especially in the interior; and,
"'Whereas, having relations with the American Bible Society,
located in New York, the fundamental object of which is to distribute the Word of God, without note or comment, in different parts
of the world; and, whereas the New Testament of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ is a choice specimen of style, as well on subjects historical as moral and religious, in addition to embodying
the pure and sacred truths of our holy Christianity, the knowledge
of which is of so high importance to every individual, both as a
human being and as a member of society; and,
"'Whereas, having the most unlimited confidence in the philanthropic benevolence of said Society, and in its willingness to cooperate for the good of this country, in common with all others,
and especially in view of the happy relations existing between two
prominent nations of the New World: therefore I propose to
guarantee, on the part of the said American Bible Society, the free
donation of copies of the New Testament, translated into Portuguese by the Padre Antonio Pereira de Figueiredo, in sufficient
number to furnish every primary school in the province with a
library of one dozen,-on the simple condition that said copies shall
be received as delivered at the Alfandega (Custom-House) of Rio
de Janeiro, and caused to be distributed among, preserved in, and
used by, the said several schools, as books of general reading and
instruction for the pupils of the same.
" ' With the most sincere desires for the moral and civil prosperity
of the Imperial province of San Paulo, the above proposition is
humbly and respectfully submitted.         "'D. P. KIDDER.
" 'CITY OF SAN PAULO, Feb. 15, 1839.'
"The same day I received a verbal message, saying that the
Assembly had received the proposition with peculiar satisfaction,
and referred it to the two committees on ecclesiastical affairs and
on public instruction. The following official communication was
subsequently received:



RESPONSE AND RESULTS.


393


TRANSLATION.
"'To IR. KIDDER:-I inform you that the Legislative Assembly
has received with especial satisfaction your offer of copies of the
NTew Testament, translated by the Padre Antonio Pereira de
Figueiredo, and that the Legislature will enter into a deliberation
upon the subject, the result of which will be communicated to you.
"'God preserve you!
"'MIGUEL EUFRAZIO DE AZEVEDO MARQUEZ, Sec.
"'PALACE OF THE PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY, 
S. PAULO, Feb. 20, 1839.' 
"Among other acquaintances formed at S. Paulo was that of a
clergyman, another professor in the Law University. His conversation was frank and interesting, and his views unusually
liberal. He gave as emphatic an account as I have heard from
any one of the unhappy abandonment of all vital godliness and
of the unworthiness of many of the clergy.  ie approved of' the
enterprise of the Bible Societies, and cheerfully consented to promote it within the circle of his influence by distributing Bibles
and tracts, and reporting their utility.  Exchanging addresses
with this gentleman, I left him, entertaining a high estimation
of his good intentions, and with ardent hopes that he might yet be
greatly useful in the regeneration of his Church and in the salvation of his countrymen.
"Thus were happily completed arrangements with persons of
the first respectability and influence, in each principal place of the
interior which I had visited, that they should distribute the word
of God among their fellow-citizens. All the copies that I brought
were already disposed of, and there was a prospect that the day
was not distant when it could be said that a Roman Catholic Legislature had fully sanctioned the use of the Holy Scriptures in the
public schools of their entire territory. I was told, on the best
authority, that the committees of the Assembly were drafting a
joint report, recommending compliance with the offer by means
of an order on the treasury for the funds needed in payment of the
duties and the expense of distribution.
"Such circumstances as the results of this short visit were so far
beyond the most sanguine anticipation, that, on leaving, I found it
difficult to restrain my feelings of gratitude and delight for what
mine eyes had seen and mine ears had heard.




394


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


"In conclusion, it becomes necessary to add that, owing to the
agitations and intrigues common to most political bodies, action in
reference to my proposition was delayed beyond the expectation
of its friends. The last direct intelligence I had from the subject
was received in conversation with the president of the Assembly.
I met this gentleman on his subsequent arrival at Rio de Janeiro
to discharge his duties as a member of the House of Deputies.
He informed me that such were the political animosities existing
between the two parties into which the Assembly was divided that
very little business of any kind had been done during the session.
The minority as a party, and individuals of the majority, favored
the project, but, under the circumstances, did not wish to urge immediate action upon it. Meantime, through some slanders circulated by an English Catholic priest residing at Rio, the suspicions
of the old bislop were excited lest the translation was not actually
what it purported to be, but had suffered alterations.
"An examination was proposed, but, either through inability or
wilful neglect, was not attempted; and thus the superstitious
humor of the old diocesan was counted among other things which
caused delay. The president expressed a hope that on the next
organization of the Assembly the proposal would be fully accepted.
"I subsequently saw in a newspaper that the committee to whom
the subject had been referred, or probably its chairman, in direct
contravention of his voluntary promise to me, but in obedience to
the old bishop's idle fears, had filed in the secretary's office a report
unfavorable to the proposal. The proposition was probably never
acted upon. To the credit of the province, it certainly was never
formally rejected."
The dissemination of the truth, however, does not depend upon
legislative acts or the aid of statesmen, though we may hail with
pleasure every move of the "powers that be" for the advancement
of knowledge and religion. The circulation of the Scriptures is
not a matter of sectarianism; and all should rejoice in the diffusion
of that "which" (as the barbarian chieftain in Northumberland
said to his compeers when the first monk visited Britannia)
" teaches us the origin and the destiny of our souls."
I visited the province of S. Paulo more than sixteen years after
the events narrated above, and I found the same willingness mani



FRUITS OF FORMER LABORS.


395


fested by all ranks of society in the reception of the word which
my companion in authorship experienced among the Paulistas, and
I was thus enabled to diffuse very many copies of Holy Writ. From
time to time, in this pleasant portion of Brazil, I found much to
encourage my labors among the humble and ignorant as well as
among the more elevated and intelligent. It was not less pleasing
occasionally to trace the workings of the seeds of truth sown so
many years before by Dr. Kidder. I found that an eminent Brazilian
had been won, by the perusal of A Santa Biblia, to "wisdom's ways,"
and to become the earnest advocate of its circulation. Far in the
interior of this province I met with two gentlemen who did not
profess to be Christians, but who, as philanthropists, took a deep
interest in the Bible cause. One of them told me that a Brazilian
came to him a few days before with a Portuguese Bible, saying
that he was "so rejoiced to have the Bible in his own vernacular."
MIy informant thinks this Biblia must have come either from my predecessor or from the Bibles left at the house of an American merchant
in Rio de Janeiro. I was also informed by an English watchmaker
at Campinas that he had met with a Brazilian who had in his possession a Portuguese Bible, and that he took great pleasure in carrying it with him to the Roman Catholic church each Sunday.
In a most fertile and densely-populated portion of the province
I made the acquaintance of a physician who had resided in Brazil
eleven years,-had travelled, for scientific purposes, through much
of the Empire,-had won the respect and esteem of the Brazilians
by his affability as well as his professional ability. He therefore
has a great influence. It is his opinion that Brazil, in a certain
sense, is ready for a reformation; but that the inhabitants have
had such immoral priests, and are themselves so low in a moral
point of view, that it would not be a vigorous breaking away from
the trammels of Romanism. They are, however, not bigoted, and
are willing to read. He it was that gave me the instance of the
padre who, by reading some of the works of Luther that had
strayed from Germany into Brazil, preached such Protestant sermons that he was attacked by the bishop, and finally driven away
from his parish, but not from his sentiments. It seemed to me,
when hearing of this incident, that the old German Reformer was
still hurling his inkstand.




CHAPTER XXI.


AGREEABLE ACQUAINTANCE-OLD CONGO'S SPURS-LODGING AND SLEEPING-COMPANY-CAMPINAS-ILLUMINATIONS-A NIGHT AMONG THE LOWLY-ARRIVAL AT
LIMEIRA-A PENNSYLVANIAN-A NIGIT WITH A BOA CONSTRICTOR-EVENTFUL
AND ROMANTIC LIFE OF A NATURALIST-THE BIRD-COLONY DESTINED TO THE
PHILADELPHIA ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES-YBECABA-SKETCH OF THE
VERGUEIROS — PLAN OF COLONIZATION —BRIDGE OF NOVEL CONSTRUCTION —
FUTURE PROSPECTS.
ON the morning of the 21st of June, I left the city of San Paulo
for Limeira. Before starting, I called upon Messrs. E. and C., two
English engineers who had come out to make the surveys for a carriage-road into the interior. In the bookcase of Madam E. I
found many an old friend. How curious it was to see Cheever's
"Windings by the Waters of the River of Life," Hamilton's "Life
in Earnest," and other good books, in this distant city, whose very
existence was perhaps unknown to the authors mentioned! I was
loath to leave the agreeable company at Mr. E.'s; but my mules, horse,
and conductor were all ready, and now, with this cavalcade, vamos.
My conductor was an old darkey of sixty, whose vestments consisted of a roundabout, a pair of pantaloons, and an old straw
hat. Iis naked, bony heels were ungarnished by the slightest
sign of a spur. As I was to ride fast, in order to accomplish my
journey in a given time, I saw that it would never do to have old
Congo go unarmed as to his pedal extremities; so, reining up at a hardware-store, I furnished the ancient with  1....
a pair of iron spurs, each  spike of         ] 
which was large enough for the gaff of
a fighting-cock. With a bit of whip-                  --
cord he fastened them to his skinny            -
ankles, and, mounting, we were soon
en route, and in a few minutes cleared the city of San Paulo.
At ten o'clock in this climate the sun is by no means cold. The
396




OLD CONGo's SPURS.


397


extra animals, once outside of the streets, had a great disposition
to roam over the plains of Piratininga, and much of our time was
lost in changing from one side of the road to the other in search
of the fugitives. Under the influence of his unusual exercise and
the warmth of the day, the juice of youth seemed to be oozing out
of old Congo. lie uttered prayers, at a most vociferous rate, to
Santa Maria and Diabo. And I am sorry to record that most of
his pious ejaculations were to the latter character, whose name,
though not in the calendar, is more frequently used in Brazil than
those of all the saints put together. Hearing the clatter of hoofs
behind us, I turned round, and beheld two Paulistas galloping in
the same direction with ourselves. In passing us, they both burst
into a fit of immoderate laughter. I could not at first divine what
so excited their cachinnatory powers, until one of them exclaimed,
" Olha as esporas." Upon looking down, I perceived that the whipcord which fastened the iron spikes to the heels of old Congo had
slipped around, and the spur was standing
out prominently in front of his instep. The
old fellow, in his arduous chase after the
wandering mules, had not perceived this, and
went on belaboring and thumping the sides
of his animal with his blunt, bony heels.
After the ride of a league, I found my
boxes; but Joachim Antonio da Silva, the muleteer who had them
in charge, would not give them up until I made many assurances
that all was right. And now once more forward!
Previous to to-day, I had always had young negroes or German
boys for my conductors, and I feared that the ambition of old
Congo was dead, and that no hope of reward would resurrect it.
He went very slow: the journey must be accomplished with those
boxes in four days, or I could not come off victor. The trip was
considered, by muleteers, one of eight days; so, in order to accelerate the speed of my animals, I determined not to leave old Congo.
We pushed on, as rapidly as possible, through a fine region of
country, abounding in coffee and sugar plantations. I had much
conversation with the old negro, who could remember when, more
than half a century ago, he was stolen on the coast of Africa, but
did not recollect ever having heard the story of the Creation and




398


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Redemption; so I employed myself in endeavoring to pour into his
mind some light on that greatest of all subjects to man. I-e found
it very interesting, and pronounced it "muito bonito," (very beautiful.)
With all our pushing, driving, and changing animals, we only
got over twenty-four miles,-which is a good day's work for Brazilians, but did not satisfy me. By a bright moon we arrived at a
house where we could find no "entertainment for man or beast."
We rode on to a mere road-side hovel, and to our question, Tern
lugar? we received the response, "We cannot receive you: we have
no room." This was from a slatternly-looking mulattress. Every
thing was against us; but it was impossible for us to go farther.
Old Congo, however, made a speech with such eloquence that the
desired quarters were obtained. And such a room! No cabin in
Old Ireland, or clapboard shed in the "Far West," could surpass it
in ugliness and narrowness, to say nothing of dirt. The floor was
mud, and the walls were of dried mud, ornamented with the marks
of the "daubing" fingers. It was six feet by eight, and here were
stowed self, saddles, sacks, and Congo. No wonder that they said
they had "no room."  We supped off of beans, uncooked cornmeal, and eggs, whose durable qualities were not to be questioned.
We (that is, I first and Congo afterward) stood up (for there was
no chair in the house) to a table something like a horse-trough. I
am capable of any thing. My bed was a mat spread on a board
and graced by a pillow and a sheet. Such an article as a coverlet
did not exist in that casa. The African had more sense than I
had, for his poncho was large and heavy. By a dim light stuck
into the mud wall, I read to poor old Congo the first passage of the
Holy Word that he, doubtless, had ever heard in a language which
he understood; then, praying in Portuguese, I lay down upon my
board, and he upon the ground, which I think must have been a
softer couch than mine. In a letter to a friend I thus detailed my
experience: —"I piled on to me, in lieu of coverlet, my saddlecloth and mackintosh. I was more sensitive to the cold than the
night before, and sleep would not be wooed. I then put on my
coat; but that did not keep off the cold nor the fleas, which were
'still so gently o'er me' creeping. I kicked away until I could
stand it no longer, and then (I scarcely dare write it to you) I




How WE SLEPT.


399


aroused old Congo from a sound sleep, and made him get into-no
-on to my board, to warm me. It was not exactly the case of the
aged monarch of Israel; for it was cruel to transfer the ancient
darky from the comfortable bosom of mother-earth to the hard
realities of a soft board and a cold young man. I profited nothing
by it, for slumber came not to my eyelids, and the thought of certain bixos rendered me still more wakeful, if such a thing were
possible."
Before cock-crowing I ordered the mules to be saddled, and at
daylight we were again on our way. I rode on, far in advance of
my muleteer, and, passing a mile beyond the village of Jundiahy, I
arrived at the hotel of Senhor Jose Pinto. I found a large party
at a twelve-o'clock breakfast, which repast was perfectly d la
Brazilienne. They supposed that I would wish matters in a different
style, but I made them all at ease by sitting down, telling them
that I was not a stranger, and manifesting my "at-homeness" by
eating as heartily of their dishes as if I had been accustomed to
them all my life. This opened their hearts, and thus gave me, both
then and afterward, an opportunity of speaking of those higher
interests which concern man here below.
In two hours or more my baggage-mules came up. I perceived
that, at this rate, it would be impossible for me to get on as I
wished, or to complete all my arrangements at Limeira and
Ybecaba and get back to Rio de Janeiro for my northern trip.
Fortunately for me, I found at Jose Pinto's the two Paulistas whose
mirth had been so excited at the revolution of the old African's
spurs. They were going far into the interior, and had an extra
animal, which I hired, and pushed on, accompanied by them, leaving my old Congo to come up sem duvidade (without fail) two days
after me.
I had now a better opportunity of knowing something more of
the moradores, or road-side dwellers, of which class my companions
were specimens. They sang for me fandango melodies, Ethiopian
airs in bad Portuguese, and entertained me in various ways. In
return, I gave them some information about the world outside of
Brazil, not leaving out, in the end, a mention of the "Happy
Land."
Our resting-place was to be the important town of Campinas,




400


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


(or San Carlos,) more than one hundred miles in the interior. As
we approached this town, I was struck by the beauty and fertility
of the surrounding country. The grand old mountains had been
left far behind us, and around, as far as I could see, were extensive
plains, or rather rolling prairies, and almost every acre occupied.
There were most highly-cultivated coffee-plantations, from whose
deep green could be seen, peeping here and there, the large white residences of the planters. It was on the evening of the 28th of June
that we drew near Campinas. The clear beauty of the tropic night
was made even more beautiful by the illumination of the city,
by the huge bonfires spread over the plains, and by the most brilliant fireworks sent up from every street and from all the surrounding plantations. The sight and sounds were such that one,
without any stretch of imagination, would have believed himself
near some besieged city during a fierce bombardment.  It was
"St. Peter's Eve;" and every man who had a Pedro attached to his
name felt himself obligated to burn a huge heap of combustibles
before his door, and to send up any quantity of sky-rockets and
fire off innumerable pistols, muskets, and cannon. Under such a
storm we entered Campinas. My two Paulistas led me through
the narrow streets, and we finally arrived before a row of small
whitewashed houses. These were the residences of the friends of
my Paulistas; but I could not think of stopping there, and desired
that some one would lead the way to an inn. They were all very
kind, but were so occupied with our tired animals that no one
could be spared for the purpose. The hotel, if one can call it such,
was at a great distance, and it was suggested that I had better
stop with them, though it was muito mal, (very bad fare.) I thought
that it could not be harder than the night before. I entered: this
was the residence of Senhor Theobardo o Carpinteiro; or, in plain
English, Theobald the carpenter. Senhor Theobardo, however, had
not expended any of his skill upon his own house, for the floors
and the walls were composed of the same substance as the street.
The night before I had only been in the outer court. I now had
an opportunity of seeing the inner temple. Senhor Theobardo was
half Indian, half mulatto, and I think that, if he could have had
an extra half, it would have been yellow Portuguese. He and his
children had formed such a close alliance with the substance of




SR. TnEOBARDA THE CARPENTER.


401


which his floors were made, that one could literally say that all
(judging from their complexion) were of the "dust of the earth."
The kitchen, which served the purpose of parlor and dining-room,
was without chimney, chairs, or any of the appliances of civilized
life. A few earthen pots were the culinary utensils, and a fire in
one corner of the room, in the style of the Patagonians, (indeed, 1
have seen the same kind among the Terra del Fuegians,) served for
cooking, the smoke the meanwhile escaping as best it could.
When I saw Mr. Theobardo, Mrs. T., and all the little T.s squatting
around the fire, and the mellow light of the embers not softening
their sallow features, which, excepting their flashing eyes, were unrelieved by a single trace of cleanliness or grace, I thought that
Borrow, in his wildest adventures among the gypsies of Spain,
could not have witnessed a group more wild, more dirty, or more
picturesque. But I soon found that, although they had dirty
faces, they had large hearts, and I reflected that my mission was
to them as well as to the more elevated; so I made myself at
home, and also put them at their ease. We talked about the United
States, and finally I got out a Portuguese New Testament, and,
collecting whites, and those who had all sorts of mixtures, from
the white, through the red, down to the negro, I commenced reading the Holy Book. I had a most interested audience, who probably for the first time heard the message of salvation. I shall
never forget that night, and the kindness of the most lowly people
I ever met with,-lowly, at least, as to this world's goods; and
it is my earnest hope and prayer that the truth may reach and
enrich their souls.
The room which they assigned to me was not quite so large as
the one I had occupied the night before, and was shared between
boards, planes, chisels, saws, harness, saddles, a Paulista, and myself. Just as I was retiring, a huge wooden bowl, as large as a
bath-tub, was brought to me filled with water. This was of their
own accord: but who would have thought it, among these people
who apparently never performed any ablutions?
That night slumber was sweet indeed; and the next morning I
departed at an early hour, leaving my blessing and one milreis with
the kind Theobardo. The former he accepted, but the latter he
declined, until I forced it upon him as a lembranGa.
26




402


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Our route was still more picturesque than that of yesterday
The fine road was overshadowed by trees and wild vines; and the
carolling birds and singing Paulistas made the ten leagues appear
short. Our party was enlarged by two young Germans on their
way to Ybecaba. All the houses by the road-sides, and even the
huge churches, are built of (or, rather, rammed down with) mud
or clay. The large conventual buildings of S. Paulo and the immense church of Campinas (whose walls are five feet in diameter)
are composed of beaten earth.
The whole feature of the country had changed: the sublime
scenery of the coast was not here to be found, but, in its stead, that
which reminded me of the United States. In the newness of the
settlements and plantations, I could have easily believed myself in
the northern part of Ohio. We were now constantly fording and
passing over streams, which were the head-waters of the River
Plate. We pushed on until night, illumined by a full moon in an
unclouded sky, brought us to the town of Limeira. Iere I had
before been informed I should find an American physician, Dr. -,
formerly of Pennsylvania. I rode up to his house, and had a most
welcome reception. I desired to journey on by moonlight to the
plantation of Senator Vergueiro; but the doctor would take no refusal, and stated as a further inducement that another American
had arrived that very day, and that we together would compose
such a trio as had never before been seen in the distant villa of
Limeira.
Limeira is situated in a most fertile region, watered by streams
that send their tribute to the mighty Parana. If Dr. -   was
surprised at my unexpected arrival, I was no less astonished to
learn that another American had arrived that day, who was perambulating the province, practising his profession of dentist. In
what nation pretending to civilization will you not find the American dentist? I may be permitted to indulge a little patriotic
pride when speaking of this profession, whose members more than
any other of my compatriots may be found in almost any portion
of the world. Their superior merits have been repeatedly acknowledged by Englishmen and Frenchmen of the same profession. The
secret of their perfection and success has been owing to various
causes, not the least of which is the regular dental colleges which




AMIERICAN DENTISTS IN FOREIGN LANDS.


403


exist in the United States, being the first institutions of the kind
ever founded, and until recently the only ones in the world. I have
met with American dentists at Rio de Janeiro, Valparaiso, and in
New Granada. At Paris the dentists d la mode are Americans.* A
sickly schoolmate, with whom     in years gone by I had dug out
many a page of hard Latin, is now the most popular dentist in
Berlin. On the continent, in interior cities, you will meet with
Yankee teeth-replacers and teeth-extractors; and, if the professor
or doctor has not the advantage of being a citizen of the great
Republic, he publishes in emphatic characters in his advertisements
that he has studied his profession in the United States, or fills molars
d la mode Am.ericaine.
But to return to Dr. —.  He gave me a hearty Pennsylvania
welcome, and, as it was late, soon conducted me to my chamber.
Now, this chamber was adjacent to a medicine-room, where were
not only plenty of the bottled doses which flesh in Brazil is fiequently "heir to," but also the apartment was adorned with many
specimens of the rich floral and animal kingdoms of Brazil.   There
being no door to close the aperture that existed between this room
and mine, I was frequently disturbed during the night by a strange
noise, which could not proceed fiom unemployed physic or from the
dried and stuffed specimens which were hung around in profusion.
When daylight returned, I ascertained that the singular noise had
arisen from the rustling of a very fine boa-constrictor, that had slept
(or rather attempted to sleep) within about eight feet of my bed.
* AMERICAN DENTISTS.-Mr. Walsh, the Paris correspondent of the Journal of
Commerce, in a late letter, says:"A few days ago I had occasion to apply to the principal Paris bookseller in the
department of medicine for some recent comprehensive and elegant work on Dentistry. Ile wrote to me at once the following reply:-' I regret that it is not in my
power to meet your wishes: there is nothing recent nor good in France on the art
1id science of dentistry. Our surgeons are obliged to borrow from the Americans
their proficiency and treatises on this subject, acknowledging that your countrymen are much further advanced than they themselves are in this important branch
of the medical art. It is unnecessary for me to mention to you works published
fifteen years ago.' Your dentists may be gratified by this testimony. The success
of the Americans of the profession who have settled in this capital is strong evidence of the justness of appreciation."




404


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


This room-mate of mine had been presented to the doctor, and was
one of the chief occupants of the medical apartment.
The doctor's life had been of that romantic kind which from
time to time we find coupled with devoted study and hard reality.
A great lover of nature, he early turned his attention to botany and
geology. He roamed over the whole United States, and finally
came with a few others to Brazil, many years ago, to explore the
flora and mineralogy of this Empire. Being an enthusiastic naturalist, he fairly revelled in the glorious field of his favorite studies;
but the sickness of one of the expedition brought him back to Rio
de Janeiro, where he was induced by the American minister to fill
the place of mineralogist on board of an American frigate which
was on its way to examine the coal-fields of Borneo. I shall not
soon forget the interesting account which he gave me of this expedition, during which he visited Madagascar, the coasts of Zanzibar, China, Tonquin, Manilla, &c. &c.    His reports adorn the
publications of the Smithsonian Institute. After he had filled his
accepted time of service on board the frigate, he returned to Brazil,
penetrated the forest, and resumed, on his own account, further
explorations; but, in order to obtain the necessary means, he first
practised his profession as a physician.
From other lips I learned the sequel of the doctor's adventures
in a field widely different from that of botany. He opened his
office on the plaza of an important town in the interior of San
Paulo. On the opposite side of the square was a young Brazilian
widow, endowed with the double attraction of wealth and beauty.
It was not long before the doctor was approached by empenhos,*
and became duly informed that the bereaved Brazilienne thought
that she could find in him a solace for all her afflictions. The doctor
replied that he was already married to the virgin forests, and, not
contemplating another marriage, ran away to his beautiful woods.
* Empenho: this word is used in Brazil to express the idea, in politics, commerce,
&c. &c., of soliciting aid, promotion, and favors not by direct approaches. Thus,
A wishes a favor from D: A ascertains that B is very well acquainted with C, who
is a most influential friend of D, and to whom D is under obligations. B goes to C,
and C in turn to D, and thus the favor is obtained through intermediates. The
verb empenhar means to lay, to pawn, to pledge, to persuade. Dinheiro, Diabo,
and Empenho are most frequently used in Brazil.




ROMANCE OF A BOTANIST.


405


On his return, however, a more powerful empenho was brought to
bear upon him. The doctor yielded,-was led to the church, and
the fair Paulista married him. Their union was blessed by a fine,
chubby boy, whom the patriotic physician named George Washington, fondly hoping that this was the first child born in Brazil who
bore the illustrious name. "But," said he, "fancy my disgust
when, the other day, I learned that some yellow Sertanejo had
anticipated me, and had his clay-bank urchin baptized also George
Washington!"
At the earnest request of influential persons, he took up his
residence at Limeira; but his plans for botanical researches, foiled
for a time, have not been given up, and it is his intention at some
future day to explore the dense sylva of the interior, where nature
so luxuriantly abounds in the gigantic, the wonderful, and the
beautiful.
On the following morning' after my arrival at Limeira, accompanied by Dr. -, I went to the Fazenda de Ybecaba, the plantation of the Vergueiros. It was a clear and lovely day, and we
rode along under an archway of forest-trees, many of them clad
with the most curious epiphytes and orchidaceous plants. From
time to time the doctor would point out some very remarkable
subjects of this portion of Flora's kingdom, and delineate their
peculiarities and qualities as only one can whose heart is bound
up in the beauties of nature. We halted in an open space, and my
companion indicated with his finger one of the common palms of
this region. In the tree itself there was nothing to render it
worthy of attention above its fellows to those accustomed to its
graceful form; but there was an accidental interest given to it
which called forth the doctor's enthusiastic admiration. He was
not only a thoroughly-educated botanist and mineralogist, but was
an amateur ornithologist, and loved to watch every trait of the
gaudy and brilliant birds of Brazil. From the tufted crown of the
palm there hung twenty nests of the large oriole called the Iguash;
and the feathery inhabitants of this swinging town were hovering
around and chattering like "children just let loose from school."
The doctor informed me that, though so many leagues intervened
between Limeira and the sea-coast, he would cause the tree to
be carefully cut down, sawed into sections, and trunk, top, and




406


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


nest transported to Santos, and there shipped for Philadelphia. Its
destiny, after it arrived at the City of Brotherly Love, was to be the
Academy of Natural Sciences. The nests would also be sent, with
several specimens of the Iguash.  This whole project, however,
was to be coupled with one condition, which was a sina qua non; i.e.
the Directors of the said Academy of Natural Sciences were to reerect the palm-tree, with its long nest-adornments, in the centre or
in some conspicuous part of their edifice; for, unless this was
guaranteed, the doctor added, "palm-tree, birds, and all would soon
be consigned to oblivion." It was a grand idea-and I doubt if it
were ever before entertained by a naturalist-to transport a lofty
nest-covered tree on the shoulders of men for more than two hundred miles, in order that it might be sent thousands of leagues
over the ocean as a specimen of the wonders of vegetation and of
the bird-architecture of this Southern Hemisphere.
We resumed our route, and
in a few minutes we overtook old Congo, who, true to
his word, had driven and.     -
ridden well, and had got over
more ground in forty-eight:~;.;
hours than he had on any
previous occasion in five days.  j,
We emerged from the forest- 
bordered road, and saw in the    K -: 
distance the celebrated plan. 
tation of Senator Vergueiro.
Though I had heard more of this establishment than of any
similar one in Brazil, it did not fall behind my anticipation.
We passed through the great gateway, and were welcomed by the
screams of a flock of gayly-painted parrots, which were at times
alighting, and at times whirling around the tops of a group of lofty
trees. Two pairs of them rested upon different branches, and
seemed to be in amiable confab in regard to the newly-arrived.
Between Campinas and Limeira, and also at Ybecaba, I beheld the
loftiest trees that I met with in any portion of the country. Three
noble denizens of the forest have been left not far from the residence of Senhor Vergueiro, and form a conspicuous object in the




I.
I




i-i
FAZENDA  Wm  STEUA    CA
FAZE N DA   OF   SE NATO R   V ERG U E I R 0,   A T  YB EC A -A.




THE FAZENDA OF YBECABA.


407


landscape. In the distance could be seen the manor and the chapel,
and on either side of them various out-buildings, which served as
shops, store-rooms for coffee, and sheds for machinery.  On our
left were neat little cottages belonging to the colonists. The peculiarity of Ybecaba consists in the fact that free labor is employed
in carrying on its vast operations; and those whom Senator Vergueiro and his sons have brought to displace the Afiicans are men
of the working-classes from Germany and Switzerland. With enlarged views and true economy, we shall see in the sequel that
they have adopted that plan which has not only been productive
of great and profitable results to themselves, but that they have
helped to elevate and greatly benefit the condition of those who
were in narrow circumstances at home.  The Vergueiros have
solved the question, so often asked, " What is the true mode for
colonization in Brazil?"
As we drew near the mansion we saw on every side of us evidences of thrift. For the first time away fiom Rio de Janeiro I
saw carts whose wheels were not of the old primitive Roman kind,
but turned upon their axles like civilized cartwheels. And it may.be mentioned that these, and all the agricultural implements and
machinery, are manufactured on the plantation.  When subsequently examining the workmanship of carpenters, cabinet-makers,
blacksmiths, and whcelwrights, from the Cantons de Vaud and
Valais, and from interior villages of Prussia, I perceived that not
only had they not lost their skilfulness, but had actually gained
under the supervision of their enlightened proprietors.
Senhor Luiz Vergueiro received us with marked attention.
The doctor was, of course, an old favorite; but Senhor V. soon
made me feel at home, and I afterward discovered that he took a
deep interest in my visit to Brazil, from the account which he had
read in the Correio Mercantil of my presentation, at Rio de Janeiro,
of the various specimens of American arts and manufactures to
the Emperor and to the different scientific societies of the
metropolis.
Every facility was given me for full investigation of the books of
the plantation and the condition of the colony, which enabled me
to make a just and fair comparison between this system of colonization and those of Petropolis and Donna Francisca, and also to see




408


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


more clearly the results of contrasted free and slave labor. The
whole of the day was thus occupied; but, before detailing any account of that examination, it will be best to give a more full
account of the family Vergueiro, whose venerable head has been
mentioned several times in previous pages of this work.
Nicholau de Pereira de Campos Vergueiro is a native of Portugal,
and of noble descent. He arrived in Brazil before the King, Dom
John VI. By profession a lawyer, he is a man of cultivated and
disciplined mind. He early settled in the province of San Paulo,
and took a conspicuous part in the political affairs of the country.
From the very commencement of agitations for extending the
rights of his adopted land, he stood in the foremost rank of patriots,
shoulder to shoulder with the Andradas, Feijo, and others eminent
in the struggle for Brazilian independence. His private virtues, his
moderate and enlightened views, and his great firmness, made him
an object of confidence on the part of the people. He was deputed
to the Cortes of Portugal, having for his colleagues Jose Bonifacio
de Andrada, and Feijo. He did not, however, escape to England
with them when they were threatened by the Cortes, but demanded.
fearlessly and firmly, his passport, and succeeded in obtaining it.
He returned to Rio de Janeiro, and from that time to this has been
a leader on the liberal side of politics, and is to-day called a
Santa Lusia. From the era of Brazilian liberty until now, he has
either been Deputy or Senator. On that trying night when the
people in the Campo Santa Anna clamored for the reinstatement
of the Ministry dismissed the previous day, Dom Pedro I., before
resorting to the last expedient left to him by the Constitution, sent
for Vergueiro, knowing that he was one who possessed the confidence of the populace, to desire him to form a ministry in accordance with their wishes. Vergueiro was not found, or the revolution
would have either been stayed or put off to a more distant period.
He has been repeatedly Minister of the Empire, has received
eminent places from the people, but has steadfastly refused all title
of nobility, and every honor from the Imperial Executive, except
the Grand Cross of Santa Cruz.
Before leaving for Southern Brazil, I called upon Senator Vergueiro at Rio de Janeiro.  He was at that time present in the
capital during the session of the Assemblea Geral, and resided in




SENATOR VERGUEIRO AND FAMILY.


409


the beautiful suburb of Botafogo. It was in the evening that I
entered his residence, and was received by his daughters, whom I
found intelligent and possessing one accomplishment so often
lacking in a Brazilian lady: they could converse. Not many
moments elapsed before the venerable Senator entered. His hair
was white, and his form was bowed under the weight of fourscore
years; yet in the glance of his eye there was something which told
that the soul was neither slumbering nor decrepid. His smiling
countenance also proclaimed that neither the burdens of age nor
of past and present public and private service had affected in the
least degree the cheerfulness of his nature. Whether conversing
about the copies of the sacred truth, or of my contemplated visit
to Ybecaba,-whether addressing a playful remark to his family, or
a word of information to me,-he was a most pleasant picture of a
hale and happy old man, with his mental powers unimpaired, and
with the hopefulness of youth. The aged statesman stands almost
alone in the Brazilian Senate-Chamber; for the patriotic yet
impetuous Andradas are gone; the eloquent, the irresistible, but
unsafe Vasconcellos has long since been laid in the tomb; the old
Marquis of Valenca has recently been followed to his "long home;"
a new generation of Brazilians fill their places: nevertheless,
Nicholau de Pereira de Campos Vergueiro still represents an
admiring constituency, no longer, as in stormier times, battling for
right, but as the advocate of every measure for the advancement
of his beloved country.
Few men in Brazil have been blessed with such sons; few, we
may add, have taken such pains to have their children properly
educated. Co-operating with their father, they have presented in
their colony a model to their compatriots. His four sons were
educated in Brazil, Germany, and England. The oldest, Senhor
Luiz, studied law at the University of Gottingen. Senhor Jose (head
of the Santos house) was trained in the military school of Prussia,
and rose to the position of first lieutenant of the thirty-seventh
Prussian infantry during the troubles between Belgium and
Holland.
The third son (who had charge of the Rio house of Vergueiro &
Filhos) was educated as a commercial man in London and Hamburg, and the younger brother had a thorough mercantile training




410


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


in the same cities. By their European education they have been
enabled to carry out more easily the plans of their father concerning emigration.
In 1841, Senhor Vergueiro, in the teeth of public opinion, sent
to Germany for forty families as colonists; but the General Government was so opposed to the old Senator during the troubles of 1842,
in the province of San Paulo, that the colony was broken up. In
1846, he again commenced carrying out his project; and, in so
doing, he has been completely successful. The Government itself
through official organs, has commended the system of Vergueiro
as the system worthy of imitation.
That system may be stated in few words. Sr. Vergueiro has in
Europe an agent who communicates with cantonal and communal
authorities, and with private individuals, offering inducements to
the able-bodied poor who wish to emigrate with their families to
the New World. The emigrant, at his option, can defray his own
expenses to Brazil, or, permitting Sr.Vergueiro to transport him,
he (the emigrant) agrees in such case to refund at his own time
and convenience the price of his passage at a small rate of interest.
The agent at Hamburg charters a vessel, and thus a large number
of colonists are enabled to seek a new home at a very moderate
outlay.
Sr. V. guarantees on his part to defray all the expenses of the
colonists from the sea-coast to his plantations, and, on their arrival
at their final destination, to furnish each head of a family with a
house, so many thousand coffee-trees, proportioned to the number
of each family, and to supply all with provisions, articles of
clothing, &c. at wholesale prices. The colonist, on his part, agrees
to tend faithfully his allotted portion of coffee-trees, to share the
profits and expenses of the crop, and not to leave without giving
one year's notice and paying his indebtedness (if any exist) for
passage-money advanced.
This contract is very simple, and is a safe investment for both
contracting parties.
During the year 1854, the result of the coffee-culture on the
plantation of Ybecaba was one million six hundred thousand pounds,
of which one-half of the expenses and profits belong to the
laborers.




A NOVEL BRIDGE.


411


I visited the cottages of the colonists, about one mile from the
manor. As I passed along, I was constantly saluted by cheerful
Swiss and German workmen, some of whom were surrounded by
noisy and joyous fair-headed children, who capered about with as
much life and glee as if at the foot of the Hartz or in the valleys
of the Oberland.
Before reaching the hamlet, (of which I present a sketch drawn
by a young German at Ybecaba,) I crossed a small stream upon a


COLONIA VERGUEIRO.


bridge of a novel and cheap construction, which in its simplicity
commends itself to every settler in Australia or Western America,
where proprietors are many but laborers are few. It may be
styled a "self-made" bridge. A number of logs are fastened longitudinally in the water, leaving, of course, spaces between them.
On the top of these are thrown large branches, and then finer
brush; and on the surface is placed a certain quantity of clay and




412


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


loose dirt. A portion of the brook higher up is turned aside by a
ditch through the light soil, and conducted over the log and brushheap. In a few days this little side-stream has borne down an
immense burden of red soil across the bridge, and has rendered
the superstructure as firm  as the road, while beneath, through
branches and logs, the "river runs merrily by." The ditch, the
water through it having finished its work, is closed, and a solid
passage-way is thus obtained.*
At the hamlet I found an intelligent head-agent, who kept the
books of the colonists, and gave to the latter orders for every pound
of bacon, yard of cloth, &c. Without his signature they could not
obtain these articles at the manor storehouse.
The larger portion of the colonists were Roman Catholics; but
I did not leave before every opportunity was afforded for their
obtaining the Scriptures, both in Portuguese and German.
Some of the colonists have thriven remarkably, having in five
years' time gained five and seven thousand milreis, ($2500 and
$3500.) The state of morals was certainly most creditable when
comparing it with that of the countries whence they came. From
1847 to '55, (the period of my visit,) among several hundred
laborers of the humblest classes of German and Swiss, not an
illegitimate child had been born. The Vergueiros encourage the
marriage-institution as not only essential to purity, but for the
interest of both planter and colonist. There are now about one
thousand European workmen, including children.
Ybecaba is a small plantation, containing but five or six square
miles; but near by the V.s possess a fazenda not so well cultivated,
but three times as large. At Angelica they own a new plantation,
well adapted to the culture of coffee, which is twelve leagues in
circumference. Hitherto blacks have been employed upon this
large estate; but it is the intention of the proprietor to introduce,
* In some of the mining-districts there is a simple and philosophical mode of
splitting off the side of clayey mountains. Wells are dug into them, and, during
the heavy rains, these, by means of gutters, become filled with water. The hydrostatic pressure of the liquid columns forces off masses from the faces of mountains
which would require hundreds of men for months to accomplish with the mattock
and shovel.




CONDITION OF THE BRAZILIAN COLONIES.


413


as soon as possible, free white laborers. I demanded of Sr. Luiz
Vergueiro if it were mere philanthropy which prompted their
efforts to introduce free labor: he replied, most promptly and decidedly, "We find the labor of a man who has a will of his own,
and interests at stake, vastly more profitable than slave-labor."
I could not but contrast the happy and cheerful condition of
these colonists with the discouraged residents in the colony Donna
Francisca. Though the Germans of Petropolis have every advantage
of a nearness to market, and a growing city which has many wants
to be supplied, yet the condition of the colonists at Ybecaba is
infinitely superior if we consider the prosperity of the individual.
The settlement at Leopoldina in Rio Grande do Sul has been the
only truly successful Imperial colony, that of Petropolis being under
the Governo Provincial. By the report of the Minister of the Empire for 1854-55, I ascertain that, out of seventeen colonies founded
by the Imperial Government and by the provincial authorities,
only four can be called prosperous; and of but two can it be said,
"muito prospera." The remainder are placed under the heads "not
prosperous," "confounded with the population," "in decay," or
"no information of its condition." Of the twenty-four private
efforts at colonization, twenty-one are reported prosperous, nearly
all of which have been founded since 1852, and more or less on the
Vergueiro system. These colonies are in five provinces, and the
excellence of the "plan-Vergueiro" consists in this,-viz.: its applicability throughout the Empire on a great or small scale. Nine
of the twenty-one senhors have each less than one hundred and
twenty colonists, thus enabling the small proprietors to have, to a
certain extent, the advantages of the larger landholders. Slavery
(since the vigorous measures of 1850 were adopted against the
slave-trade) has been doomed in Brazil. The Emperor and his
Government are against this inhuman traffic, and the popular voice
sustains them. The comparative ease with which a slave may
obtain his freedom, and, by the possession of property, the rights
of citizenship, will probably in twenty years put an end to servitude in this South American Empire. There must then be a supply
of laborers from some other source than Africa. The mothercountry, the Portuguese islands, Germany, and Switzerland will
furnish that supply. Individual emigration as it exists from Europe




414


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


to the United States can never succeed in Brazil on a large scale,
owing to the peculiar structure of the Government; but the system
inaugurated by Sr. Vergueiro & Sons is capable of indefinite extension, while it protects the interests of both employer and employee. Though there may be individual instances of oppression
under a powerful and unjust proprietor, yet, as a whole, this plan
will in the end prove a great blessing to Brazil and to the poorer
classes of Europe. Already the Swabian, the Fribourgeois, the
Vaudois, the Valaisan, the Portuguese, and the Ilheo, look up like
men in their new homes: they have no longer that appearancetoo common in their native districts-of the crushed and cringing
peasant who has no thought beyond the pinching want of to-day.
As we look upon their joyous faces, we can readily believe what
Sr. Jose Vergueiro said to me at Santos:-" They breathe here the
air of freedom, sir,-such as they never snuffed in their native
land."
Under such a system, they have not the pressing cares of the
pioneer; they are not the victims of speculating land-companies,
and, at the same time, though enjoying comparative ease, their
own interest keeps them from indolence. At a year's notice, when
they have learned, under the tuition and protection of a powerful
Brazilian, the cultivation of tropical productions, they can leave
and "set up" for themselves if they choose.  They can easily
become naturalized; their children grow up as citizens attached
to the soil; and, if nothing untoward occurs, Brazil, in half a
century, will have a host of small proprietors infusing a new lifeblood into the body politic. Under her mild Government there
will spring up a more hardy people, who will be the subduers of
the virgin forests and the pioneers in the vast, fertile, healthy,
but almost unexplored regions of Parana, Goyaz, Mato Grosso, and
Minas-Geraes, where the head-waters of the Amazon and the La
Plata are interlaced or separated by a narrow dividing-ridge.
To the speedy and sure accomplishment of this desired consummation, Brazil should still more modify her laws, so that there may
be every facility for the introduction of colonists. Already the
Empire has done away with some of the most objectionable features; but much remains to be done. Every obstacle should be
removed, and the Government, by a general act, should proclaim




HOPES FOR THE FUTURE.


415


its policy as liberal in all the initiatory steps for the newly-arrived
as it is generous in regard to the holding of property by foreigners.
Such measures would promote immigiration, and in time a new
population would grow up in this beautiful country, worthy of its
vast resources.  Let a pure gospel be in the hearts of such a
people, and Brazil, in the future, will be a land in every respect
unsurpassed on the face of the earth.
Sr. Vergueiro and his sons are making constant improvements in
modes of cultivation, and are studying the best manner of applying
Northern labor and skill to tropical agriculture. I before mentioned the workshops of the mechanics, where agricultural implements in wood and iron are turned out in a style equal to any
thing of the kind made in Europe or North America. Among the
various machines for facilitating the preparation of coffee for
market was one-the invention of Senator Vergueiro-which
cleans no less than thirty-two thousand pounds of coffee per
diem.
We had been kindly invited to dine at the mansion-house, and it
is unnecessary that I should particularize the component parts of
a most sumptuous dinner. Suffice it to say that the "fat of the
land" was there in profusion, and that the "feast of reason," &c.
was well supplied by Sr. Luiz V., Dr., and the intelligent
padre, who conversed fluently in both French and German.
The doctor and myself left Ybecaba at a late hour, and, after a
pleasant ride by moonlight, reached Limeira.




CHAPTER XXII.


A NEW DISEASE-THE CULTURE OF CHINESE TEA IN BRAZIL-MODUS OPERANDITHE DECEIVED CUSTOM-HOUSE OFFICIALS-PROBABLE EXTENSION OF TEA-CULTURE
IN SOUTH AMERICA-HOMEWARD BOUND-MY COMPANION-SENHOR JOSE AND A
LITTLE DIFFICULTY WITH HIM-CALIFORNIA AND THE MUSICAL INNKEEPEREARLY START AND THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER-THE SENHORES BROTERO OF
S. PAULO-FOURTH OF JULY INAUGURATED IN AN ENGLISH FAMILY-"YANKEE
DOODLE" ON THE PLAINS OF YPIRANGA-LAME AND IMPOTENT CONCLUSIONASTRONOMY UNDER DIFFICULTIES-DELIVERANCE-RETURN TO RIO DE JANEIRO.
THE next day after my visit to Ybecaba, I was employed in
obtaining such information from Dr. -    as one would be sure to
find in a man of intelligence and observation who had long resided
in the country. I made many inquiries in regard to the various
diseases of Brazil, and the remarks of this experienced physician
confirmed my own oft-repeated opinion that few portions of the
world could boast of so great a salubrity as this Empire.
Probably no tropical country has been so exempt from a general
disease as Brazil. It has only been within the last five years that
the yellow fever invaded these healthy realms, and not until 1855
has that dreadful scourge, the cholera, touched these shores. The
ravages of these two devouring pestilences-both of which were
confined to a narrow belt of the sea-coast-have been greatly overestimated. During the prevalence of' the cholera in the vicinity
of Bahia, I was in that city of one hundred and twenty thousand
inhabitants. I have seen it gravely stated in American and English journals that so great was the mortality and the panic there
that there were not enough people left to bury the dead! Now,
if the perpetrators of this horrible fiction had given the truth,
they would have described a great deal of sickness among the
blacks and much panic among the whites; that, out of a provincial
population of nearly a million, 9,490 died from all diseases in the
416




A NEW DISEASE.


417


political year 1855-6, the majority of cases being cholera, but that
business went on as usual. I was in Rio de Janeiro during several
yellow-fever seasons, and though-from personal knowledge, by
visiting the hospitals and examining the list of the deceased-I
ascertained that a truly large proportion of the foreigners in the
city (lid fall before the terrific disease, yet, as a general thing,
there were about as many natives that died of consumption each
day as of the yellow fever.
Though no general pestilence has swept through the land, yet
there are peculiar diseases in different parts of the Empire. In
some of the mountainous districts there exists the same swelling
of the throat and neck which is known in Switzerland as goitre.
The Brazilians call it papos; and Von Martius says that he found
in the valley of the Parahiba River instances of this swelling larger
than are seen in Europe, but not accompanied with the melancholy
and idiotic appearance so often combined with the goitre in Switzerland, Germany, and Northern Italy.
At Limeira I became aware of a new disease, which, like the
goitre, seems to be confined to certain localities. I was sitting in
the office of Dr. -, conversing with him in regard to Brazil,
when I observed a Portuguese, about sixty years of age, enter, and
demand, with great earnestness, if he thought that he could live.
Soon after, a middle-aged Brazilian came, and, seeming to cling to
the words of the physician as tenaciously as to a divine oracle,
made nearly the same interrogatory. Neither of these men appeared in ill health, and, if I had not heard them state that they
had great difficulty in swallowing, I would have considered them
in a perfect sanitary condition. Upon inquiry, I ascertained from
the doctor that these men had a disease which is widely prevalent
in some portions of Interior Brazil, but he has never seen a notice
of it in any medical work whatever. The Brazilians call it mal
de engasgo. The first indication of its existence is a difficulty in
swallowing. The patient can swallow dry substances better than
fluids. Wine or milk can be drunken with more facility than
water; still, both are attended with difficulty. To take thin broth
is an impossibility. In some cases fluids have been conveyed to
the stomach in connection with some solid.  The person thus
affected appears to be in good health, but in five or six years death
27




.418


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


ensues from actual starvation. The sufferings of such a one was
described to me as most horrible.
Some physicians in the province of San Paulo think it a paralysis
of the oesophagus; but Dr. --, who has seen many cases of rmal de
engasgo, inclines to the belief that it is a thickening of the mucous
membrane. As the oesophagus is in general the least affected by
disease of any part of the body, and is very rarely paralyzed, he
cannot believe that so wide-spread a disease as the mal de engasgo
can proceed from paralysis. Living as he does in the interior, it
is difficult to obtain a subject for dissection, or permission to make
a post-mortem examination, and therefore he has had no opportunity for a thorough investigation of the disease; but it is his
intention to do so as soon as facilities present themselves, and then
to lay the result before the medical world. He informed me that
he was called to visit a man suffering from this malady eighty
miles from Limeira, and to his astonishment he found in the same
room no less than nine persons similarly affected. As yet no
remedy has been found. The full extent of country over which
the mal de engasgo prevails is not known; but to this physician's
certain knowledge it exists from Limeira (two hundred miles from
the sea-coast) to Goyaz,-a distance of four hundred miles. It is
not found upon the coast; and a journey to the sea-board always
benefits the afflicted patient. In 1855 I communicated the above
facts in regard to the mal de engasgo to the New York "Journal
of Commerce."  A few days after its publication, a physician of
Brooklyn suggested, in the columns of the same journal, that
there might be erysipelas at the bottom of the disease. Iie gave
as an instance one of his own patients who suffered from symptoms like those described, and which finally resulted in the
discovery of erysipelas. I know that one case of similarity in a
disease does not prove a general rule: still, the subject is worthy
of investigation.
One topic of our conversation possesses a far more general interest than the nature of a new disease: it was the cultivation
of the Chinese tea in Brazil.
There is probably no other country where the culture of this
Asiatic shrub has been so successful away from its native region.
The Portuguese language is the only European tongue which has




THE CULTURE OF CHINESE TEA.


419


preserved the Chinese name (cha) for tea; and as the stranger at
Rio de Janeiro and other towns of the Empire passes the vendas,
he is always sure to see a printed card suspended, announcing Cha
da India and C/la Nafional: the former is the designation given to
tea from China, and the latter to the same production grown in
Brazil.
In 1810, the first plants of this exotic were introduced at Rio de
Janeiro, and its cultivation for a time was chiefly confined to the
Botanical Garden near the capital and to the royal farm at Santa
Cruz. In order to secure the best possible treatment for the tea,
which it was anticipated would soon flourish so as to supply the
European market, the Count of Linhares, Prime Minister of Portugal, procured the immigration of several hundred colonists, not
from the mingled population of the coast of China, but from the
interior of the Celestial Empire,-persons acquainted with the
whole process of training the tea-plant and of preparing tea.
This was probably the first colony from Asia that ever settled in
the New World, of which we have authentic records. The colonists,
however, were not contented with their expatriation: they did not
prosper, and they have now disappeared. Owing in part, doubtless, to characteristic differences in the soil of Brazil from that of
China, and perhaps as much to imperfect means of preparing the
leaf when grown, the Chinese themselves did not succeed in producing the most approved specimens of tea. The enthusiasm of
anticipation, being unsustained by experiment, soon died away;
and near the city of Rio de Janeiro the cultivation of tea has
dwindled down to be little more than an exotic grown on a large
scale at the Botanical Gardens.
As a Government matter it was a failure; but several Paulista
planters took up the culture, and, though they encountered years
of discouragement, they have lived to see it, though as yet in its
infancy, one of the most flourishing and remunerative branches of
Brazilian agriculture.
Between Santos and San Paulo, near San Bernardo, I saw large
and productive tea-plantations. The manner of its culture differs
but little from that adopted in China. Tea is raised from the seed,
which, being preserved in brown sugar, can be transported to any
portion of the country. These little tea-balls are planted in beds,




420


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


and then, in the manner of cabbage-plants, are transported to the
field and placed five feet apart. The shrubs are kept very clean
by the hoe, or by the plough, which, though a recent introduction, has on some plantations been eminently successful for this
purpose.
The shrubs are never allowed to attain a height of more than
four feet; and the leaves are considered ready for picking the
third year after planting.  The culture, the gathering, and the
preparation of tea are not difficult, and children are profitably
and efficiently employed in the various modes of arranging it for
market.   The apparatus used is very simple, consisting of-1.
Baskets, in which the leaves are deposited when collected; 2. Carved
framework, on which they are rolled, one by one; 3. Open ovens,
or large metallic pans, in which the tea is dried by means of a fire
beneath. Women and children gather the leaves and carry them
to the ovens, where slave-men are engaged in keeping up the fire,
stirring, squeezing, and rolling the tea,-which operations are all
that it requires before packing it in boxes for home-sale or for exportation to the neighboring provinces.
The tea-plant is a hardy shrub, and can be cultivated in almost
any portion of Brazil, though it is perhaps better adapted to the
South, where frosts prevail, and which it resists. If left to itself in
the tropics, it will soon run up to a tree. The coffee-tree requires
rich and new soil, and a warm climate unknown to frosts; but the
tea-plant will flourish in any soil. Dr. -, who visited various
portions of China, is of the opinion that the cha can be grown in
any part of the United States from Pennsylvania to the Mexican
Gulf. There are not many varieties of the plant, as is often supposed, black and green teas being merely the leaves of the same
tree obtained at different seasons of the year. The flavor is sometimes varied, as that of wines from the same species of grape grown
on different soils. The plant is not deciduous, as in China, and in
Brazil is gathered from March to July, which in the Northern
hemisphere would correspond to the interval between September
and January.
I was informed that several million pounds are now annually
prepared in the provinces of San Paulo and Minas-Geraes, and its
culture is on the increase.




TIE DECEIVED CUSTOM-HOUSE OFFICIALS.


421


Some years ago the tea-planters were greatly discouraged; for
the cha was badly prepared, was sold too new, and hence the demand did not increase. But, since a greater experience in its culture and preparation, a better article for this favorite beverage
has met with corresponding encouragement. Formerly the cultivators said that, if they could obtain sixteen cents per pound
wholesale, it would be as remunerative as coffee. In 1855, twenty
cents for the poorer article could be obtained; and for superior
qualities-the greater portion of the crop-forty cents per pound
wholesale was readily commanded. The demand for it is constantly
increasing. When rightly prepared, it is not inferior to that imported from China. Mluch, indeed, of the tea sold in the province
of San Paulo as cha da ILdia has merely made the sea-voyage from
Santos to Rio de Janeiro, and there, after being packed in Chinese
boxes, is sent back to the Paulistas as the genuine aromatic leaf
from the Celestial Empire. I have seen foreigners in Brazil who
esteemed themselves connoisseurs in tea deceived by the best cha
national.
A few years ago, Mr. John Rudge, of the province of San Paulo,
sent some tea from his plantation as a present to his relatives in
Rio de Janeiro. This was prepared very nicely, each separate leaf
having been rolled by the slaves between the thumb and forefinger
until it looked like small shot. It was thus invested with a foreign
appearance, packed in small Chinese tea-caddies, and shipped at
Santos for the capital. When the caddies arrived, they were seized
at the custom-house as an attempt to defraud the revenue. It was
on the other hand insisted that the boxes contained cha national,
although, by some neglect, they did not appear upon the manifest.
The parties to whom the tea had been sent offered to have it submitted to inspection. The caddies were opened, and the customhouse officials screamed with triumph, adding to their former suspicions the evidence of their senses, for the sight, the taste, the
smell of the nicely-prepared tea proclaimed emphatically that it
was cha da India, and that this was an attempt to defraud His
Imperial Majesty's customs. It was not until letters were sent
to Santos, and in reply the certificates of that provincial customhouse had been received, that the collectors at Rio were satisfied
that there was no fraud, and that the province of San Paulo




422


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


could produce as good tea as that brought around the Cape of
Good Hope.
A few years may suffice to show on the pages of the "Commerce
and Navigation" of Great Britain and the United States that tea
enters largely into the articles of importation from Brazil. Fifty
years only have elapsed since the first cargo of coffee was shipped
from Rio de Janeiro, and now Brazil supplies two-thirds of the coffee
of the world. The revolution in Hayti was the commencement of
a new era for the coffee of Brazil.
In 1846, Dr.     learned that several planters were about to
root up their tea-shrubs. He besought them not to carry out their
intention; "for," said he, "there is to be a great revolution in
China, [in 1845 he had been informed in the Celestial Empire of the
existence of the Triad Society,] and the price of teas will be sure to
go up in a few years." The disheartened planters were encouraged
to go on; and, only a short time before my visit to Limeira, one of
these fazendeiros sent to Dr. -   several pounds of most excellent
tea, at the same time assuring him (the doctor) of his deep gratitude for having been prevented from the destruction of his plantation. He had found it exceedingly remunerative, and next year
he intended to enter into more extensive operations.
Throughout the world the use of tea is becoming as universal as
that of coffee, and any continued disturbance in China must bring
into prominent notice the tea-culture of Brazil. The recolte is now
almost entirely used within the Empire; but the adaptability of the
culture to almost any portion of the immense territory, and the
ease by which it can be carried on, will doubtless, in a very brief
period of time, fully develop this new source of national wealth.
It was on the morning of the 2d of July that I set out on my
departure from Limeira. I shall never forget the kindness and
attention of my generous host, as well as the welcome reception at
the model plantation of Senator Vergueiro. The few days spent
there so pleasantly gave me fresh hopes and great encouragement
for the future of Brazil.*


* At Limeira I met a German engineer, who, with his accomplished Hamburgese
wife, (to whom I am indebted for the sketches of the bridge at Cubitao and the
German colonist's house) forms an agreeable society for Dr. -.




HOMEWARD BOUND.


423


The moon was shining brightly as I bade farewell to the two
Americans and turned my face, for the first time in months, homeward. I rode on in silence for half an hour, and was then overtaken by a "lone horseman" going in the direction of Campinas.
We journeyed together, and at noon we halted near a clear, purling
brook, and beneath the shade of lofty, overarching trees we
shared a palatable dish of farinha de milho and fried chicken, which
the good mulher of the Paulista had thoughtfully provided for his
journey. I have often had occasion to speak of the kindness manifested by Brazilians of all classes toward strangers. The casual
visitor to Brazil may, in the coast-cities, come in contact with
shopkeeping Portuguese, whose fleecing propensities are not excelled by their brethren in London, Paris, or New York; and
hence he may grandly generalize, in writing home to some obscure
journal, that the Brazilians are the greatest set of rascals in the
world.
My travelling-companion was a carpenter, but was an adept in
other crafts. My horse having cast two of his shoes, we turned to
a road-side venda and purchased the necessary articles, which Sr.
Tomaso attached with all the skill of a practised blacksmith.
We arrived at Campinas at four o'clock in the afternoon. I rode
immediately to a hospedcria; but the innkeeper seemed so perfectly
indifferent as to custom that I bade him good-day, and sought the
house of an English daguerreotypist, to whom I had letters. I
had there a warm welcome, and the remainder of daylight was
spent in rambling through this mud-built city in company with my
host and an Italian physician to whom Dr.    of Limeira had
given me a note of introduction. I found much to interest me in
the vast cathedral, built wholly of taipa: the carved woodwork
(reminding one of old European cloisters) was by some mulatto
sculptors from Bahia, and would have done credit to the best
Italian artists in that line. The physician, who was a fierce Malthusian, entertained me with long-winded speeches in support of
his favorite ideas, until I finally obtained a respite by leading him
on to some wonderful snake-stories, which, though equalling in
length (the stories, not the snakes) his Malthusian arguments, were
far more interesting.
I made arrangements at the house of a mule-dealer for an extra




424


IBRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


animal, which was to carry me forward on the morrow, as my
Rosinante gave evidence of exhaustion. My newly-engaged quadruped was to be forthcoming, together with a guide, at sunrise.
The sunrise came, and two succeeding hours; but neither biped
nor quadruped appeared.  Finally, when almost in despair, the
long-expected pair clattered up to the door. The usual apologies
of "mules in pasture," "difficult to catch," &c., were offered and
accepted. I soon perceived that my guide, instead of being a mere
employee, was the son of the proprietor of the animals which we
bestrode,-that he was not simply Jose, but Senhor Jose,-and that
he was musical withal. I, however, feared that his position as a
gentleman might somewhat interfere with the orders for increased
speed which from time to time I might find it necessary to issue.
We rode on through a finely-cultivated region, large coffeeplantations stretching on either hand as far as the eye could reach,
variegated with fields of waving sugarcane or groups of umbrageous forest-trees. My companion enlivened the way by many
songs to the Virgin and "to his mistress's eyebrows;" but, when
the sun had sunk beneath the horizon, Sr. Jose concluded that we
had journeyed far enough for one day, and proposed that we should
tarry for the night at the house of a planter near by. To this I
strongly objected, as my contract was that I should be carried for
a specific sum to a specific point, several leagues farther on. I
found that he was no underling, to be crossed in his wishes; and he
firmly resisted. I would have left him where he was, without
further ado; but, knowing the difficulty of separating animals that
have travelled in company, I thought best to compromise the
matter by stating that we would remain here for the night, in
which case, however, the compensation would be several milreis
less than if we had accomplished the contemplated number of
leagues. But he was not the man for a compromise: he demanded
full pay for short work. I then determined, at all hazards, to push
on without him. I found my perverse horse as stubborn as Sr. Jose.
I endeavored to start him in the direction of San Paulo: he, however, was resolved to travel only toward the plantation. I spurred
the mule, which I rode, after him, endeavoring to head off the
horse: this I found a most difficult task. Sr. Jos6, meantime, sat
motionless as a statue, secretly and maliciously enjoying my un



SR. JosE, AND A LITTLE DIFFICULTY.


425


successful efforts. I was fatigued beyond measure; but my will
was unbroken, (as well as that of my horse,) and at last victory
crowned my struggles, and, shouting to Sr. Jos6 "Boa noite," and
triumphantly exclaiming, "I know how to protect my rights," I
trotted off, Rosinante in advance, toward San Paulo.
Glancing over my shoulder, I beleld my guide still statue-like
bestriding his mule, and comparable to any thing else than
'Patience on a monument smiling at grief."  Poetically speaking, he was planted.
My way was now over a good road, though the overhannging
forest obscured almost every ray of moonlight. My animal went
gayly on, leaving, how-ever, time enough for a few reflections.
Among them the most prominent was, "Suppose Sr. Jose rides
after me and salutes me in the back with his long knife," (faca de
ponta,) which looked innocent enough when reposing in its sheath
or cutting an orange. In all my travels in Brazil I never carried
a weapon of any kind, and this was the first time that I felt the
least suspicion that all might not be perfectly safe. In the midst
of these reflections and thoughts about that long knife, I had
accomplished more than a half-league, when I heard the rapid
movement of mule-hoofs. Sr. Jos6 came thundering up tlhe hill,
and overtook me. Instead, however, of a knife-salutation or loud
words, he instantly, in the mildest possible voice, suggested that
we should change beasts, as he was very much fatigued, and tliat
the difference in the gait of the two animals would be a relief
to both parties. We went on as cosily as if nothing lhad happened,
and at eleven o'clock rode up to the house of one Sr. Joi-o Baptista,
whose residence was christened with the mellifluous and auriferous
name of California.
We soon aroused Sr. J. Baptista, who, while we sipped our cha,
tinkled on his guitar " many a roundelay."  I informed Sr. J. B.
that the morrow was the dia da independencia in the United States,
and requested the favor of " IHail Columbia."  Sr. J. B. declined, on
the ground of not possessing the tune in question; but (like a
skilful shopkeeper who, destitute of a certain article, suggests to
his customer another which, in his estimation, is equally good
if not superior) Sr. J. B. proposed the Brazileiro, as being nearer
the required national air than any thing else in his musical




426


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


treasury. Its spirit-stirring strains were quivering in my ear
when I thought how difficult it would be to find in the backwoods of Wisconsin or Minnesota accomplished musicians such as Sr. J. B.
or Sr. Jose, who was also skilled in the
art. The Brazilians, as a whole, are a
musical people, and sometimes, during
a storm, when I have been plodding
on in darkness, I have been cheered
by the sound of a violin, a guitar, or
by human voices singing sweetly in
concert.
I could sleep but little, and that
little was rudely interupted, (whether
by a giant beetle or a stealthy bat I
-?~  ^      ~ ~ was unable to ascertain;) and I jumped
from my hard bed at two o'clock on
HERCULES BEETLE.   the morning of the Fourth of July,
and aroused the household of Sr. J.
Baptista and the sleepers in the neighboring rancho by screaming
at the top of my voice the "Star-spangled Banner."
I bade my musical host and Senhor Jose adcos, mounted my
Rosinante, and accomplished thirty-two miles before breakfast.
My primary object had been to get to Santos, in order to take the
steamer of the 6th for Rio; and a secondary consideration was to
celebrate the Fourth of July at the house of Mr. E., the English
engineer.
I visited Senhor Brotero, the President of the Law-School for
which San Paulo is so justly celebrated. Madame Brotero I found
to be a countrywoman, from Boston. I also made the acquaintance
of Senhor Brotero, Jr., to whom Senhor Octaviano, the accomplished editor of the Correio M7ercantil, of Rio, had given me a letter
of introduction. This gentleman, who bids fair to be one of the
leading men of S. Paulo, possesses enlarged views, and has had the
advantage of extended travel in Europe and North America.
It was a pleasant forenoon that I spent with Mr. and Mrs. E.
and Mr. C., inaugurating with them the celebration of my nation's
birthday. Mr. C., however, threw something of a damper upon




FOURTH OF JULY INAUGURATED AT S. PAULO.


427


my patriotism by dropping in, "By-the-way, it is the birthday of
George III.:" but chronology shows that Mr. C. was just four
weeks out of the way, and his inappropriate remark in no manner
marred the general harmony of the occasion.
These and other friends pressed me not to hasten on at my rapid
rate, thinking that thirty-two miles before breakfast was sufficient
for one day: but my purpose was to make twenty miles that night
before I sought repose.
Senhor Coelho (the maitre-d'h6tel) had procured for me a fine
mule. He was a lithe animal, and when I mounted he bounded
~-1=~-''~-.: -, —~..'.... '. — -
YANKEE DOODLE ON THE PLAINS OF YPIRANGA.
away as though he had wings. He clattered through the streets,
descended the hill, splashed through a little affluent of the La
Plata, and, just as the sun was setting, went galloping gayly over
the plains of Ypiranga.  I soon came in sight of the pavilion
erected over the spot where Dom Pedro I. exclaimed, Independencia
ou Morte, and, being animated with Fourth-of-July sentiments, I
gave vent to my patriotism in shouting, at a furious rate, "Yankee
Doodle" and "t ail Columbia," to the no small amusement and
astonishment of the sable passers-by.
I reached San Bernardo and passed through its silent streets.
The atmosphere was laden with the perfume of some sweet night



428


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


opening flower, and the sky overhead seemed joyous as my homeward-bound spirits. My mule flagged not, and I was congratulating myself that my journey's end would soon be accomplished,
when, to my surprise, the spirited beast whirled suddenly to the
right, and plunged into the stable-yard adjoining a large white
house. I kicked, and cuffed, and spurred, all to no purpose. The
noise which I made aroused two poncho-clad Brazilians, who came
toward me, thus discoursing in Portuguese:-" Yes, it is he."
"No; let me look again."  "Yes, I am certain it is."  These little
monosyllables are as brief and as elliptical in the language of Lusitania as in the plainest Saxon, and could give me no clue to the
meaning of the locutors. I was not, however, long left in doubt,
for one of them approached, and thus addressed me:-"Scelhor,
isto e meu animal."  ("This is my beast, sir.") Supposing that he
was mildly accusing me of theft, I replied that he must be mistaken, for I had hired that mule at S. Paulo. "It may be," he
said; "but still he is mine."  I then ascertained that the man was
the proprietor of my long-cared steed, and that he (the proprietor)
had preceded me in company with a number of law-students who
were on their way to Santos. Feeling by this time much fatigued,
and considering the stubbornness that had come over my quadruped,
I asked if I might lodge at the house for the night. The other
personage now turned up his sombrero and informed me that there
was no room in the inn, but possibly I might be accommodated a
mile flarther on. I could not make my mule stir; so these two
benevolent individuals aided me in whipping and kicking the
brute until he was fairly under way. I had, however, advanlced
only five hundred yards, when master long-ears pulls me up again,
and no dint of beating, pulling, pounding, and tugging could make
him budge a peg on the "forward march." IHe willingly beat a
retreat, and the next moment I again stood before the white
hospedaria from which I had been politely sent away a short time
before. My two new-made acquaintances were soon by my side,
and I once more begged for a room. One of them gave a negative
answer; but, when I suggested that I was willing to pay a good
price for my accommodations, he left me as if to consult some one.
I then heard an emphatic female voice screech out, "Nc.o, Senhor."
This reply was brought to me, and I sent back word that I had




LAME AND IMPOTENT CONCLUSION.


429


letters from Senator Vergueiro, showing that I was a respectable
person. It was of no avail, for at each fresh attempt to move the
tender mercies of the woman to whom belonged that voice, I received a more emphatic "NkYo, senhor."  My last resort was to
claim, in "the sacred name of Brazilian hospitality, only room
enough 1pon their floor for a stranger who is here stopped contrary to his own will."  The reply was the same, "iYT7o, sciehor."
"Then," said I, "it is an outrageous shame.  I have travelled
througllh a number of your provinces, and have mingled mnuch with
the richl and the poor, but this is the first time that I lhave been
unable to obtain shelter. Hlere I am, compelled before a large
house to pass the night in the road." MIy appeals and denunciations were equally
unsuccessful; so I sat
down   upon a curbstone,  holding  the
bridle  of my obstinate and tired ani-       _=
mal. Poor fellowv his
fatigue was not equal
to nmine. I had ridden           - 
since morning nearly
fifty miles, and had
spent seven hours in 
San Paulo. Three or
four days had elapsed
since I had had a comnfortlable sleep, and the
nihlt-air was keen for 
Brazil, though it was
as balmy as a May
evening in the Northern henmisphere. The        -.
body, however, was               ---
not suffering so much     ASTRONOMY UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.
as the mind.   I felt
this inhvspitality to the quick. I sat with my head bowed down
upon my left hand, turning my eyes from time to time' toward the




430


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


stars and the waning moon. It was studying astronomy under
difficult circumstances, so that I did not make much progress.
While thinking of my condition, and feeling that it was worse,
and my treatment more outrageous, than when, a mere innocent
student-traveller, I was once taken prisoner on suspicion by the
Austrians in Lombardy, and led by an armed soldier through the
streets of Pavia, I was aroused from my reflections by an old
negress, who said to me, "Come here, senhor."  I followed her to
a comfortable room, where she left me with a nice cup of tea and
doce accompaniments. My mule was cared for, as well as myself,
and when the morning sun awoke me I found that I was to have
as my fellow-travellers the young law-students. I ascertained
that this house was kept by a respectable Brazilian widow, who
was making a large fortune by letting mules for riding or for
the transportation of baggage, and that whoever employed her
animals in S. Paulo would be entertained gratis at this otherwise
inhospitable hospedaria. It so happened that the students and
myself were not aware of this regulation, and had hired our mules
of another man, who had guided them as far as this house. Here
the young "legals" insisted on stopping. The Donna da Casa
refused them accommodation, and they had taken possession vi et
armis. It may be that, owing to senhora being somewhat embittered by such proceedings, had refused me when I pleaded the name
of Senator Vergueiro and Brazilian hospitality. For assuredly
there was plenty of room, when we consider that there were eight
unoccupied beds in the house. It may be, also, that the senhora
was suspicious of a stranger travelling alone at that hour of the
night, as she had been deceived a few weeks before by an individual who pretended to have letters from a nobleman, but who
turned out to be an unmitigated scoundrel. I was (justly, as I
thought) indignant for a time, and entertained an idea that it
would be right that the public should know through the Rio
journals of such treatment to an estrangeiro; but the more I
reflected upon it, I became rather ashamed of my indignation. I
had travelled thousands of miles in Brazil, and this was the first
experience of the bitter; and how foolish it would be to lay it
before the public! The widow had a perfect right to make such
regulations as she chose concerning her household, and an Anglo



RETURN TO Rio DE JANEIRO.              431
American who is firm for the independence of the home-castle is
assuredly the last man who ought to complain. So I dismissed
the whole subject, and have never recurred to it since, except to
indulge in a laugh at my own ludicrous position in the stableyard, and the tableau of the stubborn mule and the curbstone.
Thus ended my Fourth of July, 1855.
The next day I arrived with my student-friends at Santos, and,
after enjoying for a few days more the hospitality of Casa Vergueiro,
I steamed away in the comfortable old Paraense for Rio de Janeiro.
From San Sebastian to the Sugar-Loaf we were pitched about in
fine style by an angry sea; but the sun shone forth brilliantly as
on the following day we lay under the guns of Villegagnon, and
the glorious panorama of the magnificent bay, sparkling in the
freshness of morning, lost none of its splendor by comparison
with the beautiful scenes which I had witnessed in Southern
Brazil, and which I afterward found unequalled in the provinces
of the North.




CHAPTEIR XXIII.
THE BRAZILIAN NORTH-EXTENT OF THE EM1PIRE-THIE FALLS OF ITAMARITYGIGANTIC F10-TREE-THE KEEL-BILL-A PLANTATION IN M1INAS-GERAES —PETER
PARLEY IN BRAZIL-SWEET LEMONS-BARONIAL STYLE-THlE PADRE-YESPERHOURS-THE PLANTATION-ORCHESTRA-THE WHITE ANTS OBEI)IENT TO THE
CIIURCH-THE GREAT ANT-EATER-THE PACA-THE MUSICAL CART-THE M1INES
AND OTHER RESOURCES OF MINAS-GERAES-COFFEE: ITS HISTORY AND) CULTURE
-THlE PROVINCE OF GOYAZ-STINGLESS BEES AND SOUR IIONEY-M1ATO GROSSO
-LONG RIVER-ROUTE TO THlE ATLANTIC-A NEW TIIOROUGHFARE-LIEUTENANT
THOMAS J. PAGE-TIlE SURVEY OF THE LA PLATA AND ITS AFFLUENTS-FIRST
AMERICAN STEAMIER AT CORUMBA-STEAMBOAT-NAVIGATION ON THE PARAGUAY
-OFFICERS OF THE AMERICAN NAVY-DR. KANE AND LIEUTENANT STRAINDIAMTNONI) AND GOLD MINES THlE HINDERERS OF PROGRESS-THE DIFFERENCE
IN THE RESULTS FROM DIAMONDS AND COFFEE.
Now to the North: not
the Boreal North, with
hoary beard and glistening spears and crunch~~~ ~ingr ice-batteries,-butf a
genial, sunny, laughing,
flowery, Austral North.,I We on the hither side
of the- equator arc so
weldd(d to experience,
7    that it is difficult, to conceive of a North where
"ITile fields are florid in eternal prime,"
dtIld wxhere mighty rivers, with
unabated force, sweep onward,S  A~r~-~ - -And traverse realms unknown and blooming wilds,
And fruitful deserts, worlds of solitude;
T14 E M IN E IR1O  Where the sun smiles and seasons teem in vain."


43) 2




'i,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




CASCADE OF ITAMARITY, NEAR PETROPOLIS.




EXTENT OF THE EMPIRE.


433


I could never become accustomed to look for the sun and
the equator in the direction which all past experience told me
was the region of stern winter. I could not be reconciled to
the idea that the southern front of my Brazilian residence was
the coldest side, although I knew that reason and geography
informed me that that portion of my house looked toward the
Falkland Islands and the unexplored snow-continent of the
Antarctic zone.
But to the Brazilian North! If by land, it will be many months
of painful journeys up mountains and hills, through dense forests
and jungles, over wide campos and broad rivers, before we reach
the Serra Pacaranua, which divides Brazil and Venezuela. I have
not seen the record of a single traveller who has ever accomplished
this long terrestrial route. Eschwege, Rodriguez, Ferreira, Natterer, Mawe, Prince Maximilian, Spix and Von Martius, St. Hilaire,
Langsdorf, Pohl, Burchell, Gardner, Lieutenant Strain, the expedition under Castlenau, and Wallace, have traversed large districts
of Brazil; while-not to mention earlier fluvial explorationsMawe, Smyth, Edwards, Herndon, Gibbon, and Wallace (the most
thorough explorer) have examined the Amazon, and Lieutenant
Page has the honor of being the first scientific investigator of the
La Plata and some of its tributaries. Still, it is hazarding nothing
to say that the greater portion of this extensive Empire has only
been trodden by the foot of the wild Indian, or, at long intervals,
by the most adventurous of the Portuguese traders. It is difficult
for us to comprehend even the dry tables of distances: how much
more inconceivable the toil and the almost insurmountable obstacles
to be endured and overcome in a vast country with a sparse population, and, in certain portions, no roads save the paths of cattle
and the tracks of the tapir! The distance, on a straight line
drawn from the head-waters of the river Parima, on the north, to
the southern shores of the Lagoa Mirim, in Rio Grande do Sul, is
greater than that from Boston to Liverpool. It is farther from
Pernambuco to the western boundary which separates Peru and
Brazil, than by a direct route from London, across the Continent,
to Egypt. Brazil has neither been explored nor surveyed, and its
full extent cannot be accurately ascertained; but, according to the
best calculations made in 1845 for the Diccionario Geographico
28




434


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Brazileiro, the Empire contains within its borders 3,004,460 square
miles. The United States, by the latest computations of the Topographical Bureau at Washington, has an area of 2,936,166 square
miles. Brazil is therefore 68,294 square miles larger than the
whole territory of the Union: in other words, we should have
to add to the possessions of the United States an area equal to that
of the adjacent States of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts,
and Vermont, to make it of the same dimensions as the land of the
Southern Cross. European Russia possesses an area of 2,142,504
square miles, and the remainder of Europe 1,687,626. It is by
these figures and comparisons that we may arrive at an approximate idea of the vastness of Brazil.
It is not, however, its extent which should attract our attention
so much as the fact that no portion of the globe is so available for
cultivation and for the sustentation of man.
It has already been seen that the internal resources of this
Empire are commensurate with its favored position and its wide
extent. It is neither the gold of its mines nor the diamonds that
sparkle in the beds of its inland rivers that constitute the greatest
sources of its available wealth. Although nature has bestowed
upon Brazil the most precious minerals, yet she has been still more
prodigal in the gift of vegetable riches. Embracing nearly five
degrees north of the equator, the whole latitude of the southern
torrid and ten degrees of the southern temperate zone, and
stretching its longitude from Cape St. Augustine, (the easternmost
point of the continent,) across the mountains of its own interior, to
the very foot of the Andes, its soil and its climate offer an asylum
to almost every valuable plant. In addition to numberless varieties
of indigenous growth, there is scarcely a production of either India
which might not be naturalized in great perfection under or near
the equator; while its interior uplands, and its soil in the Far
South, welcome many of the fruits, the grains, and the hardier
vegetables of Europe.
Every year this Empire is becoming more developed; yet it will
require two centuries of its present progress to bring it to an equal
position with the United States. The signs of the times are, however, that Brazil will not go on at the snail's-pace which characterized her up to the abolition of the slave-trade; and the internal




THE FALLS OF ITAMARITY.


435


improvements auspiciously begun under D. Pedro II. will rapidly
unfold the resources of the country.
Of the twenty provinces, four only are inland,-viz.: MinasGeraes, Goyaz, Mato Grosso, and Amazonas, (sometimes called
Alto Amazonas.)    It is in Mato Grosso ("dense forest") and
Goyaz that the head-waters of the Amazon and the La Plata have
their origin, within a few miles of each other; while on the borders of Minas-Geraes the sources of the San Francisco, the Tocantine, and the La Plata take their rise from the same mountainridge.
The usual route to the fertile province of Minas-Geraes is through
Petropolis, and the traveller thither should not fail to make a little
detour and visit one of the prettiest cascades in Brazil. Following
for a few miles the highroad to the Minas, we turn to our right,
and there, among the dells formed by the Serra da Estrella, we
find the Falls of Itamarity. The name, in the Guarani language,
signifies "shining stones," or "the rock which shines;" so called,
doubtless, from the glittering appearance of the large mass of rock,
the face of which is worn smooth by the water. Ita means "stone
or rock." This cascade is composed of three distinct falls, formed
by a stream of small size unless after heavy rains. The charm of
this lovely spot consists in the surrounding woods and the murmuring waters; so that we may truly say that
" the gush of springs
And fall of lofty fountains, and the bend
Of stirring branches, and the bud which brings
The swiftest thought of beauty, here extend,
Mingling, and made by Love unto one mighty end."
Garlands of parasites enfold the old trees in their graceful arms,
and bands of verdant climbers depend from the highest boughs to
the very ground. The torrent has undermined the banks and
prostrated the trees that stood near the edges, and they now lie in
wild disorder across the bed of the stream, mingled here and there
with huge stones brought down by the force of the water.
The bridge represented in the engraving was improvised for the
occasion of the visit by Sir W. Gore Ouseley, formerly British
Minister to Brazil. Such crossings are easily formed by felling a




436


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


few trees and binding them together with the supple vines that
abound. Nature soon heals her wounds and clothes them with
parasites, so that in a few weeks the artificial structure seems like
a work of her own hand.
The road from  Petropolis to Barbacena is exceedingly picturesque,-sometimes winding along the side of a mountain which


A  BRAZILIAN  MOUNTAIN-ROAD.


gives extensive views of plains beyond, and sometimes in deep
valleys along the banks of babbling streams. Long troops of
mules on their way to Estrella are constantly passing; but-to
show the wildness of the region notwithstanding frequent villages and fazendas-we were startled every few moments by
flocks of wild parrots, and could hear in the trees the chattering
of monkeys.
At a place called Padre Correas, not far from Petropolis, is a
celebrated wild-fig tree, whose branches extend over a circum



GIANT FIG-TREE AND THE JACARANDA.


437


ference of four hundred and eighty feet, and four thousand persons,
it is computed, can stand under its shade at noonday. Near by,
on the height east of the hamlet, can also be seen two rows of the
Brazilian pine, (Araucaria Braziliana,) so well known in the large
conservatories of Europe and the United States. A sketch of one
of these tufted pines is in the left background of the colored engraving of the spoonbill. When one hundred miles farther in the
interior, I saw manyjacarandd (rosewood) trees. Their resemblance
to the common locust of the United States is very striking. There
are a number of species of the jacaranda, varying in tint from a
deep rich brown to a beautiful violet. The latter kind I have
never seen north of the equator, save in small specimen-pieces;
but, at the Fazenda do Governo, Dr. Joaquin A. P. Da Cunha, the
amiable proprietor, showed me, in his establishment for making
sugar, a beam, fifty feet long and three feet in diameter, of the
violet-tinted jacaranda. It had performed the menial office of a
connecting-beam for fifty years, and its exterior was dusty; but,
on chipping it, I found it to be of the most beautiful violet. The
wood of Dr. Da Cunha's pig-pen consisted of boards and sticks of
rosewood: but let none of my readers imagine a highly-polished
piano or a splendid centre-table; for exposure to the atmosphere
renders the jacaranda as plebeian in appearance as the commonest
weather-beaten pine. The rosewood-tree is cut down, deprived
of its branches, and conveyed to market generally by floating it
to some seaport-town, whence it is shipped to North America and
Europe. It is of exceeding hardness and durability,-cog-wheels
made of this wood lasting longer than those constructed from any
other ligneous substance.  The United States annually purchase
of Brazil eighty thousand dollars' worth of rosewood.
As I was journeying in the province of Minas, I observed a flock
of birds of which I had seen the same species at the foot of the Organ
Mountains, and which I then took to be the common blackbirds so
well known in North America; but a closer inspection showed them
to possess a bill of remarkable thickness. They had a clear and
musical whistle, and I afterward discovered them to be the ani,a genus of scansorial birds found only in Tropical America. They
are sometimes called the keel-bill. They live in flocks, and it is
said that they have practical communism among them, many pairs




438


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


using the same nest, which is built on the branches of trees, and
is of a large size. Here they lay and hatch in concert.
I cannot enter into the details of my
journey in Minas-Geraes, but I am reluctant,.   jp      to pass over a visit to one of the finest
'<-.;  H   plantations in the province. The proprietor
was a Brazilian, and the whole fazenda,
in its minutest details, was carried on in the
H' i.\'    ~ manner peculiar to the country, without
J  d I\  any admixture of foreign modes of government and culture.
Twelve miles beyond the Parahibuna (an
T HE K EEL -B ILL.  affluent of the Parahiba) we turned aside
from the highway, and, after riding through
a belt of enclosed forest-land, we saw before us the large plantationhouse of Soldade, belonging to Senhor Commendador Silva Pinto.
The approach to the mansion was between two rows of palm-trees,
around whose trunks a beautiful bignonia (the venusta) entwined
itself, and then threw its climbing branches over the feathery leaves
of the palms, thus forming a magnificent arch of flowers and
foliage. The buildings, in the form of a hollow square, occupied
an acre of ground. On two sides of the square was the residence
of the Commendador and his family, while the remaining sides
consisted of the sugar-establishment and the dwellings of the
slaves. We entered the court-yard by a high gateway, and then
for the first time we perceived the venerable planter sitting in a
second-story veranda, reading. So soon as he saw us he laid down
his book, descended into the square, and with great affability bade
us a warm welcome. The American party doubtless owed this
hospitable reception to one of our companions, Dr. Ildefonso Gomez,
a Brazilian whom almost every man of science visiting the Empire
has delighted to honor for his intelligence, for his eminent abilities
as a naturalist, and for his integrity as a man.
Servants flew about noiselessly at the commands of the Commendador: they gave us rooms, hot coffee, hot baths, &c. &c.
Then both they and their master did that which is most grateful
to the weary traveller: they let us alone.
When I had performed my ablutions and was recovered from




PETER PARLEY IN BRAZIL.


439


fatigue, I went to the veranda where the Commendador had been
reading. I picked up his book, and to my astonishment I here
found that it was A BHistoria Universale do Senhor Pedro Parley,
(Peter Parley's Universal History!) Old Peter Parley in the interior of Brazil! I knew that England had availed herself of those
books which have delighted Anglo-American childhood, and that
hosts of counterfeiters and imitators had arisen, assuming that
nom de plume; but it was beyond my most sanguine expectations
to have ever seen in the Portuguese language, and in an interior
province of distant Brazil, the history of the Eastern and Western
Continents by Senhor Pedro Parley amusing and instructing youth
and old age. It was no imitation. In reading the preface, I perceived that some priest had had to do with the translation, for it
roundly asserted that Senhor Pedro Parley was um bom Catholico
Romano! which will doubtless be an important piece of information to the veritable Puritan-descended Peter.
I looked from the veranda upon a scene of cultivation. Close at
hand were one hundred and fifty hives with bees; gently-rounded
hills were covered with grazing flocks and herds, cotton and sugar
fields were in valleys, while Indian corn and mandioca in large
tracts were far to our right. The orange-orchard was the largest
that I ever saw in any land: it was computed that there were ten
thousand bushels of six different kinds of the luscious fruit. The
sweet lemon abounded to such an extent that it was estimated
that there were five thousand bushels. A "sweet lemon" seems
almost as much of a contradiction in terms as an honest thief; but
it is a reality. Dr. Ildefonso Gomez informed me that this fruit,
exactly resembling the acid one bearing the same name, was
originally a sour lemon, but, by a disease and by grafting, a new
species has been produced. The taste is not so rich as that of an
orange, but is very quenching to the thirst, and the Brazilians at
Rio consume great quantities of them. Near S. Romao, a little
place on the head-waters of the San Francisco, the lemon-tree has
become naturalized, and the cattle that pasture in the woods are so
fond of the fallen fruit that when killed their flesh smells strongly
of it.
Of all the articles mentioned above, not one finds its way to
market. They are for the sustenance and clothing of the slaves,




440


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


of whom the Commendador formerly had seven hundred. These
are engaged in cultivating coffee, (for this is the great coffeeregion,) which is the only crop intended by the proprietor to bring
back a pecuniary return. This senhor owns other plantations, but
that of Soldade contains an area of sixty-four square miles.
At dinner we were served in a large dining-room. The Commendador sat at the head of the table, while his guests and the
various free members of his family sat upon forms, the feitors
(overseers) and shepherds being at the lower end. He lives in
true baronial style, and I was reminded of the description by Mr.
J. G. Kohl of castle-life among the noblemen of Courland and
Livonia. A pleasant conversation was kept up during the long repast, and at its close three servants came,-one bearing a massive
silver bowl a foot and a half in diameter, another a pitcher of the
same material containing warm water, while a third carried
towels. The newly-arrived guests were thus served in lieu of
finger-basins, which are rarely seen outside the capital.
The Commendador had a chapel in his mansion, and each morning mass was performed by an amiable young Portuguese priest,
who knew much more about music than the gospel. The padre
had many questions to ask concerning the peculiar doctrines of
Protestants, and I was surprised to find that he possessed no
Bible. I presented him with a New Testament, and before my departure we had many most earnest and serious conversations in
regard to vital piety and the solemn responsibility that was upon
him to teach the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. With the approval
of the Commendador, (which was heartily given,) explanations of
the Scriptures were hereafter to constitute a portion of the chapelservice on Sundays.
On these interior plantations there is a beautiful custom at vespers of offering a short prayer and wishing each other a goodnight; not that they then retire, but boa noite is the form of a
blessing. We were all sitting on the veranda as the last rays of
the sun were gilding the hill and the distant forest. The chapelbell struck the vesper-hour. The conversation was arrested: we
all arose to our feet. The hum of the sugar-mill ceased; the shout
of the children died away; the slaves that were crossing the courtyard stopped and uncovered the head. All devoutly folded their




THE PLANTATION-ORCHESTRA.


441


hands and breathed the evening prayer to the Virgin. I too joined
in devotion to the blessed Saviour, the sole Mediator, and when
the padre and others wished me the blessing in the name of Nossa
Senhora, I returned the benediction em nome de Nosso Senhor Jesus
Christo. The noise of merry voices again rang through the courtyard; the day's labor was finished; and soon night, with its darkness, silence, and repose, reigned over Soldade.
Another custom I observed in various parts of Brazil, which,
though a mere unmeaning form, is a custom both Christian and
beautiful. I doubt, however, if one in a thousand attach any
deeper significancy to it than we do to "good-morning."  At the
close of the day the slaves enter the room where their master is,
and, with their hands crossed, each addresses the fazendeiro in a
pious salutation, the full form of which is, "I beseech your blessing
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," and the reply should be,
"Our Lord Jesus Christ bless you forever;" but in time this prayer
and benediction are abbreviated to the last words of each sentence,
which are pronounced in a most rapid and business-like manner by
both parties:-Jesus Christo -   sempre, (forever.)
In the course of our conversation the Commendador told us that
he had his "own music now."  He spoke of it very humbly. We
desired to hear his musicians, supposing that we should hear a
wheezy plantation-fiddle, a fife, and a drum. The Commendador
said that we should be gratified in the evening. An hour after
vespers I heard the twanging of violins, the tuning of flutes, short
voluntaries on sundry bugles, the clattering of trombones, and all
those musical symptoms preparatory to a beginning of some march,
waltz, or polka.  I went to the room whence proceeded these
sounds; there I beheld fifteen slave musicians,-a regular band:
one presided at an organ, and there was a choir of younger negroes
arranged before suitable stands, upon which were sheets of printed
or manuscript music. I also observed a respectable colored gentleman (who sat near me at dinner) giving various directions. He
was the maestro. Three raps of his violin-bow commanded silence,
and then a wave of the same, d la Julien, and the orchestra commenced the execution of an overture to some opera with admirable
skill and precision. I was totally unprepared for this. But the
next piece overwhelmed me with surprise: the choir, accompanied




442


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


by the instruments, performed a Latin mass. They sang from their
notes, and little darkies from twelve to sixteen years of age read
off the words with as much fluency as students in the Freshman
year. I could scarcely believe my eyes and ears, and in order to
try the accomplishments of the company I asked the maestro for
the Stabat Mater: he instantly replied, "Sim, Senhor," named to
the musicians the page, waved his bdton, and then the wailing and
touching strains of Stabat Mater sounded through the corridors of
Soldade. While at supper we were regaled by waltzes and stirring
marches,-among the latter "Lafayette's Grand March," composed
in the United States. The maestro regretted that they had it not
in their power to play our three national airs; but I promised him
that when an opportunity should afford I would take pleasure in
adding to his musical library "Yankee Doodle," "Hail Columbia,"
and the "Star-spangled Banner." One morning at three o'clock I
was awakened by a servant, who informed me that the orchestra
was about to play the Brazileiro in honor of O Senhor Commendador's guests; and in a few minutes the band, with the addition of
big drum, little drum, and cymbals, startled the early birds by the
national anthem of Brazil, which was succeeded by "Lafayette's
Grand March."
Before our departure from Soldade, the hospitable proprietor
furnished us horses, and we sallied forth to roam over the immense
plantation. A portion of our party carried their guns, hoping to
meet with game in our ramble. We rode over hills used as pasture-ground, which were literally dotted with the upright and
fallen columns that had been erected by the termites, or white ant.
These curious edifices and their still more curious architects have
always had a great attraction for the naturalist. The hillocks
are conical in their shape, but not with a broad base and tapering
point as those built by the termites of Africa. Exposure to the
sun has rendered them exceedingly hard, and doubtless many
that are seen upon the uplands of S. Paulo and Minas-Geraes are
more than a century old; for houses whose walls have been built
from the same earth are still in existence which were built by early
settlers in the seventeenth century. Sometimes the termites'
dwelling is overturned by the slaves, the hollow scooped wider, and
is then used as a bake-oven to parch Indian corn. In my ride over




LITERARY WHITE ANTS.


443


Soldade I saw a number of very large vultures, who, during the
rain, had taken refuge in the houses that had been vacated by the
white ant.
These insects do not, however, always dwell in columnar edifices
of three and six feet in height. I have seen, in some portions of
Brazil, the ground ploughed up, to the extent of one hundred
feet in circumference, by one nest of white ants. Again, they will
climb trees, carrying building materials with them, and erecting
a small archway (resembling
what carpenters call an "inchbead") over them for protection 
against their sworn enemy, the
black or brown ant, and on the
loftiest branches they will construct their nest. In cities they  -A(<, 
are sometimes very destructive:
hence every Brazilian lady keeps               -     
her fine robes in tin boxes, and 
each gentleman who pretends to
WHITE  ANTS  IN  A  TREE.
a library must often look at it
to see if the cupim, or white ant, has not become a most penetrating
reader of his volumes. My introduction to the cupim was in the
house of our former Consul, ex-Governor Kent. A box of books
sent out by the American Tract Society was placed in a lower
room, and the next morning it was announced to me that the
cupim had entered my property. I hastened to the room, and,
turning over the box, beheld a little black hole at the bottom, and
white, gelatinous-looking ants pouring out as though very much
disturbed in their occupation. I opened the box, and found that
a colony of cupim had eaten through the pine wood, and then
had pierced through "Baxter's Call," "Doddridge's Rise and
Progress," until they had reached the place where Bunyan's
Pilgrim lay, when they were rudely deranged in their literary
pursuits.
On another occasion I saw a Brussels carpet, under which cupim
had insinuated themselves and had eaten out nearly all the canvas
before the proprietor made the sad discovery.
Dr. Kidder, at Campinas, witnessed the depredations of the white






444             BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
ants in the taipa (clay-built) houses. They insinuate themselves
into the mud walls, and destroy the entire side of a house by perforations. Anon they commence working in the soil, and extend
their operations beneath the foundations of houses and undermine them. The people dig large pits in various places, with the
intent of exterminating tribes of ants which have been discovered
on their march of destruction.
Mr. Southey states, on the authority of Manoel Felix, that some
of these insects, at one time, devoured the cloths of the altar in
the Convent of S. Antonio, at Maranham, and also brought up into
the church pieces of shrouds from the graves beneath its floor;
whereupon the friars prosecuted them according to due form of
ecclesiastical law. What the sentence was in this case, we are
unable to learn. The historian informs us, however, that, having
been convicted in a similar suit at the Franciscan Convent at
Avignon, the ants were not only excommunicated from the Roman
Catholic Apostolic Church, but were sentenced by the friars "to
the pain of removal, within three days, to a place assigned them
in the centre of the
earth." The canonical account grave^^l1^^       item '^? "- th"? '    ne Myrmecophaga,
Tu:**.  v:;: ',ly adds that the ants
N  ~:~~  obeyed, and carried
{GREAT ANAaway              all  their
young and all their
stores!
The white   and
ant-eatero of which           ther  ants  have,
ant-eater is a mot crios anim, bt     however,   enemies
''          y,!x...~:, far more tangible
than bulls of excommunication, in,tT'~,.,_, ~..the    lyrmecophaga,
I_...or the great antGREAT ANT EATER.            eater, the Tamandua, and the "little
ant-eater" of which the last two have a prehensile tail. The great
ant-eater is a most curious animal, but well adapted to the purposes








u I-_i -;-;?;
_ _1-7-;~  f,? \\i
jli                      
lilr:l j: `i'iii\g`~`  g: ir i
~,~\ ` i,~, \''I
I i/- ~ 
ii bYb \7:Rt


'1,
r/7
/r
/j- -c~-L-)
-e
i


THE  JAGUAR, OR  BRAZILIAN  TIGER.




THE GREAT ANT-EATER.


445


for which it was designed by the Creator. Its short legs and long
claws (the latter doubled up when in motion) do not hinder it from
running at a good pace; and when the Indians wish to catch it
they make a pattering noise upon the leaves as if the rain were
falling, upon which the myrmecophaga cocks his huge bushy tail
over his body, and, standing perfectly stil'l, soon falls a prey. In
the northern part of Minas-Geraes a naturalist once came suddenly upon the great ant-eater, and, knowing the harmless nature
of its mouth, seized it by the long snout, by which he tried to
hold it, when it immediately rose upon its hind-legs, and, clasping
him around the middle with its powerful fore-paws, completely
brought him to a stand.   It was struck down with a club a
number of times, but soon recovered and ran off; and not until
a pistol-ball was lodged in its breast was the naturalist able to add
it to his collection. It measured six feet in length without the
tail, which, together with the long tufts of hair, measured full four
feet more.
When the great ant-bear sleeps, it lies on one side, rolls itself
up so that its snout rests on its breast, places all its feet together,
and covers itself with its bushy tail. When thus curled up, it is
so exactly like a bundle of hay that any one might pass it carelessly, imagining it to be a loose heap of that substance.
When it walks or runs, the claws of the fore-feet are doubled
up, causing one side only of the foot to rest upon the ground. The
proper use of these powerful claws is to obtain the white ant.
When the ant-bear wishes a meal, he attacks one of the hard
hillocks already described, and with his huge fore-paws furiously
tears out a portion of the walls, and, thrusting in his long, slender
tongue, which is covered with a viscid saliva, and to which myriads
of ants adhere, he opens his little mouth and draws it in: then,
shutting his lips, he pushes out his tongue a second time, retaining the ants in his mouth until the tongue has been completely
exserted, when he swallows them. Wallace says that the Indians
of the Upper Amazon positively assert, that the great ant-eater
sometimes kills the jaguar by tightly embracing the latter and
thrusting its enormous claws into the jaguar's sides.   The
aborigines also "declare that these animals are all females, and
believe that the male is the 'curupira,' or demon of the forest.




446


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


The peculiar organization of the animal has probably led to this
error."
As we descended the hills of Soldade on our return to the plantation-house, one of our party fired at two pacas which were feeding
near a little stream. Either the aim of the hunter was not good,
or the buckshot did not tell upon the hairy side of the animal, and
in a few moments he had swum the river and was hidden in the
thick copse of bushes and ferns. The paca, the capybara, and
agouti abound in Brazil, and are of the same family as marmots
AO,_
THE  PACA.
and beavers. The paca attracts the attention of the hunter both
on account of the difficulty of its capture (as it takes the water
and swims and dives admirably) and the esculent nature of
its flesh. It is about eighteen inches in height and two feet in
length, and its color is brown, spotted with white. The hinder
limbs (being considerably bent) are longer than the anterior
ones, and its claws are well formed for digging and burrowing.
They are easily domesticated, and make lively pets, eating readily
out of the hand of those it is accustomed to, but hiding from
strangers. A friend bound to the United States had one on shipboard, which was a great favorite, and bade fair to weather the
voyage and visit the shores of North America; but either the




THE MUSICAL CART.


447


new paint, or some salt water that he drank in a storm, cut short
the thread of his existence, and poor paca was consigned to the
blue waves of the Atlantic.
After leaving our kind host, we journeyed toward Barbacena, over
roads that can be used for vehicles; but the only movable article
of that kind which we saw was the Roman cart, unimproved since
the days of the Georgics. Indeed, all Roman carriages were of the
same simple plan. The wheels did not turn on their axis, but axis
and wheels turned together. We could often hear music of a most
fortissime character, which they ground out as they moved slowly
over the plantations. I was informed that the Brazilians construct
these carts of a particular wood, having special reference to the
musical qualities, which, when put into action under a heavy
load and behind three yoke of cattle, resemble the concentrated
powwow of a thousand belligerent tomcats. On the day of some
THE MUSICAL CART.
festa, I was travelling near the banks of the Parahiba, and miles
away I heard the grinding of a cart. The distance had somewhat
mellowed its music, and, after a long ride, I came up with it, and
found a gay party of country Brazilians in their holiday attire
riding upon the old Roman chariot, which was adorned with bedcovers of a bright pattern. The unbonneted senhoras seemed as
much at home in their turn-out, and doubtless as proud of it, as the




448


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


most dashing lady of the Fifth Avenue in her cushioned coach
which sways softly upon the most modern elastic springs.
The province of Minas-Geraes is the most important of all the
inland divisions of the Empire, owing to its mineral and vegetal
riches, its immense herds, its accessibility to market, and its
population. It contains eight hundred thousand inhabitants, and
yet is so extensive that there are within its area of one hundred
and fifty thousand square miles many forests,-a perfect wilderness, overrun with Indian tribes, and where the jaguar roams in
undisturbed independence.
Other portions are among the most improved and eligible parts
of the Empire. One writer has remarked, with great emphasis,
that, if there be one spot in the world which might be made to surpass all others, Minas is that favored spot. Its climate is mild and
healthful; its surface is elevated and undulating; its soil is fertile,
and capable of yielding the most valuable productions; its forests
abound in choice timber, balsams, drugs, and dye-woods.
But all these circumstances together have not given the province so much celebrity as the single fact of its inexhaustible
mineral wealth. Its name signifies the general or universal mines,
and, accordingly, mines of gold, silver, copper, and iron are found
within its borders, besides quantities of precious stones. Several
of the most valuable gold-mines not far from Ouro Preto have been
wrought by an English mining company for the last twenty years.
This enterprise has been unquestionably a source of profit to its
stockholders, and has rendered great service to the country generally, by introducing the most approved methods of mining and
by giving an impetus to Brazilian industry. This company constantly employs a large number of miners from Cornwall, and has
established quite an English village at its principal mine.
The agricultural capacities of the province are very great. It
yields coffee, sugar, tobacco, and cotton. It indeed produces some
coarse manufactures of cotton. Its soil yields Indian corn in great
profusion, and may be made to grow wheat. Upon its campinas,
or upland prairies, innumerable herds of cattle, and some flocks of
sheep, are pastured. The milk of the cows is converted into a
species of soft cheese, known as the queijo de Minas. Immense
quantities of them may be seen at Rio de Janeiro, and from that




THE HISTORY OF COFFEE.


449


port they are scattered along the coast, being very much esteemed
as an article of food.
The great staple, however, of Minas-Geraes, and of the whole
Empire of Brazil, is coffee. What a history might be written of
the voyages, the naturalization, and the uses of this member of the
Rubiacece family! The coffee-tree is not, as is generally supposed,
a native of Arabia, but its home is Abyssinia, and particularly
that district called Kaffa, whence the name of the beverage-berry.
To this day the coffee-plant is found growing as far as the sources
of the White Nile. It was not taken to Arabia until the fifteenth
century, when, being cultivated extensively, with great success as
to quantity and quality, in the province or Kingdom of Yemen, and
embarked from Mocha, the coffee of that portion of the world obtained a celebrity which it has never lost. When it was introduced
by the Orientals into Europe we know not; but as early as 1538
we find edicts against it, issued by the Mohammedan priests, on
the ground that the faithful went more to the coffee-shops than to
the mosque. The earliest notice that we have of it in France is
in 1643, when a certain adventurer from the Levant established in
Paris a coffee-house, which did not succeed. In a few years, however, it became the mode among the aristocracy, through its
inauguration by Soliman Aga, the Ambassador of the Sublime
Porte at the Court of Louis XIV. Several of the high personages
of the time resisted its introduction,-among them the celebrated
Madame de S6vigne, who had declared that the popularity of coffee
would be merely ephemeral; and, in the intensity of her admiration for Corneille, she predicted that Le Racine passerait comme le
cafe, (Racine will be forgotten as soon as coffee,) both of which
predictions have proved rather detrimental to the prophetic reputation of the renowned lady letter-writer. Before the middle of the
seventeenth century it was in vogue in the principal capitals of
Europe. An English merchant from Constantinople was the first
to introduce it to the Londoners, and his wife, being a young and
pretty Greek, was a most attractive saleswoman. It is said that
the coffee-houses were greatly multiplied during the Protectorate,
and that Cromwell, wishing to protect the interest of the taverns,
and doubtless urged on by the publicans, caused them to be closed.
Previous to the eighteenth century, all the coffee consumed in
29




450


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Europe was brought from Arabia Felix vid the Levant, and the
Pachas of Egypt and Syria took good care to increase their coffers
by exorbitant transit duties. This exaction was broken up by the
vessels of Holland, (first,) England, and France sailing around the
Cape of Good Hope to Mocha. In 1699, Van Horn, first President
of the Dutch East Indies, obtained coffee-plants and had them
cultivated in Batavia, where they wonderfully prospered, and the
berries of Java obtained a reputation second only to those of Mocha.
One of the Batavian shrubs was transplanted to the Botanical
Gardens of Amsterdam in 1710, and by great care succeeded so well
that a shoot was sent to Louis X1V. and placed in the Jardin des
Plantes. From this last plant, slips were confided to M. Isambert
to be taken to Martinique; but M. Isambert died before the arrival
of the ship, and consequently the coffee-plants perished. In 1720,
Antoine de Jussieu, of the Royal Botanical Gardens, sent, by Captain Declieux, three more coffee-shrubs, also destined to Martinique.
The voyage was long, the vessel was short of water: two of the
plants died, but Captain Declieux shared his ration of water with
the cafier, and thus succeeded in introducing it into the West
Indies: that plant was the ancestor, it is said, of all the coffeeplantations in America.
The honor of planting the first coffee-tree in Brazil belongs to
the Franciscan Friar Villaso, who in 1754 placed one in the
garden of the San Antonio Convent at Rio de Janeiro. It was not,
however, until after the Haytien insurrection that coffee became an
object of great cultivation and commerce in Brazil. In 1809, the
first cargo was sent to the United States, and all the coffee raised
in the Empire in that year scarcely amounted to 30,000 sacks,
while in the Brazilian financial year of 1855 there were exported
3,256,089 sacks, which brought into the country nearly $25,000,000.
The United States, during the financial year ending June 30, 1856,
imported, from all coffee-producing countries, 235,241,362 pounds of
the beverage-berry, 180,243,070 pounds (i.e. nearly three-fourths
of the whole) of which came from Brazil. The next highest
country on the list is Venezuela, which sent us 16,546,166 pounds;
and thirdly, Hayti, from which we imported about 13,500,000
pounds. The whole sum paid by the United States for coffee was
$21,514,196, of which Brazil received no less than $16,091,714.




COFFEE-CULTURE.


451


The great coffee-region, as has been mentioned, is on the banks
of the Rio Parahiba, and in the province of San Paulo; but every
year it is more widely cultivated, and a considerable quantity is
now grown in provinces farther northward. It can be planted by
burying the seeds or berries, (which are double,) or by slips. The
trees are placed six or eight feet apart, and those plants which
have been taken from the nursery with balls of mould around their
roots will bear fruit in two years; those detached from the earth
will not produce until the third year, and the majority of such
shrubs die. In the province of S. Paulo, and the richest portions
of Minas-Geraes, one thousand trees will yield from 2560 to 3200
pounds, in Rio de Janeiro from 1600 to 2560. In some parts of S.
Paulo, one thousand trees have yielded 6400 pounds; but this is
extraordinary. In the province of Rio de Janeiro, trees are generally cut down every fifteen years. There are some cafiers on the
plantation of Senator Vergueiro which are twenty-four years old,
and are still bringing forth fruit. As a general rule, they are not
allowed to exceed twelve feet in height, so as to be in reach. When
the berry is ripe, it is about the size and color of a cherry, and
resembles it, or a large cranberry: of these berries a negro can
daily collect about thirty-two pounds. There are three gatherings
in the year, and the berries are spread out upon pavements or a
level portion of ground, (the terreno,) from whence they are taken
when dry and denuded of the hull by machinery, and afterward conveved to market. Nothing is more beautiful than a coffee-plantation in full and virgin bloom. The snowy blossoms all burst forth
simultaneously, and the extended fields seem almost in a night
to lay aside their robe of verdure, and to replace it by the most
delicate mantle of white, which exhales a fragrance not unworthy
of Eden. But the beauty is truly ephemeral, for the snow-white
flowers and the delightful odor pass away in twenty-four hours.
It is by toilsome journeys on mule-back that the coffee-sacks
from Minas-Geraes generally reach a market, and nothing so much
hinders the general prosperity of this province as its lack of good
roads and some feasible thoroughfare to a market. The province
has, of late years, expended considerable sums upon the construction of roads, but as yet it cannot send a single ton of its produce
to market upon wheels. The journey from Ouro Preto, the capital,




452


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


to Rio de Janeiro,-a distance of about two hundred miles,-is
performed on the backs of mules and horses only, and ordinarily
requires fifteen days.
As to education, it is but just to say that Minas-Geraes, according to official statistics, takes the lead of all the provinces in this
praiseworthy enterprise.  The provincial Government has made
large expenditures for the support of schools, and the people seem
to have appreciated the benefit to be derived from them.
Should the long-talked-of enterprise of steam navigation upon
the Rio Doce and the Rio de S. Francisco ever prove successful,
the interests of Minas-Geraes would, it is presumed, be greatly
promoted.
As to the navigation of the Rio San Francisco,-a river as large
as the Volga,-a glance at the map will show its importance to
Minas and all other provinces watered by it and its tributaries.
The San Francisco is the largest river emptying into the Atlantic
between the Amazon and the Rio de la Plata. It rises in the province of Minas, and waters the soil of Bahia, Pernambuco, Sergipe,
and Alagoas, in its course to the ocean. From the mouth of the
Rio das Velhas to the Falls of Paulo Affonso, not many leagues
east of Joazeira, a distance of seven hundred miles, its waters are
suitable for navigation, although, from the sparseness of population
on its banks, and the lack of enterprise, it is but little used for this
purpose. The Falls of Paulo Affonso are described by those who
have seen them as an immense cataract, over which the river
plunges, forming a spectacle of the utmost grandeur. The vapors
arising from the ravine may be seen at a great distance. They
resemble the smoke of a conflagration in the midst of the forest.
The river does not again find a tranquil bed until near its embouchure, but for the space of seventy-five miles dashes with fury
over a succession of rapids and smaller cataracts, which effectually
interrupt the passage of vessels and forbid the hope of any artificial connection between the upper and lower navigation.
But these difficulties are about to be overcome in another manner: a railway from Pernambuco to Joazeira has already been
projected, through the enterprise of the Messrs. de Mornay, who
have obtained the concession of the first portion for its construction from the city of Pernambuco to Agoa Preta, on the river Una,




RAILROAD TO THE S. FRANCISCO.


453


a distance of seventy-four miles. From Bahia also another road
has been projected northward to Joazeira. Now, from the latter
point to the mouth of the Rio das Velhas there is an uninterrupted
steamboat navigation for seven hundred miles, and numerous tributary rivers increase the navigation to nearly two thousand miles.
It is therefore from the Barra das Velhas that a railway will most
probably be made to Rio de Janeiro, about four hundred and thirty
miles in a straight line,-the whole comprising, by rail and by
river, as Mr. Borthwick in his excellent report says, "a grand internal communication between the capital and the most thriving
provinces;" and such is its necessity that it is only a question of
time. When such a system of internal improvements is completed,
no province will be more benefited than Minas-Geraes.
INHABITANTS OF THE FORESTS OF GOYAZ.
Upon the west and north of Minas-Geraes is the large province
of Goyaz. Like most of the interior portions of Brazil, Goyaz was
discovered and overrun at an early day by the Paulistas, in their
search for mines and Indian slaves. It abounds in gold, diamonds,
and precious stones; but its remoteness from the sea-shore, and its
lack of roads, canals, and steamboats upon its navigable rivers, are
great obstacles to the development of its resources.
This province, bounded on the west by the Araguaia, may be
considered as occupying the central portion of Brazil, and is not
generally mountainous, although its surface is elevated and unequal. Some tall virgin forests are seen upon the banks of its
rivers, in which most comical monkeys abound; but the larger




454


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


part of the province is covered with that species of low and
stunted shrubbery which prevails in large portions of the province
of Minas, and is designated by the terms catingas and carasqueiros.
Its soil yields the usual productions of Brazil, together with many
of the fruits of Southern Europe.      Cultivation  has progressed
further in Goyaz than in Mato Grosso, though it is still extremely
backward.
The name of this province is derived from the Goyas, a tribe of
Indians formerly inhabiting its territory, but now nearly extinct.
Various other tribes still exist within its borders, several of which
cherish a deadly hatred to the people who have invaded their
domains and disturbed them in their native haunts. Settlements
are often laid waste by the hostile incursions of these Indians.
In Goyaz, as well as in other portions of the interior, the traveller will find plenty of honey made by stingless bees. I do not
know that it holds true in Brazil, as in North America, that the
bee precedes by a few miles the onward march of civilization,advances as the Indian and the wild beast prepare to take their
departure,-and thus is the pioneer of a better state of things; but
it gives of its sweets to sustain and cheer the settler and the
voyageur in those vast and fertile solitudes.   I suppose that the
bees of Brazil are indigenous, and not like the honey-bee of the
United States, which was unknown before the arrival of Europeans,
and to which the Indians-having no term for it in their language
-gave the name of "English flies."      The greater portion of the
Brazilian bees possess, in their absence of weapons, a peculiarity
which many a stung sufferer would wish the Apis mellifica of North
America possessed. Some of these bees make sour honey, which
will compensate for sweet lemons.*
* Dr. Gardner, in his visit to Goyaz, was entertained at a little place not far from
Natividade, near the mountains which form the southwestern boundary of Piauhi.
"The owner of the house," he says, "returned from the woods, shortly after our
arrival, with a considerable quantity of wild honey, some of which he kindly gave
us, and we found it excellent: it was the product of one of the smaller bees so
numerous in this part of Brazil. This was the season in which the people go to
the woods in search of honey. It is so generally used, that, after leaving Duro,
[where Goyaz, Piauhi, and Pernambuco are contiguous,] a portion was presented
to us at almost every house where we stopped. These bees mostly belong to the
genus Melipona, ILLIG., and I collected a great many, which, with some other zoo



GOYAZ-STINGLESS BEES.                                    455
In some portions of Goyaz society is very backward, but not
altogether in      the    state  which     existed    at the    time   (1817) of St.
IIilaire's visit. There is a powerful class of the inhabitants called
vaqueiros, or cattle-proprietors. These men possess vast herds of
horned cattle, and their principal business is to mark, tend, and
fold them. They understand the use of the lasso, and also of the
long knife. However, their moral and intellectual condition is by
no means perfect.
logical specimens, were afterward lost in crossing a river. A list of them, with
their native names and a few observations, may not be uninteresting:"1. Jatahy.-This is a very minute yellowish-colored species, being scarcely two lines long. The
honey, which is excellent, very much resembles that of the common hive-bee of Europe.
"2. Mulher branco.-About the same size as No. 1, but of a whitish color: the honey is likewise good,
but a little acid.
"3. Tubi.-A little black bee, smaller than a common house-fly: the honey is good, but has a peculiar bitter flavor.
"4. Manoel d'Abreu.-About the size of the tubi, but of a yellowish color: its honey is good.
"5. Atakira.-Black, and nearly the same size as the tubi,-the principal distinction between them
consisting in the kind of entrance to their hives: the tubi makes it of wax, the ataklira of clay. Its
honey is very good.
"6. Oariti.-Of a blackish color, and about the same size as the tubi: its honey is rather sour, and
not good.
"7. Tataira.-About the size of the tubi, but with a yellow body and a black head: its honey is
excellent.
"8. Mumbfico.-Black, and larger than the tubi: the honey, after being kept about an hour, becomes
as sour as lemon-juice.
"9. Bcjui.-Very like the tubi, but smaller: its honey is excellent.
" 10. Tiubd.-Of the size of a large house-fly, and of a grayish-black color: its honey is excellent.
"11. Bord.-About the size of a house-fly, and of a yellowish color: its honey is acid.
"12. Urussu.-About the size of a large humble-bee: the head is black and the body yellowish. It
produces good honey.
"13. Urussu preto.-Entirely black, and upward of an inch in length: it likewise produces good
honey.
"14. Canidra.-Black, and about the same size as No. 13: its honey is too bitter to be eatable. It is
said to be a great thief of the honey of other bees.
"15. Cteupe.-About the size of No.10, of a black color. It makes its hive of clay on branches of
trees, and is often of a very large size. Its honey is good.
"16. Urapua.-Very like No. 15, but always builds its hive rounder, flatter, and smaller.
"17. Enchiu.-This is a kind of wasp about the size of a house-fly: its head is black and the body
yellow. It builds its hive in the branches of trees: this is of a papery tissue about three feet in circumference. Its honey is good.
"18. Enchu pequeno.-Very similar to the last, but always makes a smaller hive: it also produces
good honey.
"The first eleven of these honey-bees construct their cells in the hollow trunks of trees, and the
others either in similar situations or beneath the ground. It is only the last three kinds that sting, all
the others being harmless. The only attempt I ever saw to domesticate these bees was by a Cornish
miner in the Gold District, who cut off those portions of the trunks of the trees which contained the
nest, and fastened them up under the eaves of his house. They seemed to thrive very well; but whenever the honey was wanted, it was necessary to destroy the bees. Both the Indians and the other
inhabitants of the country are very expert in tracing these insects to the trees in which they hive.
They generally mix the honey-which is very fluid-with farinha before they eat it, and of the wax
they make a coarse kind of taper about a yard long, which serves in lieu of candles, and which the
country-people bring to the villages for sale. We found this very convenient, and always carried a sufficient stock with us: not unfrequently we were obliged to manufacture them ourselves from the wax
obtained by my own men."




456


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


But, in the general improvement which is gradually pervading
all Brazil, this province receives its share; and, when the railways
are completed to Joazeira, Goyaz will be easily brought within
a few hours of the great marts on the Atlantic seaboard. The
various affluents of the Tocantins and of the Parahiba do Sul
water this province, and afford it a certain species of communication with the adjacent provinces; and yet in the middle and
southern provinces I have met with travellers and mule-troops
taking the long and fatiguing land-route to Rio de Janeiro and
Santos. From Goyaz, the capital of the province, to Para, the
distance is more than one thousand miles, and this journey has
been performed the whole way by water, with the exception of a
few leagues. This long river-route was accomplished as early as
1773, under the governorship of Jose d'Almeida de Vasconcellos
Sobral e Carvalho, and we of the North are filled with wonder
that this navigation does not become permanent and reliable. As
Brazilian steamers have been running regularly upon the Amazon
since 1853, we may hope in time to see the waters of the Tocantins and its tributaries furrowed by suitable vapores, and thus this
rich province become fully developed.
Mate Grosso is an immense province, containing a greater area
than the original thirteen States of the Union. It is west of
Goyaz, and borders upon Bolivia, the Argentine Confederation,
and Paraguay.
Mato Grosso may be reached from Para by ascending either the
Tocantins, the Chingu, the Tapajos, or the Madeira Rivers. A
glance at the map would lead one to suppose that the passage of
the Madeira was not only the longest, but also that which would
be in every way the most difficult. It is, however, better known
than either of the others, and is the only one which has, to any
extent, been a commercial thoroughfare.
The distance in a right line from Para to Villa Bella, or Mato
Grosso, (one of the principal towns of the province,) is about one
thousand miles. Not less than two thousand five hundred miles
must be traversed in making the passage by water. Lieutenant
Gibbon, U.S.N., has given a very interesting account of his
descent (in 1852) of the Mamore River, from the fort Principe de
Beira to the Madeira, and thence to Para; but the best detailed




LIEUTENANT PAGE'S SURVEY OF THE LA PLATA.  457


sketch of this long route and the numerous difficulties it opposes
to either the traveller or the merchant is found in a memoir published by the Geographical and Historical Institute of Rio de
Janeiro.
For the distance of fifteen hundred miles up the Amazon and
the Madeira, to the Falls of St. Antonio, there is nothing in the
way but a powerful current. Much of the country through which
the last-named river flows is very unhealthy. From the Falls of
St. Antonio a succession of falls and rapids extend upward more
than two hundred miles. Nearly all this distance it is necessary to
transport canoes and cargoes overland, by the most tedious and
difficult processes imaginable. Precipices must be climbed, roads
cut, and huts built from time to time as a temporary shelter
against the rains. In short, three or four months are necessarily
consumed on this part of the route. Once above this chain of
obstacles, there remain about seven hundred miles of good navigation on the Mamore and Guapor6 Rivers. Previous to steam-navigation on the Amazon the entire voyage occupied ten months,
when made by traders carrying goods. Vast numbers of Indians
and negroes are required as oarsmen and bearers of burdens. It
is customary for several companies to associate together, and the
supplies which must necessarily be provided beforehand occasion
great expense and inconvenience. The downward voyage, as a
matter of course, would be much more easily and quickly performed. Notwithstanding the tedium and the toil of this long
and dreary passage, it is generally less dreaded than the overland
route to Rio de Janeiro. On the latter, an interminable succession
of mountains, the lack of any direct or suitable roads, the impossibility of procuring provisions by the way,-at least for great
distances,-and the slow pace of loaded mules, are by no means
trifling difficulties in the way pf either despatch or pleasure.
But by the enterprise and ability of Lieutenant Thomas J. Page,
U.S.N., a new route by water to the capital of the Empire has
been opened to Brazil and the world.  This gentleman, acting
under orders of the United States Government, sailed from Norfolk in 1853, in the U. S. steamer "Water-Witch," four hundred
tons' burden and nine feet draft. The object of this expedition
was the survey of the river La Plata and its tributaries, for the




458


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


advancement of commerce and the promotion of science. Although
some obstacles presented themselves at Rio de Janeiro, the Imperial Government finally granted its consent, and the Water-Witch
went on its mission of peace; and no one can read Lieutenant
Page's report to the late Secretary of the Navy (Mr. Dobbin)
without the deepest interest, and the conviction that the surveys
and discoveries of the Commander and those under him are of the
greatest importance to North America and Europe, as well as to
Brazil and the South American States.
The investigations of Lieutenant Page on the Parana, Paraguay,
and also a number of their tributaries, show conclusively that these
rivers can become the richest channels of commerce. Of the Paraguay he says:"This river differs from the Parana in several particulars. Its
period of rising is generally the reverse; it contains but few
islands, is confined between narrow limits, is more easy of navigation, because less obstructed by shoals, and the course of its
channel is less variable; its width from one-eighth to three-fourths
of a mile, its velocity two miles per hour, and its rise is from
twelve to fifteen feet. In October it attains its maximum and in
February its minimum state. From its mouth to Assuncion, a distance of two hundred and fifty miles, there were found no less than
twenty feet of water when the river had fallen about two feet.
This depth of water remained unchanged for the distance of
several hundred miles above Assuncion, and the Water-Witch had
ascended the Paraguay seven hundred miles above this place before she found less than twelve feet. At this time the river had
fallen several feet.
"The admirable adaptation of these rivers to steam-navigation
cannot but forcibly strike the most casual observer.
"There are no obstructions from fallen trees, neither shoals nor
rocks, to endanger navigation. At suitable points-in fact, at
every point in Paraguay particularly-an abundance of the best
wood may be procured immediately on the banks; and, when
populated, no difficulty will be found in obtaining a supply of it
prepared for immediate use.  By experiment carefully made,
one cord of the Paraguay wood was ascertained to be equal, in
the production of steam, to a ton of the best anthracite coal.




DR. KANE AND LIEUTENANT STRAIN.


4 9


"The left bank of the river, up to the distance of four hundred
and fifty miles from Assuncion, is populated, but more and more
sparsely as the northern frontier is approached. Between the most
northern Paraguayan and the most southern Brazilian settlementsa distance of two hundred and fifty miles-there is no habitation of
civilized man.  Various tribes of Indians were met with at different points, with some of whom we 'held a talk,' and parted on
such friendly terms, because of the numerous presents we made
them in trinkets and tobacco, that they became somewhat troublesome, following us along the banks on horseback, desirous that we
should repeat the visit on shore."
This was the first steamer that ever ploughed the upper waters
of the Paraguay. The arrival of the Water-Witch at Coimbra
(Brazil) was hailed with the liveliest demonstrations of joy, and
Lieutenant Page was received by the authorities with the most
marked attention. Iis command, owing to the proper permission
from the Imperial Government arriving too late, did not proceed
higher than Corumba. Lieutenant Page is, however, of the opinion
that Cuiba, in Mato Grosso, may be reached by small steamers. It
is hoped that this energetic and intelligent officer may yet prosecute his surveys for the benefit of the world.
It is interesting to reflect that while the American navy has
been to a great extent, for nearly fifty years, exempt from the work
of war, her gallant officers have won imperishable laurels in the
nobler pursuits of scientific investigation. The names of Bache,
Maury, Strain, Kane, Gillis, Page, and the scores who have been
employed on coast-surveys, have done more to benefit their country
and mankind than all the naval battles of the nineteenth century.
Since these pages were commenced, two whose names are mentioned above have slept the "last sleep." When scientific attainments, self-sacrifice, and suffering shall be connected together, the
hero of the Arctic regions and the hero of the Isthmus of Darien
will not be forgotten by the thousands who shall come after us.
To both may be applied the language of Mr. George Ripley, of New
York, in regard to Kane: —"The admirable qualities which they
displayed in the discharge of their official duties are a sure pledge
of permanent fame. Courage, wisdom, fertility of resource, power
of endurance, and devotion to an idea, are stamped upon their




460


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


intrepid career." As Dr. Kane, though bent on an errand of mercy,
was the first American to attempt "to lift the dead veil of mystery
which hangs over the Arctic regions," so Lieutenant Strain, for the
benefit of mankind, was the first American to explore the wonderful rivers of that region of fabulous fertility in the South.
While a midshipman, he obtained leave to enter the interior of
Brazil, and, accompanied by a small party of brave spirits, (among
whom was Dr. Reinhart,) he explored the province of San Paulo,
tracing the rivers Tiet6 and Paranapanema nearly to their confluence with the Parana. The dangers and hardships he encountered
in this expedition were only inferior to those of the more recent
and better-known expedition to the Isthmus of Darien.         His services as an explorer were suitably acknowledged by the Imperial
Government; and in Brazil I have heard high encomiums on Lieutenant Strain, and in his death science has lost a noble son.*
It would be an interesting expedition, and great good would be
accomplished, if the Government of Brazil would consent to send
out, with England, France, and the United States, a joint scientific
commission, to explore thoroughly the whole district of Central
Brazil, from Bolivia to Bahia, with particular reference to the
navigability of the waters, that here interlace, of those vast rivers
which irrigate such a wide extent of territory.
In the northern part of this province are countless hosts of
monkeys, mostly of the howling kind. M. de Castelnau, on the
* The career of this officer after leaving Brazil may be briefly stated:-From
South America he went to California. " In 1849, returning from the Pacific, he
crossed the continent from Valparaiso to Buenos Ayres, of which he published a
narrative entitled ' The Cordillera and Pampa.' Subsequently, he was attached to
the Mexican Boundary-Commission. An African cruise followed his return from
Mexico, and not long after he led the fatal expedition across the Isthmus of Darien,
which cost so many valuable lives, and undermined the health, and has now caused
the death, of the leader. Rallying from the effects of the hardships of that adventure, he accompanied Lieutenant Berryman in the voyage of the steamer Arctic to
sound the course of the Atlantic telegraph. This was his last public service.
But his energetic spirit could not brook inaction, and at the time of his death he
was on his way to join the same ship from which he had been detached three years
before to examine the Darien route; and on the same spot where he won so high a
name among American explorers he yielded up his life."-Providence (R.I.) Journal.




A RACE OF INDIANS "WITH TAILS."


461


head-waters of the Amazon, found the written authentic account
of a padre of very early times, who affirmed that there was here
a race of Indians which
he had seen, who were
dwarfish in size and had 
tails. IIe says that one 
was brought to him whose
caudal  extremity  was                il
"the thickness of a finger,.
and half a pahn long, and                               /
covered with a smooth      \;,      /
and naked skin;" and 
also hle further sets his, 
seal to the fact that the  -                           o\; 
Indian cut his own tail
once a month, as he did,
not like to have it too
long. Was not the padre's
d warf the Brachyureus cal-.i
vus, with the short, ball-:    d,',            iiII ' 
like tail, discovered a few
years ago in this region
by Mr. Deville? 
Cuiba', the capital of
Mato   Grosso, has a 
healthy location upon a       TH E A L-H E AD E B R A C H Y U R U S.
river of the same name.
Although called a city, it is, in fact, but a village. Its houses are
nearly all built of taipa, with floors of hardened clay or brick.
The region immediately surrounding it is said to be so abundant
in gold, that some grains of it may be found wherever the earth
is excavated. It is about one hundred miles from the diamonddistrict.
Its soil is fertile, but it almost universally lacks cultivation. In
some parts particular attention is given to grazing; but, generally speaking, the inhabitants make no exertions to produce any
thing that is not requisite for their own consumption. Indeed,
they do not always reach the limit of their own necessities. The




462


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


province abounds in gold and diamonds; but, owing to the lack
of skill employed in searching for them, the products of either, for
latter years, have been very small. What is gained by the miners
and the garimpeiros, as the diamond-seekers are called, together
with a certain quantity of ipecacuanha, constitute the whole
amount of exports from the province. These articles are generally sent on mule-back to Rio de Janeiro, where manufactured
goods in return are purchased and sent back over the tedious landroute.
The first printing-press ever seen in Mato Grosso was procured
at the expense of the Government in 1838. In matters of education this province is exceedingly backward. The schools are not
only few in number, but great inconveniences are suffered from the
lack of books, paper, and nearly every other material essential to
elementary education. In addition to this low and unpromising
state of education, that of religion appears, from the reports of
successive presidents of the province, to be still worse. There are
but few churches in existence: not more than half of these are
supplied with priests; and all, without great expenses in repairing,
will ere long be in ruins.
Goyaz and Mato Grosso may be ranked together in the relation
they bear to the other portions of the Empire and of the world.
Both were originally settled by gold-hunters. The lure of treasure
led adventurers to bury themselves in the deep recesses of these
interminable forests.  Their search was successful.  Their most
eager avarice was satiated. But agriculture was neglected; people could not eat gold, and in many instances those who were able
to count their treasure by arrobas were in the greatest want of the
necessities of life. The ground was not cultivated; nothing was
exported; no flourishing towns were built. The gold-fever, abating,
left society in a state so enfeebled that we see its effects even today. Gold and diamonds hindered the progress of Goyaz and
Mato Grosso more than their dense forests and great distance
from the sea-shore. It is instructive to look at the widely-different
results of the mineral and vegetable riches of the Empire. After
Mexico and Peru, (before the discovery of Australian and Californian treasure,) Brazil furnished the largest quantum of hard currency to the commercial world. Here the diamond, the ruby, the




THE VARIEGATED BREAST PARROT
I CONURUS VERS/COLOR.
ThoiL  i. Ta-dlLL of the (Cffee  tree.,." 
~~THVAI E G T   D   B   IASrPRO[
(~~~~~_-aou~~vEscL
-g:,OTL. & ~'OT'd'L~L Ot~'l-Z/eCfeeLe


A RA;^.. L.- *..


T Sirlawr's lidt PhiL



I
I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~t




DIFFERENCE IN RESULTS FROM DIAMONDS AND COFFEE. 463


sapphire, the topaz, and the rainbow-tinted opal sparkle in their
native splendor. And yet so much greater are the riches of the
agricultural productions of the Empire, that the annual sum received for the single article of coffee surpasses the results of eighty
years' yield of the diamond-mines. From 1740 to 1822, (the era
of independence,) a period which was the most prosperous in
diamond-mining, the number of carats obtained were two hundred
and thirty-two thousand, worth not quite three and a half millions
pounds sterling. The exports of coffee from Rio alone during the
year 1851 amounted to ~4,756,794! And when we add the sums
obtained for the other great staples of sugar, cotton, seringa,
(or the India rubber,) dye-woods, and the productions of the immense herds of the South, we have, it is true, a better idea of the
sources of wealth in Brazil, but only a faint conception of the vast
resources of this fertile Empire.
Having thus glanced at all the interior provinces except
Amazonas, we next turn our attention to the maritime provinces
north of Rio de Janeiro.




CHAPTER XXIV.


CAPE FRIO-WRECK OF THE FRIGATE THETIS-CAMPOS-ESPIRITO SANTO-ABORIGINES -ORIGIN OF INDIAN CIVILIZATION-THE PALM-TREE AND ITS USESTHE TUPI-GUARANI-THE LINGOA GERAL-FEROCITY OF THE AYMORES-THE
CITY OF BAHIA-PORTERS-CADEIRAS-HISTORY OF BAHIA-CARAMURU-ATTACK
OF THE HOLLANDERS-MEASURES TAKEN BY SPAIN-THE CITY RETAKEN-THE
DUTCH IN BRAZIL-SLAVE-TRADE-SOCIABILITY OF BAHIA-MR. GILLMER, AMERICAN CONSUL-THE IUMMING-BIRD-WHALE-FISHERY-AMERICAN CEMETERYHENRY MARTYN-VISIT TO MONTSERRAT-VIEW OF THE CITY-THE EMPEROR'S
BIRTHDAY-MEDICAL SCHOOL-PUBLIC LIBRARY-IMAGE-FACTORY-THE WONDERFUL IMAGE OF ST. ANTHONY-NO MIRACLE-ST. ANTHONY A COLONELVISIT TO VALEN9A-DARING NAVIGATION-IN PURIS NATURALIBUS-THE FACTORY AND COLONEL CARSON —AMERICAN MACHINERY-SKILFUL NEGROESRETURN HOME-COMMERCE WITH THE UNITED STATES.
To reach the Brazilian North by sea has been no difficult task
since 1839. At Rio de Janeiro, scarcely three days elapse unless
some steamer, either foreign or national, embarks for the city of
Bahia. Entering one of these, in a few hours we will be abreast
of Cape Frio, which huge oval mass of granite marks the spot
where the line of coast turns to the north and forms nearly a
right angle.
Some years ago, the English frigate Thetis, bound homeward at
the expiration of a cruise in the Pacific, was wrecked upon Cape
Frio. This vessel, on leaving the harbor of Rio, where she had
touched, encountered foul weather. After struggling against it
till it was presumed she had cleared the coast, she bore away on
her course. The darkness of the night was impenetrable, and, the
wind being strong, the ship was running eight or ten knots an
hour, when, without the slightest warning or apprehension of
danger by any one on board, she dashed upon this rocky bulwark.
The officers and crew, in the shock and consternation of the moment, had barely time to transfer themselves to contiguous por464




ESPIRITO SANTO.


465


tions of the promontory, before the shivered frigate went to the
bottom. Most of those on board were saved by drawing themselves up, on shelves of the rock, out of the reach of the waves,
where, in the most constrained position, they were forced to remain
throughout the dismal night.
A good light-house has since been constructed upon Cape Frio,
which at the present time renders the approach of the navigator
nearly as safe by night as it is by day.
We pass the Parahiba River, twenty miles from the mouth of
which is the flourishing town of Campos, formerly called S.
Salvador. The vast region surrounding this town is known as the
Campos dos Goyatakazes, or plains of the Goyatakaz Indians, the
aboriginal inhabitants. It is a rich tract of country, and has, for
beauty, been compared to the Elysian fields. Campos is situated
on the western bank of the river. The town has regular and wellpaved streets, with some fine houses. Its commerce is extensive,
employing a vast number of coasting-smacks to export its sugar,
its rum, its coffee, and its rice. The sugars of Campos are said by
some to be the best in Brazil.
Not many leagues beyond the disemboguement of the Parahiba
we sail along the coast of Espirito Santo. This province embraces
the old captaincy of the same name, and part of that of Porto
Seguro. Although this portion of the coast was that discovered
by Cabral and settled by the first Donataries, yet it is still but
thinly inhabited, and has not made the improvements that may be
found in most other parts. Its soil is fertile, and especially adapted
to the cultivation of sugarcane, together with most of the intertropical productions. Its forests furnish precious woods and useful
drugs, and its waters abound with valuable fish. But vast regions
of its territory are only roamed by savage tribes, who still make
occasional plundering incursions upon the settlements. Surveys
have recently been instituted upon the rivers Doce and S. Matheus, and it is thought practicable to render those streams navigable to small steamers. Organized companies have had these
enterprises in charge, and propose to open new and direct means
of transport between the coast and the province of Minas-Geraes.
Should this undertaking succeed, it will be of great importance,
not only to the provinces of Espirito Santo and Minas-Geraes, but
30




466


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


also to the city of Bahia, to which large quantities of the produce
exported would be directly conveyed.
The distance from Rio de Janeiro to Bahia is about eight hundred
miles. There is no large city or flourishing port on the coast, nor
is there a single direct or beaten road through the interior. The
only author who has ever travelled over this portion of Brazil by
land is Prince Maximilian of Neuwied. Few naturalists have
exhibited more enthusiasm, and few travellers more persevering
industry, than did His Highness in passing through these wild and
uncultivated regions. It is difficult to form an idea of the impediments, annoyances, and dangers which he had to surmount. But
such was the interest and cheerfulness with which the Prince performed his journeys, that he described his condition by saying,
"Although scratched and maimed by thorns, soaked by the rains,
exhausted by incessant perspiration caused by the heat, nevertheless the traveller is transported in view of the magnificent
vegetation." His travels in Brazil were accomplished between the
years 1815 and 1818, and the rich and interesting work in which
he gave their results to the world furnishes up to the present day
the best account we have of the scenery and of the people on this
section of the coast. No part of Brazil has been less agitated by
the revolutions of the last half-century. Under the present regime,
there has been a gradual improvement; yet, up to 1839, the whole
province of Espirito Santo contained not a single printing-press,
and many of its churches, built with great expense by the early
settlers, are going to decay. But when we look at recent educational statistics, we find that there is progress even in this quiet
corner of the world. In 1839, there were but seven primary
schools in the province; but in 1855, the Minister of the Empire
reports twenty-nine sustained by the Imperial fund, to say nothing
of those conducted by provincial and private enterprise. Various
internal improvements are contemplated; and we hope the day is
not far distant when Espirito Santo shall have her fertile soil,
which is so well adapted to the sugar and coffee plants, teeming
with cultivation.
Frequent allusion has been made to the aboriginal tribes of Brazil.
Their history would fill many volumes. The same interest which
attaches to the Incas and their subjects, to the Montezumas and




ORIGIN OF INDIAN CIVILIZATION.


467


the millions over whom they lorded it, does not belong to the tribes
or nations which inhabited Brazil at its discovery. The few remains of antiquity which have been reported in the North are doubt.
less monuments of the Empire of the Incas east of the Andes.
That erudite and accurate student of Indian antiquities, Mr.
Schoolcraft, has, I think, clearly shown that the germ of Mexican
civilization was the cultivation of the maize, which, to produce in
quantities and in perfection, requires, at least for some months,
continued labor. Thus the ancient Mexicans, if they were even
for a short time nomadic, would be recalled to the spot whence
they drew their principal sustenance. The want of rain either
called forth efforts for artificial irrigation, or for the construction
of floating gardens on the lakes which gem the great Valley of
Azteca. These could not be well abandoned without the greatest
sacrifice, and thus there grew up insensibly a community,-a settlement. If the early history of the great Peruvian nation, which
numbered more than three times the population of Mexico, could
be known, we should doubtless find that their civilization originated
in endeavoring to procure food by the cultivation of the rainless
and arid Pacific sea-coast, by resorting to artificial irrigation.
When strength of mind and skill were developed, they could push
their way into a more favored region, driving back other tribes.
Thus, in time, they extended their conquests, their comparative
civilization, and their Sabean religion over a territory comprising
the country from the Pacific coast on the west to the eastern slope
of the Andes, and from the equator to Valparaiso.
The tribes of Brazil, however, fiom the natural irrigation, and
from the spontaneous products of the forests and plains, had no
motives to call forth that mental effort for existence which often
results in civilization. They were not settled; neither were they
habitually and widely nomadic, each tribe having certain limits,
where it remained until driven out by a superior force.  The
plantain, the banana, the cashew, the yam,-above all, the mandioca, and the more than two hundred species of palms,-furnished
them food, drink, and raiment. The little cultivation to which
they attended was that of the mandioca-root, which, when planted
in burned ground, thrives among the stumps and roots of trees
without further husbandry.




468


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


But the most generous gift (to
~t-t    /    which allusion has been made) that
bountiful Providence gave Brazil is
the palm-tree. The traveller
"~Ji  ^^~          1in the interior provinces and
i'\   ~upon the sea-coast away from
the cities is struck by the
very great application of this "Prince
of the Vegetable Kingdom" to the
wants of man. And if the prince,@     '~ plays so important a part in the doI' smestic economy of Europeans and
their descendants, his highness was
and is servant for general house and..; i  field work among the aborigines of
4<C-/?  D  Brazil. To this day it furnishes the
/X,^  %   Amazonian Indians house, raiment,./y:i   food, drink, salt, fishing-tackle, hunty ing-implements, and musical instruments, and
almost every necessary of life except flesh. Take
the hut of an Uaupe Indian on one of the affluents
of the Rio Negro. The rafters are formed by; the straight and uniform palm called Leopoldina
pulchra; the roof is composed of the
leaves of the Carana palm; the doors: * -<1;\  and framework of the split stems of
the Iriartea exhoriza. The wide
^^    bark which grows beneath
i ']lA!  the fruit of another species is
sometimes used as an apron.
The Indian's hammock, his
bow-strings, and his fishinglines are woven and twisted
from the fibrous portions of
different palms.  The comb
with which the males of some
4>/,- -_-.,'        of the   tribes adorn  their
LM (LEOPOLDINA MAJOR.)  heads is made from the hard


JARA~ASSU PAI




THE BRAZILIAN SAVAGES CANNIBALS.


469


wood of a palm; and the fish-hooks are made from the spines of
the same tree. The Indian makes, from the fibrous spathes of the
Mianicaria saccifera, caps for his head, or cloth in which he wraps
his most treasured feather-ornaments. From eight species he can
obtain intoxicating liquor; from many more (not including the
cocoanut-palm, found on the sea-coast) he receives oil and a harvest
of fruit; and from one (the Jard assut) he procures, by burning the
large clusters of small nuts, a substitute for salt. From another he
forms a cylinder for squeezing the mandioca-pulp, because it resists
for a long time the action of the poisonous juice. The great woody
spathes of the Maximiliana regia are "used by hunters to cook meat
in, as, with water in them, they stand the fire well:" (Wallace.)
These spathes are also employed for carrying earth, and sometimes
for cradles. Arrows are made from the spinous processes of the
Patawd, and lances and heavy harpoons are made from the Iriatea
ventricosa; the long blowpipe through which the Indian sends the
poisoned arrow that brings down the bright birds, the fearless
peccari, and even the thick-skinned tapir, is furnished by the
Setigera palm: the great, bassoon-like musical instruments used in
the "devil-worship" of the Uaupes are also made from the stems
of palm-trees
One would have supposed that a people thus supplied with
almost every necessity of life would have exhibited gentleness
and docility, and would have been among the most peaceful of the
denizens of the New World. On the contrary, the aborigines of
Brazil were a warlike, ferocious people, unskilled in the usual arts
of peace, and were of the most vengeful and bloody character.
Many of these tribes were cannibals: some ate their enemies in
grand ceremonial; others made war for the purpose of obtaining
human food; and others still devoured their relatives and friends
as a mark of honor and distinguished consideration. At this day,
in the remote interior, on the upper waters of the Amazon, there
exist, in as wild a state as when South America was first discovered, tribes whose anthropophagous propensities are as fully
indulged as if the European had never placed foot upon the continent. We would feel inclined to discredit the accounts of all the
early navigators who touched upon the Brazilian coasts in regard
to the cannibalism of the natives, were it not that it is fully con



470


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


firmed at the present day: forty days' journey (as travellers travel)
from the mouth of the Amazon up the river Purus, are found the
Catauixis, and near them other tribes of Indians, who, Mr. Wallace
(a thorough and truthful explorer) says, "are cannibals, killing
and eating Indians of other tribes, and they preserve the flesh
thus obtained smoked and dried."
So far as can be ascertained, there were more than one hundred
different tribes inhabiting Brazil at the discovery of South America.
The large majority of these belonged
to one race, and were called, upon
the sea-coast, Tupi Tupinaki, Tupinambi, or something similar, in the
way of a compound of the root Tup.
In the South, upon the head-waters
of the La Plata, they were called
Guarani. They were most curiously
^y\ V.  W  A 2  situated, dwelling in a narrow belt
upon the whole sea-coast from the
X#/i /;       mouth of the Amazon down to the
present province of S. Paulo. Here
A BOI^cuUL DANDY.     they extended inland to the Paraguay, and up its waters and across
the interlacings of the La Platan and Amazonian sources, where, it
is surmised, they had their origin: thence they were found upon
the Marmora, the Madeira, the Tapajoz, and other rivers, down the
Amazon to the great island of Marajo. This people spoke in effect
the same language, called by Dr. Latham, in his treatise on the
languages of the Amazon, the Tupi-Guarani. This learned philologist says that as far northward as the equator and as far south as
Buenos Ayres the Tupi-Guarani language was to be found. Now,
there were, surrounded by this widely-spread race, numerous tribes
of other aborigines, who spoke a class of languages totally distinct
and different. These different tribes, it was ascertained by the
Jesuits and traders, comprehended, to a certain extent, the TupiGuarani tongue, though their own languages were so unlike that
they scarcely had one word in common. The priests, the traders,
and the slave-hunters pushed their way through these tribes, and
each, in their widely-different mission, aided in the formation of a




THE FEROCITY OF THE AYMORES.


471


remarkable language, called the Lingoa Geral or Lingoa Franca,
which was the common vehicle of communication, from the Orinoco
to the La Plata, among people whose languages remain unknown. The trader,
the scientific explorer, and the Brazilian 
Government official, at this day have 
their intercourse with the savages of
the Japura, the Parana, the Chingu, 
and the Araguaia, by the Lingoa Geral.
The basis of this, as already observed, is
the Guarani or Tupi-Guarani tongue.*
These surrounded tribes, so to speak,
occasionally, though rarely, succeeded  -.
in reaching the c6ast. Thus, the Aymores-a cannibal tribe who acquired             P.
A NATIVE PLUG-UGLY.
such a terrible celebrity-made their
appearance upon the sea-shore a long time after the discovery of
Brazil.  The coast-tribes regarded them with horror, and considered them as irrational beings,
ignorant of the construction of
huts and of the art of adorning
their persons with the rich plumage  ^
of the parrot and the gay-painted;;"
macaw.   They had a still more
distinctive characteristic, that con- 
sisting in an unconquerable fear of
water, which impeded them from
following their enemies when they
swam a river or plunged into a 
lake. They assaulted Porto Seguro
and the Ilheos with such ferocity  LIP-ORNAMENT OF THE SOUTH
that Bellegarde says that labor        AMERICAN INDIAN.
ceased on all the plantations for want of workmen who had gone
to give them battle. They were afterward routed and nearly all


* Dr. Latham says, "With two exceptions, the distribution of the numerous dialects and subdialects of the Tupi-Guarani tongue is the most remarkable in the
world,-the exceptions being the Malay and the Athabascan tongues."




472            BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
dispersed, and there only remain as their descendants the Botacudos, a few hundred of whom still-now peacefully-wander upon
the banks of the rivers Doce and Bellemonte. These Indians,
like many of the savages of South America, wear the most absurd
ornaments of light wood, (the aloe,) which they at pleasure insert
and take out from slits in their ears and lips.
But the question naturally arises, What have become of the
numerous tribes once inhabiting the sea-coast and those provinces
where now a civilized population most abound? Where are the
Tupi-Guarani? Many wandered to remote parts of the Empire;,:-.. _,
A BOTACU DO FAM ILY ON THE MARCH.
A BOTACUDO FAMILY ON THE MARCH.
European diseases and vices, as well as war and the march of
civilization, swept them from their places. The Guarani of South
Brazil, under the Jesuits, reached a certain degree of advancement; but the inhuman Portuguese slave-hunter, who pushed his
way as far as Bolivia, with ruthless hands broke up the missions
and led them into captivity, and they soon melted away before
cruel taskmasters. Of the Tupinambas and the Tamoyos, who
dwelt in the present provinces of Rio de Janeiro and MinasGeraes, the former were exterminated, and the latter were so
constantly harassed and defeated in war by the colonists, that,
though for a long time wanting unanimity, they finally were persuaded by the eloquence of an influential and eminent chief (Jappy
Assu,-a second Orgetorix) to emigrate to the distant North,



RESEMBLANCE OF THE ABORIGINES TO THE DYAKS. 473


then more than three thousand miles from their former home,and they settled upon the southern bank of the Amazon, fiom
its confluence with the Madeira, at various points, down to the
island of Marajo. Their descendants are found this day in the
country between the Tapajoz and the Madeira, among the lakes
and channels of the great island of the Tupinambas. They are
now called the Mandrucfs,-the most
warlike Indians of South America. They 
live in villages, in each of which is a fortress where all the men sleep at night.
This building is adorned within by the
dried heads of their enemies decked        I 
with feathers.  These ghastly orna- 
merits have the features and hair per-   l
fectly preserved.
The existing tribes, in their manners
and customs, are closely allied to our 
North American Indians, with this exception:-that the savages south of the.
equator have all been found to be exceedingly deficient in any religious idea.
None of them, when first visited, seemed
to have the faintest conception of the
Great Spirit which so strikingly characterized the simple theology of the aborigines of the Mississippi and the St. Lawrence.
Attempts to civilize them have proved abortive except when they
are held in a state of pupilage, as they were by the Jesuits, or
under the rigid discipline of the Brazilian army.
The curious ethnologist will find in the tribes of the Upper
Amazonian waters the red man who has been untouched by
civilization. Mr. Wallace-who roamed for some years among
these sons of the wilderness-has given us much information in
regard to them, and says that one of the singular facts connected
with these Indians is the resemblance which exists between some of
their customs and those of nations most remote from them. Thus,
the gravatdna or blowpipe reappears in the sumpitan of Borneo;
the great houses of the Uaup6s and Mandrucufs closely resemble
those of the Dyaks of the same country; while many small baskets




474


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


and bamboo boxes from Borneo and New Guinea are so similar in
their form and construction to those of the Amazonian Indians
that they might be supposed to belong to adjoining tribes. Then,
again, the Mandruclis, like the Dyaks, take the heads of their
enemies, smoke-dry them with equal care, preserving the skin and
hair entire, and hang them up around their houses. In Australia,
the throwing-stick is used; and on a remote branch of the Amazon
(the Purus) we see a tribe of Indians (the Purupurius) differing
from all around them in substituting for the bow a weapon only
found in such a remote portion of the earth, among a people so
distinct from them in almost every physical characteristic.
The aboriginal population is unknown, and there are only about
nineteen thousand catechized or Christian Indians reported by the
Minister of the Empire.
On the ocean-route from Rio to Bahia there are four small islands,
called the Abrolhos, ("Open your eyes,") which are dangerous projections from a bank of rocks that exhibits itself occasionally
between the seventeenth and twenty-fifth degrees of south latitude, at a distance of from two to ten leagues from the mainland.
Besides these, there is also a regular reef of rocks running quite
near the shore, and generally parallel with it, the whole distance
from Cape Frio to MAaranham.   Espirito Santo, Porto Seguro,
Ilheos, and, in fact, nearly all the ports along the entire coast, are
formed by openings through this reef.
After three or four days' steaming, the lower extremity of the
island of Itaparica, with its numerous palm-trees, looms up in the
horizon, and but a short time elapses before the eye catches the
outline of the white domes and towers of Bahia San Salvador, the
second city of the Empire.
When the steamer arrived, I was, through the kindness of Sr.
Nobre, the guarda mor, immediately transferred to the shore in his
Government-barge. The walls of a circular fort rising from the
bosom of the water, built by the Dutch, frown upon the shipping;
while the fortresses on the hills command the harbor and the
entire city.
Landing at the Custom-House, I passed into the lower town,
with its narrow streets (in some places there is but one) running
parallel to the water's edge.




i
I
i
I
i
i




VIEW  OF  A  PORTION  OF  A HIA,




THE CITY OF BAHIA.


475


Along the Rua da Praya are located the Alfandega and the Consulado, through the latter of which all home-productions must pass
preliminary to exportation. Some of the trapiches (warehouses)
near by are of immense extent, and are said to be among the
largest in the world.
Around the landing-places cluster hundreds of canoes, launches,
and various other small craft, discharging their loads of fruit and
produce. On one part of the praya is a wide opening, which is
used as a market-place. Near this a beautiful spacious modern
building has been constructed for an exchange. It is well supplied
with newspapers from all parts of the world, and is in a cool and
airy situation. The principal commercial houses are situated on
the Rua Nova do Commercio, and these compose the finest blocks
of buildings in Brazil, —perhaps in all South America. These
edifices would adorn the business-portions of London, Paris, or
New York.
The lower town is not calculated to make a favorable impression
upon the stranger. The lofty buildings are nearly all old, although
generally of a cheerful exterior. The streets in this vicinity are
very narrow, uneven, and wretchedly paved, and at times as filthy
as those of New York. At the same time it is crowded with pedlars
and carriers of every description. You here become acquainted
with one peculiarity of Bahia. Owing to the irregularities of its
surface and the steepness of the ascent which separates the upper
town from the lower, it does not admit the use of wheel-carriages.
Not even a cart or truck is to be seen for the purpose of removing
burdens from one place to another. Whatever requires change of
place in all the commerce and ordinary business of this seaportand it is second in size and importance to but one other in South
America-must pass on the heads and shoulders of men. Burdens
are here more frequently carried upon the shoulders, since, the
principal exports of the city being sugar in cases and cotton in
bales, it is impossible that they should be borne on the head like
bags of coffee.
Immense numbers of tall, athletic negroes are seen moving in
pairs or gangs of four, six, or eight, with their loads suspended
between them on heavy poles. Numbers more of their fellows are
seen sitting upon their poles, braiding straw, or lying about the




476


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


alleys and corners of the streets asleep, reminding one of black
snakes coiled up in the sunshine. The sleepers generally have
some sentinel ready to call them when they are wanted for business, and at the given signal they rouse up, like the elephant to his
burden. Like the coffee-carriers of Rio, they often sing and shout
as they go; but their gait is necessarily slow and measured, resembling a dead-march rather than the double-quick step of their
Fluminensian colleagues. Another class of negroes are devoted to
carrying passengers in a species of sedan-chair called cadeiras..P Rf
PORTERS  OF  BAHIA.
It is indeed a toilsome and often a dangerous task for a white
person to ascend on foot the bluffs on which stands the cidade alta,
particularly when the powerful rays of the sun are pouring, without mitigation, upon the head. No omnibus or cab can be found
to do him service. In accordance with this state of things, he
finds near every corner or place of public resort a long row of curtained cadeiras, the bearers of which, hat in hand, crowd around
ihirWwith all the eagerness, though not with the impudence, of
carriage-drivers in North America, saying, " Quer cadeira, Senhor?"
(" Will you have a chair, sir?") When he has made his selection,
and seated himself to his liking, the bearers elevate their load and
march along, apparently as much pleased with the opportunity of




CADEIRAS AND THEIR CARRIERS.


477


carrying a passenger as he is with the chance of being carried.
To keep a cadeira or two, and negroes to bear them, is as necessary
for a family in Bahia as the keeping of carriages and horses is elsewhere. The livery of the carriers, and the expensiveness of the
curtaining and ornaments of the cadeira, indicate the rank and
style which the family maintains.
Occasionally you will
meet a proud creole Mina
negress, who rejoices in                  f- 
the name par excellence      —.,
of the Bahiana.   Her
turban, her shawl, her 
ornaments,  and   her
elastic step in the heel-;   -
ed  slipper, display a,
native grace unattain-, 
able by modern fashion. 
I regret that I have 
no sketch of Bahia taken 
from  the water,- for         i  i 
from that point the city   - ',2 ' 
seems truly magnificent     i       I
in its proportions; but.
the large cut, from  a
daguerreotype, gives a
view  of the religious        --
metropolis of Brazil,
stretching on its ter-              THE BAHIANA.
raced hills around to
Montserrat.  The steep ascent on which we see the cadeiracarriers is the same up which Henry Martyn climbed in 1805, so
graphically described in the journal incorporated in the pages of
his biography. The lower city, with the exception of the Rua
Nova do Commercio, has been very little changed since the visit
of that devoted missionary.
Some of the streets between the upper and lower towns wind
by a zigzag course along ravines; others slant across an almost
perpendicular bluff, to avoid, as much as possible, its steepness.




478


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Nor is the surface level when you have ascended to the summit.
Not even Rome can boast of so many hills as are here clustered
together, forming the site of Bahia.  Its extent between its
extreme limits-Rio Vermelho and MIontserrat-is about six miles.
The city is nowhere wide, and for the most part is composed of
only two or three principal streets.  The direction of these
changes with the various curves and angles necessary to preserve
the summit of the promontory. Frequent openings between the
houses built along the summit exhibit the most picturesque views
of the bay on the one hand and of the country on the other.
The aspect of the city is antique. Great sums have been expended
in the construction of its pavements,-more, however, with a view
to preserve the streets from injury by rain than to furnish roads
for any kind of carriages. Here and there may be seen an ancient
fountain of stonework, placed in a valley of greater or less depth,
to serve as a rendezvous for some stream that trickles down the
hill above; but nowhere is there any important aqueduct, though
recent water-works, with steam-engines manufactured in France,
have been lately erected east of the Noviciado, which will furnish
a bountiful supply of the potable element to the city.
In contemplating Bahia from the theatre (the large building on
the high terrace) we are carried back to the earliest periods of the
colonial history of Brazil. The old round fort in the midst of the
waves is an episode of the brief power of Holland in this portion
of America, upon which Time has made no perceptible change.
Bahia de Todos os Santos, the Bay of All Saints, was discovered
in 1503 by Americus Vespucius, who was then voyaging under the
patronage of the King of Portugal, Dom Manoel. In 1510, a
vessel under the command of Diogo Alvares Correa was wrecked
near the entrance of this bay. The Tupinambais, inhabiting the
coast, fell upon and destroyed all who survived this shipwreck,
except the captain of the vessel. The Indians spared Diogo,probably, as some supposed, on account of his activity in assisting
them to save articles from the wreck. He had the good fortune
to obtain a musket and some barrels of powder and ball. Hte early
took occasion to shoot a bird, and the Indians, terrified by the explosion no less than by its effects, called him from that moment
Caramuru, "the man of fire."




ROMANTIC HISTORY OF CARAMUR(1.


479


He then conciliated their favor by assuring them that, although
he was a terror to his enemies, he could be a valuable auxiliary to
his friends. He accordingly accompanied the Tupinambais on an
expedition against a neighboring tribe with whom they were at
war. The first discharge of Caramuri's musket gained him
possession of the field, his frightened adversaries scampering for
their lives.
Little more was necessary to secure him a perfect supremacy
among the aboriginals. As a proof of this, he was soon complimented with proposals from various chiefs, who offered him their
daughters in marriage.     Diogo made choice of Paraguassui,
daughter of the head-chief Itaparica, whose name is perpetuated
as the designation of the large island in front of the city, while
that of Paraguassu, the bride, is applied to one of the rivers
emptying into the bay. He built a hamlet which he denominated
S. Salvador,* in gratitude for his escape from the shipwreck.
This settlement was located in a place denominated Graqa, on the
Victoria Hill, a suburb of the city, still occasionally called Vilha.
Velha, (old town.)
After the lapse of some years, a ship from Normandy anchored
in front of Caramuru's town and opened communications with
the shore.   Diogo now determined to return to Europe; and,
having supplied the vessel with a cargo, he embarked for Dieppe,
accompanied by Paraguassu. IIe intended, if he arrived safely, to
go from Dieppe to Lisbon. The French, however, would not permit this, but preferred to make him a lion in their own capital.
Paraguassui was the first Indian female who had ever appeared in
Paris. A splendid fete was given at her baptism, when she was
christened Catharine Alvares, after the Queen Catharine de MIedicis.
King Henry II., accompanying his royal spouse, officiated on the
occasion as godfather and sponsor.
* In successive editions of the narrative of the " United States Exploring Expedition" we find the following:-"The city of San Salvador, better known as Rio
de Janeiro,"-which is comparable for accuracy to McCulloch's Geographical
Dictionary, making the mountainous province of Rio de Janeiro to consist "mostly
of plains." San Salvador is eight hundred miles north of Rio de Janeiro, and
San Sebastian-the old name of Rio-has about as much similarity to San Salvador
as New Orleans has to New York.




480


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


The French Government contracted with Caramuru to send out
vessels which should carry him to his adopted country, and return
with brazil-wood and other articles, which should be given in exchange for goods and trinkets. In the mean time, true to his original
intent, he contrived to inform Dom John III., of Portugal, of the
importance of colonizing Bahia. A young Portuguese, who had
just finished his studies in Paris and was returning to Portugal,
was the bearer of this message. This young man (Pedro Fernandez Sardinha) afterward became Bishop of Bahia.
The natives rejoiced at Caramuru's return, and his colony now
increased rapidly and extended its influence in every direction.
At this period the King of Portugal, in order to secure the settlement of Brazil, divided the country into twelve captaincies,
each of fifty leagues' extent on the coast, and boundless toward
the interior. Each captaincy was conceded to a Donatary, whose
power and authority were absolute. Francisco Pereira Coutinho,
who came to take possession of Bahia, was a man rash and arbitrary in the extreme. He became jealous of the influence of Diogo
Alvares, and commenced to persecute and oppress him, and finally
sent him on board a ship as a prisoner.
This course exasperated the Indians, who determined on revenge.
They attacked the settlement and killed Coutinho. Diogo Alvares
was again restored to his original supremacy.
The growing importance of the country, together with rumors
of violence practised by the Donataries, induced Dom John III. to
appoint a Governor-General of Brazil, to reside at S. Salvador and
to have jurisdiction over all the Donataries.
In 1549, Thome de Souza, the first Governor-General, landed with
military ceremonies at Vilha Velha, but in the course of a month
proceeded to choose another location for the commencement of his
operations. It was that of the present Cathedral, Government
Palace, and other public buildings.
Caramuru was now an old man, but was of great service to the
Governor-General in consummating with the natives a treaty of
peace. In four months a hundred houses were built, and various
sugar-plantations were laid out in the vicinity.
From this period the city of S. Salvador, having been constituted
the capital of Portuguese America, and remaining under the direct




BAHIA CAPTURED BY THE HOLLANDERS.


481


patronage of the mother-country, rapidly increased in size and
importance.
The year 1624 witnessed the first depredations of the Dutch
upon the then quiet and prosperous city of Bahia. Without the
least notice or provocation, a fleet from  Holland entered the
harbor, attacked the city, burned the shipping, and debarked men
to seize the fortress of S. Antonio, and, after some fighting, gained
possession of the town. This they sacked, not even sparing the
churches. The captors immediately erected additional fortifications and built many new houses. They made prizes of all the
Portuguese and Spanish ships that came into the harbor not
knowing that the town had changed masters.
Portugal was at this time tributary to Spain. The news of the
loss of Bahia caused great consternation at Madrid, and the more
since it had been rumored that the English were to unite their
forces with the Dutch and establish the Elector-Palatine King of
Brazil. The Spanish court adopted measures worthy of its superstition and its power. Instructions were despatched to the Governors of Portugal, requiring them to examine into the crimes which
had provoked this visitation of the divine vengeance, and to
punish them forthwith. Novenas were appointed throughout the
whole kingdom; and a litany and prayers, framed for the occasion,
were to be said after the mass. On one of the nine days there was
to be a solemn procession of the people in every town and village,
and of the imonks in every cloister. The sacrament was exposed
in all the churches of Lisbon, and a hundred thousand crowns were
contributed in that city to aid the Government in recovering
S. Salvador.
A great ocean-fleet of forty sail, carrying eight thousand soldiers,
sailed under D. Fadrique de Toledo and D. Manoel de Mlenezes,
which in March, 1625, appeared off the bay; and after some delay,
the object of which was to learn if the Hollanders had received
reinforcements, D. Fadrique, satisfied that they had not, entered
the harbor with trumpets sounding, colors flying, and the ships
ready for action. The Dutch vessels also, and the walls and forts,
were dressed out, with their banners and streamers hoisted, either
to welcome friends or defy enemies, whichever these new-comers
might prove to be. The city had been fortified with great care,
31




482


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


according to the best principles of engineering,-a science in which
no people had at that time such experience as the Dutch. It was
defended by ninety-two pieces of artillery, and from the new fort
upon the beach they fired red-hot shot.
After some severe skirmishing, the Dutch, having waited in vain
for the fleet from Holland, proposed a capitulation, which was
acceded to.
The Iollanders attempted to retake the city in 1638, under
Mauritz, Count of Nassau, who was then in possession of Pernambuco and a large portion of the adjoining coast. They were repeatedly defeated at Bahia, but succeeded for a time at other
points. 
The original attack, on the part of the Dutch, grew out of
purely mercenary motives. It was planned and executed under
the auspices of the celebrated West India Company. Proving
successful at first, the IIollanders did not content themlselves with
plundering the inhabitants, but determined to make the very soil
their own.  Their inroads were manfully resisted by the Portuguese, and the war, at different times, extended along the whole
coast from Bahia to Maranham.
In 1636, ~Mauritz, Count of Nassau, was sent out to take command of the troops and to govern the new Empire. Under his
direction active measures were set on foot; forts, cities, and
palaces were built, and the country was explored in search of
mines. Agriculture was undertaken with a strong hand, and it is
easy to imagine what changes would have been introduced into
those fertile regions by the industrious Iollanders, had not the
fate of war decided against them. In the low ground, the marshes
and the streams that surround the city of Pernambuco, they would
have especially gloried.
But the Brazilians, under their vigilant leaders, Camaralo, IIenrique Diaz, (the former an Indian, the latter a negro,) Souto, and
Vieyra, kept up such incessant attacks upon the Hollanders, that
at last, in 1654, they were expelled from Pernambuco, and in 1661
they abandoned, by negotiation, all claim to Brazil.
It is interesting to think that, whatever motives may have urged
the commercial Hollanders to attack Brazil, the Christians of that
brave little Protestant country were not slow to follow up the




COMMERCE FOR THE RANSOM OF SLAVES.


483


settlements; and hence, in Pernambuco and vicinity, faithful missionary stations were established, and, when the Dutch were finally
driven from the country, some of the clergymen came to New
Amsterdam, and one of them was the first pastor of the Dutch
Reformed Church founded at Flatbush, Long Island.
From this time the Hollanders ceased their attacks on Bahia,
that city advanced in wealth and prosperity, and was the seat of
the Viceroyalty until 1763, when it was transferred to Rio de
Janeiro.
The position of Bahia, opposite the coast of Africa, caused it to
be, from early times, an important rendezvous for those engaged
in the African slave-trade.  The offensive ideas now associated
with that traffic among all enlightened nations are strangely in
contrast with the semblance of philanthropy under which it was
originally carried on. What a worthy enterprise, to send vessels
to ransom those poor pagan captives and bring them where they
could be Christianized by baptism, and at the same time lend a
helping hand to those who had been so kind as to purchase them
out of heathen bondage and bring them to a Christian country!
Expressive of such ideas, the bland title by which the buying and
selling of human beings was known during the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries, was the "commerce for the ransom of slaves."
Bahia increased in population and wealth, and in 1808 its prosperity was still more augmented by the Carta Regia which opened
the ports of Brazil to the world.
This city was the last that remained faithful to Portugal; for,
though the independence of the Empire was declared in September,
1822, it was not until July, 1823, and after severe suffering, that
the Portuguese army evacuated Bahia San Salvador. The rebellion of 1837 was frightful in the extreme; but the Imperial Government finally obtained the mastery, and from that day to this
Bahia has continued quiet, and has made rapid strides of improvement.
I do not think that there is any city in Brazil that so interests
the foreigner as Bahia. It is the spiritual capital of the country,
being the residence of the archbishop.  The churches, the convents, and other public buildings, are upon a large scale, and have
no provincialism in their appearance. The people are gay and




484


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


social, and in my extended travels throughout the Empire I have
nowhere found a society equal to that of Bahia. At the house of
Mr. Gillmer, the American Consul, one is always sure to meet the
most refined and well-educated Brazilians. This gentleman is one
of the few American consuls who, by knowledge of the language
of the land where they reside, by sociability of character and case
of manners, and by pride of country, justly represent a great
nation. Mr. Gillmer has long resided at Bahia, and by his many
excellent qualities has won the hearts of the Brazilians.  The
weeks spent in his agreeable family gave me an opportunity for
making many acquaintances among the citizens of Bahia and the
foreigners resident in that city. The residence of Mr. Gillmer is in
a delightful portion of the city, where verdure and bloom abound.
Each night the breezes were laden with sweet odors, and every
morning the sun seemed to reveal new beauties of opening buds
and brilliant flowers. The house of Senhor Nobre was surrounded
by shade and fruit trees, and his large
salon was weekly filled by amateur
~_1^B  ~  and professional musicians, who gave
_ -^  ~ the most charming soirees musicales..f 3]   ~Early one morning I looked fiom,    a window   of the Consul's house,., - ",and saw, upon   the branch of a
I /  bread-fruit-tree beneath me, a hum'i 1 |  ming-bird sitting quietly upon her
tiny nest. In the midst of the foliage she appeared like a piece of
lapis lazuli surrounded by emeralds;
for her back was of the deepest blue..~    Everywhere throughout Brazil this
little winged gem, in many varieties,
abounds, while in North America,
from Mexico to the fifty-seventh deTHE LONG TAILED MALE  gree of latitude, it is said that there
H U MM  ING-BIRD.
is but one species of the hummingbird. Mr. Gosse calls the long-tailed kind (Trochilus polyturus) the
gem of American ornithology; and well it deserves the title, if
we consider the flashes of rich golden green, purplish black, deep



AMERICAN CEMETERY.


485


bluish gloss, and gorgeous emerald green, which irradiate from this
winged jewel.
The males are among the most belligerent of creatures,-rarely
meeting without having terrible combats
The city is not, however, so much distinguished for its frequentation by humming-birds as its bay is celebrated as a "whalingground." To "fish for whales" is a regular
business at Bahia, and nearly every week,
from  the numerous terraces, admiring
thousands can gaze upon the stirring ex- 
citement of capturing these monsters of 
the deep. Why they frequent this port 
I do not know, unless their peculiar food  l
abound in its waters.  If we descend
through lime-tree hedges to the Rio Vermelho, we may have an opportunity 
(besides seeing the fixtures for extracting
oil) of witnessing the triumphant arrival
of the dead leviathan.   Hundreds of   TROCHILUS POLYTURUS.
people-the colored especially-throng
around to witness the monster's dying struggles, and to procure
portions of his flesh, which they cook and eat. Vast quantities of
this flesh are cooked in the streets and sold by quitandeiras.
Numbers of swine also feast upon the carcass of the whale; and
all who are not specially discriminating in their selection of pork
in the market, during the season of these fisheries, are liable
(nolens volens) to get a taste of something "very like a whale."
This whale-fishery was once the greatest in the world. At the
close of the seventeenth century, it was rented by the Crown for
thirty thousand dollars annually.
From the Rio Vermelho we ascend by a winding path to the
Victoria Hill, passing en route the English and American cemeteries.
The latter is the only burial-ground in Brazil belonging to the
citizens of the Union, and our country has long been greatly
indebted to the courtesy of English consuls for suitable places of
interment for natives of the United States. This cemetery is the
result of private generosity, and especially of the energy and
liberal subscriptions of Mr. Gillmer. It is, however, neither just




486


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


nor reasonable that he should bear the whole burden. In vain has
he appealed to our Government for aid in keeping up this restingplace for our country's dead; and the result is, that, no allowance
being granted, the cemetery is in a sad condition. The policy of
Great Britain is noble in this respect.  Everywhere she erects
chapels and provides cemeteries for her subjects; and, though
necessarily the United States cannot recognise any connection
between Church and State, yet a decent place for the burial of the
dead in foreign countries is a matter of common humanity, which
demands immediate attention from Government. I have known
parents in the United States who would have given thousands if
they could only know the spot where rested the remains of beloved
sons who, dying in hospitals, were thrust into the common receptacle
for those whose country had not made provision of a cemetery.
On the Victoria Hill may be found the finest gardens that Bahia
affords, the most enchanting walks, and the most ample shade.
Here, too, are the best houses, the best air, the best water, and the
best society. The walls of two ancient and extensive forts also
add much to the romance and historical interest of the place.
With its magnificent prospect of blue water and verdant isles, it
is a spot that combines an external beauty of the rarest quality.
It was here that Henry Martyn, who incidentally touched at this
port on his passage to India more than half a century ago, sighed
and sung,"O'er the gloomy hills of darkness
Look, my soul; be still, and gaze."
That the moral aspect of the place has not undergone any very
great change (unless it be in diminished bigotry and greater indifference) is not to be presumed, as no causes have been at work
that contemplated such a change.  Everywhere there are still
evidences which give point to the remark of Martyn: —" Crosses
there are in abundance; but when shall the DOCTRINES of the
cross be held up?"
I looked upon no portion of Brazil with greater interest than
those walks, gardens, chapels, and convents visited by Henry
Martyn. The Hospital for Lepers, and the chapel where he gently
and lovingly, yet firmly, uttered his protest against corrupt religion,




HENRY MARTYN IN BAHIA.


487


are still standing: the latter, however, is no longer in use. The
pepper-plantation is torn up, but the clove-trees of which he speaks
are still flourishing. Some of the convents which he entered are
now tenantless of their monkish dwellers; for in some respects a
better day has dawned upon Brazil, and many of these huge buildings, once given up to thriftless, indolent, and vicious orders, are
now used for colleges, lyceums, libraries, and hospitals. The convent where the future missionary to Persia alone, as the sun was
setting and the cloisters were darkened, taught, with Vulgate in
A   CHAP L   VISITE  BY  HENRY   MARTYN.
A CHAPEL VISITEE BY HENRY MARTYN.
hand, "the faith once delivered to the saints" to the curious and
benighted friars, still lifts its whitened walls,-walls which heard
his teachings and the prayers which he whispered for the blessing
of a pure gospel to descend upon Brazil. Have Henry Martyn's
prayers been forgotten before the Lord of Hosts?  We love to
regard the petitions of the early Huguenots at Rio de Janeiro,
those of the faithful missionaries of the Reformed Church of Holland at Pernambuco, and the prayers of Henry Martyn at Bahia,
as not lost, but as having already descended, and as still to descend,
in rich blessings upon Brazil.
My intercourse with Rev. Mr. Edge, the English chaplain, was
exceedingly pleasant. He was a Cambridge man, and one of enlarged and catholic views. The chapel was better filled on the




488


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


Sabbath than any other that I saw in Brazil. In a ramble with
him, I sketched, under a burning sun, the clapel above, which was
near the country-seat mentioned by Mlartyn where he first saw the
clove and the pepper. That first visit of Ienry 3Martyn in the
country, away from the house of Antonio Jose Correa, I believe to
have been where the Hospital of Montserrat is now situated.
The day was beautifully clear, and we rode over a long, wellpaved street called the Calgado, which reaches quite into the
country. In the outer suburbs the cocoanut-palm grows in great
profusion, and the jaca-tree waves its green, glistening foliage
above the infinite variety of vegetation which adorns this Southern
land. We passed the Carmelite Convent and went as far as the


i
I
1: : _


N. SENHORA DE MONTSERRAT.


road which leads to the Fever Hospital: here we descended and
walked to the tongue of land called Montserrat, upon which are
picturesque fortifications, a row of summer-houses,-that of Mr.




VIEW OF BAHIA FROM MONTSERRAT.


489


Gillmer distinguished by the American flag,-and on the extreme
point a small Roman Catholic chapel, more than two hundred years
old, above the doorway of which I deciphered this inscription:"A Virgen foi concebido sem peccado original."  Why Romanists
should cling with such tenacity to the dogma of the immaculate
conception, which contains nothing essential to salvation, I could
never understand.
We visited the well-appointed hospital near by, which is intended
particularly for those who have been smitten with the yellow fever;
but its attacks have been very light for the last few years, though
the cholera, in 1855, was quite fatal to the blacks and to the mixed
population generally. Yet, when we consider that, out of a population of nearly a million in the province, but nine thousand fell
before the cholera, the percentage is small compared with that of
New York in 1833, and almost nothing when compared with the
ravages of the same disease at St. Louis in 1849 and '50. In the
spring of 1857, the journals of the United States teemed with the
accounts of the fell swoop of the yellow fever at Rio de Janeiro,
where for a short time twenty-five persons per diem died. It can be
proved by actual statistics that no city of equal population in the
United States has so good a sanitary condition as Rio de Janeiro.
The view of Bahia fiom Montserrat is truly magnificent. The
curving lines of whitened buildings-the one upon the heights, the
other upon the water's edge-everywhere separated by a broad,
rich belt of green, itself here and there dotted with houses,-the
fortress, the shipping, the white-capped waves, over which the
whale-boats are pursuing their gigantic sport,-the distant isle of
Itaparica and the blue ocean beyond,-all form a picture which at
the time fills one with exhilarating delight, and ever after dwells
in the cabinet of memory a choice and beautiful picture. There
are few cities that can present a single view of more imposing
beauty than does Bahia to a person beholding it from a suitable
distance on the water. Even Rio de Janeiro can hardly be cited
for such a comparison. The capital excels in the endless variety of
its beautiful suburbs; but in the Archiepiscopal City beauty is concentrated and presented at one view. In Rio, for pleasant abodes,
one section competes with another, and each offers some ground
of preference; but in Bahia, the superiorities seem all to be united




490


BRAZIL AND THIE BRAZILIANS.


in one section, leaving the foreigner no room for doubt that the
focus is the Victoria Hill.
Beneath its brow, just on the edge of the bay, is a stately residence embowered with cool fruit and flowering trees, where fountains sweetly murmur in cadence with the musical rippling of the
waters which break upon the neighboring beach. It may, however, distress some of my readers to know that this beautiful place
is a snuff-factory, where the celebrated area preta is mlade which
enjoys a monopoly in Brazil. Snuff-making and snuff-taking were
found among the aborigines; but this particular snuff was the
invention of a Swiss from Neufchatel, and fiom which he acquired
a large fortune. By his will, after enriching his relatives, he left
liberal sums for the endowment of hospitals for his native canton,
and also for benevolent purposes in Bahia. The main establishment
(there are branches in Rio and Pernambuco) is under the superintendence of M. Barrelet, of Neufchatel, in whose agreeable family
I had that intercourse so sweet to the Christian in a foreign land.
Common-school education at Bahia is upon the best footing in
the Empire, and the Bahians take great pride in showing the
statistics of their various institutions. Young Dr. Fairbanks accompanied me one morning through the chief hospital and the
medical college. In the latter I found that there were nearly three
hundred students attending the lectures. Some of the professorsboth natives and foreigners-are men of talent and erudition, and
the course of instruction is probably equal to that of any medical
school on the Western continent. In the library connected with
the institution I saw some very large and very costly volumes on
anatomy in the Russian language. They had been recently sent
out from St. Petersburg, and were in every respect very finely
gotten up.
Near by is the old Cathedral, an immense edifice, which has
been constructed with great expense, and is superior to any church
in Brazil, unless it may be the unfinished Candalaria of Rio. In a
wing of this building, from which may be enjoyed a very commanding view of the harbor, is located the public library. It contains many thousand volumes, a large portion of which are in
French; and it also possesses some most valuable manuscripts.
The librarian is the Hon. Chevalier de Lisboa, the accomplished




NATIONAL GALA-DAYS.


491


scholar and gentleman, who, as Minister-Plenipotentiary, represented Brazil at Washington in 1845.    I was deeply interested in
a large and well-illustrated volume shown me by the Chevalier,
which was an account of the "Dutch in Brazil" and was published
at Amsterdam before the middle of the seventeenth century.
In the immediate neighborhood of the Cathedral are the archiepiscopal palace and seminary, and the old Jesuit College, now
used as a military hospital. The latter building, together with
the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceicio, (its steeples are seen on
the right of the large view of Bahia,) on the Praya, may almost be
said to have been built in Europe: at least, the principal stonework for them was cut, fitted, and numbered on the other side of
the Atlantic, and imported ready for immediate erection. The
President's palace is also but a short distance from this locality.
It is a substantial building, of ancient date, located upon one side
of an open square.
The Presidents of provinces are appointed by the Emperor, and
his choice is by no means confined to the particular province to be
governed.   Hence Brazilian statesmen are liable to many changes
of residence: but it may be that there is wisdom in this, for it has
been said that the selections are thus made of strangers to the province so "that the influence of family connections and personal
friendships may not prove temptations to partiality in the distribution of gifts and emoluments under their control." The President
is, in fact, a Viceroy with a body-guard; and it seems to me that
the appointing-power by which he is elevated to office is one of
the most conservative elements in the Brazilian Constitution.
My colleague was at Bahia on the anniversary of the Emperor's
birth, and his felicitous description of that scene will convey an
idea of similar celebrations throughout the whole Empire:"The Bahians were preparing to celebrate the birthday of their youthful Emperor, the 2d of December. This anniversary is, throughout the nation, a favorite
one among the several dias de grande gala, or political holidays. Of these the Brazilians celebrate six. The 1st of January heads the list with New Year's compliments to His Majesty. The 25th of March commemorates the adoption of the
Constitution. The 7th of April is the anniversary of the Emperor's accession to
the throne. The 3d of May is the day for opening the sessions of the National
Assembly. The 7th of September is the anniversary of the Declaration of the
national Independence; while the last in the catalogue is the 2d of December, the
Emperor's birthday. On all these days, except the 3d of May, His Majesty holds




492


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


court in the palace at Rio. Presidents of provinces, as the special representatives
of the Crown, follow the example of their sovereign, by holding levee in the several
provincial capitals; but they do not presume to receive Imperial honors in their
own person. The place of honor in their sala de cortejo is always allotted to the
portrait of His Majesty. Near by, as the special representative of the throne, the
President takes his place, accompanied perchance by the bishop. Before these, in
measured step, pass the dignitaries invited, in the order of their rank and distinction, paying their obeisance severally to the Imperial portrait. After this ceremony,
mutual compliments are exchanged by the individuals present, and the company
breaks up.
" It was no ordinary celebration that was to take place at this time. During the
recent session of the National Assembly at Rio de Janeiro, it had been more than
intimated that the Bahians generally were doubtful in their loyalty. Not relishing
such insinuations, they had resolved to make a display on this occasion which,
from its unexampled magnificence, should not only demonstrate their fidelity to the
throne, but should throw even the metropolis into the shade. In addition to the
usual cortejo, there were to be ceremonies for three successive days and illuminations for as many nights. On the first day there was to be a grand Te Deum, with
a sermon; on the second, a military ball at the palace; and on the third, an unrivalled exhibition of fireworks, on Victoria Hill, at the Campo de S. Pedro.
" The 2d of December came. It was not clad in the frosty robes of a Northern
winter, with whistling winds and drifted snow at its heels. Nay, the North is not
farther from the South than is the idea many a reader has pictured in his imagination at the bare mention of December, from the reality of the day in question.
Preceded by but a brief interval of twilight, the sun threw upward his mellowest
rays, burnishing the wreathed clouds of the eastern horizon. Presently from his
bed of ocean he rose majestic on his vertical pathway, looking down on one of the
fairest scenes nature ever presented to the eye of man. The boundless expanse of
the Atlantic on the east,-the broad and beautiful bay on the south and west, with
its palm-crested islands and circling mountains,-were but an appropriate foreground
to the lovely picture of the city herself, reposing like a queen of beauty amid the
embowering groves of the proud eminences over which her mansions, her temples,
and her lordly domes were scattered.
" The day was ushered in by the roar of cannon from the several batteries and
the vessels-of-war. From that moment might be seen the shipping of every nation
in the harbor, gayly decked with flags, signals, and streamers of unnumbered
hues.
"Being much occupied in the morning, I did not reach the Cathedral in time to
listen to the discourse which preceded the Te Deum, which terminated at three
o'clock P.M. At this moment there was a discharge of rockets in front of the
Cathedral and a general salute of artillery from the guns of the forts and shipping.
The scene was now transferred to the Government Palace, the old residence of the
Viceroys, where the cortejo took place. At the same time, the troops of the city,
to the number of two thousand five hundred, were paraded in the Palace Square
and in the streets leading from the Cathedral to that place. These, together with
all the other principal streets, had been adorned by silk and damask hangings from
the windows,-the national colors, yellow and green, being most frequent and most
admired. The illumination at night throughout the city, but specially at the Passeio Publico, was, of all other parts of the celebration, most interesting to me.
" This public promenade of Bahia is located on the boldest and most commanding




THE PUBLIC PROMENADE OF BAHIA.


493


height of the whole town. One of its sides looks toward the ocean, and another
up the bay, while nothing but an iron railing guards the visitor against the danger
of falling over the steep precipice by which its whole front is bordered. For
airiness, this locality is not even surpassed by the Battery of New York, while its
sublime elevation throws the last-mentioned place into an unfavorable contrast.
The space allotted to the Battery is greater, but the variety and richness of the
trees and flowers of the Passeio Publico of Bahia fully compensate for its deficiency
in this respect.  Here it was, under the dark, dense foliage of the mangueiras, the
lime-trees, the bread-fruit, the cashew, and countless other trees of tropical
growth, that thousands of lights were blazing.  Most of these hung in long lines
of transparent globes,-so constructed as to radiate severally the principal hues of
the rainbow,-and waved gracefully in the evening breeze as it swept along, laden
with the fragrance of opening flowers.
" The calmness of a summer evening always throws an enchantment over the
feelings; but there was a peculiar richness in this scene. Not only was the observer delighted with the varied and skilful exhibitions of artificial light around
him, but, lifting his eyes above them to the vaulted empyrean, he might there gaze
upon the handiwork of the Almighty, so gloriously displayed in the bright constellations of the Southern sky.
" The wealth, fashion, and beauty of the Bahians never boasted a more felicitous
display than was mutually furnished and witnessed by the thousands that thronged
this scene. What an occasion was here offered to the mind disposed to philosophize
on man! From hoary age to playful youth, no condition of life or style of
character was unrepresented. The warrior and the civilian, the man of title, the
millionnaire and the slave, all mingled in the common rejoicings.  Never, especially, had the presence of females in such numbers been observed to grace a scene
of public festivity. Mothers, daughters, wives, and sisters, who seldom were permitted to leave the domestic circle, except in their visits to the morning mass, hung
upon the arms of their several protectors, and gazed with undissembled wonder at
the seemingly magic enchantments before and around them. The dark and flowing
tresses, the darker and flashing eyes, of a Brazilian belle, together with her sometimes darkly-shaded cheek, show off with greater charms from not being hidden
under the arches of a fashionable bonnet. The graceful folds of her mantilla, or
of the rich gossamer veil which is sometimes its substitute, wreathed in some indescribable manner over the broad, high, and fancy-wrought shell that adorns her
head, can scarcely be improved by any imitation of foreign fashions. Nevertheless,
the forte of a Brazilian lady is in her guitar, and the soft modinhas she sings in
accompaniment to its tones.
" On the marble monument erected in memory of Dom John's visit to Bahia
illuminated forms were fitted, and, on this occasion, displayed, in large and brilliant letters, extravagant praise to D. Pedro II.
"In another quarter, upon a high parapet overlooking the sea and bay, had
been constructed a fancy pavilion, in the style of an Athenian temple. In front
of this, supported by the central columns, had been placed a full-length portrait
of His Majesty. In the saloons of this palacete were stationed bands of music,
surrounded by ladies and dignitaries of the province.   The portrait of the
Emperor was concealed by a curtain until a given hour of the evening, when the
President made his appearance, and, suddenly drawing it up, gave successive
vivas to His Majesty, the Imperial family, the Brazilian nation, and the people
of Bahia,-all of which were responded to with deafening acclamations from the




494


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


multitude around, while the heavens above were resplendent with the discharge
of a thousand rockets.
" On Wednesday, the festivities of the great national anniversary terminated with
a pyrotechnic display. The Passeio Publico was illuminated more brilliantly than
before, and all the gardens surrounding the Campo de San Pedro were lighted up
with torches and bonfires. A large platform had been erected in the centre of this
square, upon which the Emperor's portrait was again exhibited,-the Archbishop
assisting the President to roll up the curtain from before it at the appointed hour.
The concourse of people was vastly greater than it had been on any previous evening.
The weather was without interruption serene and beautiful, but neither the plan
nor execution of the fireworks deserved high commendation. Yet all the bustle and
crowd passed away, as on the previous nights, without the slightest disturbance.
This fact was certainly a happy comment upon the orderly disposition of the people.
I witnessed no funcfao in Brazil which was, on the whole, more interesting to me
than this. Its superiority over the exhibitions of the usual religious festivals was
manifest. In fact, the simple circumstance that it was a civic celebration, and
destitute of any religious pretensions, went far to commend it to the admiration
of any one who had often been shocked by those incongruous medleys of the
solemn and ridiculous which are by many thought essential to the 'pomp and
splendor' of religious anniversaries."
Away from the pretty Victoria Hill, in a portion of the lower
town, the stranger, among other curiosities, may see what is called
by its right name,-afabrica de imagens, (image-factory.)       It is not
my intention to enlarge on worship in this city, for it is the same
as throughout the Empire. Saints, crucifixes, and every species
of the ghostly paraphernalia of Romanism, are here exhibited in
the shops, with a profusion which I nowhere else saw, indicating
that the traffic in these articles is more flourishing than in other
parts. It is not in name only that Bahia enjoys the ecclesiastical
supremacy of Brazil.     It is the see of the only archbishop in the
Empire. Its churches exceed in number and in sumptuousness
those of any other city; and its convents are said to contain more
friars and more nuns than those of all the Empire beside.
But I cannot pass over this subject without referring to Saint
Antonio de Argoim, who seems to be the favorite patron of the
calendar in Brazil.   His image is in the Franciscan Convent, and
his history is as follows:In 1595, a fleet, under the direction of some Lutherans, sailed from France, with
the intention of capturing Bahia. On their way they attacked Argoim, a small
island on the coast of Africa belonging to the Portuguese, and, after having committed various depredations, carried off, among other sacred things, an image of St.
Anthony.
Once more at sea, the fleet was attacked with storms, which sunk several of the
vessels. Those that escaped this fate were assaulted with a pestilence, during




THE MIRACLE EXPLAINED.


495


which, through pure spite toward the Roman Catholic religion, the aforesaid image
was thrown overboard, having been first hacked with cutlasses. The vessel that
carried it put into a port of Sergipe, and all on board were taken prisoners. These
men were sent to Bahia, and the first object they saw on the praia was the very
same image they had so maltreated.  It had been cast up by the waters to
confront them!
A worthy citizen obtained the image and placed it in his private chapel; but
when the Franciscans learned what a miracle had happened, they demanded the
image, and carried it in solemn procession to their convent. So great was its fame
now, that King Philip ordered the establishment of a grand procession in memory
of these events. And, strange to tell, popularity did for the image what the
bitter hostility of the heretics could not do. Its friends, the friars, became ashamed
of its old and ugly appearance, and laid it aside to make room for a more gaudy
and fashionable one, which was christened in its name and presumed to be the
inheritor of its virtues. Having thus been introduced to the citizens of Bahia,
St. Anthony was now enlisted as a soldier in the fortress near the barra bearing
his name.
In this capacity he received regular pay until he was promoted to the rank of
captain by the Governor, Rodrigo da Costa.  The order for his promotion lies
before me, and is so curious that I give the concluding portion. After referring to
a vow by the camara municipal, which had been unfulfilled, the Governor says,"Wherefore, and because we now more than ever need the favors of the aforementioned saint, both on account of the present wars in Portugal, and of those which
may yet happen in Bahia, the said Chamber has besought me, in commemoration
of the afore-mentioned vow, to assign to the said glorious St. Anthony the rank and
pay of a captain in the fortress, where he has hitherto only received the pay of a
common soldier.
" In obedience to this request, and subject to the approval of the King, I therefore assign to the glorious St. Anthony the rank of captain in the said fortress, and
order that the solicitor of the Franciscan Convent be authorized to draw, in his
behalf, the regular amount of a captain's pay.
"RODRIGO DA COSTA.
"BAIIA, July 16, 1705."
Now, the miracle of S. Antonio was truly notable.         But the investigations of modern science, and a little more experience, have
cleared up the mystery.     While conversing with a gentleman, not
a Romanist, at Bahia, about S. Antonio's singular voyage to the
coast of Brazil, he gravely, to     my surprise, stated    that it was
without doubt a bona fide account that the hacked image had floated
to the Western world: all could be explained by natural laws.          A
few  days afterward he gave me the following, which will doubtless be a novel confirmation of Lieutenant Maury's theories in
regard to ocean winds and currents.
" It is not at all surprising that, in those days of gross credulity and ignorance,
the appearance of the image of Santo Antonio on this coast should have been considered as a miracle, performed expressly for the purpose of bringing to condign




496                BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
punishment the 'pirates' for the sacrilegious act they had committed.  Of the
appearance of the image on the beach, and its having floated from Africa, no reasonable doubt can be entertained; and, in proof of its entire probability, the following remarkable coincidence may be presented:
"About fifteen years ago, the late Visconde do Rio Vermelho, a gentleman of the
utmost veracity, and owner of an extensive fishery on this coast a few miles to the
north of the harbor of Bahia, near Itapican, declared to the writer of the present
lines that the figure-head of a vessel, somewhat injured by fire, was brought to his
residence from the beach (where it had been stranded) and placed on his grounds.
Shortly after, a painter from the city, engaged in painting the house, on seeing the
figure immediately recognised it as one he had painted, some months previously,
for a vessel which had afterward sailed for the coast of Africa, and of whose safety
great fears were entertained, no news having been received from her. It was subsequently ascertained that the vessel in question had been burned to the water's
edge, on the coast of Africa,-the figure-head, singularly enough, having brought
the first tidings of the disaster.
"It is likely that the figure-head, being of light cedar, and the pedestal to which
it was attached, of hard wood with bolts and fastenings of iron, may have floated
in a nearly upright position, thus presenting a broader surface for the action of
the northeast trade-winds, and materially accelerating its passage across the
Atlantic."
At Rio de Janeiro S. Antonio has long enjoyed the position and
received the pay of a colonel in the regular army.         IHow he can
appropriate his salary to himself is difficult for us to understand;
but it may throw some light on the subject to state that it passes
through the hands of his terrestrial delegates,-the Franciscan
monks,-and by a proper application you may see the accounts
and receipts for his saintship's washing, clothing, &c.
Traditions respecting St. Thomas's visit to Brazil are very
common in different parts of the country. Many of them were
coined by the Jesuits, and they have passed currently among a
credulous people. Observe the logic with which the renowned
Simon de Vasconcellos proves that Saint Thomas, certainly, must
have been in South America.
"With what show of reason," says the Jesuit, "could the American Indian be
damned, if the gospel had never been preached to him? He who sent his apostles
into all the world could not mean to leave America-which is nearly half of it-out
of the question. The gospel, therefore, must have been preached there in obedience
to this command. But by whom was it preached? It could not have been by either
of the other apostles, Paul, Peter, John, &c. St. Thomas, therefore, must have
been the man!"
No wonder the Jesuits were able to map out his travels from
Brazil to Peru, to find traces of his pastoral staff, crosses erected
by him, and inscriptions in Greek and Hebrew written by his




THE COMMERCE OF BAHIA.


497


hand. They even brought his sandals and mantle unconsumed
out of the volcano of Arequipa. I suppose it was either in going
or returning that he visited England and preached under the
Glastonbury Thorn.
- The commerce of Bahia suffered to some extent at the suppression of the slave-trade; but it is slowly advancing in legitimate
channels. The culture of tobacco and of coffee are both increasing.
Railways are projected into the interior, and steamers (not to mention the Government lines) run to the coast-towns in Sergipe and
Alagoas on the north, and nearly to Espirito Santo on the south.
DARING  NAVIGATION.
Sr. Martin, former President of the province, deserves great credit
for his advancement of agriculture, while Senhor Lacerdo, co-operating with Messrs. Carson & Gillmer, has done much toward
advancing the manufacturing-interest. The finest factory in all
Brazil-perhaps South America-was erected according to the
plans and under the superintendence of Colonel Carson, an American of daring energy and genius. During my stay in the province
of Bahia, one of the pleasantest excursions was my visit to Valenga, the seat of the factory.
It was a cheerful party that accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Gillmer;
and the day was so bright that our trip was most agreeable over the
bay through a fleet of little whale-boats that were in hot pursuit
32




498


3BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


of their spouting game. There were a number of Brazilian gentlemen on board, who, finding the American Consul making an
excursion, came and placed their houses at the disposition of himself and companions. About noon we passed the light-house on the
Moro de S. Paulo,-a beautiful structure, built under the superintendence of Colonel Carson.  We steamed up the river Una to
Yalenqa, where the colonel joined us, and we then re-embarked in
long "dug-outs" in order to ascend the stream to the fabrica.
In a few moments we were at the foot of roaring rapids, upon
the borders of which the genius of this enterprising American had
erected a saw-mill, a window-sash factory, and a planing-machine;
in addition to which he had constructed a lock,-the first in Brazil,
-through which our canoes passed. In the sash-factory we saw
the chief workman, Mr. Foster, from Worcester, Massachusetts.
This establishment belonged to Dr. Bernardini, a Brazilian LL.D.,
who left the judge's bench to enjoy the more lucrative position of
a manufacturer. At Dr. B.'s order, a slave brought down, with
capital skill, several saw-logs from above the falls. The expertness
with which he balanced himself and guided in perfect safety his
clumsy craft was truly admirable, and called forth from our party
loud huzzas. The manner in which he managed the log illustrates
the descent of the rapids of the Upper Amazonian affluents.
We resumed our route, passing up the narrow stream. Upon
the banks were numerous negresses and mulatresses engaged in
washing. In looking upon them I thought, for the first time in
my life, of the nuisance of clothing in matters of manual labor.
The women (whose glistening rounded limbs were as smooth as
those of the Greek Slave) were naked to the waist, and the children-some not far from their teens-were in puris naturalibus.
We arrived at the factory, or, rather, at the factories; for, clustering around the large fabrica, whose white walls stand out in bold
relief from its background of green, are machine-shops, foundries,
&c. &c. The rattle of the looms, the cheerful smile of the merry
girls, and the indescribable din and buzz of a factory, made me
almost imagine myself near Lowell.  The operatives, men and
women, are mostly from the orphan-asylum and foundling-hospitals. They are under good discipline, and compare in morals
very favorably with those of the best-conducted factories in our




COTTON-FACTORY AT VALENCA.


499


own land.   In the foundry I saw the whole operation of modelling,
moulding, and finishing, performed by negroes. The foreman of
the foundry is a Brazilian negro, trained by Mr. Carson, and the
most intricate machinery is here manufactured.
Extensive buildings were still going up to facilitate the manufacture of cotton cloths, which are of finer quality than those
turned out at St. Alexio; and it is gratifying to state that this
factory can scarcely meet the demand, and, doubtless, in a few
years Messrs. Lacerdo & Co. will be amply rewarded for their immense outlay.    I here found a millwright (Mr. R. A. Randall) from
Se": ate, R.I.*
THE VALENCA FACTORY.
After a sumptuous and truly tropical dinner, the gentlemanportion of our party sallied forth for an excursion, the end of
which was to find a suitable place to sketch the immense factory.
* It seemed truly out of place, in this distant corner of the world, to read the
names of machinists of the United States, whose workmanship was here benefiting
a people speaking another tongue. The following are some of the names which
I copied from inscriptions on the machinery:-C. Lewis, New York, drilling-lathe;
D. Dicks, Hadley Falls, Mass., antifriction press or punch; S. Jones, Boston, improved shears; C. F. Pike, Providence, R.I., iron-planer; J. & S. W. Putnam & Co.,
Fitchburg, Mass., bolt-cutter. There were other machines, by J. Peck, Coventry
Factory, (Anthony's,) R.I., and by Thayer, Houghton & Co., Worcester, Mass.




500


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


The point de vue was well chosen; but each of us carried away a
piece of the foreground, in an innumerable quantity of garapatos,
which small insects-resembling very diminutive spiders-clung
to our garments with a most tenacious hold. Each one of these
little fellows produces a boil; and, in some parts of Brazil, cattle
in a long dry season-the insect cannot survive a drenchinghave sometimes perished by the sores thus created. I hastened to
the house, plunged into a bath of hot water, and then was rubbed
down with a pint of rum,-more of the article, by three gills,
than ever before had been applied to my physique, either externally or internally.  This effectually stopped the depredations
which had begun.
Early the next morning, Mr. Randall and I went to the spot
where two of our countrymen were buried. Three Americans
came out together, and he alone was left. He feelingly recounted
to me the circumstances of their death as we passed up a narrow
path to their resting-place. The graves were under the deep shade
of two jaca-trees, and over them small obelisks had been erected.
It was to me a solemn scene in that early morning hour.
After breakfast, Mr. Gillmer, Mr. Pointdexter, a young Pole, and
myself, went up the river to see an upper waterfall. The shrubs,
the dead stumps, and the lofty trees on the banks seemed blooming with orchidaceous plants. Rich cabinet-woods also abound in
the forest. At Bahia, the Visconde Fiaz and Senhor Viana (brother
of the chief collector of customs at Rio) showed me, at their residences, some of the finest specimens of furniture, made from
native woods, that I ever saw. We finally reached the fall, which
resembles a miniature Niagara. The river Una here pours over a
ledge of rocks in such volume that it has been computed there is
enough water-power to drive one hundred factories of five thousand spindles each.
On our return from our visit to the fabrica, we accepted the
hospitality of Senhor Bernardini, who gave us a splendid dinner.
We were accompanied to the city by Colonel Carson, whom I
found a most interesting man of intelligence and common sense.
His life had been a wandering one. He came out to Brazil to
die; but the delicious climate made him a new man, and he had
truly "gone ahead,"-building saw-mills, light-houses, factories,




COTTONS FROM "YORK MILLS," SACO, MAINE.


501


and had been abroad, for the Provincial Government, to investigate the sugar-plantations of the West Indies and the States on
the Mexican Gulf, for the purpose of promoting the growth of
sugar in Bahia. He gave me much information concerning the
trade that might be between the United States and Bahia. In that
second port of Brazil we have been annually losing ground. But
many articles-for instance, cottons, hardware, leather, soaps, &c.
&c.-might be introduced with advantage.  The specimens of
leather from J. Chadwick, Esq., of Newark,-the same found in
the shoes of Mr. Boynton,-and the samples of cutlery and carving
sent out by Mr. Garside, also of Newark, attracted, by the excellence of their quality, much attention at Rio; and the same may
be said of the rope and rope-yarn manufactured at the Excelsior
Works by Mr. H. Webber & Co. All of these articles, and many
others, if properly managed, might be exported to Brazil, whose
trade would really be worth as much as all the remainder of South
America if we only had it in our possession. Formerly, large
quantities of common drillings were exported from the United
States to Bahia, from the York Mills, Saco, Maine, and were held in
great favor by the Brazilians. This article was actually imitated
at Manchester, England, and sent out to Bahia with the stamp,
"York Mills, Saco, Maine," and sold as such. But, though well
sized and fair-looking, it soon proved worthless and fell into disrepute, and the Brazilians to this day believe that the Yankees
cheated them. In England, common cottons cannot be made
equal to those manufactured in the United States, because the
price of the raw article is too high, and the best cotton is consumed for fine goods, and only the "waste" for the coarser;
whereas, in the American factories as good a raw article is used
for the coarse cloth as for the finer textures.
Brazil annually consumes many million yards of cotton cloths,
both plain and printed. She only produces about three million
yards: the rest must be supplied from abroad. We honor fair
and honorable competition; we admire the perseverance of John
Bull in all that is good, and would have our own merchants
imitate the latter quality and that only, and endeavor to have at
least a fair share in the trade with Brazil, so that we may not
annually have a cash-bill of fifteen millions of dollars against us




502            BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
when our productions are needed by the growing Empire of the
South. Let our far-seeing commercial men turn their attention in
this direction, and, by judicious measures, secure a foothold.
Just after nightfall our little steamer was again at the wharf,
and all returned home, delighted with the excursion to Valenqa.
Before leaving the subject of Bahia, it becomes me to mentionwithout entering into particulars-that my Bible-labors there, as
elsewhere throughout the Empire, were successful; and I pray
that the seed sown, where were Henry Martyn's first missionary
efforts on foreign ground, may be prospered by Him who openeth
and no man shutteth, and who takes care of His own word.




CHAPTER XXV.


DEPARTURE FROM BAHIA-THE VAMPIRE-BAT-HIS MANNER OF ATTACK-THE
BITTEN NEGRO-ANNOYANCES MAGNIFIED-ANACONDAS-ONE THAT SWALLOWED
A HORSE-THE MARMOSET-PROVINCE OF ALAGOAZ.-THE REPUBLIC OF PALMARES-PERNAMBUCO -THE AMENITIES OF QUARANTINE-LIFE-IMPROVEMENTS
AT THE RECIFE-PECULIARITIES OF PERNAMBUCAN HOUSES-BEAUTIFUL PANORAMA-VARIOUS DISTRICTS OF THE CITY-A BIBLE-CHRISTIAN-EXTRAORDINARY
FANATICISM OF THE SEBASTIANISTS-COMMERCE OF PERNAMBUCO-THE POPULATION OF THE INTERIOR-THE SERTANEJO AND MARKET-SCENE-THE SUGAR AND
COTTON MART-THE JANGADA-PARAHIBA DO NORTE-NATAL-CEARAX-TIE
PAVIOLA-TEMPERATURE AND PERIODICAL RAINS-THE CITY OF MARANHAMJUDGE PETIT S DESCRIPTION-THE MONTARIA-DEPARTURE.
NlesserB B divisi    ~Othe North! Leave monoton|,         ing the pleasant city of Bahia, we again
turn our faces toward the Amazon. Our
steamer glides rapidly over a summer sea, and, though we visit
province after province, we cannot dwell long upon their scenery
and condition, for in both they are very similar to some of the
lesser divisions of the Empire which we have already considered.
The monotony of the voyage is broken up by tinkling guitars,
merry singing, and eloquent speaking. We have embryo statesmen on board; military officers with fierce moustaches and high503




504


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


sounding titles; medical students returning to Sergipe, Alagoaz,
Pernambuco, and Parahiba; witty, sallow, dirty sertanejos; blackeyed senhoras; and two or three tonsured, gambling padres. All
form a fit audience; and the vociferous apoiados, apoiadidissimos,
encourage the maiden efforts of the orators, and beguile the time
as we steam along the low coqueiro-lined coast.
A hazy bank of fog hanging in the distant horizon indicates the
mouth of the great Rio San Francisco, and the boundary-line
between the provinces of Sergipe and Alagoaz. Sergipe is thinly
populated: but in the eastern portion a considerable quantity of
sugar and tobacco is cultivated; while the western districts are
devoted chiefly to the rearing of cattle.
In another chapter I have spoken of the annoyances to which
herds are sometimes subject from the little chigoes. The younger
portions of the herds have in some places a more formidable enemy
in the huge vampire-bat.   The
owner of large possessions in the
northwestern part of Goyaz said
he could not rear cattle with any
success or profit, from the havoc
committed among his calves by
the  winged  demons the   vamw  s        pires. I have often had my own
horses and mules bled and sucked
by these sanguinary phyllostomina.
THE VAMPIRE-BAT.     They abound from   Paraguay to
the Isthmus of Darien; and the
reports of early travellers and the figurative language of poets,
so long discredited, are found to be much nearer the truth than
the world has believed.  Morning after morning have I seen
beasts of burden, once strong, go staggering, from loss of blood
drawn during the night by these hideous monsters. In almost
every instance they had taken the life-current from between the
shoulders, and, when they had finished their murderous work, the
stream had for some time continued to flow. The extremities,
however, are the usual points of attack; and the ears of a horse,
the toes of a man, and the comb of a cock, are choice morceaux
for the display of the vampire's phlebotomizing propensities.




THE VAMPIRE-BAT.


505


The exact manner by which this bat manages to make an incision has long been a matter of conjecture and dispute.  The
tongue, which is capable of considerable extension, is furnished at
its extremity with a number of papille, which appear to be so
arranged as to form an organ of suction, and their lips have also
tubercles symmetrically arranged. These are the organs by which
it is certain the bat draws the life-blood from man and beast, and
some have contended that the rough tongue is the instrument employed for abrading the skin, so as to enable it the more readily to
draw its sustenance from the living animal. Others have supposed
that the vampire used one of its long, sharp, canine teeth to make
the incision, which is as small as that made by a fine needle. Mr.
Wallace says that he was twice bitten,-once on the toe, and a
second time on the tip of the nose. "In neither case," writes that
explorer, "did I feel any thing, but awoke after the operation was
completed. The wound is a small round hole, the bleeding of which
it is very difficult to
stop. It can hardly be
a bite, as that would
awake the sleeper: it       re
seems most probable
that it is either a
succession  of gentle
scratches  with  the
sharp  edge  of the
teeth, gradually wearing away the skin, or 
a triturating with the
point of the tongue
till the same effect is        ' 
produced. My brother
was frequently bitten      HEAD OF THE VAMPIRE-BAT, SIZE OF LIFE.
by them; and his opinion was that the bat applied one of its long canine teeth to the
part, and then flew round and round on that as a centre, till the
tooth, acting as an awl, bored a small hole,-the wings of the bat
serving at the same time to fan the patient into a deeper slumber.
Hie several times awoke while the bat was at work, and, though




506


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


of course the creature immediately flew away, it was his impression
that the operation was conducted in the manner above described."
There is much in the dental arrangement of these phyllostoma to
make this seem plausible. The molar teeth of the true vampire
or spectre bat, are of the most carnivorous character,-the first
being short and almost plain, and the others sharp and cutting
and terminating in three and four points. Notwithstanding this,
that most accurate naturalist and observer-Dr. Gardner-is of the
opinion that it wounds its victim in a manner entirely different
from the foregoing description. He says that,
"Having carefully examined, in many cases, the wounds thus made in horses,
mules, pigs, and other animals,-observations that have been confirmed by information received from the inhabitants of the northern part of Brazil,-I am led to believe that the puncture which the vampire makes in the skin of animals is effected
by the sharp, hooked nail of its thumb, and that from the wound thus made it abstracts the blood by the suctorial powers of its lips and tongue."
Some of these bats measure two feet between the tips of their
wings. There are some persons whom a vampire will not touch,
while others are constantly victimized.   The alligator-riding
Waterton states that for eleven months he slept alone in the loft
of a wood-cutter's abandoned house in the forest, and, though the
vampires came in and out every night, and hovered over his
hammock, yet he could never have the pleasure of being bitten,
-which amusement he doubtless would have foregone if he had
had the experience of Mr. Wallace, who says that a wound on the
tip of the toe is very painful, rendering a shoe unbearable for
several days, and "forces one to the conclusion that, after the
first time for the curiosity of the thing, to be bitten by a bat is
very disagreeable."
There are instances in Northern Brazil where individuals for
whom the bat entertained a great predilection had to be removed
to a different portion of the country, where the bloodthirsty animals did not abound. One of Mr. Wallace's party-an old negrowas constantly annoyed with them. He was bitten almost every
night; and, though there were frequently half a dozen persons in
the room, he would be the party favored by their attentions.
"Once," Mr. Wallace writes, "he came to us with a doleful countenance, telling us he thought the bats meant to eat him up quite,
for, having covered up his hands and feet in a blanket, they had




ANNOYANCES MAGNIFIED.


507


descended beneath his hammock of open network, and, attacking
the most prominent part of his person, had bitten him through a
hole in his trousers!
While enumerating the various insects, reptiles, and vicious
animals of Brazil, the reader who has not visited that land would
be led to the belief that it is impossible to stir a foot without
being affectionately entwined by a serpent, sprung upon by a
jaguar, or bitten by a rattlesnake. In your fancy every bush
swarms with chigoes ready to engraft their stock upon your legs,
every cranny contains a scorpion
waiting to ensconce himself in your
pantaloons, and every pool is filled
with electric eels prepared to give you
a shocking reception. I can only say    THE ELECTRIC EEL.
that, when travelling on the sea-coast
and in the interior, I never was more annoyed by insects than I had
been in the southwestern portion of the United States; and that,
with a moderate degree of care, you may journey fifty days without experiencing any thing more deadly than the
bite of a mosquito. The sand-flies call forth more
complaints from naturalists and travellers than do
either serpents, scorpions, or centipedes; and yet all
of these are more or less found throughout the
interior. But difficulties only seem insurmountable
in the distance: they disappear when looked boldly
in the face, and do not affect the tourist and the
naturalist one-tenth as much in reality as in anticipation.
In this connection a few words may be devoted  THE SCORPION.
to the anaconda, the largest of the ophidian family.
I confess myself to have been incredulous in regard to the
powers and capacities of this huge reptile until I went to Brazil,
and I have no doubt that I shall, in the opinion of some, add a few
pages to the innumerable " snake-stories."
The enormous anaconda, (Eunectes murinus,) or sucuruju of the
natives, (a portrait of which forms the initial letter of this chapter,)
inhabits Tropical America, and particularly haunts the dense forests




508


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


near the margin of rivers. The boa-constrictor, the jiboa of the
Indians, is smaller and more terrestrial. The first of these creatures which I saw was a young one belonging to a gentleman in
the province of S. Paulo. I afterward saw one in the province
of Rio de Janeiro that measured twenty-five feet.  Mr. Nesbitt,
the engineer who took the Peruvian Government steamers to the
upper affluents of the Amazon, informed me that he shot, on the
banks of the Huallaga, an anaconda which measured twenty-six feet
seven inches. An Italian physician at Campinas (S. Paulo) gave
me an account of the manner in which the sucurujui, or anaconda,
took his prey.
The giant ophidian lies in wait by the river-side, where quadrupeds of all kinds are likely to frequent to quench their thirst. He
patiently waits until some animal draws within reach, when, with a
rapidity almost incredible, the monster fastens himself to the neck
of his victim, coils round it, and crushes it to death. After the unfortunate animal has been reduced to a shapeless mass by the pressure of the snake, its destroyer prepares to swallow it by sliming
it over with a viscid secretion. When the anaconda has gulped
down a heifer (by commencing with the tail and hind-feet brought
together) he lies torpid for a month, until his enormous meal is
digested, and then sallies forth for another. The doctor added
that the sucurujui does not attempt the deglutition and digestion of
the horns, but that he lets them protrude from his mouth until
they fall off by decay. It had been said by some casual observers
that the anaconda dies after swallowing a large animal, that the
buzzards seen near him eat him up; but the doctor added that
close observation showed that this statement was entirely erroneous.
However, the vultures were always the close attendants of the
sucurujui, to aid him in the delivering of his faeces. As to the
amount of credence due to the statements of Dr. B., relative
to the horns of the swallowed animal and the peculiar midwifery of the buzzards, I leave the reader to form his own opinion;
but the facts are incontrovertible in regard to the capacity of the
anaconda to swallow animals whose diameter is many times
greater than its own. Of all the travellers and explorers whose
writings I have read, Wallace and Gardner are the most moderate
in their accounts as eye-witnesses, and are most particular to re



THE SNAKE THAT SWALLOWED A HORSE.


509


cord nothing of which they were not fully persuaded after patient
and   careful investigation.    Mr. Wallace     says "it is an    undisputed fact that they devour cattle and horses." In the province
of Goyaz, Dr. Gardner came to the fazenda of Sape, situated at the
foot of the Serra de Santa Brida, near the entrance to a small
valley. This plantation belonged to Lieutenant Lagoeira. Dr. G.
remarks that in this valley and throughout this province the anaconda attains an enormous size, sometimes reaching forty feet in
length: the largest which he saw measured thirty-seven feet,
but was not alive. It had been taken under the following circumstances:" Some weeks before our arrival at SapS," writes Dr. G, "the favorite ridinghorse of Senhor Lagoeira, which had been put out to pasture not far from the
house, could not be found, although strict search was made for it all over the
fazenda. Shortly after this one of his vaqueiros, (herdsmen,) in going through the
wood by the side of a small stream, saw an enormous sucurujf suspended in the
fork of a tree which hung over the water. It was dead, but had evidently been
floated down alive by a recent flood, and, being in an inert state, it had not been
able to extricate itself from the fork before the waters fell. It was dragged out
to the open country by two horses, and was found to measure thirty-seven feet in
length. On opening it, the bones of a horse in a somewhat broken condition, and
the flesh in a half-digested state, were found within it: the bones of the head were
uninjured. From these circumstances we concluded that the boa had swallowed the
horse entire. In all kinds of snakes the capacity for swallowing is prodigious. I
have often seen one not thicker than my thumb swallow a frog as large as my fist;
and I once killed a rattlesnake about four feet long, and of no great thickness,
which had swallowed not less than three large frogs. I have also seen a very slender
snake that frequents the roofs of houses swallow an entire bat three times its own
thickness. If such be the case with these smaller kinds, it is not to be wondered
at that one thirty-seven feet long should be able to swallow a horse, particularly
when it is known that previously to doing so it breaks the bones of the animal by
coiling itself round it, and afterward lubricates it with a slimy matter, which it has
the power of secreting in its mouth."
Near Sape many of the marmoset monkeys abound, and a very
small species, sometimes called the ouistiti, (Jacchus auritus,) is
exceedingly nimble, and not wanting in beauty.
The Brazilian girls are fond of pets; and, among others, a great
favorite is this ouistiti, which is rarely ever seen out of Brazil,
even in the best zoological collections. It has a skin like chinchilla
fur, and its face presents none of the repulsive features of other
monkeys. These little animals become very tame and sleep upon
the lap or shoulders of their mistress. Their actions are most
graceful and rapid. Two that a friend of mine embarked for the




510


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


United States could mount the ship's ropes ten times as rapidly
as the nimblest sailor. If birds came on board, they hunted them
from rope to rope, and passed along under the spar upon which
their victim sat, and then pounced upon it with certain aim. In
their native forests they are very fond of insects, which they catch
with great expertness. They are excessively timid when roughly
handled: one of the two referred to was teased by the sailors, and
in consequence died in convulsions. It was pitiful to see the other
THE  MARMOSET.
look at himself in a glass, making a plaintive noise and licking the
reflection of his own face. They were so small that a square cigarbox, the length of one "Havana," contained them both. With
great care the surviving ouistiti was kept alive through a Northern
winter. His food was bread, sponge-biscuit, apples, and now and
then a chicken's neck or a mouse. It was curious to see him
devour the latter. He began at the snout and carefully pushed
back the skin, eating the bones and every thing until he reached
the tail, which was all that he left inside the skin. His last effort
was to aid in erecting a parsonage, by being exhibited at a fair for
that purpose. But his benevolence was too much for him: the little
fellow pined and died, after having endured a succession of fits; and
his end was doubtless hastened by the breath of his numerous




THE PROVINCE OF ALAGOAS.


511


visitors, and by an escape of gas in the chamber where he was
kept; for the delicate monkeys in the London Zoological Gardens
were all killed by being in a room with a stove. An open grate
was substituted, and their successors escaped.
Next to Sergipe in our northward route is the small province of
Alagoas. It derives its name from the lake-or, strictly speaking, the inlet-on which stands its old capital, the city of Alagoas.
The principal seaport of the province is Maceio. Into this port we
entered, after a passage of about thirty-six hours from Bahia. As
we bore up to land in the morning after our second night at sea,
we found the coast very fiat, sometimes exhibiting a sandy beach,
and anon banks of eighty or ninety feet elevation, denominated,
from their prevailing color, the Red Cliffs. We approached so near
these cliffs as to perceive distinctly their stratification, which
resembled successive layers of brick.
The most favored island of the Southern seas can hardly present
a more lovely aspect than does the harbor of Maceio. The port is
formed by a reef of rocks visible at ebb-tide, which runs north and
south for a sufficient distance in a right line, and seems to form an
angle with an extreme point of land on the north. From the same
point the beach sweeps inward in the form of a semicircle. The
sand on this beach exhibits a snowy whiteness, as if bleached by
the foam of the ocean-waves that unceasingly dash upon it.
A little back from the water is a single line of white houses, embowered here and there by groves of majestic coqueiros, whose
noble fruit, clustered amid their branching leaves, might be
thought to resemble jewels set among the plumes of a coronet.
Upon a hill-side, some distance in the rear, stands the city, containing a population of about six thousand.
My visit to tMaceio was most agreeable, connected as it was with
the sympathizing Brazilians and others who were glad to receive
the Word, and who gave me many pleasant assurances that the
sojourn of my co-laborer and predecessor had not been forgotten.
One old man, with tears in his eyes, referred to Dr. Kidder's visit,
and aided me in the dissemination of the Truth.
Maceio is the depot of large quantities of cotton and sugar which
are brought down from the interior. Good brown sugar can be
purchased at Macei6 for two dollars and fifty cents per hundred



512


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


weight, and the planters admit that they can raise sugar at a profit
at a market-price of less than two dollars per hundredweight.
This province, fifteen years ago, was in a constant state of
turmoil; but for the last ten years it has settled down into quietness, and is advancing with the general improvement of the Empire.
After leaving Maceio, we pass along a coast interesting in the
history of the past. Before us we see Cape St. Augustine, which
was the first portion of the New World discovered south of the
equator. Our track is that over which, in early times, sailed Cavendish and Lancaster, the great English freebooters, who devastated
the Brazilian coast-towns in 1591 and '93. Here, too, passed the
ships of Lord Cochrane and Admirals Taylor and Jewett, two Englishmen and an American in the service of Brazil, who by their
bravery and skill defeated the Portuguese fleets and did much to
secure the Northern cities to the new regime.
In the interior, about sixty miles from Porto Calvo, there was a
curious community, hidden away amid groves of palm-trees, having
a regular military and priestly government, and known as the Republic of Palmares. It seems almost like romance to read of a settlement composed of fugitive slaves, wLo were perfectly organized,
and from time to time went forth on predatory excursions, carrying
off treasure and cattle, and taking captive the wives and daughters
of the Portuguese and then exacting a heavy ransom.
They had villages and towns; and, in addition to their marauding
sallies, they carried on a regular trade with some of the colonies.
They flourished for sixty years; and such, at length, became their
audacity that regular war was declared against them, and for months
the Portuguese sustained the severest contest that they had ever
been obliged to undertake west of the coast. The little State was
heroically defended; but when, after it had gallantly held out
against great odds, cannon were brought to the aid of the besiegers,
the Republic of Palmares fell: When all hope was gone, the leader
and the most resolute of his followers retired to the summit of a
high rock within the enclosure, and, preferring death to slavery,
threw themselves from the precipice,-men worthy of a better fate
for their courage and their cause.
In its consequences to the vanquished, this victory resembled those
of the inhuman wars of antiquity. The survivors of all ages and of




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THE REPUBLIC OF PALMARES.


513


either sex were brought away as slaves. A fifth of the men were
selected for the Crown: the rest were divided among the captors as
their booty, and all who were thought likely to fly, were transported to distant parts of Brazil, or to Portugal. The women and
children remained in Pernambuco, being thus separated forever
from their husbands and their fathers.
Twelve hours after we had left Maceio, the towers and domes of
the Recife, or Pernambuco, appeared, like those of Venice, to be
gradually rising from the sparkling water. Far to our right, on a
bold and verdant hill, we could descry the suburb called Olinda,
(translated the beautiful,) seeming like a rich mosaic of white towers,
vermilion roofs, bright green palm-trees, and bananeiros. It is,
however, in this case distance that lends enchantment to the
view; for Olinda, whose inhabitants once looked down in contempt
C
THE JANGADA, AND THE ENTRANCE TO PERNAMBUCO.
upon their commercial neighbors of the Recife, is now in decay.
The law-school, with its three hundred students, has been transferred to Pernambuco, and this once valiant capital of the
equatorial colonies of Portugal is now going rapidly to decay.
Olinda deserves to be regarded as S. Vincente, and the two
places may be considered as exhibiting the classic remains of the
33




514


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


colonial system of Portugal. Olinda, however, reminds us nearly
as much of the Dutch as it does of the Portuguese, being known
in the annals of Holland as the ancient Mauricius, upon which the
ambitious Count of Nassau staked his fortune and his fame.
As we drew near to Pernambuco, the warehouses and the shipping presented the features of a large commercial town, and the
resemblance between it and the silent Queen of the Adriatic no
longer forced itself upon the beholder. The waves outside of the
curious reef, (recife,) or natural breakwater, were dotted with
lateen-sailed jangadas or catamarans, and the proprietors of these
dancing rigged rafts seemed literally at sea "on a log."
Our steamer came proudly up to the fierce little fort and white
pharo that (so low is the reef) appeared to rise from the water.
We anchored on the seaward side of the fortress and awaited with
anxious expectation the visit of the health-boat. Every passenger,
from  the wild matuto (forester) and sertanejo to the dignified
medico and the vain officer of the Imperial army, was rejoicing at
his approaching liberation. The health-boat came bobbing around
the fort, and we had the satisfaction of hearing that we should be
quarantined for ten days on an island four miles west of the city.
There was really no necessity for this, for our health-bill from
Maceio was immaculate. It is needless to narrate our adventures
in getting to the quarantine; our navigation on a jangada; how
fifty persons were quartered in four rooms (comfortable for eight
individuals) which would have been unbearable except for the
capital ventilation through the arched tiles; how merry we were,
and contented, under the circumstances; how we were refreshed
by cocoanut-milk and bracing breezes; how I had opportunities
for doing good; how we were all liberated and a hundred more
put into our places; and how kind was my reception (when I was
permitted inside of Pernambuco) by Mr. Samuel Johnson and Mr.
Hitch, (the heads of two houses, English and American.) All this
must be unwritten history. As has been said of a traveller's delay
in Italy, it may be said of this detention at Pernambuco, in logical
language there was no causa causans; but the causa sine qua non
was that we were in Brazil, where the "brief authority" of officials
is sometimes notoriously overbearing.
Pernambuco is the third city of Brazil, and is the greatest sugar



THE CITY OF PERNAMBUCO.


515


mart in the Empire. Its population is variously estimated at
eighty thousand and one hundred thousand. In all respects Pernambuco is a thriving and a progressive city. Those who remember its former unpaved streets and its other inconveniences for
comfort and conveyance would now be surprised at the various
changes and improvements. Water-works have been constructed,
good bridges erected, and extensive quays have been formed on
the margins of the rivers that would serve, according to Mr. Hadfield, as models for the conservators of "Father Thames." Printingpresses send forth dailies and weeklies, besides from time to time
respectable-sized books and Government documents. Education is
looking up, whether we consider the common schools, the collegios,
or the flourishing institution for legal instruction, which rivals that
of San Paulo.
The city is divided into three parishes or districts, called, seve.
rally, S. Pedro de Gonsalves or Recife, S. Antonio, and Boa Vista,
which are connected by bridges and good roads.
Many of the houses of Pernambuco are built in a style unknown
in other parts of Brazil. A description of one where my predecessor was entertained by a friend may serve as a specimen of the
style referred to:"It was six stories high. The first or ground floor was denominated the armazem, and was occupied by male servants at night; the second furnished apartments
for the counting-room, &c.; the third and fourth for parlors and lodging-rooms;
the fifth for dining-rooms; and the sixth for a kitchen. Readers of domestic habits
will perceive that one special advantage of having a kitchen located in the attic
arises from the upward tendency of the smoke and effluvia universally produced by
culinary operations. A disadvantage, however, inseparable from the arrangement,
is the necessity of conveying various heavy articles up so many flights of stairs.
Water might be mentioned, for example, which, in the absence of all mechanical
contrivances for such an object, was carried up on the heads of negroes. Any one
will perceive that the liability of mistake, in endeavoring to preserve the equilibrium of each vessel of water thus transported, exposed the lower portion of the
house to the danger of a flood. Surmounting the sixth story, and constituting, in
one sense, the seventh, was a splendid observatory, glazed above and on all sides.
"The prospect from this observatory was extended and interesting in the extreme. It was just such a place as the stranger should always seek in order to
receive correct impressions of the locality and environs of the city. His gaze from
such an elevation will not fail to rest with interest upon the broad bay of Pernambuco, stretching, with a moderate but regular incurvation of the coast, between the
promontory of Olinda and Cape St. Augustine, thirty miles below. This bay is generally adorned with a great number ofjangadas, which, with their broad lateen sails,
make no mean appearance. Besides the commerce of the port itself, vessels often




516                 BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
appear in the offing, bound on distant voyages, both north and south. No port is
more easy of access. A vessel bound to either the Indian or the Pacific Ocean, or
on her passage homeward to either the United States or Europe, may, with but a
slight deviation from her best course, put into Pernambuco. She may come to an
anchor in the Lameirao, or outer harbor, and hold communication with the shore,
either to obtain advices or refreshments, and resume her voyage at pleasure, without becoming subject to port-charges. This is very convenient for whaling-ships
and South Sea traders. In order to discharge or receive cargo, vessels are required
to come within the reef and to conform to usual port-regulations.
"Men-of-war seldom remain long here. None of large draught can pass the bar,
and those that can are required-probably in view of the danger of accidents when
so close to the city-to deposit their powder at the fort. Few naval commanders
are willing to yield to such a requirement; while, at the same time, their berth in
the Lameirao cannot be relied on for either quietness or safety. The powerful
winds and heavy roll of the sea are frequently sufficient to part the strongest cables.
These are sufficient reasons why Pernambuco is not a favorite naval station either
for Brazil or for foreign nations. The commercial shipping is under full view from
the observatory, yet it is too near at hand and too densely crowded together to
make an imposing appearance.
"Olinda, seen from this distance, must attract the attention and the admiration
of every one. Of this city set upon a hill, one is at a loss whether to admire most
the whitened houses and massive temples, or the luxuriant foliage interspersed
among them, and in which those edifices on the hill-side seem to be partially
buried. From this point a line of highlands sweeps inward with a tolerably regular
arc, terminating at Cape St. Augustine, and forming a semilunar reconcave, analogous to that of Bahia. The entire summit of these highlands is crowned with green
forests and foliage. Indeed, from the outermost range of vision to the very precincts of the city, throughout the extended plain, circumscribed by five-sixths of
the imagined arc, scarcely an opening appears to the eye, although, in fact, the
country overlooked is populous and cultivated. Numbers of buildings, also, within
the suburbs of the city, are overtowered and wholly or partially hidden by lofty palms,
mangueiras, cajueiros, and other trees. The interval between Recife and Olinda is
in striking contrast to this appearance. It is a perfectly barren bank of sand, a
narrow beach, upon one side of which the ocean breaks, while on the other side,
only a few rods distant and nearly parallel, runs a branch of the Beberibe River.
"At a distance varying from one-fourth to half a mile from the shore runs the
bank of rocks already mentioned as extending along the greater portion of the
northern coast of Brazil. Its top is scarcely visible at high-tide, being covered
with the surf, which dashes over it in sheets of foam. At low-water it is left dry,
and stands like an artificial wall, with a surface sufficiently even to form a beautiful
promenade in the very midst of the sea. This natural parapet is approached by the
aid of boats. It is found to be from two to five rods in thickness. Its edges are a
little worn and fractured, but both its sides are perpendicular to a great depth.
The rock, in its external appearance, is of a dark-brown color, and, when broken,
it is found to be composed of a very hard species of sandstone of a yellow complexion, in which numerous bivalves are embedded in a state of complete preservation. Various species of small sea-shells may be collected in the water-worn cavities of the surface. At several points deep winding fissures extend through a portion
of the reef; but in general its appearance is quite regular,-much more so, doubtless, than any artificial wall could be after hundreds of years' exposure to the wear



VARIOUS DISTRICTS OF THE CITY.                     517
ing of the ocean-waves. The abrupt opening in this reef, by which an entrance is
offered to vessels, is scarcely less remarkable than the protection which is secured
to them when once behind this rocky bulwark.
" Opposite the northern extremity of the city, as though a breach had been artificially cut, the rock opens, leaving a passage of sufficient depth and width to admit
ships of sixteen feet draught at high-water. Great skill is requisite, however, to
conduct them safely in; for no sooner have they passed the reef than it becomes
necessary to tack ship and keep close under the lee of the rock, in order to avoid
the danger of running aground.
"Close to this opening and on the extremity of the reef stands the fort, built
at an early day by the Dutch. Its foundations were admirably laid, being composed of long blocks of stone, imported from Europe, hewed square. They were
placed lengthwise to the sea, and then bound together by heavy bands of iron. A
wall of the same nature extends from the base of the fortification to the body of the
reef. This wall appears to have become perfectly solidified, and, in fact, augmented by a slight crust of accumulating petrifaction. This circumstance corroborates the idea that the rock, on the whole, may be increasing, like the coral reefs
of the South Sea Islands.
"The district of S. Pedro-frequently called that of the Recife-is not large.
Its buildings are most of them ancient in their appearance: they exhibit the old
Dutch style of architecture, and many of them retain their latticed balconies or
gelouzias. These gelouzias were common at Rio de Janeiro at the period of Dom
John's arrival. But that monarch, dreading the use that might be made of them
as places of concealment for assassins, ordered them to be pulled down; and they
are now rarely seen in the metropolis.
"The principal street of the Recife is Rua da Cruz. At its northern extremity,
toward the Arsenal da Marinha, it is wide and imposing in its aspect. Toward the
other end, although flanked by high houses, it becomes very narrow, like most of
the other streets by which it is intersected. A single bridge connects this portion
of the city with S. Antonio, the middle district.
" S. Antonio is the finest part of Pernambuco when considered as a city. It contains the palace and military arsenal, in front of which a wall has recently been
extended along the river's bank. Just above the water's edge has been placed a row
of green-painted seats for the accommodation of the public. These are inviting,
mornings and evenings, although, in the absence of shade-trees, the rays of the sun,
pouring upon the turfiess sand, render the heat intolerable throughout the day.
"The principal streets of this section of the city, together with an open square
used as a market-place, are spacious and elegant. The bridge crossing the other
river is longer and more expensive than the one just described, although the depth
of the stream beneath is not so great. On the southern or southwestern bank
of this river stands the British Chapel, in a very suitable and convenient location.
That edifice is built in modern style, and generally well attended by the English
residents, on Sabbath-days, both morning and evening. Boa Vista is very extensive, and is chiefly occupied by residences and country-seats. A few large buildings stand near the river, and, like most of those in the other sections of the town,
are devoted in part to commercial purposes. Beyond these, the houses are generally low, but large upon the ground, and surrounded by gardens, here denominated sitios. The streets here were formerly unpaved, and unhappily suffered to
remain in a most wretched condition. Sand, dry and wonderfully comminuted,
abounds on all sides, unless variegated by filthy pools of standing-water.




518


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


"The hedges in the environs of Pernambuco are similar to those of Rio, although
generally more rank in growth. Many of the houses exhibit an expensive and at
the same time tasteful style of construction. I was pointed to one in the veranda
of which was arranged a collection of statues. The owner being a wealthy and
notorious slave-dealer, some wag, a few years since, thinking either to oblige or to
vex him, crept in by night and supplied him with a cargo of new negroes, by painting all the marble faces black."
Pernambuco has ever manifested more activity than any other
of the Northern provinces. It was the first to declare against the
Portuguese Government, and several times there have been commotions that threatened for a time the dismemberment of the State;
but at the present time there is no province more faithful. An
outbreak occurred in 1848, in consequence of a band of miscreants
from the interior joining with a few disaffected in the city; but
their leaders were summarily dealt with, and since that time the
province has remained perfectly tranquil.
The state of religion at Pernambuco is not obviously different
from that in other parts of the Empire. The monasteries are in
low repute, having at present but few inmates. The hospicio of
the Barbadinhos, or Italian Capuchins, has been converted into a
foundling-hospital.  None of the churches are remarkable for their
beauty, or splendor of construction. That of Nossa Senhora da
Conceitao dos Militares is distinguished for a singular painting upon
its walls, designed to represent the battle of the Carapes, and to
commemorate the victory which was then obtained over the
heretical Hollanders.
I followed up the Bible-labors of my predecessor, and found some
unexpected openings for sowing the good seed. There never was
a more favorable opportunity than the present for the introduction
of truth and of a pure worship into this portion of Brazil. What
is most needed in view of this object is a number of fearless and
faithful Brazilian preachers.
Through the English chaplain, Dr. Kidder was made acquainted
with a priest who had already become convinced of the necessity
of some new measures for enlightening the people, and who had
recently taken an active part in circulating Bibles and tracts.
He thus records his interview with this Bible-Christian:"I met with this padre a few days after my arrival in the city. He came into
the house of a friend with whom I was dining, and, happening to lay his hand upon
some of the new tracts which I brought along, he broke forth in expressions of




A BIBLE-CHRISTIAN.


519


delight, saying that he had use for a quantity of these publications. In addition
to their subject-matter, he was particularly pleased with their severally bearing the
imprint of Rio de Janeiro, a circumstance that indicated the radiation of light from
that important point This individual was a man fifty years old, as much like the
ex-Regent Feijo in his appearance as any other Brazilian I ever saw. Part of his
education he had received in Portugal, part in Brazil. He had once been chaplain
to the prison-island of Fernando de Noronha. Owing to his recent change of views
on several important topics, he had suffered considerable persecution from his
bishop and some others of the clergy, but he seemed in no way disheartened by this.
"His opinion was, that the silent distribution of tracts and Scriptures among
'those persons and families disposed to read and prize them was the best method
of doing good in the country at present. And most faithfully did lie pursue that
method, calling on me every few days for a fresh supply of evangelical publications.
"I one day returned his visit, and found him surrounded with quite a library,
among which his Bible attracted my attention, as having been for a year or two past
his one book. Almost every page in it was marked as containing something of very
especial interest. I could but wish that all with whom the Bible is not a rare
book prized it as highly as did this padre, who, after having spent the greater
portion of his life as a minister of religion according to the best of his previous
knowledge, now in his declining years had found the word of God to be 'a light to
his feet and a lamp to his path.'"
In 1838, there occurred in this province one of the most extraordinary scenes of fanaticism which is a melancholy proof that the
boast of the Romish Church is in vain that such extravagances are
confined to Protestant countries. The following narrative, condensed fiom   the official documents before me, may challenge a
parallel in either history or mythology.    In order that the reader
may fully understand it, I will remind him        that there prevails
in Portugal, and to some extent in Brazil, a sect called Sebastianists. The distinguishing tenet of this sect is the belief that
Dom   Sebastian, the King of Portugal who, in 1577, undertook
an expedition against the Moors in Africa, and who, having been
defeated, never returned, is still alive, and is destined yet to make
his reappearance on earth, when all that the most enthusiastic
Millerarian ever anticipated will be realized. Numberless dreams and
prophecies, together with the interpretation of marvellous portents
confirming this idea, have been circulated with so much of clerical
sanction, that many have believed the senseless whim. Nor have
there been lacking persons, at various periods, who have undertaken to fulfil the prophecies, and to prove themselves the veritable
Dom Sebastian.
The prime point of faith is, that he will yet come, and that too,
as each believer has it, in his own lifetime. The Portuguese look




520


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


for his appearance at Lisbon, but the Brazilians generally think it
most likely that he will first revisit his own city, St. Sebastian.
It appears that a reckless villain, named Joao Antonio, fixed
upon a remote part of the province of Pernambuco, near Pianc6,
in the Comarca de Flores, for the appearance of the said Dom Sebastian. The place designated was a dense forest, near which
were known to be two acroceraunian caverns. This spot the impostor said was an enchanted kingdom, which was about to be
disenchanted, whereupon D.om Sebastian would immediately appear
at the head of a great army, with glory, and with power to confer
wealth and happiness upon all who should anticipate his coming by
associating themselves with said Joio Antonio.
As might be expected, he found followers, who, after a while,
learned that the imaginary kingdom was to be disenchanted by
having its soil sprinkled with the blood of one hundred innocent
children! In default of a sufficient number of children, men and
women were to be immolated, but in a few days they would all rise
again and become possessed of the riches of the world. The prophet appears to have lacked the courage necessary to carry out his
bloody scheme; but he delegated power to an accomplice, named
Joao Ferreira, who assumed the title of "His Holiness," put a
wreath of rushes upon his head, and required the proselytes to kiss
his toe, on pain of instant death. The official letter to Sr. Francisco Rego Barras, at that time President of Pernambuco, states
that "he also married every man to two or three women with
superstitious rites in accordance with his otherwise immoral conduct." After other deeds, too horrible to describe, he commenced
the slaughter of human beings.  Each parent was required to
bring forward one or two of his children to be offered. In vain
did the prattling babes shriek and beg that they might not be
murdered. The unnatural parent would reply, "No, my child;
there is no remedy," and forcibly offer them. In the course of two
days he had thus, in cold blood, slain twenty-one adults and twenty
children, when a brother of the prophet, becoming jealous of "Itis
Holiness," thrust him through and assumed his power. At this
juncture some one ran away, and apprized the civil authorities of
the dreadful tragedy.
Troops were called out, who hastened to the spot; but the infatu



EXTRAORDINARY FANATICISM.


521


ated Sebastianists had been taught not to fear any thing, but that
should an attack be made upon them it would be the signal for the
restoration of the kingdom, the resurrection of their dead, and the
destruction of their enemies. Wherefore, on seeing the troops approach they rushed upon them, uttering cries of defiance, attacking
those who had come to their rescue, and actually killing five, and
wounding others, before they could be restrained. Nor did they
submit until twenty-nine of their number, including three women,
had actually been killed. Women, seeing their husbands dying at
their feet, would not attempt to escape, but shouted, "The time is
come! Viva! viva! the time is come!" Of those that survived a
few escaped into the woods, the rest were taken prisoners. It was
found that the victims of this horrid delusion had not even buried
the bodies of their murdered offspring and kinsmen, so confident
were they of their immediate restoration.
Pernambuco lies on the great eastern shoulder of the South
American continent, where it pushes farthest into the ocean. Its
present great commercial importance is largely owing to this fortuitous position. The city does not depend for its large exports
on the fruitfulness or plenty of the region immediately surrounding it.
This region is the sertdo, ("the wilderness, or desert,")-a term
applied to much of the great promontory on which the province lies.
It is a continued plain, of but little elevation above the sea, of a
surface undulating to a small degree, occupied by a crisp, thin herbage
on a baked ferrugineous clay, or patched over with dwarfed forests,
is irregularly supplied with rain, and is very sparsely populated.
Pernambuco sends out annually four millions of dollars of exports
past the angry little fort at the end of the Recife. A half-million
reaches the United States. But its abundant beef and hides are
gathered from the fat but untamed herds that riot among the sedgy
meadows of the far-off San Francisco; while a portion of the cotton
and sugar are harvested three hundred miles away, around the
Villa das Flores and among the foot-hills of Santa Barbaretta,-the
first mountain-chain that arrests the trade-wind as it sweeps westward, laden with rain, which pours down the little valleys that
firrow the serra and fill the region below with plenty.
There are also an immense number of sugar-plantations on the




522


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


proposed railway from Pernambuco to Joazeiro. From the Recife
to the river Una-a distance of seventy-five miles-there are no
less than three hundred sugar-estates on the sections of the railway
already under contract.
The distant population of this province is as untamed as the
wilderness in which it exists. Law is worn very loosely. Society
is patriarchal rather than civil. The proprietor of a sugar or cattle
estate is, practically, an absolute lord. The community that lives
in the shadow of so great a man is his feudal retinue; and, by the
conspiracy of a few such men, who are thus able to bring scores of
lieges and partisans into the field, the quiet of the province was
formerly more than once disturbed by revolts, which gave the
Government much trouble.
Revenue, accordingly, can only be collected by import and export duties. Taxation is impossible, because there is no system
of tax-gathering vigorous enough to collect it. A few years ago
an excise was put on the herds of cattle, and the exciseman went
into the sertaio for the Emperor's money. He was caught, stripped,
and imprisoned in the trunk of a dead bullock, with his head sticking out. "If the Emperor wants beef," the sertanejos said, "let
his exciseman take it along."
The provincial of Pernambuco, as he enters the city from the
sertao to do his semi-annual marketing, is worthy of such an exploit, and is a notable. The highway to the city lies through
Cachinga,-a neat little hamlet two or three leagues from the
Recife. The village is hidden from the observer as he approaches
by a long valley of orange and banana trees. This is the sertanejo's
last night's halt before getting to market. He has already ridden
for twelve days, perched upon a couple of oblong cotton-bags
strapped parallel to his horse's sides, followed by his train of a
dozen horses or mules, loaded, in the same way, with cotton or
sugar. A monkey, with at clog tied to his waist, surmounts one in
place of the driver; parrot and his wife another; and a large brassthroated macaw with a stiff blue coat of feathers another. A raw
hide protects his wares from the rain. Night after night he has
slept on the earth, or has been suspended in his inseparable hammock, slung between two trees, with only the generous, starry sky
for a covering.




THE SERTANEJOS' CAVALCADE.              523
Cachinga, quiet and silent by day, is boisterous by night; for,
during its watches, the sertanejos accumulate about the vendas by
hundreds. The first streaking of the morning witnesses a miscellaneous distribution, over the earth, of men, jaded horses, mules,
monkeys, parroquetas, and sugar and cotton bags. The caravan
is at once put in motion.  Each individual sertanejo stirs his
beasts, packs their loads, goes behind the riding-horse, seizes hold
of the tail, puts a foot on the hock-joint, and leaps up on the back
= —..
SERTANEJOS.
as if ascending a flight of stairs. This is a summons to every horse
of his troop-already educated to it-to take his place in the train.
In an instant the motley cavalcade is rolling down the valley of
the Capibaribe before the sun has absorbed the dew-drops, which
are like pendent jewelry on the rank leaves of the thick orchards
that overhang the road. The sertanejo passes on, only pausing to
uncover before the patron saint of all cavaliers, (who is shut up in
a wooden case at the gateway of the bridge of San Antonio,) and
he finally halts with his various merchandise, living and dead, in
the street Trapixe.
The individuality of the sertanejo is now manifest. On his head
he wears a pindova hat, after the pattern of a sugar-loaf, attem



524


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


pered by experience to every condition of weather. Under it is an
affluent "shock" of hair, in the midst of which, in a doubtful state
of light and eclipse, is a thin, bronze face, of Portuguese configuration, with eyes significant of divided curiosity and suspicion. He
is attired in a cotton shirt and unmentionables, the one scant to the
elbows and unbuttoned at the throat, leaving his tanned bosom
bare, and the other rolled up to the knees. His feet are all unlearned in such commercial literature as the statistics of boots
and shoes.
Early morning is the busy hour of Pernambuco. The sugarstreets are thronged with a wonderful miscellany of horses, mules,
asses, and sugar-bags; sugar-merchants delicately holding samples;
cotton-bales, goats with their families on a morning promenade;
and quitandeiras eloquently passing panegyrics on cakes, comfits,
and oranges. And still the tide of loaded horses and asses pours
into the Trapixe. The horses lie down to rest, and the sertanejo,
fatigued with the riot of the night, and anticipating the noontide
siesta, pillows himself to slumber on the neck of his steed. A
wood-dealer, with twin-bundles of fagots strapped on the side
of his donkey, attempts to force a way. He is followed by a
poultry-dealer mounted on an ass, with an immense hamper of
fowls, advertised by a dozen chicken-necks thrust at full length
through the lattices. Macaws and parrots make the tenor of the
busy occasion; while the ambitious trumpets of a half-dozen
donkeys lend their bass semitones. In the midst of this Babel of
sounds, the sabia-sweetest of the Southern feathered tribes of
song and peer of the Northern thrush and the mocking-birdpours out his hearty, mellow praises from a lady's window by the
side of a whitewashed church.
No market-scene can anywhere be more various, checkered, and
interesting than at Pernambuco, in the busy sugar-season. Before
meridian, the actors have changed, and others have taken their
places. The black ganhadores, naked to the Waist, with sugar-bags
on their heads, hurry from the sugar-warehouses to the lighters,
at full trot, in exact pace to their own boisterous music.
Nearly the whole of Brazil is adapted to the cultivation of sugar;
but it is on the sea-coast from Campos to the sixth degree of south
latitude that it is produced in the greatest abundance. The export




THE JANGADA OR CATAMARAN.


525


of sugar from Pernambuco is annually increasing, and its production is flourishing under the improved machinery introduced by
the brothers De Mornay. In 1821 this province produced 20,000,000
pounds; in 1853 the total was 140,000,000 pounds. The whole
number of pounds exported from Brazil in 1855 was 254,765,504,
of which we purchased to the amount of more than one half a
million of dollars.
The ordinary price at Pernambuco is about three cents per pound
for brown and five cents for pure white sugar. The clayed or white
sugars are exported to Sweden and the United States: much of the
brown is sent to the Mediterranean: the consignments to England
are generally put up for "Cowes and a market."
Pernambuco also exports more than 6,000,000 pounds of cotton
to Liverpool. This cotton is of a good quality, and fetches a higher
price than the generality of that exported from the United States.
To the Quakers of England this Brazilian article has the preference,
because it is mostly, according to Friends Candler and Burgess,
raised by the free half-breeds of the interior; but I believe that there
is also much of it which has to do with slave-labor. Great Britain
imported from Brazil, in 1856, 21,830,000 pounds of cotton. I need
hardly demand pardon of the general reader for these statistics.
So little is known of the productiveness of Brazil that these
figures are necessary to a more perfect knowledge of the state and
progress of the Empire.
But the Brazilian Mail-steamer awaits us. We bid farewell to
our friends, and soon pass on one side the little fort at the end
of the reef, and on the other the rusty cannons of old Fort do Brum,
and are at once on the ocean. At the same time a hundred jangadas,
or catamarans, sally out for the fishing-grounds at some indefinite
distance from land,-ten, fifteen, twenty, or forty miles. These
curious crafts are each composed of four logs of cork-palm, eight
inches in diameter, pinned together, with a plank thrust down
between them for keel and rudder, and a broad, brown lateen
sail, made from fibrils, affixed to a rude mast.  The catamaran
flies like the wind, and the clipper-swift courser of the seacannot outstrip it. The fisherman, with breeches rolled up to his
thigh, (for every wave submerges his palm-logs,) sits securely
on a pegged stool: occasionally he dips up the brine with a




526


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


calabash and dashes it over his sail. Have no feai for this frail
ship-carpentry. The catamaran will re-enter the harbor to-morrow morning, or, at furthest, the next day after, laden with a
cargo of most extraordinary fish,-pink-eyed, ox-eyed, and foureyed, round-shouldered, Roman-nosed, scaly and unscaled; and
among them are some wearing a quantity of tails, hairy and
tufted, like a buffalo-bull's. Only once, the story goes, a catamaran was run down at night: the picked-up owner was carried
to Baltimore, to return at length and find his inconsolable widow
solaced by a new marriage, and some young birds in the family
nest not yet old enough to fly.
Dr. Kidder once performed a voyage in a jangada to the beautiful
island of Itamaraca, and his experience shows that they are breezy,
watery, and safe.
A minute after passing Fortaleza de Brum, a last sight is taken
of a couple of HIollandish-looking windmills; and, as we glide
away we have a glimpse of Cocoanut Island, lifting up its forest
of green feathers against the clear sunset-sky, and finally nothing
remains but the rocky pyramid of Olinda, crowned 'with a crossbearing church, and, beyond, the low shores that stretch away
toward Parahiba do Norte.
There is an utter dissimilarity in the geological position of the
provincial capitals of Northern Brazil. But there is a striking
resemblance in the heavy stone-masonry of the houses, in the tones
of the families of bells that inhabit every church-turret, in the
profound sand that fills the streets, and in the twinkle of the
eyes and the thin sallow faces of the male inhabitants.
The little island of Itamaraca, which, under the old Dutch Government, was the most spirited and affluent along the whole coast,
has now been almost lost sight of in geography, and has been degraded from a first commercial consequence into a lean and beggared colony of fishermen and fruit-raisers. Parahiba, the capital
of Parahiba do Norte, with a population of ten thousand, is situated
upon the Parahiba River, some ten miles from the sea. The greenery
of both shores overhangs the narrow river so closely that it seems
to be approached through a cavern of verdure. Red crabs doze
on the muddy beaches, and countless tribes of waders industriously
pick up a living at every retreat of the tide. At the end of this




Rio GRANDE DO NORTE AND CEARA.              527
arched avenue of trees, and on the hill-side of a narrow valley,
whitewashed Parahiba appears, and, as our steamer draws near,
the bells of a cathedral that rises above it summon the priests to
perform the solemn offices for the dead.
Natal, or Rio Grande do Norte, is, on the other hand, built on low
lands near the sea. The steamer does not enter it, but lies off at
an anchorage two or three miles from the shore. Passengers, with
their luggage, are delivered, for want of boats, on board of a
vivacious raft of palm-logs that goes hobbling round at the mercy
of the sea. Each wave sweeps its whole length and breadth. En
route to his post is a military commandant, just assorted and dis"^ i   - ^^'^N:    -- ~~~- =., _- -.
PA V I 0 L A.
charged from the ruder human clay of the steamer, and he stands
erect on the float, brilliant in attire and trappings, and made more
magnificent by his top-boots, which, at every plunge, fill up with
water from the briny deep.
Ceara can hardly be said to have a harbor: it is only a roadstead. This city is on ground comparatively level, and but few
feet higher than the ocean. The bluff, tall mountains of Ibiapaba,
four or five miles distant, picturesque as the shores of the Hudson,
and visible from the sea for a hundred miles, (though not marked




528


BRAZIL AND TIE BRAZILIANS.


on the maps,) form a beautiful background. Their sides are fretted
with coffee-plantations, and, under the glass, their profile is serrated with feathery palm-woods. Here the style of landing is
very different from that at Natal. A boat transports the passengers to the verge of the surf that always breaks on the shore.
A municipal chair, (paviola,) large enough for the accommodation
of a couple of beef-fed aldermen, is borne on the backs of four
stout slaves, until the water reaches their chins, and the surf, as
they advance, passes over and around them. In the swift drift of
water that precedes the breakers, the chair receives the precious
freight of human life and treasure, and is carried at once, through
the surf, to the shore.
Aracati, in the province of Ceara, and Parahiba, in that of
Piauhy, are principally cattle-marts. There is an equally striking
difference in the productions of the different provinces. Pernambuco and Aracati are sugar-dealers; Parahiba exports cotton principally. Ceara mingles sugar and coffee, and is eminently reputable for its beef. Parahiba and Piauhy have a ruder civilization,
and accumulate hides, tallow, and beef, and gather rice on the low
plains along the rivers.  Maranham, in addition to its large
exports of cotton, rice, and salt, is a druggist, collecting many
species of invigorating roots, barks, and balsams in its woods.
Para is gratefully known to the world for its cacao and caoutchouc.
There is a difference, too, in the appearance of the coasts. After
leaving Olinda, no highlands are seen, except the mountains behind
Ceara, until the bluff sand-hill of San Marcos is turned on entering
Maranham. After leaving Parahiba do Norte, the eye tires of the
dreary shores and hillocks of white sand, herbless and treeless,
save here and there a riband of green cocoanuts in the little
valleys, or columnar cacti that from time to time shoot up out
of the unrelieved desert as if to keep note of its utter desolation. Though, as has been observed, there is no Sahara in
Brazil, there has often been much suffering from drought in
this portion of the Empire. As seen from the deck, glistening
sand frequently stretches away beyond the reach of sight. Such
is the character of the country for hundreds of miles. This
is slowly modified as the voyage extends farther north. The white
sand-drifts are, at long intervals, striped with vegetation; then it




VIEW  IN  THE  PROVINCE  OF  PIAU  H  Y.




I




COAST-SCENES.


529


becomes more interspersed, until at Maranham the whole shore is
clothed with the lbauty, brilliancy, and luxuriance of tropical
growth.
The sea-built masonry of the reef of Pernambuco appears at
frequent intervals along the coast, at distances varying from one
THE  CACAO.
hundred to one thousand yards from shore. At Ceara alone it
seems to pass under the land, through the sandy point of Macoripe.
The ocean, with its low, hoarse voice of habitual sorrow, often
breaks over it.
Petitinga-a triangle of green in the midst of a wide desolation
of sand-hillocks-is famous for the tortoise-shell (second only to
that of the South Sea) gathered among these disrupted rocks.
34




530


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


But the morality of the hamlet is like that of the Bedouins. Legitimate trade is sometimes suspended to plunder h flour-vessel which
has been driven ashore by a storm and the currents. Then the
whole population turn salvors, and salvage covers the cargo.
The point of the coast about Cape S. Roque is dangerous to
vessels making their way close to the shore, in consequence of
sunken reefs and the strong current, at the rate of three or four
miles an hour, that, having already swept across the ocean from
the African coast, impinges on Brazil not far from Bahia, and is then
deflected northwardly till it passes the mouth of the Amazon, after
which it continues until it becomes known to us as the Gulf Stream.
This is a serious obstacle to attempting a landing north of Cape
S. Roque, because then, with an adversity both of wind and current, it is difficult to turn the cape without standing far out to sea.
Before the introduction of steamers, news from Northern Brazil was
sometimes received at Rio de Janeiro vid Europe.  Mr. Southey
mentions the case of a vessel sent eastward from Maranham in
1656, having troops on board for some special emergency, which,
after having been out fifty days,-a time long enough to exhaust her
provisions,-found it necessary to put back, and in twelve hours
reached the port she had left.
Eight degrees of latitude and more than fifteen hundred miles of
coast are comprehended between Pernambuco and Para on the
Amazon. The climate of all is much alike, and without any
appreciable differences on account of seasons. The range of the
thermometer in the shade is from 82~ to 90~, scarcely ever indicating a change of more than five degrees. So equable, indeed, is
the temperature of the northern coast, that one cannot but be
astonished at witnessing it advance slowly, during six months of
the year, from 82~ to the maximum, then, turning and tracing its
way back, to the minimum with equal decorum. But the quan..
tity and distribution of rain are very unequal, and its seasons
vary at different points along the coast. At Pernambuco the rain
continues about three months only, and falls in inconsiderable
quantities, while at Para, by exact observation, less than sixty
days of the year are without rain. But the reader must not imagine a continuous state of overhanging clouds: the sun is seen as
often as at New York. The rainy season at Pernambuco is nearly




THE RAINY SEASON.


531


ended when that at Maranham begins. At this latter point the
tropical rain, though less continuous than at Para, is established
in full vigor. Light occasional showers inaugurate its approach.
Every day invigorates it, till, at the height of the season, in a
bright sky, black clouds rush up suddenly from every point of
the horizon to the zenith, bring their stores together in an angry
shock, accompanied by violent lightning and thunder, and pour
them down in a deluge on the earth.   At this time, although
the rain sometimes continues incessantly during the day, there is a
usual periodicity of the
showers. at ten o'clock
in the morning   and
three in the afternoon,
— lasting a ouplave of
hours, and with bright
skies between. So great
is their precision that
all the appointments,,
of the day are made
with reference to these
short times of tempest.
The rainy season of
Maranham    continues
about six months, and
during this time more
rain falls, it is stated
from observation, than,
with one exception, at
any other place on the
earth,- -amounting to            THE SAPUCAYA NUT.
two hundred and thirty
inches. The remainder of the year is rainless. Still, vegetation
does not droop. Plants have in themselves the power of adaptation
to great differences of seasons, and borrow and absorb the transparent moisture which the trade-wind brings from the sea, thus
maintaining their usual rankness of growth.




532


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


And now, turning from the weather to something more stable,
we observe that the city of San Luiz de Maranham ranks as the
fourth in the Empire, and is the capital of the rich and important
province of the same name. The estuary upon which it stands
was discovered by Pinzon in 1500. Though Maranham was made a,
captaincy as early as 1530, the French, in 1612, were the first to
form a permanent settlement, and, in compliment to the patron
saint and the royal family of France, named the town St. Louis and
the bay St. Mary.
The territory of the province is rather uneven in its surface,
although it has not a single range of mountains. It is watered by
a large number of rivers, both great and small. It remains to a
great extent covered with forests, in which valuable woods and
precious drugs are abundant. The soil is peculiarly adapted to the
cultivation of rice, which it produces in vast quantities. Cotton
thrives much more than the sugarcane. The indigenous fruits are
numerous and rich, and in the distant interior are many edible
nuts, among which none is more curious than the three-cornered
Brazil-nut (Bertholetia excelsa) and the sapucaya, (Lecythis ollaria.)
The latter is a capsule or nut as large as an infant's head, filled with
small, oily, eatable grains.  With this capsule pretty vases and
sugar-bowls are often made.  The pineapples and bananas, of
several species, deserve mention for especial excellence. Mineral
riches have not been withheld from this portion of the globe. Fine
strata of old red sandstone furnish an excellent and common
material for building; while iron and lead ores and antimony have
been discovered, although they have not yet been turned to public
advantage. Fish abound in the waters of the province; and herds
of sheep, cattle, and horses multiply rapidly on the plantations of
the interior.
San Luiz de Maranham is believed to be better built, as a whole,
than any other city of Brazil. It exhibits a general neatness and
an air of enterprise which rarely appears in the other towns of the
Empire. There are, moreover, within its bounds but few huts
and indifferent houses. None of the churches appear unusually
large or sumptuous, but many of the private dwellings are of a
superior order. The style of construction is at once elegant and
durable. The walls are massive, being composed of stone broken




__


THE CITY OF SAN LUIZ DE MARANHAM.                   533
fine and laid in cement. Although the town does not occupy a
large extent of ground, the surface it covers is very unequal.
Its site extends over two hills, and, consequently, a valley. The
rise and descent in the streets are
in many places very abrupt.       Few
carriages are in use, and, in accord-, ---
ance with this circumstance, there is
only one good carriage-road in the            -E _
entire vicinity.   That road leads a.-      - 
short distance   out of town.      The! 
cadeira is but little known here as a        jI,A
means of conveyance.      The rede, or
hammock, is generally used as a means
of easy locomotion.    It is very com- 
mon, both in Maranham       and Para,
to see ladies in this manner takingo
their passeio, or promenade.   Gentle-          -   — '-'
men do not often      make their ap-                 A REDE.
pearance in public in this style,
although it is generally conceded that they are quite fond of
swinging in their hammocks at home.
Hon. John U. Petit, who resided for a number of years at Maranham, has kindly furnished me a few of his full notes; and his
descriptions of Maranham are so fresh, graphic, and full of life that
I give them entire:"The lateral streets, crossing the two principal thoroughfares, descend rapidly
to the estuaries on each side. The heavy rains dash their torrents along down their
pavements and cleanse the whole city. Filth is thus made impossible. Quebracosta or Breakback Street deserves its name, for it drops down abruptly like a
declivity.
" My first landing was made at evening, and at the end of the outpouring of the
diurnal rains. Already the sun was out, and the clouds were half dispersed from
the sky, except here and there a few remaining fugitives, fantastically arranged,
now in crags and mountain-steeps, now in distant harvest-landscapes, now in long,
blue lakes, with sloping shores of green and orange.
" But the prevailing and superabundant humidity at this season, though unfelt
and obviously unseen, is yet seen in its effects. Every thing that is touched is
clammy. The wet season is the green age of mould. And yet it is not so much wet
as musty. Mould grows on every thing that gives it a place for rest. A greasespot on a coat, or a soiled coat-collar, becomes verdant after a night's exposure.
Albino wakes you to take a cup of coffee, and you sip the liquid swinging in your
hammock, just as the morning is peeping, and the velvet-breasted wren is singing




534                 BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
from the tall crown of a bread-fruit-tree or early humming-birds are sucking nectar
from the very throats of the red pomegranate-flower. Albino then improvises a
lustre on your boots. But you have hardly sunk down in your hammock and
waked up again, when-presto-your boots are grown over with a green vegetable
nap, an antiquity-looking mildew. The old black, revered, neat's-leather trunk,
fellow-visitor of many States, and the acquaintance of many custom-house explorers,-now standing modestly back by the wall with its lid uplifted, as though
it wished everybody to look in and see its very heart,-under the novel influence, is
first white, then brown, then yellowish, and, at last, green in an apparent old age.
But, if this attract remark, it is only for a moment; for the mould perishes at the
first hot breath of old Sol,-suddenly as the ephemera that lives a whole life and
dies in crossing a sunbeam.
"Maranham, in its principal streets, is built of compacted stone-masonry.
Houses are usually of two, three, or four stories, with walls of two and a half
or three feet in thickness, the better to resist attacks of external heat. Maranham is nearly a finished city; but a house was erected, not long since, in the
Street St. John. A train of asses and mules brought the red, ferrugineous sandstone-just landed from Bom-Fim-up the Palace Square in panniers,-a reluctant
slave compelling them from behind. The lime was carried in baskets, on the heads
of slaves, from the opposite sea-shore; while, in order to mix the mortnr, women
marched up, loaded with water-jars, from the abundant fountain behind Praia
Cujl.
"The population is affluent. The residents of the city are the proprietors of the
plantations and of the numerous slaves dwelling on the fazendas of the mainland.
Factors supervise them there, and the annual rents are paid without giving the
masters any trouble in going after them, and the money is soon wasted in the
abundance-and, sometimes, the dissipation-of the city.
"With such ample means, the children of its burghers are very well educated in
the more brilliant and showy and less practical attainments of knowledge,-sometimes at home, less often abroad. Ladies more frequently than gentlemen are met
with who have learned the arts of pleasing and conquest at Lisbon, Madrid, and
Paris. This superior class constitutes a social realm where Roger de Coverley
might live happy.
*       *      *       *      *      *       *      *      *       *
"Before midnight, the streets are quiet as churchyards, and it is only the late
walker who is met by the patrol with a musket on his shoulder and a bayonet at the
end of it, and required to give the countersign; and, answering, it is likely, with a
very difficult utterance, Amigo, which means that he is a particular friend of the
Emperor's, is then directed to move on.
"Below the class of opulent citizens, who dwell in large stone houses having
balconies at all their windows and verandas above, that shut out the invasion of
the sun, first in rank is the large class of shopkeepers and artisans. For these,
several schools exist. The city, too, abounds in charities. It has its home of
orphans, its house of foundlings, a house of lepers, hospitals for the sick, and
misericordias, with open doors, embracing all the children of distress.
" The Portuguese make an important element of the population in all the cities.
They are spirited, ambitious, self-reliant, and money-making. They do not create
wealth, but acquire it. The Brazileiro looks on them with habitual aversion. This
had its origin in the time of the colonial dependence on Portugal, when homebred courtiers of the monarch crowded all the walks of ambition in Church and




"OLD UNCLE NED" IN MARANHAM.                          535
State, to the exclusion of the natives of the colony. The Government then was
terribly unjust and oppressive.  The Portuguese appointees were generally in
circumstances of decayed fortune, which they went abroad to repair; and the history of the capitanias is only a repetition of the old story of the outrages and rapacity of the Roman proconsuls. To this deep cause of hatred another is added, in
the steady flow of Portuguese colonization into the Empire, monopolizing, by vigor
and ingenuity, the shopkeeping and the more skilful mechanical employments, in
which a Brazilian rarely appears. Most of them come as adventurers and obtain
competence, many of them affluence.
"A vessel touches in Brazil, loaded with Portuguese lads bent on making fortunes. Each has a large chest, capable of holding a whole family, At a customhouse inspection, two of the boys lift up the huge lid. In the immense cavern to
which it opens are seen dispersed a shirt, 'a pair of socks,' needles and thread,
and, in addition, the adventurer's stock in trade,-two or three strings of Spanish
onions. In ten or twelve years the boy has become a man, and embarks his chest
again to return to Portugal. But now he has it strapped with ropes to keep down
the cover.  Small boxes and carpet-bags cluster around it, as if they were the
old chest's children; and the old chest, having no wings, but feeling maternal,
hovers over them with its shadow.   And, before embarking, the indefatigable
Portuguese has paid duty on a considerable amount of specie.   Such is the
facetious and somewhat overdrawn picture by which the Brazileiros, the lineal
descendants of a common ancestry, solace themselves over their deadly enemies
the Portuguese.
"The class of Brazilians proper-the offspring of the old Portuguese emigrant,
-embracing the civil functionary, the army and navy officer, the priest, and the
gentleman of the city and the country-forms about one-third of the population.  The Portuguese population, in number, is about one-sixth.  Below these
are the varieties,-making about one-half the census,-the negro, mulatto,
mestizo, and Indian.  The wants of the latter are few and cheap:-a house
floored on the naked earth, palm-thatched at the sides and overhead, with
hammocks slung diagonally across it for sitting and sleeping, and with attire
exceeding Eve's garden-dress merely by a shirt or pantaloons; besides these,
the sea and earth, equally bountiful, spread their tables with plenty. But individuals of one class easily shift into another.  Genteel persons sometimes get
out of their places and become vagabonds; while, overcoming the slightest
possible obstacle on account of color, exchanges in society are made, as everywhere else, by some in subordinate ranks forcing themselves out of their positions upward.
"A musical furor rages like the dog-star. Piano and harp are vocal in the
parlors and saloons. But the guitar-as in the vine-covered cottages of Portugal
-is a joy forever in all the households of the poor; while its humbler types-the
banjo and marimba-are an equally universal property of the black and all his
derivatives. The slave that goes bareheaded, barefooted, and unshirted vexes it
(the marimba,-that primitive guitar) in the soft moonlight, before his master's
door, in the presence of a bevy of loitering wenches, on whose hearts, as a second
instrument, he plays,-taking them  captive by the sorcery of his art.  The
melodies of the North American plantations (the African-born airs of Virginia and
Tennessee, long since threadbare in the United States) are, like the smallpox, contagious through all ranks of society. A dozen negroes, carrying a large crockeryhogshead slung over their shoulders on bamboos, are mourning, in minor melody,






536                   BRAZIL AND      THE BRAZILIANS.
the fate of 'Poor Old Ned.'    In the Street Sant' Anna, from   behind a latticed
door, one hears a musical voice telling Susannah not to cry.*  Aristocratic pianos
are loud with 'Rosa d'Alabama'
and  'Senhoritas   de Buffalo,'
-/  ^/ —,           with  much   more music than
prosody.
-  -]. ':"Outside and inside, S. Luiz,.  - ',          -~ / is a very lovable city.  Good-^..... -.....temper, courtesy, and kindness
are almost universal.   This is
confined to no position of life.
A ready, overflowing hospitality;  X Xi  afiti^^     '~!~?         1   welcomes the stranger at every
i   door.
-  ^ 8 ^ ^ <'ny. 0      -'     "It is very pleasant to draw
a picture of Maranhlam by me|' ';' ''i) ~i  -^ A/i/                i ~('i i~/'  mory, with the bay, dotted over
\   with little islands of verdure
broad enough in some places.j \ ~ l  |,\_ _~ inot to permit you to see the
opposite     shores, folding it in
--  the embrace of its two large,l   r_  -  estuaries; strange fishlermen's
craft, picturesque moniarias and
canoes, lying along the praias;
_,~ -=  A* A^       ddainty, tall cocoanuts fringing:3 —      - _-x-                          the profile of the city, as it,-~: i_-__   ~     seems to be thrown carelessly
over the sharp ridge that ad-,,^^..v~,,. 'S" - --     ~     vances into the bay; groves of
bananas and oranges clinging
THE MARI M BA.                    on its steep sides; a redolence
of sweets from native flowers
filling the air; occasional mirantes pretentiously stretching up above the general
perspective of red tiles; and the tall tower of the cathedral and the populous
turrets of scores of churches pushing their rounded pinnacles into the sky.
"'Swallows,' says Dr. Johnson, 'certainly sleep all winter.  A number of them
* The wide diffusion of the so-called " Ethiopian Melodies" of the United States is almost incredible.
In 1849, at one o'clock in the morning, I was riding from Charing Cross to the Surrey side of London,
and heard a party of young Englishmen singing, at the top of their voices, "Oh, Susanna:h!" &c. Once,
in passing over the Gloria Hill, at Rio de Janeiro, I caught the notes of the same tune, which was being
performed by one of the inmates of a Brazilian cottage. But the most unexpected treat, in this particular, I experienced in 1850, at Terracina,-the ancient Anxur. and not far from the Three Taverns
mentioned in Acts xxviii. 15. It was an Italian midnight; and, while I was listening to the sound
of the Mediterranean wave, as it broke upon the decaying quays of Terracina, and thinking of the long
past of old Rome, I was startled by a clear voice (which made the ruins around us ring) sending forth
upon the night-air "Old Uncle Ned." It suddenly dashed away every thought of Italy and Rome and
carried me most hastily over the ocean. I afterward discovered that the serenader was a Boston
Yankee, who had wandered to this quiet nook, and who had been so singularly affected by the sacred
and classic associations that he gave vent to the "Ancient Uncle Edward," as most in accordance with
emotions called forth by the antiquity-classic and sacred-of Terracina.-J. C. F.




How THE SWALLOWS WINTER.                           537
conglobulate together by flying round and round, and then, all in a heap, throw
themselves under water and lie in the bed of a river.' The first greeting at Maranham to the April visitor is the dear old friend the swallow. He builds his house
under the tiled eaves. It haunts church-spires in myriads, as though a religious
bird.  As the sun goes down and shines with diminished beams, and until he
finally sinks to rest, far up in the sky little flocks of swallows are seen wheeling in
giant circumferences. Sometimes their enemy the vulture, at the same hour of the
evening, is up there with his family, airing, after a day spent shamefully among carcasses. Then squadrons of swallows muster and drive him from those azure fields.
Now they disport themselves along the earth, now flit on lazy wing above the housetops, or pick a zigzag way along the airy avenues, among the groves of palm and
figs and oranges, or dart away, swift and unerring as an arrow, after some gay
butterfly, from which-as riches cannot shield from death-his velvet bosom and
painted wings cannot buy him escape. A half-dozen weeks hence, the swallow that
sits at the margin of that red tile, teaching her young, with affectionate art, to fly,
may, under Northern skies, at home, skim above the fragrant clover-meadows or
yellow harvests, or through the blossoming orchard or butternut-clump, or lave her
white bosom in the little lake, or sweep along the hill, chasing the shadow of a
lazy cloud. Thus are the swallows delightfully occupied during our cold winter,
and when the time to migrate arrives they gather in countless hosts on all the
house-tops, preparatory to their long journey, to proclaim, with other harbingers,
to Northern lands, still brown with the hues of annual death, that light-footed
Spring is coming with a power of resurrection. Choicest of the gifts with which
man mitigates his lot is the physical charm of all beauteous nature, its mute yet
divinely-speaking flowers, and its happy birds, harmonious with more than choral
sweetness.
"The sight of the pretty white village of Alcantara, of five or six thousand
inhabitants, a half-dozen miles distant across the bay, makes one wish to visit
the mainland.  Alcantara is noted for the production of salt, gathered, as in
some of the West India Islands, from natural pools supplied with water from the
ocean at the recurrence of the spring-tides. A few miles farther up the coast is
the village of Guimaraens, in the midst of a region abounding in cotton, rice, and
mandioca.
"The twin-bays of San Marks and San Jos6, immediately behind the island
of Maranham, are reached from the interior of the province by several rivers-the
Pindard, the Mearim, and the Itapicurfi-hardly more considerable than the
Mohawk or the Upper Wabash. As Alcantara invites you to its shores, these
rivers tempt you to ascend their mangrove-lined banks to their sources.
"The mangrove-tree is present along all the tide-water of Northern Brazil,
and at high-water is standing in it at mid-waist, only its branches, sea-green
leaves, and a few white blossoms above it. Behind it, on the high shore, are lines
of towering palms. Vegetable propriety is outraged in the manner in which the
mangrove grows.   From  its shaft, a half-dozen inches in diameter and a halfdozen feet high, it puts forth horizontal branches.  These, in turn, drop down
suckers, that become rooted into the mud and soon attain the size of the parent
stem; and these, in turn, send out other branches and drop other stems, till
the tree has grown into a large framework, and so strengthens itself against the
tempests.  In its deep shadows, where no human foot intrudes, the sericoria
-the woodcock of the tropics-fearlessly leads abroad its young.   Upon the
roots oysters cling, and, at low-water, present the curious spectacle of bivalves




538


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


growing on trees.  The mangrove contains, in great abundance, the principle
of tannin, which, in the form of a concocted extract, may become a valuable article
of commerce."
The montaria referred to is thus described by Dr. Kidder:"In the river, in front of the Varadoura, a respectable collection of merchantvessels may generally be seen at anchor. None of the water-craft, however, appear
more picturesque than does the montaria,-a species of flat-boat used much on


THE  MONTARIA.


these waters. In the first one which I saw, I counted ten Indians paddling it
rapidly against the tide. They each held a paddle, about the size and shape of an
oval spade, perpendicularly in both hands, and, all striking at once into the water,
gave the boat great momentum."
We now bid adieu to the clean, the gay, the hospitable city of
San Luiz, and steam for Para.




CHAPTER XXVI.


MAGNIFICENCE OF NATURE IN THE BRAZILIAN NORTH-THE CITY OF PARA-THE
ENTRANCE OF THE AMAZON —THE FIRST PROTESTANT SERMON ON THESE WATERS
-PARALLEL TO THE BLACK-HOLE OF CALCUTTA-EFFECTS OF STEAM-NAVIGATION
-IMPROVEMENTS IN PARA —THE CANOA-BATHING AND MARKET SCENESPRODUCE OF PARX —INDIA-RUBBER-PARX SHOES-THE AMAZON RIVER-MR.
WALLACE'S EXPLORATIONS-THE VACA MARINA-CETACEA OF TIIE AMAZONTURTLE-EGG BUTTER —INDIAN ARCHERY —BRAZILIAN BIRDS AND INSECTSVISIT TO RICE-MILLS NEAR PARX-JOURNEY THROUGH THE FOREST-THE
PARANESE BISHOP'S SUSPICIONS OF DR. KIDDER-STATE OF RELIGION AT
PARA.
WE rapidly steam over the four hundred miles between Maranham and Para, and we have reached the eastern edge of the Brazilian North,-the maritime border of that vast basin which
contains an area equal to that of two-thirds of Europe. We are
about entering upon a region the most wonderful in its nature,where every object is upon the grandest scale. The mightiest
river of the world rises in the loftiest mountains of the Western
continent and flows for thousands of miles through forests unparalleled in beauty, extent, and productiveness.  Here the Victoria
Regia, the giant of Flora's kingdom, nestles on the bosom of the
shady pools, or reposes on the still waters that are shielded by some
verdant peninsula from the rushing waves of the never-ceasing
flood that pours from the Andes. Millions of the most brilliantplumaged birds and insects, curious quadrupeds and reptiles, inhabit this almost terra incognita. Perhaps no region of our globe
possessing such wonders has been so easy of access and so little
explored. We are, however, on the eve of a great change: steam
is doing its legitimate work, and the present generation may not
live to see the Valley of the Amazon, like that of the Mississippi,
teeming with millions, but there will be a thorough knowledge of
its vast resources. Much that is visionary has been written con539




540


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


cerning the "mighty Orellana;" and those who are expecting to
behold its fertile shores a half-century hence filled with a thrifty
population and smiling under civilization are doubtless doomed
to disappointment. And, while Southern Brazil will ever be the
fit field of enterprise for the European and North American, still,
there is no reason to doubt that the statement of Mr. Wallacethe most thorough explorer of the Amazon Valley-is strictly true
when he says, "For richness of vegetable production and fertility
of soil it is unequalled on the globe, and offers to our notice a
natural region capable of supporting a greater population and
supplying it more completely with the necessaries and luxuries of
life than others of equal extent."             V
Amazonia should have a volume to itself; but this work would
be incomplete without some notices of this portion of the Empire
of Brazil, which has always excited a deep interest on both
continents.
The city of Belem, or Para, is usually the point of departure for
those visiting the Amazonian region from the East. There was
formerly a land and water route from Maranham        to Para, which
has now been abandoned: according to Mr. Southey, it used to be
performed by canoes passing through the continent, and coasting
around not less than thirty-two bays, many of them so large that
sight cannot span them.    These bays are connected by a labyrinth
of streams and waters, so that the voyage may be greatly shortened by ascending one river with the flow, crossing to another, and
descending with the ebb. The distance thus circuitously measured
is about three hundred leagues, and may be traversed in thirty
days. Dr. Kidder says,"I met with one individual who had in early life passed through this inland
passage in a much more direct course, his voyage occupying only fourteen days. It
was at that golden era when Indian labor was plenty and could be secured at four
cents per day. Some years after, the same individual wished to perform this
voyage, but was forced to abandon it, from the difficulty of finding canoe-men to serve
him even at fifty cents per day. Ile entertained the most delightful recollections
of the route, exhibiting as it did the glories of nature in all their pristine loveliness.
Nothing interrupted the security of the traveller, and nothing disturbed the silence
of those sylvan retreats save the chattering of monkeys or the carolling of birds.
The silver expanse of waters, and the magnificent foliage of tropical forests, taller
than the world elsewhere contains, and so dense as almost to exclude the light of the
sun, combined to impress the mind with inexpressible grandeur.
"The canoes were drawn up on shore every night when refreshment and repose




-r ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




I!t




THE ENTRANCE OF THE AMAZON.


541


were desired, and the skilful Indians, in a few moments, could secure sufficient
game for the subsistence of the party. Thus the voyage was prosecuted with little
fatigue and with every diversion."
In some portions of Brazil where there are so many streams to
be crossed, ferry-boats, on some occasions, were formerly extemporized.   An ox-hide was the principal material for the construction, and a slave was the means of propulsion.,frA
NOVEL  FERRY-BOAT.
Para' is situated on the river of the same name, which, some contend, is but a continuation of the Tocantins, and not one of the
mouths of the Amazon. Mr. Wallace inclines to the former, but
general belief to the latter, opinion.
During the prevalence of certain winds, and owing to the strong
currents, which force the fresh water far out to sea, the entrance
of the Para River is sometimes both          difficult and dangerous.
My colleague thus describes his experience:"We entered this mouth of the Amazon at a fortunate juncture. The weather
was so clear that we distinctly saw the breakers on both the Tigoca and Braganza
banks, and the tide had just commenced flowing upward. For nearly an hour we
could observe, just ahead, the conflict of the ascending and descending waters.
Finally, the mighty force of the ocean predominated, and the current of the river
seemed to recoil before it.
" This phenomenon is called, from its aboriginal name, pororoca, and gives character to the navigation of the Amazon for hundreds of miles. No sailing-craft can
descend the river while the tide is running up. Hence, both in ascending and
descending, distances are measured by tides. For instance, Para is three tides




542                 BRAZIL AND     THE BRAZILIANS.
from the ocean, and a small vessel entering with the flood must lie at anchor during
two ebb-tides before she can reach the city. Canoes are sometimes endangered in
the commotion caused by the pororoca, and hence they generally, in anticipation,
lie to in certain places called esperas or resting-places, where the water is known
to be but little agitated. Most of the vessels used in the commerce of the Upper
Amazon are constructed with reference to this peculiarity of the navigation, being
designed for floating on the current rather than for sailing before the wind, although
their sails may often be made serviceable.
" The ebb and flow of the tides in the Amazon are observed with regularity five
hundred miles above the mouth, at the town of Obidos. The pororoca is much
more violent on the northern side of the island of Maraj6, where the mouth is wider
and the current becomes more shallow.
" As we passed up the great river, the color of the water changed from the dark
hue of the ocean we had left to a light green, and afterward, by degrees, to a muddy
yellow. We were barely in sight of the southeastern bank of the river; and, after
we had ascended more than forty miles, the island of Marajo began to be visible on
the opposite side. In the course of the day we approached nearer the continent,
and the shore was seen to be uniformly level and densely covered with mangrovethickets.  The only village distinctly seen was Collares, which our commander,
Captain Hayden, had captured during the revolution. The whole day we were
borne along by the combined force of steam and wind, but the tide was part of the
time against us. At evening a clear full moon shed down from an unclouded sky
new splendor upon a scene already sublime. A most fragrant breeze from the land
became more and more perceptible as the river narrowed. Two boats were the
only craft we saw during the whole ascent. Finally, we came alongside the Forte
da Barra, two miles distant from the city of Belem, and were hailed as we passed.
The lights of the town, and of vessels in front of it, then became visible. We
described a semicircle around the harbor, passing between two vessels-of-war, and
came to an anchor at ten o'clock.
"The towers of the cathedral, of the palace, and of several churches, were distinctly visible in the moonlight.
" The second day after our arrival was the Sabbath, and through the courtesy
of Captain H. it was arranged that I should hold a Bethel service on board the
Maranhense steamer. Some American seamen were present, and several persons
came fiom the shore. These, together with the ship's company, formed an audience
to whom I announced the tidings of the kingdom of God. Making allowance for
the circumstance of a public packet just clear of her passengers and the same
night going to sea with another supply, the occasion was very favorable for divine
service, and I felt truly grateful for the opportunity-probably the first ever enjoyed
by any Protestant minister-of attempting to preach Jesus and the resurrection
upon the wide waters of the Amazon. I held similar services at Para on seven succeeding Sabbaths,-once on board an American vessel in port, and at other times in
the private house of a friend.
"' The location of Par'i, or the city of Belem, is in 1~ 28/ S. latitude and 48~ 28/
W. longitude.  Its site occupies an elevated point of land on the southeastern
bank of the Part River, the most important mouth of the Amazon. This city is
eighty miles from the ocean, and may be seen from a long distance down the river.
It has a very imposing appearance when approached from that direction. Its
anchorage is very good, formed by an abrupt curve in the stream, and admits vessels
of the largest draft. The great island of Maraj6 forms the opposite bank, twenty




EFFECTS OF THE INDIAN REVOLUTION.


543


miles distant, but is wholly obscured from sight by intervening and smaller
islands.
" The general appearance of Para corresponds to that of most Brazilian towns,
presenting an array of whitened walls and red-tiled roofs. The plan on which it is
laid out is not deficient in either regularity or taste. It possesses a number of public
squares, and the streets, though not wide, are well paved, or rather macadamized.
The proportion of large, well-built houses is respectable, although the back-streets
are mostly filled with those that are diminutive in size and indifferent in construction.
"The style of dwelling-houses is peculiar, but well adapted to the climate. A
wide veranda is an essential portion of every habitation.  It sometimes extends
quite around the outside of the building, while a similar construction prevails on
at least three sides of a spacious area within. A part of the, inner veranda, or a
room connected with it, serves as the dining-room, and is almost invariably airy and
pleasant.  The front-rooms only are ceiled, save in the highest and most expensive
edifices. Latticed windows are more common than glass, but some houses are furnished with both, although preference is always given to the former in the dry season.  Instead of small, dark, and unventilated alcoves and sweltering beds for
sleeping, they have suspension-hooks arranged for swinging hammocks across the
corners of all the large rooms, and transversely along the entire sweep of the
verandas. Some dwellings contain fixtures of this sort for swinging up fifty or
sixty persons every night with the least possible inconvenience.
"The effects of the revolution of 1835 are still very apparent in Para. Almost
every street shows a greater or less number of houses battered with bullets or
cannon-shot. Some were but slightly defaced, others were nearly destroyed. Of
the latter, some have been repaired, others abandoned. The S. Antonio Convent
was much exposed to the cannonading, and bears many marks of shot in its walls.
One of the missiles was so unlucky as to destroy an image perched in a lofty niche
on the front of the convent.'
This revolution was one of the most successful on record,
where the aborigines, guided by white leaders, nearly regained
their power, and for a time held in subjection the European
descendants.    Pard, though now      prosperous, has been singularly
unfortunate in    the check    to  its progress which     has been    the
heritage of many revolts.
The traveller, on entering this city, is struck with the peculiar
appearance of the people. The regularly-descended Portuguese
and Africans do not, indeed, differ from their brethren in other
parts; but they are comparatively few here, while the Indian race
predominates. The aboriginals of Brazil may here be seen both in
pure blood and in every possible degree of intermixture with both
blacks and whites.      They occupy every station in society, and
may be seen as the merchant, the tradesman, the sailor, the soldier, the priest, and the slave. In the last-named condition they
excited most my attention and sympathy. The thought of slavery




544


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


is always revolting to an ingenuous mind, whether it be considered
as forced upon the black, the white, or the red man. But there
has been a fatality connected with the enslavement of the Indians,
extending both to their captors and to themselves, which invests
their servitude with peculiar horrors.
Nearly all the revolutions that have occurred at Para are
directly or indirectly traceable to the spirit of revenge with which
the bloody expeditions of the early slave-hunters are associated in
the minds of the natives and mixed bloods throughout the country.
The Brazilian revolution in this part of the Empire was attended
with greater horrors than in any other province.
When the independence of the country was declared, Para was
for a time held by the Portuguese authorities. On the arrival of
Lord Cochrane at Maranham, he despatched one of his officers,
(Captain Grenfell,) with a brig-of-war, to take possession of Para.
This officer had recourse to a stratagem which, although successful, was little more creditable to his bravery than his integrity.
Having arrived near the city, he summoned the place to surrender, asserting that Lord Cochrane was at anchor below, and, in
case of opposition, would enforce his authority with a vengeance.
Intimidated by this threat, the city hastened to swear allegiance
to the throne of Dom Pedro I., and Grenfell managed to have
obnoxious individuals expelled before his deceit was found out.
Opposition, however, soon sprang up: a party was organized
with the intent of deposing the provincial junta.  The latter,
of course, claimed the protection of Grenfell. He immediately
landed with his men, and, joining the troops of the authorities,
easily succeeded in quelling the insurrection. A large number of
prisoners were taken, and five ringleaders in the revolt were shot
in the public square. Thence returning on board, he received, the
same evening, an order from the president of the junta to prepare
a vessel large enough to hold two hundred prisoners. A ship of
six hundred tons' burden was accordingly selected. It afterward
appeared that the number of prisoners actually sent on board by
the president was two hundred and fifty-three. These men, in
the absence of Captain Grenfell, were forced into the small hold
of the prison-ship, and placed under a guard of fifteen Brazilian
soldiers.




PARALLEL TO THE BLACK-HOLE OF CALCUTTA.


545


"Crowded until almost unable to breathe, and suffering alike from heat and
thirst, the poor wretches attempted to force their way on deck, but were repulsed
by the guard, who, after firing upon them and fastening down the hatchway, threw
a piece of ordnance across it and effectually debarred all egress. The stifling sensation caused by this exclusion of air drove the suffering crowd to utter madness, and
many are said to have lacerated and mangled each other in the most horrible manner. Suffocation, with all its agonies, succeeded. The aged and the young, the
strong and feeble, the assailant and his antagonist, all sank down exhausted and
in the agonies of death. In the hope of alleviating their sufferings, a stream of
water was at length directed into the hold, and toward morning the tumult abated,
but from a cause which had not been anticipated. Of all the two hundred and fiftythree, four only were found alive, who had escaped destruction by concealing themselves behind a water-butt."-Armitage, vol. ii. p. 108.
This dreadful scene is perhaps unparalleled in history, or finds
its parallel alone in the black-hole of Calcutta. Its only mitigation
consisted in its having been caused by carelessness and ignorance,
without "intent to kill." It has, however, but too much affinity
with the treatment of the prisoners taken and confined at the same
place in the subsequent civil revolutions. Vast numbers of these
unhappy men were crowded into the prison of the city and of the
fort, where they were kept, without hope of release, until death
set them   free.  Besides, a prison-ship, called the Xin Xin, was
filled to its utmost capacity. Dr. Kidder has estimated that not
less than three thousand had died on board that one vessel in the
course of five or six years.    My colleague thus speaks of the last
great revolt at Para:" The disorders that broke out at Para in 1835 were disastrous in the extreme.
They first commenced among the troops. The soldiers on guard at the palace
seized an opportunity favorable to their designs, and on the 7th of January simultaneously assassinated the president of the province, the commander-at-arms, and
the port-captain. A sergeant, by the name of Gomez, assumed the command, and
commenced an indiscriminate slaughter of the Portuguese residents. After twenty
or thirty reputable shopkeepers had been killed, these insurgents proceeded to
liberate about fifty prisoners, among whom was Felix Antonio Clemento Malcher,
an individual who had been elected a member of the provisional junta at the time
of Grenfell's invasion, but who was subsequently arrested as the instigator of a
rebellion at the Rio Acar,. This Malcher was now proclaimed president, and a
declaration against receiving any president from Rio until the majority of Dom
Pedro II. was formally made.
"No houses were broken open on this occasion. Order was soon restored, and
things remained quiet till the 19th of February. At this time, Francisco Pedro
Vinagre, the new commander-at-arms, having heard that he was to be arrested for
some cause, called out the soldiers and populace to attack the president. Malcher
shut himself up in the Castello fort and attempted to defend himself. In the course
of two or three days two hundred men were killed and the president captured.
35




546


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


He was sent to the fort at the Barra, below the city, as if to be imprisoned, but
was murdered on the way, undoubtedly by the orders of Vinagre, who was now
supreme.
"On the 12th of May an attempt was made, under the constitutional vice-president, Senhor Correa, to take possession of the town, by landing troops from a
squadron of thirteen vessels-of-war. This attempt was repulsed, and the vessels
dropped down the river. Soon after, a new president (Senhor Rodriguez) arrived
from Rio. On the 24th of June he landed with a body of two hundred and fifty
troops, the insurgents having retired toward the interior. Disorders still continued
in the province, and, on the 14th of August, a body of Indians, led on by Vinagre
and others, suddenly descended upon the capital. They obtained possession of the
city and commenced an indiscriminate massacre of the whites. The citizens were
obliged to defend themselves as they best could. Vinagre fell in the midst of a
street-skirmish. An English and a French vessel-of-war, lying in the harbor, sent
on shore a body of marines, but soon withdrew them on account of the pusillanimous conduct of the president.
" The Indians commenced firing upon the palace from the highest houses of which
they could get possession, and artillery from the palace attempted to return the
fire. The president, however, soon withdrew and abandoned the city to destruction. Many families succeeded in escaping on board vessels in the harbor, but
many others fell victims to rapine and murder. Edurado, the principal leader after
the death of Vinagre, endeavored to protect the property of foreigners, and, to some
extent, succeeded: nevertheless, as fast as possible, the foreign residents withdrew
from the city, and thought themselves fortunate to escape with their lives. The
period that ensued might with propriety be called the reign of terror. But it was
not long a quiet reign. Disorders broke out among the rebels, and mutual assassinations became common. Business was effectually broken up, and the city was
as fast as possible reverting to a wilderness. Tall grass grew up in the streets,
and the houses rapidly decayed. The state of the entire province became similar.
Anarchy prevailed throughout its vast domains. Only a single town of the Upper
Amazon maintained its integrity to the Empire. Lawlessness and violence became
the order of the day. Plantations were burned, the slaves and the cattle were
killed, and in some large districts not a white person was allowed to survive.
"In May of the following year, General Andrea arrived as a new president from
the Imperial Government and forced his way into the capital. He proclaimed
martial law, and, by means of great firmness and severity, succeeded in restoring
order to the province. It was, however, at the cost of much blood and many lives.
He was accused of tyranny and inhumanity in his course toward the rebels and
prisoners; but the exigencies of the case were great, and furnished apologies.
One of the most disgraceful things charged upon him and his officers was the abuse
made of their authority in plundering innocent citizens, and also in voluntarily
protracting the war so that their selfish ends might be advanced. Certain it is that
the waste of life, the ruin of property, and the declension of morals, were all combined and lamentably continued; and yet in this state of things we see nothing but
the fruits of that violence and injury which, from the first colonization of Park by
the Portuguese, had been practised against the despised Indians.
"In addition to the more direct consequences of the disorders, the salubrity
of the country and of the city itself fearfully deteriorated. The rapid growth and
the equally rapid decay of vegetable matter on the spots from which years of cultivation had banished it brought on epidemics and other fatal diseases, which swept




EFFECTS OF STEAM-NAVIGATION.


547


off hundreds of the people that survived the wars. Thus, one of the richest and
fairest portions of the earth was nearly desolated.
",Until 1848 it was only by slow degrees that Park recovered. Nothing, indeed,
but the extraordinary and spontaneous fertility of the whole region has enabled
the province, in any considerable degree, to reclaim its business-relations. Notwithstanding all the natural beauties so profusely exhibited at Para,-reminding
one, at every step and at every glance, of the glorious munificence of the Creator,
-there are but few places which suggest sadder reflections upon the wickedness
and misery of man. Until within a few years, we can scarcely point to a bright
spot in its history. During the early periods that succeeded its settlement by
Europeans, a continual crusade was carried on against the aboriginals of the soil,
for the purpose of reducing them to a state of servitude. In vain were the reasoning and power of the Jesuits arrayed in opposition to this course. In vain was
African slavery introduced as its substitute. The cruel and sanguinary purposes
of the Portuguese were persevered in. An innocent and inoffensive people were
pursued and hunted down in their own forests like beasts of prey. Thus, iniquity
triumphed; but a terrible retribution followed. The foul passions which had been
nurtured in the persecution of the Indians were equally malevolent when excited
against each other by the common jealousies and differences of life. For a long
time previous to the outbreak of 1835, assassinations had been the order of the
day. Scarcely a night passed without the occurrence of more or less. No man's
life was secure. Revenge rioted in blood. This was too much the case in other
parts of the country at the same period, but at Pari worse than elsewhere. Then
followed the dreadful scenes already described, in which the long-degraded and
down-trodden Indians, headed by factious and intriguing men, gained the ascendency in turn and drove the white population into exile."
It is a singular fact that Brazil was the first country of South
America, and perhaps, for an Empire so vast, the first in the world,
to bind her provinces together by steam-navigation.         Para is now
reaping the fruits of this wise measure. The great old Convent
of S. Antonio has but few monks, and recently the greater portion
of its spacious grounds has been sold to the Amazon Navigation
Company, (a Brazilian association.) This company is now erecting
on or near these grounds the large workshops, coal-depots, wharves,
&c. so essential to the proper prosecution of their various and extended steam-interests. The Custom-House was formerly a huge
ecclesiastical building, and the barracks of the standing army once
belonged to the order of Carmelites. A great number of new
houses have been recently erected from the Custom-House to the
Castello fort, and an extensive pier has been constructed where
formerly there were no facilities for landing except that which the
beach afforded. The streets were, a few years since, in a wretched
state; but from the date of the regular steamers on the Amazon (1853)
there has been a vast improvement. Nearly all are macadamized,




548


4   BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


and are well lighted by camphene. Formerly the rede and the
most antiquated Portuguese vehicles were the only means of landconveyance in Para.       Mr. Henderson (to whom I am       indebted for
recent information) says that there are now nearly fifty coaches,
(of Newark and Boston manufacture,) which are at the command
of citizens or visitors; and on Sunday particularly are they most
busily occupied in plying between Para and Nazare at the modest
rate of twenty-five cents each passenger. The ladies formerly made
their calls and visits by being carried in a hammock: they now ride
behind. a pair of handsome grays. A few years only have elapsed
since nearly all the water was carried in truly Oriental style, and
the following    beautiful description    of Dr. Kidder is still most
accurate so far as nature is concerned; but in regard to the watercarriers the picturesque is diminishing, while the convenient is
gaining:" The evening and morning scenes that may be enjoyed at Pari are indescribably
beautiful. At night all is still, save the occasional rustling of a balmy breeze; and
the imagination must be vivid that can picture to itself more loveliness than is exhibited when the moon walks forth in her splendor. The dark luxuriant foliage,
crowning hundreds of spreading trees, is burnished with a mellow lustre too exquisite for words to portray; while the waving plumes of numerous palm-trees,
glancing their reflections downward upon the beholder, add to the charms of the
scenery. The opening blossoms of many fruit-trees and humbler flowers load the
air with a fragrance which is none the less grateful from not being mingled, as in
some of the larger towns, with offensive effluvia. The blandness of the evening air
is in delightful contrast to the rigors of the noonday sun, and an occasional breeze
invigorates the system after either the confinement or the exposure of the day.
Although in the course of the night there falls a copious dew, yet so balmy and
healthful is the atmosphere that there is no dread of exposing to it the most delicate constitution. This is the climate that of all others I would seek as a relief to
enfeebled health, and especially for pectoral affections.
"A morning scene is scarcely inferior in effect. I sometimes went out to enjoy
it long before the mild radiance of the moon was lost in the more powerful beams
of the king of day, who at his appointed time rose through a brief twilight and
hastened on his effulgent course through the cloudless ether. The Brazilians are
generally early risers, and it may be remarked that in their towns generally the
foreign houses are those latest opened for business. Nevertheless, there are few
who walk abroad for the pleasure or exercise of walking. Almost the only persons
met in my morning walks at Par& were the negroes and Indians, in countless numbers, going with earthen jars upon their heads for water.
"There is no artificial fountain in the whole city. The only source of drinkingwater is a spring on the eastern side of the town. Jars of this water are sometimes
carried around on horseback for sale, to accommodate those who do not keep a large
supply of servants. A few wells in the suburbs, together with the current of the
river, furnish water for washing and similar purposes."




THE OX-CARTS AND ADVANCING CIVILIZATION.


549


Though a few tottering and almost skeleton horses may still be
seen staggering under the load of four water-jars, a better day has
dawned upon Para. The introduction of more than two hundred
water-carts, drawn each by a single ox, is an event to be chronicled
as an advance in civilization, and shows as much improvement as
macadamized streets and modern carriages. The Brazilian is far
more flexible than the Portuguese. A few years ago, a benevolent
citizen of the United States endeavored, at his own cost, to furnish
the peasantry of some of the Portuguese islands with suitable and
civilized carts instead of the inconvenient clumsy vehicles which
they and their fathers before them had been using for centuries.
His benevolent enterprise was entirely frustrated, for they would
not give up their antiquated ox-killing carts. In 1856, Portugal
was the only division of Europe, excepting Turkey, that did not
possess a railway. The water-carts of Para are similar in shape
to that depicted on page 175.
While the city fronts upon the river, its rear is skirted by a
shaded walk whose equal would be difficult to find in Brazil. The
Estrada das Mangabeiras is a highway extending from near the
Marine Arsenal on the river side to the Largo da Polvora on the
eastern extremity of the city. It is intersected by avenues leading from the Palace Square and the Largo do Quartel. Its name
is derived from  the mangabeira-trees with which it is densely
shaded on either side. The bark of these shade-trees is of a light
grayish color, regularly striped with green; their product is a
coarse cotton that may be used for several purposes: their appearance is at once neat and majestic.
On the grounds of the old Convent-now the Hospital-of S.
Jose, a botanical garden was laid out in 1797; but it was neglected,
and finally abandoned during the troublous times of 1823 and '35.
In 1854, during the presidency of the distinguished and talented
Sebastiao do Rego Barros, formerly Minister of War, the site for
a new botanical garden was laid out farther from the city and on
a far more extensive scale. He sent to Europe and procured five
or six skilful professional gardeners, who designed a handsome
plan for the new works, which will doubtless soon be prosecuted
to completion.
Beyond the actual precincts of the city, one may instantly bury




550                BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
himself in a dense forest and become shut out from every indication of the near residence of man.
The coolness of these silent shades is always inviting, but the
stranger must beware lest he loses his way and thus be subjected
to many annoyances and difficulties. Formerly there were many
stories told of persons who became bewildered in the mazes of
these thickets, and, though but a short distance off, were utterly
unable to find their way back to town. Several persons are
believed to have perished in this manner.
All important posts throughout the town are regularly guarded,
and whoever approaches after eight o'clock at night is hailed with
a harsh, indistinct call:-" Quenm vai ld?"   (Who goes there?) The
proper answer is, "Amigo," (A friend,)-which many contract to a
swinish grunt. To this the condescending permission, "Passa
largo!" is generally retorted by the soldier, and the person goes by.
My colleague, in giving his experience at Para, thus writes:"As my lodgings were opposite the trem, or military arsenal, my ears became
very familiar with these exclamations, which were vociferated the whole night long.
Not only these, but the piercing scream, 'As armas!' which resounded every hour
when guard was relieved, and the blowing of a horn at frequent intervals,-as,
for example, at Ave Maria, when all the soldiers doff their caps in honor of the
Virgin,-formed no small annoyance, at least during hours allotted to repose.
Another peculiar custom of Para is the ringing of bells and the discharge of
rockets at a very early hour of the morning. I sometimes heard it at four o'clock,
and with much regularity at five.
"Few objects at Pari attract more attention from the stranger than the fashionable craft of the river. Vessels of all sizes-from that of a sloop down to a shallop
-are called canoas. Few canoes proper, however, are in use. The montaia, seen
and described at Maranham, is very common in the harbor.
"The large canoas, made for freighting on the river, appear constructed for any
thing else rather than water-craft. Both stem and stern are square. The hull
towers up out of the water like that of a Chinese junk. Over the quarter-deck is
constructed a species of awning, or round-house, generally made of thatch, to protect the navigator against the sun by day and the dew by night, and, it also may
be added, against the moon; for the Paraenses are very superstitious in regard
to the silver beams of Luna.  Sometimes a similar round-house is constructed
over the bows, giving something like homogeneity to the appearance of the vessel.
This arrangement renders it necessary to have a staging or spar-deck rigged up, on
which to perform the labors of navigation. The steersman generally sits perched
upon the roof of the after round-house. The idea continually disturbing my mind
while beholding these canoas was, that, being so top-heavy, they were liable to overset, as they most inevitably would if exposed to a gale of wind. They are thought,
however, to answer very well their purpose of floating upon the tide. Moreover,
one special advantage of the round-house is that it furnishes room for the swinging
of hammocks, and thus saves the canoe-men the trouble of going on shore to sus



BATHING AND MARKET SCENES.                         551
pend them on the trees. Mr. Mawe says that, in descending the Amazon, he passed
a man who had moored his canoe while he fastened his bed upon some branches
of a tree overhanging the water and took a nap!,, -
AMAZONIAN CANOA.
"The street running parallel to the river and connecting with the several landings is that in which the commercial business of the place is principally transacted.
At certain hours of the day it presents a very lively appearance.
"Various objects and customs are observed at Park that appear altogether peculiar to the place. In one section of the city, when animals are slaughtered for
market, vast numbers of vultures are observed perched upon the trees or wheeling
lazily through the air. Along the margin of the river, both morning and evening,
great numbers of people may be seen bathing. No ceremonies are observed at these
very necessary, and no doubt very agreeable, ablutions. Men, women, and children-belonging to the lower classes as a matter of course-may be seen at the
same moment diving, plunging, and swimming in different directions.
"There is generally a crowd of canoes around Ponta da Pdra, the principal
landing-place. These, together with the crowd of Indians busily hurrying to and
fro, conversing in the mingled dialects of the Amazon, are peculiar to Para. Here
may be seen cargoes of Brazil-nuts, cacao, vanilla, annatto, sarsaparilla, cinnamon,
tapioca, balsam of copaiba in pots, coarse dried fish in packages, and baskets
of fruits, in infinite variety, both green and dry. Here are also parrots, macaws,
and some other birds of gorgeous plumage, and occasionally monkeys and serpents,
together with gum-elastic shoes, which are generally brought to market suspended
on long poles to prevent their coming in contact with each other. These formerly
arrived in immense quantities; but now the ' India-rubber' is mostly conveyed to
market in the shape of small slabs.
"The indigenous produce of the province of Para is immense in quantity and
of great value. If the people were only industrious in collecting what nature fur



552


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


nishes so bountifully to their hands, they could not avoid being rich. If enterprising cultivation were added to that degree of industry, there is no limit to the
vegetable wealth which might be drawn from this treasure-house of nature.
"Rice, cotton, sugar, and hides are exported in small quantities, and are produced by the ordinary methods. The trade in gum-elastic, cacao, sarsaparilla,
cloves, urucf, and Brazil-nuts, is more peculiar.
"The use of the caoutchouc or gum-elastic was learned from the Omaguas,a tribe of Brazilian Indians. These savages used it in the form of bottles and
syringes: (hence the name syringe-tree.) It was their custom to present a bottle
of it to every guest at the beginning of one of their feasts. The Portuguese settlers
in Para were the first who profited by turning it to other uses, converting it into
shoes, boots, hats, and garments. It was found to be specially serviceable in a
country so much exposed to rains and floods. But of late the improvements in its
manufacture have vastly extended its uses and made it essential to the health and
comfort of the whole enlightened world. The aboriginal name of this substance
was cahuchu, the pronunciation of which is nearly preserved in the word caoutchouc.
At Para it is now generally called syringa, and sometimes borracha. It is the product of the Siphilla elastica,-a tree which grows to the height of eighty and sometimes one hundred feet. It generally runs up quite erect, forty or fifty feet, without
branches. Its top is spreading, and is ornamented with a thick and glossy foliage.
On the slightest incision the gum exudes, having at first the appearance of thick,
yellow cream.
" The trees are generally tapped in the morning, and about a gill of the fluid is
collected from one incision in the course of the day. It is caught in small cups
of clay, moulded for the purpose with the hand. These are emptied, when full,
into a jar. No sooner is this gum collected than it is ready for immediate use.
Forms of various kinds, representing shoes, bottles, toys, &c., are in readiness,
made of clay.
"When the rough shoes of Para are manufactured, it is a matter of economy to
have wooden lasts. These are first coated with clay, so as to be easily withdrawn.
A handle is affixed to the last for the convenience of working. The fluid is poured
over the form, and a thin coating immediately adheres to the clay. The next movement is to expose the gum to the action of smoke. The substance ignited for this
purpose is the fruit of the wassou-palm. This fumigation serves the double purpose
of drying the gum and of giving it a darker color. When one coating is sufficiently
hardened, another is added and smoked in turn. Thus, any thickness can be produced. It is seldom that a shoe receives more than a dozen coats. The work,
when formed, is exposed to the sun. For a day or two it remains soft enough to
receive permanent impressions. During this time the shoes are figured according
to the fancy of the operatives, by the use of a style or pointed stick. They retain
their yellowish color for some time after the lasts are taken out and they are considered ready for market. Indeed, they are usually sold when the gum is so fresh
that the pieces require to be kept apart: hence, pairs of shoes are generally tied
-together and suspended on long poles. They may be seen daily at Par&, suspended
over the decks of the canoes that come down the river and on the shoulders of the
men who deliver them to the merchants. Those who buy the shoes for exportation
commonly stuff them with dried grass to preserve their extension. Various persons
living in the suburbs of Para collect the caoutchouc and manufacture it on a small
scale. But it is from the surrounding forest-country, where the people are almost
entirely devoted to this business, that the market is chiefly supplied. The gum




INDIA-RUBBER.


553


may be gathered during the entire year; but it is more easily collected and more
serviceable during the dry season.  The months of May, June, July, and August
are specially devoted to its preparation. Besides great quantities of this substance
which leave Par& in other forms, there have been exported for some years past
about three hundred thousand pairs of gum-elastic shoes annually. There are,
however, some changes in the form of its exportation; and a few years ago a patent
was taken out, by an American in Brazil, covering an invention for exporting
caoutchouc in a liquid form. The Amazonian region now supplies, and probably
will long continue to supply, in a great degree, the present and the rapidlyincreasing demand for this material. Several other trees-most of them belonging
to the tribe Euphorbiacice-produce a similar gum; but none of them is likely to
enter into competition with the India-rubber tree of Par&.
MANU FACTURE OF INDIA-RUBBER SHOES.
"Another tree, not uncommon in the province, called the massarandfiba, yields
a white secretion, which so resembles milk that it is much prized for an aliment.
It forms, when coagulated, a species of plaster, which is deemed valuable. The
trees yield the fluid in great profusion. Their botanical character has never been
properly investigated. It has been said that the juice of the India-rubber tree is
also sometimes used as milk, and that the negroes and Indians who work in its
preparation are said to be fond of drinking it; but a young lady who drank it at
Par6 died from the effects of the coagulation in her stomach.
"The annato or uruci is another valuable production of Part. This is a wellknown coloring-matter of an orange dye.  It is a product of the tree known to
botanists as the Bixa orellana. This tree grows ordinarily to about the size and
form of the quince-tree, and exhibits clusters of red and white flowers. Its coloringmatter was extensively used by the aboriginals at the period of discovery. By
means of it they formed various kinds of paint, and were fond of besmearing the
whole surface of their bodies with it.




554


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


" The preparation used in commerce is the oily pulp of the seed, which is rubbed
off and then left to ferment. After fermentation it is rolled into cakes weighing
from two to three pounds, and in this form is exported. Cacao-the substance
from which chocolate is prepared-is a common and valuable production of Para.
It is made from the seeds of the Theobroma cacdo, represented on page 529.
"It would be an interesting although an almost endless task to investigate the
botany of the Amazon. Laurels are yet to be won in this field of science; and it
must be set down as by no means complimentary to American botanists that they
have not entered it as competitors. I have often heard of Burchell as having resided some time at Para; but I apprehend that he was, at the period of his visit,
too far advanced in years to do full justice either to his own reputation or to the
interminable field here spread before him."
The most thorough exploration of the Amazon has been by an
Englishman, —Mr. Alfred R. Wallace, whose attention was directed
to Northern Brazil by Mr. Edwards's little book, "A Voyage up the
Amazon."    With the enthusiasm    known only to the naturalist, he
entered upon this almost untrodden field in 1848, and, after devoting himself to the study of the strange and beautiful objects
which abound in the remotest portions of the interior, in 1852 he
gave up his wandering and romantic life among the almost unknown
aborigines, and returned to England laden with Flora's richest
spoils. But, alas! the burning of the ship on his homeward voyage
not only caused the loss of his entire collection, but for many days
his life was exposed in an open boat upon the broad Atlantic. Notwithstanding the great loss of materials,-which every naturalist
and traveller can fully appreciate,-he prepared on Northern Brazil
the two most interesting volumes extant.     He went not to study
the government and the people, but the Indians, forests, flowers,
birds, and the wild beasts of Amazonia.    Whoever wishes a fresh
and reliable book on nature can turn to Mr. Wallace with a surety
that he will find in the "Narrative of Travels on the Amazon and
Rio Negro" a deeply-interesting book for general reading, and in
the "Palms of the Amazon" a little volume which the naturalist
will count among his best treasures.
The waters of the great river are scarcely less productive than
the soil of its banks.  Innumerable species of fish and amphibious
animals abound in it. Several large kinds of fish are salted and
dried for use. But the commerce in this article of food does not
extend beyond the coast. Owing to the style of preparation, or to
the coarse quality of the fish, foreigners set no value upon it. The




FISH AT THE FALLS OF THE MADEIRA.


555


most remarkable inhabitant of these waters is the vaca marina,
commonly called by the Portuguese peixe boi, or fish-ox. This
name is evidently given on account of the animal's size, rather
than from any resemblance to the ox or cow other than its being
mammiferous.
The vaca marina cannot be called amphibious, since it never
leaves the water. It feeds principally upon a water-plant (cana
brava) that floats on the borders of the stream. It often raises its
head above the water to respire as well as to feed upon this vegetable. At these moments it is attacked and captured. It has only
two fins, which are small and situated near its head. The udders
of the female are beneath these fins. This has been pronounced
the largest fish inhabiting fresh water; but, notwithstanding its
PEIXE  BOI,  OR  VACA  MARINA.
mammoth dimensions,-being, according to various accounts, from
eight to seventeen feet long, and two to three feet thick at the
widest part,-its eyes are extremely small, and the orifices of its
ears are scarcely larger than a pin-head. Its skin is very thick
and hard,-not easily penetrated by a musket-ball. The Indians
used to make shields of it for their defence in war. Its fat and
flesh have always been in estimation. It served the natives in
place of beef. Not having salt for the purpose, they used to preserve the flesh by means of smoke.
The waters of the Amazon up to the very base of the Andes are
inhabited by several species of cetacea, of which we have very
scanty information. Mr. Nesbitt-who was the chief engineer on
the Peruvian Government steamers built in New York and taken
up the Amazon, and who spent a number of years on the King
of Waters and its affluents-has kindly furnished me several items
concerning the fauna of that region:



556                BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
" There are thousands of the regular sea-porpoise in the Amazon and its affluents,
at the very foot of the Andes. Indeed, I have seen larger schools of them in the
Huallaga than I ever saw in the Hudson, and of enormous dimensions. Fish of
every kind is very abundant in all the rivers and lakes.
"At the Falls of the Rio Madeira the traveller will halt and gaze with wonder
at the vast multitude of fish of all kinds and sizes-from the huge cow-fish to the
little sardine-struggling with might and main to ascend the foaming, dashing
current, without the slightest hope of success. Presently, some monster will make
a dash at a school of his small congeners, when suddenly there will be a cloud
of all sorts and sizes leaping in the air and trying to dodge their ravenous pursuer.
All that is necessary for one wishing a fish is to take his canoe-paddle and
strike right or left, when he is sure to hit: he cannot possibly miss. Here are
almost always to be found great numbers of Indians collecting, salting, and drying
fish. The peixe boi is an excellent fish for food; I would almost as soon have it for
the table, in every shape, as the best veal: indeed, it might be palmed upon the
unwary for that article. It is also equal to the best dried beef for chipping, in the
estimation of many.
"In this connection I might mention the Tartaruga, or turtle of the Amazon:
these are to be found by the thousand in nearly all the affluents,-especially the
Madeira, Purus, Napo, Ucayali, and Huallaga. At the season for them to deposit
their eggs on the 'praias,' the streams will be fairly speckled with them, paddling
their clumsy carcasses up to their native sand-bar; for it is positively asserted by the
natives that the turtle will not deposit its eggs anywhere except where it was
itself hatched out. They lay from eighty to one hundred and twenty eggs every
other year. Of this I have been assured by persons who have artificial ponds and
keep them the year round for their own table. September and October are the
months for depositing their eggs."
Dr. Kidder says:"The turtle-egg butter of Amazonia (manteiga da tartaruga) is a substance quite
peculiar to this quarter of the globe. At certain seasons of the year the turtles
appear by thousands on the banks of the rivers, in order to deposit their eggs upon
the sand. The noise of their shells striking against each other in the rush is said
to be sometimes heard at a great distance. Their work commences at dusk and
ends with the following dawn, when they retire to the water.
"During the daytime the inhabitants collect these eggs and pile them up in heaps
resembling the stacks of cannon-balls seen at a navy-yard. These heaps are often
twenty feet in diameter, and of a corresponding height. While yet fresh they are
thrown into wooden canoes, or other large vessels, and broken with sticks and
stamped fine with the feet. Water is then poured on, and the whole is exposed to
the rays of the sun. The heat brings the oily matter of the eggs to the surface,
from which it is skimmed off with cuyas and shells. After this it is subjected
to a moderate heat until ready for use. When clarified, it has the appearance of
butter that has been melted. It always retains the taste of fish-oil, but is much
prized for seasoning by the Indians and those who are accustomed to its use. It is
conveyed to market in earthen jars. In earlier times it was estimated that nearly
two hundred and fifty millions of turtles' eggs were annually destroyed in the manufacture of this manteiga. Recently the number is less, owing to the gradual
inroads made upon the turtle race, and also to the advance of civilization."
But the Government now regulates the turtle-egg harvest, so that




THE GREAT SKILL OF THE CABOCLO ARCHERS.


557


their numbers may not be so rapidly diminished. There are some
extensive beaches Which yield two thousand pots of oil annually:
each pot contains five gallons, and requires about twenty-five hundred eggs, which would give five million ova destroyed in one
locality.
Indeed, it is a wonder how the turtles can ever come to maturity.
As they issue from   the eggs and make their way to the water,
many enemies are awaiting them. IHuge alligators swallow them
by hundreds; the jaguars feed upon them;* eagles, buzzards, and
great wood-ibises are their devourers; and, when they have escaped
these land-foes, many ravenous fishes are ready to seize them in
the stream. They are, however, so prolific, that it has remained
for their most fatal enemy, man, to visibly diminish their number.
The Indians take the full-grown turtle in a net, or catch him
with a hook, or shoot him with an arrow. The latter is a most
ingenious method, and requires more skill than to shoot a bird upon
the wing.   The turtle never shows its back above the water, but,
rising to breathe, its nostrils only are protruded above the surface:
so slight, however, is the rippling that none but the Indian's keen
eyes perceive it. If he shoot an arrow obliquely it would glance
off the smooth shell: therefore he aims into the air, and apparently
"draws a bow at a venture;" but he sends up his missile with such
wonderfully accurate judgment that it describes a parabola and
descends nearly vertically into the back of the turtle.  (Wallace.)
The arrow-head fits loosely to the shaft, and is attached to it by a
long fine cord carefully wound around the wood, so that when the
turtle dives the barb descends, the string unwinds, and the light
shaft forms a float or buoy, which the Indian secures, and by the
attached cord he draws the prize up into his canoe. Nearly all
the turtles sold in market are taken in this manner, and the little
* "The jaguar, say the Indians, is the most cunning animal in the forest: he can
imitate the voice of almost every bird and animal so exactly as to draw them
toward him: he fishes in the rivers, lashing the water with his tail to imitate falling
fruit, and, when the fish approach, hooks them up with his claws. He catches and
eats turtles, and I have myself found the unbroken shells, which he has completely
cleaned out with his paws: he even attacks the cow-fish in its own element, and an
eye-witness assured me that he had watched one dragging out of the water this
bulky animal, weighing as much as a large ox." —Wallace.




558


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


square vertical hole made by the arrow-head may generally be seen
in the shell.
In connection with this might be mentioned the archery of some
of the civilized Indians in various portions of the Empire. A large
and strong bow is bent by their legs. In this way they are able to
shoot game at a great distance.,,,, _y
2 ~/~
CABOCLO  ARCHERS.
As to the birds of the Amazon, they are everywhere brilliant
beyond birds in any other portion of the world. Some, like the
dancing cock of the rock, and the curious and little-known umbrellabird, are very difficult to obtain. I can only mention the latter.
This singular bird is about the size of a raven, and is of a similar
color; but its feathers have a more scaly appearance, from being
margined with a different shade of glossy blue. On its head it
bears a crest different from that of any other bird. It is formed
of feathers more than two inches long, very thickly set, and with
hairy plumes curving over at the end. These can be laid back so
as to be hardly visible, or can be erected and spread out on every
side, forming, as has been remarked, "a hemispherical, or rather
a hemi-ellipsoidal, dome, completely covering the head, and even
reaching beyond the point of the beak." It inhabits the flooded
islands of the Rio Negro and the Solimoes, never appearing on the




THE UMBRELLA-BIRD.


559


mainland. It feeds on fruits, and utters a loud, hoarse cry, like
some deep    musical instrument,-whence its Indian name, Ueramimbe, "trumpet-bird."
And what can be said of the countless tribes of insects that
swarm in the Amazonian
forests? My first acquaintance with the rich
living gems of Brazil was
made at the retired residence of Mr. G., in the
lovely Larangeiras at Rio
de  Janeiro, and     afterward in various parts of
the Empire.     I did not 
cease to wonder at the
innumerable     and   brilliant hosts of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, IHeli-coniide, &c. &c.   It would
require volumes to note
them.    In  the vicinity
of Parda itself there    is
ample opportunity for
the study of nature.                      THE UMBRELLA BIRD
Dr. Kidder visited the
American rice-mills situated twelve miles distant from the city,
and thus describes the excursion:" Our way led through a deep, unbroken forest, of a density and a magnitude
of which I had, before penetrating it, but a faint conception. Notwithstanding this
is one of the most public roads leading to or from the city, yet it is only for a short
distance passable for carriages. Indeed, the branches of trees are not unfrequently
in the way of the rider on horseback. A negro is sent through the path periodically
with a sabre to clip the increasing foliage and branches before they become too
formidable. Thus the road is kept open and pleasant. Notwithstanding the heat
of the sun in these regions at noonday, and the danger of too much exposure to
its rays, an agreeable coolness always pervades those retreats of an Amazonian
forest, whose lofty and umbrageous canopy is almost impenetrable. The brilliancy
of the sun's glare is mellowed by innumerable reflections upon the polished surface
of the leaves. Many of the trees are remarkably straight and very tall. Some
of them are decked from top to bottom with splendid flowers and parasites, while




560                 BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
the trunks and boughs of nearly all are interlaced with innumerable runners and
creeping vines.
"These plants form a singular feature of the more fertile regions of Brazil. But
it is on the borders of the Amazon that they appear in their greatest strength and
luxuriance. They twist around the trees, climbing up to their tops, then grow
down to the ground, and, taking root, spring up again and cross from bough to
bough and from tree to tree, wherever the wind carries their limber shoots, till the
whole woods are hung with their garlanding. This vegetable cordage is sometimes
so closely interwoven that it has the appearance of network, which neither birds
nor beasts can easily pass through. Some of the stems are as thick as a man's
arm. They are round or square, and sometimes triangular, and even pentangular.
They grow in knots and screws, and, indeed, in every possible contortion to which
they may be bent. To break them is impossible. Sometimes they kill the tree
which supports them, and occasionally remain standing erect, like a twisted column,
after the trunk which they have strangled has mouldered within their involutions.
Monkeys delight to play their gambols upon this wild rigging; but they are now
scarce in the neighborhood of Para. Occasionally their chatter is heard at a distance, mingled with the shrill cries of birds; but generally a deep stillness prevails,
adding grandeur to the native majesty of these forests.
"On our route to Maguary, I was surprised to see lands which ten or twelve
years ago had been planted with sugarcane now entirely overgrown with trees of
no insignificant dimensions. Only a few acres immediately around the engenho had
been kept free from these encroachments. Here was located the first mill for
cleaning rice ever built in the vicinity of Par~. It was established by North
American enterprise. A small water-power existed on the site; but, after the mills
were constructed, it was found that this power was insufficient in the dry season:
consequently, a steam-engine of sixteen horse-power was imported from the United
States, and has been made to do good service. The steam-power was kept in action
constantly, and, at proper seasons, the water-power also. Both were inadequate
to the amount of business that offered. Several American mechanics were employed at this establishment, which, small as it is, compares favorably with any
mechanical establishment in the whole country. A stream connects this engenho
with the great river, and thus furnishes cheap conveyance for cargoes to and
from the city."
My colleague also had some experience at Para not quite so
agreeable as riding through Amazonian forests:"Soon after my arrival, in company of the United States Consul, I waited on
Senhor Franco, the president of the province, to whom I bore a letter of commendation. This individual had formerly been clerk in one of the English mercantile
houses in Parl, and was subsequently educated as a beneficiary of the province,
of which he had now become the chief magistrate. He received us with civility,
and in person conducted us through the palace. I found that building one of the
best of the kind in the Empire. It was built, together with the cathedral and some
of the churches, in the days of that talented but ambitious prime minister of Portugal, the Marquis of Pombal, who cherished the splendid idea of having the throne
of Portugal and all her dominions transferred from the banks of the Tagus to those
of the Amazon. This circumstance accounts for the ample size and magnificent
structure of these buildings in a town of moderate extent.




THE "PASTORAL" OF THE BISHOP.


561


"At a proper time I waited on the juiz de direito,-the chief officer of the police,
-to exhibit my passport and obtain a license of residence in the very loyal and
heroic city of Park and the province of which it was the capital. No embarrassments were put in my way, and no detention occurred. I obtained the requisite
license, and kept it until I had occasion to obtain a new passport on my departure.
Nevertheless, it appeared at one period that my unmolested residence in the city
was very much in jeopardy.
" The old Bishop of Para seemed to have caught the contagion of alarm from his
colleague in Maranham; and both these prelates-yielding more than their sober
judgment should have allowed them to certain unfounded and malicious representations sent them from some quarter-wrote to Senhor Franco concerning me
as a very dangerous person, who ought not to be suffered to land in the province.
The president probably satisfied himself on that point during my visit to him; and
although he owed his political elevation very much to his ecclesiastical patrons, yet
he managed to satisfy their apprehensions by a very short and formal correspondence with the American Consul. No person interfered with me or any of my pursuits from first to last."
The see of Para is certainly still very much endangered by the
Bible, if we may judge from the "pastoral" issued in the Diario do
Commercio (of the 8th of April, 1857) by Dom Jose Affonso de Moraes
Torres, "by the grace of God and of the Holy Apostolical See,
Bishop of GrAo Para."    The good bishop seems to be terribly exercised by what he terms uma Sociedade Biblica ultinmanente creada
corn o noma de Allianga Christa, (a Bible Society lately created
under the name of the Christian Alliance.)         He says that its
emissaries circulate books, one of which-a catechism-he has
read, and that in it he "encounters a doctrine entirely opposed to
the belief of the Church of Jesus Christ." That which particularly
stirs up his ire is that the little book teaches that the worship of
images is idolatry. He then insists that such worship is altogether
right, only that the internal operation of the mind is not exactly
the same as when worshipping God. He not only hurls his invectives at the little book and at heretics, but proves from Scripture
that we can be doing God's service in adoring his creatures. He
adduces, with decided emphasis, that Abraham worshipped the
angels and adored the sons of iHeth (!) [adorou os filhos de Heth,
Gen. xxiii. 7.]
The true head of offence in the little book is that it contains
unmutilated the Ten Commandments. I have in my possession the
Ten Commandments as they are printed in all the books of religious
instruction in Portugal and in some parts of Brazil, and the second
commandment is entirely omitted; and, in order to make up the
36




562            BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
Decalogue, the tenth commandment is thus divided. "Thou shalt
not covet thy neighbor's house" figures as the ninth, and "Thou
shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife," &c. &c., "nor any thing that
is thy neighbor's," is the tenth.
The state of religion at Para is by no means flattering, and the
heart is as far from being reached by empty forms and gorgeous
pageants on the Amazon as it is on the Tiber or the Danube. The
grand annual festival of Nazare always attracts from the city an
immense crowd, who go not for religious edification, but for the
nine days' feasting, dancing, fireworks, and gaming.
General reflections upon the character and tendency of such a
scene of festivities-so absorbing to a whole community and so
long continued-seem unnecessary. If it had no religious pretensions it would be less exceptionable; but for a people to be made
to think themselves doing God's service while mingling in such
amusements and follies is painfully lamentable.




CHAPTER XXVII.


AMAZONAS-ITS DISCOVERY-EL DORADO-GONCALO PIZARRO-HIS EXPEDITIONCRUELTIES- SUFFERINGS —DESERTION OF ORELLANA —HIS DESCENT OF THE
RIVER-FABLE OF THE AMAZONS — FATE OF THE ADVENTURER —NAME OF THE
RIVER-SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTRY-SUCCESSIVE EXPEDITIONS UP AND DOWN
THE AMAZON - SUFFERINGS OF MADAME GODIN - PRESENT STATE - VICTORIA
REGIA-STEAM-NAVIGATION -EFFECTS OF HERNDON AND GIBBON S REPORTPERUVIAN STEAMERS-THE FUTURE PROSPECTS OF THE AMAZON.
AMAZONAS (or Alto Amazonas) is the most northern province of
Brazil. My colleague thus writes in regard to the history of this
vast and almost-unknown division of the Empire:"No portion of the earth involves a greater degree of physical interest. Its
central position upon the equator, its vast extent, its unlimited resources, its mammoth rivers, and the romance that still lingers in its name and history, are all
peculiar. Three hundred years have elapsed since this region was discovered; but
down to the present day two-thirds of it remains uncivilized and almost unexplored.
"Indeed, few persons, save the Indians, and the slave-hunters who once pursued
them, have even penetrated its remote sections, or seen any parts of it save the
banks of navigable rivers. The circumstances of its discovery will ever be considered remarkable. It was about the middle of the sixteenth century when the
fable of El Dorado filled the public mind of Europe. The existence of a New
World was then fully demonstrated, and the leaven of desire for its undeveloped
treasures had spread from court to camp, from princes to beggars, until the whole
mass of society was in a ferment. Avarice, personified under the garb of adventure, bestrode the ocean. Scarcely did her footsteps touch the shores of the New
World, ere they were bathed in blood. She commenced her work of desolation
in the fair islands of the Caribbean. She caused the din of arms to resound in
the primeval forests and aboriginal cities of the continent. She scaled the
Cordilleras, and laid waste savannahs upon both the Atlantic and the Pacific
shores.
"Among the bloodthirsty and cruel men who stood forth as leaders in the work
of conquest and plunder, Gongalo Pizarro, the brother and associate of the conqueror of Peru, was second to few, if any. His talents may have been less, but
his daring and cruelty were greater. In 1541, this adventurer set out from Quito,
with an army of three hundred soldiers, and four thousand Indians to serve them
as bearers of burdens, with the design of discovering the land of gold. This was
663




564                BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
an imaginary kingdom, shaped out of the half-comprehended tales of the persecuted
Indians and exaggerated by the most extravagant fancies.
"This fabulous kingdom received a name from the fashion of its monarch, who
was said, in order to wear a more magnificent attire than any other potentate in
the world, to put on a daily coating of gold-dust. His body was anointed every
morning with a costly and fragrant gum, to which the gold-dust adhered when
blown over him by a tube. In this barbaric attire the Spaniards denominated him
EL DORADO,-the GILDED KING. No fictions concerning this monarch or his kingdom
were too extravagant for credence. He was generally located in the grand city of
Manoa, in which no fewer than three thousand workmen were employed in the silversmiths' street. The columns of his palace were described as of porphyry and
alabaster: the throne was ivory, and the steps leading to it were of gold. Others
built the palace of white stone, and ornamented it with golden suns and moons of
silver, while living lions, fastened by chains of gold, guarded its entrance. With
day-dreams like these dancing before the minds of commanders and soldiers, the
army of Pizarro set out, cherishing the highest anticipations.
" In proceeding eastward from Quito, they were obliged to cut their way through
forests, to climb mountains, and to contend with hostile tribes of Indians. Every
tribe with which they met was interrogated about El Dorado, and when unable to
give any intelligence of it they were put to torture: some were even burned alive,
and others were torn to pieces by bloodhounds, which the Spaniards had trained to
feed on human flesh.
" The effects of this dreadful cruelty returned upon the heads of its perpetrators
with a terrible vengeance. As the tidings of their approach spread from tribe to
tribe, the poor natives learned to flatter their hopes and send them along. The
rains came on, and, lasting for months, rotted the garments from the bodies of the
soldiers, who could neither make nor find a shelter. At length their provisions
were exhausted, and they began to feed upon their dogs. The sick multiplied, so
that they were obliged to build a brigantine in which to carry them. This was a
herculean task for soldiers to perform, especially without the requisite implements.
Before it was accomplished they had to slaughter their horses for food. Their
troubles continued and even increased: still, with death staring them in the face,
Pizarro continued to seize prisoners, and put them in irons when he supposed they
desired to escape. When they at length stood upon the banks of the river Napo,
not less than one thousand of the Peruvians had perished.
" The commander now heard of a larger river into which this emptied, and was
told that the country surrounding the junction was fertile and abounding in provisions. He therefore determined to despatch the vessel with fifty men to procure
supplies for the rest. Francisco de Orellana, a knight of Truxillo, was put in command of this expedition. The stream carried them rapidly downward through an
uninhabited and desert country. When they had descended about three hundred
miles, the question was started whether they should not abandon the idea of returning. They had not found food sufficient for themselves; and how could they succor
the army? Besides, how could they ascend against the current in their enfeebled
state? It would only be to perish with the rest. They might as well continue
their descent, for 'rivers to the ocean run,' and there was some chance that they
might in this way not only save their lives but also immortalize their names by new
discoveries. Orellana urged these considerations with so much plausibility, that
all consented save two,-a Dominican friar and a young knight of Badajoz, who contended against the plan as treacherous and cruel. Orellana disposed of this objea



THE EXPEDITION       OF ORELLANA.                  565
tion by setting the knight on shore, to perish or return to the army as he best could.
The friar became an easy convert to the new scheme, and thenceforward took a prominent part in it.  Orellana renounced the commission he had received from
Pizarro, and received an election from his men as their commander, so that he might
make discoveries in his own name, and not under delegated authority in the name
of another.
" It was on the last day of December, 1541, that this adventurous voyage was
commenced, after mass had been said by the Dominican. Their prospects were
gloomy enough. Their stock of provisions was wholly exhausted, and they were
forced to boil the soles of their shoes and their leathern girdles, in hope of deriving
nourishment from them.
"It also became necessary to build a better vessel. This being accomplished
with great difficulty and delay, they resumed their voyage. Sometimes they met
with a kind reception from the Indians, but more generally they had to fight their
way with great losses and imminent danger of complete destruction.
" It was in the month of June that, during a battle with a hostile tribe, they discovered what they reported to be Amazons. Friar Gaspar, the Dominican, affirms
that ten or twelve of these women fought at the head of the tribe which was subject
to their authority. He described them as very tall and large-limbed, having a white
complexion, and long hair plaited and banded around their head. Their only article
of dress was a cincture, but they were armed with bows and arrows. The men
fought desperately, because, if they deserted, they would be beaten to death by
these female tyrants; but, when the Spaniards had slain some seven or eight of the
latter, the Indians fled. These stories were generally believed to have been deliberate falsehoods fabricated with the idea of giving consequence to the voyage. The
existence, however, of a powerful tribe of Amazons in that portion of South America was a subject of deliberate inquiry and grave discussion for at least two centuries. Condamine and others favored the opinion that there had been such a
people, of which some remnants remained till about the time of Orellana, soon after
which they became extinct by amalgamation with surrounding tribes. The Spanish
historian Herrera has given detailed accounts of the adventures of Orellana, compiled from his own statements, endorsed by his veracious chronicler, Friar Gaspar.
They contain, however, but little authentic information. But, strange as it may
seem, modern investigation (as will be seen hereafter) has proved that the veracious
frade apparently spoke the truth.
"In the course of seven months they reached the ocean. After some repairs
made upon their vessels, they sailed out of the great river during the month of
August, and on the 11th of September they made the island of Cubagua. Orellana
proceeded thence to Spain, to give an account of his discoveries in person.
"The excuse he presented for deserting Pizarro was accepted, and, on solicitation, he received a grant of the conquest of the regions he had discovered. He
had but little difficulty in raising funds or enlisting adventurers for his expedition.
It, however, proved disastrous. His fleet arrived out in 1544, but, amid the labyrinth
of channels at the mouth of the river, it was impossible to find the main branch.
After a month or two spent in beating about, without being able to ascend the river
or to accomplish any important object, Orellana succumbed to his misfortunes, and,
like many of his men, sickened and died. He was the first to descend the embouchment of the Amazon; but Pinzon is said to have discovered the mighty current in 1500.
" Mr. Southey had so much respect for his memory, that he made an effort in his
history to restore the name of Orellana to the great river. He discarded Maranon,




566


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


as having too much resemblance to Maranham,* and Amazon, as being founded
upon fiction and at the same time inconvenient. Accordingly, in his map, and in
all his references to the great river, he denominates it Orellana.
" This decision of the poet-laureate of Great Britain has not proved authoritative
in Brazil. 0 Amazonas is the universal appellation of the great river among those
who float upon its waters and who live upon its banks, and is now given to the new
province whose capital is the Barra do Rio Negro.
"Par&, the aboriginal name of this river, was more appropriate than any other.
It signifies 'the father of waters.' The term 'Park River' designates the southern,
in opposition to the northern, principal mouth of the Amazon, and also the province
through which the mighty river finds the ocean."
The name Amazonas has been stated by some to be derived from
the Indian word Amassona,-a term, it is pretended, applied to the
wonderful phenomenon of a high tide of these rivers two days
before and two days after full-moon, which extends to the very
confluence of the Madeira. As this tide is very destructive to
small craft, the natives called it Amassona, ("boat-breaker.") This
story, it seems to me, has no foundation whatever. I do not believe
Amassona to be an aboriginal term; for the Portuguese substantive
amds means "a heap," and the simple verb amassar means "to
knead," "to bruise," &c.; while the reflex verb amassar-se means
"to heap up itself."
The origin of the name and the mystery concerning the female
warriors, I think, has been solved, within the last few years, by the
intrepid Mr. Wallace, who left the beaten track,-the bed of the
great river,-and in the remotest haunts of the wild man, by his
persevering patience and his knowledge of the Lingoa Geral, has
given much information to the world concerning the little-known
interior.
I believe it will now be found that, although the early monkish
chroniclers of the New World often used their imaginations instead
of being content with facts, they were in this case not so culpable
as many have supposed. They really believed that they had fought
with female warriors, and certainly appearances were in favor of
their truthfulness.  Mr. Wallace, I think, conclusively shows that
Friar Gaspar and his companions saw Indian male warriors who
were attired in habiliments such as Europeans would attribute


* Both words have evidently a common origin, being derived from the Portuguese
mare, "the sea," and nao, "not,"-not the sea, as a great river near its mouth
appears to be.




,    ORIGIN OF THE NAME RIO AMAZONAS.


567


to woman.      Mr. Wallace visited numerous tribes on the upper
affluents of the Amazon, and, in speaking of their language, habits
of dress, and other characteristics, he says," The use of ornaments and trinkets of various kinds is almost confined to the
men. The women wear a bracelet on the wrists, but no necklace, or any comb in
the hair: they have a garter below the knee, worn tight from infancy, for the purpose of swelling out the calf, which they consider a great beauty. While dancing
in their festivals, the women wear a small tanga, or apron, made of beads prettily
arranged: it is never worn at any other time, and immediately the dance is over
it is taken off.
"The men, on the other hand, have the hair carefully parted and combed on
each side and tied in a queue behind. In the young men it hangs in long locks
down their necks, and, with the comb, which is invariably carried stuck on the top
of the head, gives to them a most feminine appearance: this is increased by the
large necklaces and bracelets of beads and the careful extirpation of every symptom
of beard. Taking these circumstances into consideration, I am strongly of opinion
that the story of the Amazons has arisen from these feminine-looking warriors encountered by the early voyagers. I am inclined to this belief from the effect they
first produced on myself, when it was only by close examination that I found they
were men; and, were the front parts of their bodies and their breasts covered with
shields such as they always use, I am convinced any person seeing them for the
first time would conclude they were women. We have only, therefore, to suppose
that tribes having similar customs to those now existing on the river Uaupes inhabited the regions where the Amazons were reported to have been seen, and we
have a rational explanation of what has so much puzzled all geographers. The
only objection to this explanation is, that traditions are said to exist among the
natives, of 'a nation of women without husbands.' Of this tradition I was myself
unable to obtain any trace, and I can easily imagine it entirely to have arisen from
the suggestions and inquiries of Europeans themselves. When the story of the
Amazons was first made known, it became, of course, a point with all future travellers to verify it, or, if possible, to get a glimpse of these warlike ladies. The
Indians must no doubt have been overwhelmed with questions and suggestions
about them, and they, thinking that the white men must know best, would transmit
to their descendants and families the idea that such a nation did exist in some distant part of the country. Succeeding travellers, finding traces of this idea among
the Indians, would take it as a proof of the existence of the Amazons, instead of
being merely the effect of a mistake at first, which had been unknowingly spread
by preceding travellers seeking to obtain some information on the subject.
" In my communications and inquiries among the Indians on various matters, I
have always found the greatest caution necessary to prevent one's arriving at wrong
conclusions. They are always apt to affirm that which they see you wish to believe, and, when they do not at all comprehend your question, will unhesitatingly,
answer, 'Yes.'"
Having thus explained the origin of the word Amazonas, we will
again turn to the historic sketch of Dr. Kidder:"About seventy years after the events (the voyage of Orellana) above narrated,
the Portuguese began to settle in Par&, advancing from Maranham. In 1616, Francisco Cadeira, the first chief-captain, laid the foundations of the present city of Park,




568


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


under the protection of Nossa Senhora de Belem. In 1637, another party descended
the Amazon from Quito. It was composed of two Franciscan friars and six soldiers, who had been sent on a mission to the Indians upon the frontiers of Peru.
The mission proved unsuccessful. Some of the missionaries grew weary and returned; others persisted until the savages attacked and murdered the commander
of their escort of soldiers, when all dispersed. Those who were disheartened at the
prospect of the dreadful journey back to Quito committed themselves to the waters,
as Orellana had done nearly a century before. They reached Belem in safety, but
so stupefied with fear as to be unable to give any satisfactory account of what they
had seen.  It was enough for them to have escaped from the horrid cannibals
through whose midst they had passed.
"In the same year, the first expedition for the ascent of the Amazon was
organized. It was commanded by Pedro Teixeira, and was composed of seventy
soldiers, twelve hundred native rowers and bowmen, besides females and slaves,
who increased the number to about two thousand. They embarked in forty-five
canoes. The strength of the opposing current and the difficulty of finding their
course amid the labyrinthian channels of the river rendered their enterprise one
of unparalleled toil. Many of the Indians deserted, and nothing but unwearied
perseverance and great tact enabled Teixeira to keep the rest. After a voyage of
eight months, he reached the extent of navigation. Leaving most of his men with
his canoes at this place, he continued his journey overland to Quito, where he was
received with distinguished honors. He was accompanied on his return by several
friars, whose business it was to record the incidents and observations of the voyage.
A considerable amount of authentic information was thus collected and published
to the world. The party reached Belem in December, 1639, amid great rejoicings.
After this, voyages upon the Amazon became more common.
"In 1745, M. La Condamine, a French academician, descended from Quito, and
constructed a map of the river, based upon a series of astronomical observations.
His memoir, read before the Royal Academy on his return, remains to this day a
very interesting work. In modern times, the most celebrated voyages down the
Amazon have been described at length by those who accomplished them,-e.g. Spix
and Von Martius, Lister Mawe, Lieutenants Smyth, Herndon and Gibbon, and
Mr. Wallace.
"The expeditions to which I have alluded have generally been prosperous, and
not attended with any peculiar misfortunes. Not so with every voyage that has
been undertaken upon these interminable waters. The sufferings of Madame Godin
des Odonnais have hardly a parallel on record. The husband of this lady was an
astronomer associated with M. Condamine. He had taken his family with him to
reside in Quito, but, being ordered to Cayenne, was obliged to leave them behind.
Circumstances transpired to prevent his returning for a period of sixteen years, and
when finally he made the attempt to ascend the Amazon he was taken sick and
could not proceed. All the messages that he attempted to send his absent wife
failed of their destination. In the mean time a rumor reached her that an expedition had been despatched to meet her at some of the missions on the Upper Amazon.
She immediately resolved to set out on the perilous journey. She was accompanied
by her family, including three females, two children, and two or three men, one of
whom was her brother. They surmounted the Andes and passed down the tributary
streams of the Amazon without serious difficulties; but the farther they entered
into the measureless solitudes that lay before them, the more their troubles increased. The missions were found in a state of desolation under the ravages of




A        THE HEROISM       OF MADAME GODIN.                   569
the smallpox. The village where they expected to find Indians to conduct them
down the river had but two inhabitants surviving: these poor creatures could not
aid them, and they were left without guides or canoe-men. Ignorant of navigation,
and unaccustomed to either toil or danger, their misery was now beyond description. Their canoe, in drifting on the current, filled with water, and they barely
escaped with life and a few provisions. They managed to construct a raft; but this
was soon torn to pieces upon a snag. The forlorn company again escape to the
shore, and, as their only alternative, attempt to make their way on foot. Without
map or compass, they know not whither they go. In attempting to follow the
windings of the stream they become bewildered, and finally plunge into the depths
of the forest. Wild fruits and succulent plants now furnish them their only food.
Weakened by hunger, they soon fall victims to disease.
"In a few days Madame Godin, the sole survivor, stood surrounded by eight
dead bodies!  Imagine the horror that overwhelmed her as she saw one after
another of her friends and family in the agonies of death! In the desperation of
the hour she attempted to bury them, but found it impossible. After two days
spent in mourning over the dead, she roused up with a determination to make
another effort to seek her long-lost husband. She was now nearly three thousand
miles from the ocean, without food, and with her delicate feet lacerated by thorns.
Taking the shoes of one of the dead men, she started upon her dreary way. What
phantoms now torture her imagination and people the wilderness with frightful
monsters! But she wanders on. Days of wretchedness and nights of horror
ensue. At length, on the ninth day, she heard the noise of a canoe, and, running
to the river-side, she was taken up by a party of Indians. Suffice it to say that
they conducted her to one of the missions, from which, after long delays and great
exposure, she was finally conveyed down the Amazon and restored to her husband
after nineteen years' separation. They returned to France together and spent the
remnant of their days in retirement; but Madame G. never fully recovered from
the effects of her fright and sufferings.
"Even at this day, the traveller upon the waters of the Amazon, above Park,
finds himself in a wild and uncultivated region. He will scarcely see fifty houses
in three hundred miles. There are but few settlements directly on the river. Most of
the villages are on the tributary streams and the Iguaripes, or bayous. The houses
universally have mud floors and thatched roofs; and, though the population is increasing, I fear that for a long time to come
the great majority of the inhabitants in
the immediate vicinity of the Lower Amazon will be such as are depicted in the
engraving.
"Notwithstanding all the beautiful
theories respecting steam-navigation on   - 
the waters of the Amazon and its tribu- 
taries, nothing was accomplished deserving the name until 1853. As far back  /    
as the year 1827, an association, called  ' 
the South American Steamboat Cor-                                      ' 
pany, was organized in New York, with 
the express design of promoting that
navigation. It owed its origin to the suggestion of the Brazilian Government
through its charge d'affaires, Mr. Rebello, resident in the United States, who




570


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


stipulated decided encouragements, and the grant of special privileges on the part
of His Majesty Dom Pedro I. A steamboat was fitted out and sent to Parf, and
other heavy expenses were incurred by the company; but, through a lack of cooperation on the part of Brazil, the whole enterprise proved a failure. Claims for
indemnification to a large amount were for a long time pending before the Brazilian
Government.
"After 1838, small Government steamers were from time to time sent up the
Amazon as far as the River Negro. Such voyages were repeated at intervals, and
sufficed for steam-navigation on the Amazon until 1853. The globe does not elsewhere present such a splendid theatre for steam-enterprise. Not only is the Amazon
navigable for more than three thousand miles, but the Tocantins, the Chingfi, the
Tapajos, the Madeira, the Negro, and other affluents, are unitedly navigable several
thousand more. All these rivers flow through the richest soil and the most luxurious vegetation in the world."
Near their margin is found the giant of Flora's kingdom, whose
discovery a few years since is as notable a fact to the naturalist
world as the regular opening of steam-navigation upon the Amazon
is to the commercial world.
Of all the Nymphseacee, the largest, the richest, and the most
beautiful is the marvellous plant which has been dedicated to the
Queen of England, and which bears the name of Victoria Regia.
It inhabits the tranquil waters of the shallow lakes formed by the
widening of the Amazon and its affluents. Its leaves measure from
fifteen to eighteen feet in circumference. Their upper part is of
a dark, glossy green; the under portion is of a crimson red, furnished with large, salient veins, which are cellular and full of air,
and have the stem covered with elastic prickles. The flowers lift
themselves about six inches above the water, and when full blown
have a circumference of from three to four feet. The petals unfold
toward evening: their color, at first of the purest white, passes, in
twenty-four hours, through successive hues from a tender rose-tinge
to a bright red. During the first day of their bloom they exhale a
delightful fragrance, and at the end of the third day the flower fades
away and replunges beneath the waters, there to ripen its seeds.
When matured, these fruit-seeds, rich in fecula, are gathered
by the natives, who roast them, and relish them thus prepared.
The description of this magnificent plant explains the admiration
experienced by naturalists when beholding it for the first time. The
celebrated IIaenke was travelling in a pirogue on the Rio Mamore,
in company with Father Lacueva, a Spanish missionary, when he
discovered, in the still waters close to the shore, this gigantic




THE VICTORIA REGIA.


571


Nympheeacee. At the sight the botanist fell upon his knees, andas a not very pious French writer very Frenchily records-expressed
his religious and scientific enthusiasm by impassioned exclamations and outbursts of adoration to the Creator,-" an improvised
Te Deum which must have deeply impressed the old missionary."


THE  VICTORIA  REGIA  AND  THE  BOAT-BILL.


In 1845, an English traveller, Mr. Bridges, as he was following
the wooded banks of the Yacouma, one of the tributaries of the
Mamore, came to a lake hidden in the forest, and found upon it a
colony of Victoria Regias. Carried away by his admiration, he was
about to plunge into the water for the purpose of gathering some
of the flowers, when the Indians who accompanied him pointed to
the savage alligators lazily reposing upon the surface. This information made him cautious; but, without abating his ardor, he
ran to the city of Santa Anna, and soon obtained a canoe, which
was launched upon the lake which contained the objects of his
ambition. The leaves were so enormous that he could place but




572


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


two of them on the canoe, and he was obliged to make several
trips to complete his harvest.
Mr. Bridges soon arrived in England with the seeds, which he
had sown in moist clay. Two of these germinated in the aquarium
of the hothouse at Kew. One was sent to the large hothouses of
Chatsworth: a basin was prepared to receive it, the temperature
was raised, and the plant was placed in its new resting-place on
the 10th of August, 1849. Toward the end of September it was
necessary to enlarge the basin and to double its size, in order to
give space to the leaves, which developed with great rapidity.
So large did they become that one of them supported the weight
of a little girl in an upright position.
The first bud opened on the beginning of November. The flower
in bloom was offered by Mr. Paxton (the celebrated designer of the
London Crystal Palace) to his monarch, and the great personages
of England hastened to Windsor Castle to admire the beautiful
homonym of their gracious sovereign.
The name given to this marvellous plant by Lindley was happily
chosen; but the natives of the Amazon call it "Uap6 Japona,"-the
Jacana's oven,-from the fact that the jacana is often seen upon it.
The jacana is a singular
spur-winged bird, twice
T 1H JAN.     the size of a woodcock,
provided with exceedingly
long and slendertoes (from
which the French term it
we,!i~ ra tthe surgeon-bird) which
enable it to glide over
various water-plants. It
-  -~~inhabits the marshes, and
woods near the water, and
an:  -  many a time in the interior I have seen it stealing over the lily-leaves on
THE JACANA.            the margin of rivers.
Returning from this digression to the capabilities of the great river for steam-navigation,
we remark that the extent of the Amazon and its affluents is




THE '"KING OF WATERS."


573


immense. From four degrees north latitude to twenty degrees
south, every stream that flows down the eastern slope of the Andes
is a tributary of the Amazon. This is as though all the rivers
from St. Petersburg to Madrid united their waters in one mighty
flood.
Geographers have never fully agreed which of the upper tributaries deserves to be called the main stream of the Amazon; but
the most recent explorers are decided in considering the Tanguragua or Upper Marainon as its principal source. This rises in a
lake-Lauricocha-situated almost in the region of perpetual
snow. Nearly all the branches of the Amazon are navigable to a
great distance from their junction with the main trunk, and, collecting the whole, afford an extent of water-communication unparalleled in any other part of the globe. There is a total of ten
thousand miles of steam-navigation below all falls; and, these
obstructions once passed, steamers could be run for four thousand
miles.
A volume of fresh water, constantly replenished by copious rains,
pours forth with such impetus as to force itself-an unmixed current-into the ocean to the distance of eighty leagues. While the
principal branch of the Ganges discharges 80,000 cubic feet of water
per second, and the large Brahmapootra 176,200 cubic feet every
sixtieth part of a minute, the Amazon sends through the narrows
at Obidos 550,000 cubic feet per second. (Von Martius.)
This "king of waters" is remarkable for its wide-spreading
tributaries. On the north side, the first from the west, below the
rapids of Manseriche, is the Morona, and then come in succession
the Pastaca, Tigre, Napo, Iga, Japura, Rio Negro, and many
streams of lesser note. From the south it receives-proceeding
from west to east-the Huallaga, Ucayali, Yavari or Javary,
Huta, Hyuruay, Teff6, Coavy, Puruis, Madeira, Tapajos, Chingiu,
and Tocantins.  Most of these affluents discharge their waters
into the Amazon by more than one mouth, which frequently are
widely apart. Thus, the two most distant of the four mouths
of the Japura are more than two hundred miles asunder, and the
outer embouchures of the Purus are about one hundred miles from
each other. In the upper portion of its course the Amazon divides
Equador from Peru, between which its width varies from half a




574


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


mile to a mile; beyond the limits of Equador it increases to two
miles; and below the Madeira-its most considerable tributary,
having a course little less than two thousand miles in length-it is
nearly three miles. Between Faro and Obidos-to which place
the tide reaches-it decreases to less than a mile; but below Obidos
it widens again, and, after the junction of the Tapajos, it is nearly
seven miles across. The width of the channel of Braganza do
Norte-the northern mouth of this vast river-is thirty miles
opposite the island of Marajo and fifty at its embouchure; that
of the Tangipurai Channel is eighteen miles at the junction of the
Tocantins and thirty at its mouth.
While the whole area drained by the Mississippi and its branches
is 1,200,000 square miles, the area of the Amazon and its tributaries
(not including that of the Tocantins, which is larger than the Ohio
Valley) is 2,330,000 square miles. This is more than a third of all
South America, and equal to two-thirds of all Europe. Mr. Wallace
has startled Englishmen with the fact that "all Western Europe
could be placed in it without touching its boundaries, and it would
even contain the whole of our Indian Empire."
In 1851-52, Lieutenants (U. S. N.) Herndon and Gibbon descended the Amazon,-one by its Peruvian and the other by its
Bolivian tributaries. Their interesting reports were published by
the order of Congress, and are laid before the world. Lieutenant
Gibbon passed over the most unknown route, and hence his work
possesses more intrinsic interest. Lieutenant Herndon's volume
not only for the moment awakened the United States and England
to the importance of the Amazon, but the fact of his descent of that
river and his inferences-many of them totally visionary-aroused
the Brazilian Government to the performance of their duty, and in
1852-53, Brazil, by treaty with Peru, engaged to run steamers,
under the Brazilian flag, from Para,-the contractors to have the
monopoly of steamboat-navigation on the Amazon for thirty years,
with an annual bonus of one hundred thousand dollars for the first
fifteen; the voyage to be performed by two steamers,-one ascending the Amazon from Para, the other descending it from Nauta,
and meeting the up-boat at Barra.
Nauta is in Peru, on the right bank of the Amazon, forty-six
leagues below the junction of the Huallaga, and has a population




AMAZONIAN STEAMERS.


575


of one thousand. This company, under the leading of that enterprising  Brazilian, the Baron      of Maua, immediately sent its
first steamer from   Para to Nauta.     The association, in return for
privileges granted, contracted to found numerous colonies in the
provinces of Para and Amazonas.         Nearly every month colonists
under the direction of the Amazon Navigation Company arrive
from Portugal and her islands at Para. They have already established flourishing colonies at Obidos and at Serpa, and another at
the mouth of the Rio Negro.         They are also engaged to plant
colonies above the Barra of the Rio Negro, one on the Rio Teffe,
(above V. de Ega,) three on the Madeira, at Crato and Borba,
two on the Tapajos, not far from         Santarem, and three on the
Tocantins.
The contract made by the company with the Portuguese emigrants is this:" They bind themselves to work for the company for two years at a certain compensation per diem, and to be housed and fed during that period; and, at the end
of their apprenticeship, each person is entitled to a certain portion of open land in
fee-simple,-the heads of families to have a comfortable house on their portion, no
matter whether they were married before engaging or during their service."
I asked Mr. Nesbitt-a practical engineer who was for three
years travelling on the Amazon and some of its navigable tributaries-his opinion of the steamers employed by the company.
His reply (April, 1857) was as follows:"Thus far they have succeeded well. The company have fully complied with
their part of the contract both in Brazil and with Peru. There were seven steamers
in successful operation in April, 1856, and two new boats expected every week:
one of these two was the 'Bay City,' built in New York for the Sacramento and San
Francisco trade, but was so badly twisted in trying to double Cape Horn that she
put back to Rio de Janeiro for repairs, and was sold for the benefit of the underwriters and purchased for the Amazon Company. The names of the seven steamers
that were running are the 'Tapajoz,' 'Rio Negro,' 'Marajo,' 'Monarcha,' 'Cametr,'
'Tabatinga,' and 'Solim5es.' The 'Rio Negro' and 'Tapajoz' were the packets from
Par& to the Barra do Rio Negro,-making semi-monthly trips; but, after the 1st
of January, 1857, there was to be a weekly packet. The ' Marajo' ran between the
Barra and Nauta, in Peru,-making a trip every two months, and, after January,
1857, the trips were to be monthly. The 'Monarcha' was running on the Rio
Negro, from the Barra to the mouth of the Rio Branco, and intended to go as far
as Barcellos and Moreira-still higher-whenever the water in the Rio Negro would
permit, which would be about eight months in the year. The Rio Negro, a few
leagues above the Barra, spreads out into a very wide bay of some leagues in
breadth, which renders steam-navigation more difficult than anywhere else on the
lower river, as it becomes shallower on account of the great width; but above this




576


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


bay there is no trouble. There are several lakes adjacent to the Rio Negro, where
large quantities of fish are caught, salted, and dried for market. There are a
great many splendid localities for farming-purposes on the Rio Negro above the
Barra. The 'Solim5es' was intended for the Rio Tapajoz. The 'Cameta' was a
regular packet on the Tocantins, between the city of Para and the town of Cameta,
-making monthly trips.
"All these steamers had as much business as they could well do,-those for the
Barra more than they could do; hence the necessity for weekly trips.
"These steamers were fast superseding the square, stem-and-stern, crawling
river-canoas; for as soon as a trader makes one trip in a steamer he begins to set
some value upon time, and forsakes his three-month mode of getting up stream
for a three or four days' trip. Captain Pimento Bueno, (son of the distinguished
Senator,) the energetic and gentlemanly general superintending agent, told me that,
with the Government bonus and the merchants' business, the steamers paid exceedingly well. They are all good boats, and most of them built of iron, as that material is decidedly the best, on account of the worms that are so destructive in the
Amazon. Every town on the river furnishes wood at a fixed rate. The business
of the steamers is constantly on the increase; and the industrious inhabitants
of any of the villages can collect their syringa, Brazil-nuts, sarsaparilla, cacao,
&c. &c. and send them down to Para by the steamer, and, on her return-trip, receive their money. This is creating new artificial wants, and, of course, making
the people exercise more industry for the purpose of supplying their newlyawakened demands.
"These steamers certainly have done wonders in the last four years toward revolutionizing the whole business of the Amazon Valley; for, even from Moyabamba,
Tarapota, and other Peruvian towns among the mountains, they now bring down
their products in canoes and on bolsas (rafts) to meet the steamer at Nauta, which
they never thought of doing before. Neither are the advantages of steam confined
to the business-relations of life; but there is evidently an increasing desire on the
part of the great mass of the people to learn more of the outside barbarians."
Mr. Nesbitt thus states the effect of the sight of a steamer on
the remote population of the Upper Amazon:"As we would be passing a sand-bar on the upper rivers in Peru, where a steamboat had never before been heard of, and while all the fishermen and fish-driers
would be standing in amazement, gazing at the 'monster of the vasty deep,'-not
knowing whether it was a spirit from the diabo or some new saint sent by the
Immaculate Virgin,-I would touch the steam-whistle, which would give such an
unearthly screech that men, women, children, dogs, and monkeys would take to
their heels and run for dear life, and would never stop to allow me to make
the amende honorable."
I was desirous to obtain from this observant and practical man
an opinion in regard to the views and theories of Lieutenants
Maury and Herndon concerning the Amazon.              In reply, he made
the following statement:"I think that Lieutenant Maury's letters are painted rather beyond nature; but
his ideas of the Amazon Valley and its capabilities are certainly, on the whole,
nearer the mark than any other writer I have ever read. His theory of climate, and




HERNDON'S EXPEDITION-PERUVIAN STEAMERS.


577


his reasons why the Valley of the Amazon is not like the same latitudes in Africa,
&c. &c., are assuredly correct, in my humble opinion; for I was forcibly impressed
with their correctness while on the spot. The rainy season is not the incessant
'pouring down' of Africa, Central America, and the Orinoco-region. It is more
of a showery season: it is true sometimes when it rains 'it pours,' but the showers
are of short duration comparatively, and they fall at such regular intervals that one
can make his calculations for business-engagements almost to a certainty. And you
will never have a day without seeing the sun more or less.
"The dry-season is not feverish and scorching; for scarcely a week-certainly
not a fortnight-passes without one or more good showers.  Such a thing as
crops suffering for the want of moisture is not known on the Amazon. Although
the days may be warm, the nights are always cool and pleasant, with very
heavy dews.
"Lieutenant Herndon's ideas of the low banks were just such as any person
would form who travelled down the river in a canoe, as it is impossible for any one
thus situated to form a correct estimate of the country. It would require yearsnot a few months-to learn the Valley as it ought to be learned. There is not
nearly so much land subject to inundation as Herndon estimated: notwithstanding,
there are considerable portions that are overflown at high floods. Herndon's expedition left its work unfinished; but it was of vast service to the country on the
Amazon, both directly and indirectly,-as that expedition, I have not the least doubt,
was the lever that moved the Brazilian Government to promote steam-navigation on
the Amazon. So that was the beginning; 'but the end is not yet.'"
In regard to the     steamers ordered by Peru-which made the
contract with Dr. Whittemore, formerly of Lima-to be built at
New York and transported in pieces to Para, to be run in connection with the steamers of the Brazilian and Amazon Navigation
Company, Mr. Nesbitt gives me the following information:"I went out with the steamers to the Amazon, was with them while they were
being reconstructed in Pare, and, after they were ready to start up the river, I took
command of one of them. Dr. Whittemore, our leader, commanded the other, and
proceeded as far as the town of Obidos, where he turned them both over to me
to deliver to the proper authorities, assisted by his friend, Mr. Z. B. Conely. Dr.
Whittemore then returned to New York.
" These steamers were not iron,-as frequently stated by newspaper paragraphs, —
but were constructed of pure Georgia pine, frame, planking, and all. The smallest
one was ninety feet long, called the Iuallaga; the other was one hundred and ten
feet in length, called the Tirado, in honor of the then Secretary of State of Peru."
In reply to the question, How did the Peruvian steamers turn
out? Mr. N. replied as follows:" They did not turn out so well as was anticipated, or as could have been desired
for the credit of our country, whence they came. They were built very light, and
poorly finished and furnished; so much so, that the Peruvian Government officer
who was appointed to receive them refused to do so, so that we were left some
twenty-five hundred miles up the river from the ocean, with a couple of steamers
and two American crews, without any provision being made either by the contractor
or by the Peruvian Government for our support; and of the stores we had on board
37




578                BRAZIL AND THIE BRAZILIANS.
a great portion was in a damaged state. Under these circumstances, the agents of
the contractor were, from the necessity of the case, compelled to compromise with
the Governor-General of Eastern Peru,-Colonel Francisco Alvarado Ortiz,-who
had no authority delegated to him in the matter whatever by the Government of
Peru, but who, in this disagreeable juncture, acted very fairly and was exceedingly
liberal. By the compromise I had to remain in charge of the steamers until the
Supreme Government would act in the matter. But the controversy is not yet
finally settled, I believe, as a part of the contract-money is still due, and the
Government refuses to pay it, on the ground that the contract was not complied
with on the part of the contractor.
"One of them, the Huallaga, never turned a paddle-wheel after she reached
the port of Nauta, but was tied up to the bank, and was rotting all the time that I
was there. The other, the Tirado, made a few trips to various points above. I
took her on two occasions up the Rio Huallaga almost to Chasuta, which is nearly
three thousand five hundred miles from the ocean: one of these trips was made during
the lowest stage of water, and I never found less than fifteen feet water anywhere in the
river-channel,-so that a steamer of ten feet draught can pass from the Pongo de Sal
to the Atlantic Ocean any day in the year. These steamers are at the present moment becoming more useless every day. Neither of the two boats have been run
for any purpose since I left them, eighteen months ago; neither, indeed, can they
be used, as the Peruvians know nothing about the management of steamboats and
the engineers have all returned to the United States. The use of them has never
been worth a dollar to the Government, and never will be.
"The Salt-rapid on the Huallaga, below Chasuta, is a natural curiosity.  The
banks of the river for more than a league are one solid mass of rock-salt, hard and
clear as ice, in some places of a bluish-red color, and in others almost white, apparently the whole very pure, and in sufficient quantity to supply all South America
for centuries.
"I have ascended the Huallaga, Ucayali, Pastaca, Madeira, and a short distance
above the Barra do Rio Negro. The Huallaga, as before mentioned, is navigable
for steamers the year round, for vessels of ten feet draught, as high as the Pongo de
Sal, without the least trouble,-and to Chasuta, with ordinary caution and care,and for canoes from Tinga Maria (only three hundred miles from Lima) to the
mouth, down stream; but the ascent by canoes is very difficult. The country is
excellent, being very healthy and fertile, with numerous villages all along the banks.
The Pastaca is a very fine little affluent, and is navigable for steamers several hundred miles the greatest part of the year; but there are a number of tribes of hostile Indians on its lower waters. The land is most excellent, and the best Peruvian
bark on the upper rivers is found on this stream. There are sometimes small
quantities of gold brought down by the friendly Indians near its head-waters: I
have seen some very fine specimens of it. The Ucayali can be ascended by a lightdraught steamer nearly six hundred miles a part of the year, and as far as Sarayacu
the whole year. The Rio Madeira is also a fine stream: it is navigable for any
class of river-steamers to the Falls; but at no time can a steamer ascend these
rapids. However, above the dozen rapids, there is plenty of water for several hundred miles, for a small steamer, the year round."
In 1853, a translation of Lieutenant Maury's letters was published
in the widely-circulated Correio Mercantil of Rio de Janeiro; and I
well remember the commotion his communications on the Amazon




EFFECT OF LIEUTENANT MAURY'S LETTERS IN BRAZIL. 579
caused at the capital, in connection with a report that a "flibustiering" expedition was fitting out at New York to force the opening
of the great river.
It is certainly a matter of deep regret that one whose writings
and scientific investigations have not only received the highest
encomiums from the great and the learned on both continents, but
have blessed and are blessing the world, should have permitted
himself to make use of language which could only inflame a sensitive
nation, and of some arguments which can only tend to "flibustiering."   If Lieutenant Maury had left out the offensive language,
and a portion of his reasoning, which has been by Brazilians legitimately construed as nothing less than an advocacy of the theory
that might makes right, I believe that it would have been much
better for our country and for Brazil. Since that time it has been
impossible to negotiate a treaty with Brazil,-a Government with
which we ought to be closely linked.          There is no reciprocity
between us.*     While we receive her great staples free of duty, all
* NEW BRAZILIAN TARIFF.-Robert G. Scott, Jr., Esq., Consul of the United
States at Rio de Janeiro, writes to the State Department under date of 29th
April last, giving the substance of the changes in the rates of duties made by
the new tariff of Brazil. He says:"By the old tariff, flour, the chief export from the United States to Brazil, paid
three milreis per barrel import-duty. Under the tariff that I send you, the duty
will be two milreis and four hundred reis,-a decrease of six hundred reis per
barrel, or about thirty-four cents. Salted meat, that paid seven hundred and fifty
reis per arroba of thirty-two pounds Portuguese weight under the old tariff, will pay
five hundred and forty under the tariff that goes into force the 1st day of July next.
Pine-wood, that now pays six reis per square palmo, (eight inches,) will pay, after
the 1st of July, five reis. Leaf-tobacco, that pays under the present tariff six milreis
per arroba, will pay under the new tariff three milreis and six hundred reis. Duties
on tar, pitch, turpentine, and rosin, have been reduced; and so upon nearly all
articles imported into this country from the United States. There is a reduction
of one hundred and ten reis per alquiere or bushel of salt in the new tariff; and,
although no salt is imported from the United States to Brazil, still, this reduction is
of benefit to our navigation. Duties on coarse cottons have been slightly increased;
also on candles.
"The duties, as a general thing, have been increased on manufactured goods, and
the exceptions are among those of the best quality, chiefly imported to this Empire
from France."
In the new Cabinet formed by the Emperor in May, (1857,) Senhor Souza Francoone of the most distinguished of Brazilian statesmen-holds the portfolio of finance;
and, as he is a gentleman of enlarged views, it is to be hoped that some satisfactory
commercial treaty will be arranged between the United States and Brazil.




580


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


that is exported by us to Brazil is heavily taxed. The property
of our citizens dying intestate is administered by the Brazilian
Government in a manner that never gives satisfaction. Outrages
committed upon citizens of the United States in distant portions
of the Empire very tardily, or never, meet with redress from the
interior magistrates, whose feelings toward Norte Americanos have
been embittered by the conclusions arrived at after reading the
letters of Tenente ]liaury. It will be long ere we regain the sympathies which we had in 1850, when it was proposed, in case of
war with England, that the whole Brazilian coast-trade should be
put under the flag of the United States.
At Rio, Senhor de Angelis replied to Lieutenant Maury's
"Amazon and the Atlantic Coasts of South America," (Port.
trans.,) and his arguments, supported by Vattel and other writers
on international law, are very ably stated.  His volume, however, contains at its close some very pointed and plain language
in regard to Texas and Greytown, which adds nothing to his
argument.
We hope, however, that the judicious policy of the Union will
regain the footing and influence which should be that of a country
professing the principles of justice and liberality.
Whether the Amazon region, at least in the vicinity of the great
river, can ever be thickly peopled by a more Northern race, remains to be seen. It is in one range of temperature, (not like the
Mississippi, which enjoys every variety of climate,) and is as yet
an almost unbroken wilderness. Dr. Thomas Rainey, who has
given much attention to this subject, argues from the nature of the
case that the provinces of Para and Amazonas can never become
flourishing rendezvous for Northerners.  But, as Brazil differs
from all other tropical countries, it may be that the "howling
wilderness" of the Amazon will yet smile with industry and
civilization.
As the case stands, Brazil certainly has the right, and the sole
right, to control the rivers within her own borders, no matter if
they do rise in other states; and, as previous to the treaty which
gave the United States the right of descending the St. Lawrence
no other country would have had the right to force England to
open to the United States that river because many of her tri



BENEFIT TO BE DERIVED FROM OPENING THE AMAZON. 581


butaries have their rise in the territory of the Union, so there is
no justice in any proposition to force Brazil to concede the free
navigation of the Amazon. Still, although we rejoice to see Brazil
developing her own resources, it would be of incalculable benefit
to herself as well as to the neighboring states if she would apply
to the Amazon question the principles for which she contended on
the La Plata, and throw the mighty river open to the commerce
of the world.
About one-half of Bolivia, two-thirds of Peru, three-fourths of
Equador, and one-half of New Grenada, are drained by the Amazon
and its tributaries.  For the want of steam-communication the
trade of all these parts of those countries goes west over the
Andes to Callao. There it is shipped, and, after doubling Cape
Horn and sailing eight or ten thousand miles, it is then only off
the mouth of the Amazon, on its way to Europe or the United
States; whereas, if the navigation of the Amazon were free, the
produce of the interior could be landed at Para for what it costs
to convey it across the Andes to the ports of the Pacific.




CONCLUSION.
THE authors, in reviewing the ground which they have gone
over in this volume, only feel the imperfection of their labors and
how difficult has been the task to give in so small space a just and
general view of Brazil. They have compared the Empire not with
England and the United States, but with other countries of the
New World which have been peopled by descendants of the Latin
race. This they believe to be the true mode of comparison. Many
errors may thus be avoided. Their attention has recently been
called to an editorial in one of the most widely-circulated and
influential papers of our country, in which occurs the following
sentence:" To those who wish to know how deep human nature can sink in moral degradation and the extreme limit of monarchical imbecility, we recommend a reading of
Ewbank's 'Brazil,' whose details of hopeless superstition, general ignorance, and
political demoralization have no parallel."
We have already shown our appreciation of the author referred
to by direct quotations from his work; and had he who penned
this editorial remembered that Mr. Ewbank (more than ten years
ago) was a stranger abiding for a few months in a new and curious
country, and published a journal of observations and events which
he jotted down from the impressions of the moment, and makes
but few generalizations, he (the editor) would not have been so
sweeping in his condemnation of Brazil. Iie seems, however, to
have entirely overlooked one of Mr. Ewbank's few general conclusions. Had he read it he would doubtless have been convinced
that there was something hopeful in Brazil. As the opinions of
the author in question have been often quoted to us as entirely
at variance with any encouragement in regard to the Empire
ruled by Dom Pedro II., we cite from his last chapter the following, which is to the point:"The character of the Brazilians, I should say, is that of an hospitable, affectionate, intelligent, and aspiring people. They are in advance of their Portuguese
582




CONCLUSION.


583


progenitors in liberality of sentiment and in enterprise. Many of their young men
visit Europe, others are educated in the United States: add to this an increasing
intercourse with foreigners,-the means ordained by Divine Providence for human
improvement,-and who does not rejoice in their honorable ambition and in the
career opened before them? It must be remembered, however, that no one people
can be a standard for any other, for no two are in the same circumstances and conditions. The influence of climate, we know, is omnipotent; and, from their occupying one of the largest and finest portions of the equatorial regions, it is for them to
determine how far science and the arts within the tropics can compete with their
progress in the temperate zones. As respects progress, they are, of Latin nations,
next to the French. In the Chambers are able and enlightened statesmen; and the
representatives of the Empire abroad are conceded to rank in talent with the ambassadors of any other country. As for material elements of greatness, no people under
the sun are more highly favored, and none have a higher destiny opened before them.
May they have the wisdom to achieve it!" —Ewbank's Sketches of Life in Brazil.
It is impossible to appreciate the present condition of Brazil
without taking into view      the influences of the mother-country.
Notwithstanding the wealth       and glory of Portugal during the
short period of her maritime supremacy, there are few countries
in Europe less fitted to become the model of a prosperous state in
modern times.     In whatever light we consider Portugal or her institutions, we find them    altogether behind the spirit of the age.
Yet that country, as insignificent in size as it is indifferent in condition, held nearly half of South America under the iron sway of
colonial bondage from    the period of its discovery until 1808,-we
might almost say 1822.
The short space of thirty-five years is all that Brazil has yet
enjoyed for the great object of establishing her character as an
independent nation.     During that period she has had to contend
with great and almost numberless difficulties. A large proportion
of the inhabitants were persons born or educated in Portugal, and
consequently imbued with the narrow views and the illiberal feelings so common to the Portuguese.       The laws, the modes of doing
business as well as of thinking and of acting, that universally prevailed, were Portuguese. All these required decided renovation in
order to suit the circumstances of a new empire rising into being
during the progress of the nineteenth century.
Such a renovation is not the work of a day; and if it should
appear that as yet it has only properly commenced, still, the Brazilian nation will stand before the world as deserving the highest
credit.  She has broken off bonds that had remained riveted upon




584


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


her for ages. She has advanced from a degrading colonial servitude to a high and honorable position among the nations of the
earth.  What is perhaps still better, she cherishes a desire for
improvement. She directs a vigilant eye toward other nations;
she observes the working of their different institutions, and manifests a disposition to adopt those which are truly excellent, as far
and as fast as they can be adapted to her circumstances.
Her finances are in a most flourishing condition. But she should
be ready to accept and to court a greater reciprocity among the
nations of the earth, and should abandon all narrow policy.
The revenues of the Empire are almost entirely the product of
heavy duties upon commerce. Unfortunately, the nation has but
few manuftactures to call for her high tariff as a means of protection. Hier duties upon imports constitute a direct tax upon internal consumption; while the duties upon exports embarrass her
trade abroad. Thus, agriculture is doubly oppressed, and it is
under the burden of great difficulties that the immense resources
of the country are to a comparatively small degree developed.
Were there no other means of providing for the expenses of
government, it would, perhaps, be idle to dwell upon this ruinous
process, unless it were to comment upon it as a necessary evil.
But is there no possibility of raising a revenue for Brazil fiom the
sale of public lands? Millions upon millions of acres remain as
yet unappropriated, notwithstanding the utter carelessness with
which the richest and most valuable portions of the public domain
have hitherto been yielded to the ownership of whomsoever might
incline to take possession of it. MIight not Government surveys be
instituted, and the whole country brought under legal demarcation? Hitherto, not one-fiftieth part of it was ever surveyed;
and even in some populous districts great uncertainty respecting
boundaries still exists.  It is understood that a reform in this
direction has been begun.  But what advantages could result
from these surveys, unless spontaneous foreign immigration were
encouraged?
Great things have been done in this respect, but more still remains to be accomplished. The system of Senator Vergueiro, we
see by late advices, is to be carried out on a grand scale: no less
than fifty thousand emigrants are thus to be brought to Brazil.




CONCLUSION.


585


But let the Government throw off all restriction of passports and
every tax upon the emigrant, and the great and small proprietors
will not have to resort to expensive means to induce immigration:
it will flow of itself.
Education is daily exciting increased attention. In the new
system of school-instruction, the French model has been generally
followed.  Having already described institutions of the various
grades,- from the primary school to the law-university,-it will
now be sufficient to remark that a great degree of improvement
upon the former state of things is already manifest; but at the
same time the work of educational reform has only commenced.
The teachers' salaries are too low; the interest among the common people requires to be more fully excited; and a very serious
obstacle is to be overcome in the want of suitable school-books.
It is sad to often find hinderanccs to the cause of education in
the very men who ought to be leaders in the movement for the
intellectual as well as the moral training of the young. A single
instance and a general remark will illustrate what we mean.
A priest residing in one of the most prominent cities of the
Empire, and, indeed, exercising his functions beneath the very
shadow of one of the universities, was heard to say, "NYo gosto de
livros; gosto mais de jogar," ("I have no relish for books; I like
gaming better.") In corroboration of these remarks is the language of a distinguished Brazilian statesman, uttered before the
Imperial Legislature:"A narrow strip on the coast is all that enjoys the benefits of civilization; while,
in the interior, our people are still, to a great degree, enveloped in barbarism."
In ilmmediate connection with this remark, the same gentleman added, "We have
been unable to do any thing, and nothing can be accomplished without the aid of a
moral and intelligent clergy."
Notwithstanding the picture sketched in these brief but just
intimations, there is much room to hope for Brazil on the score
of education. The schoolmaster is abroad in the Empire; the
press is at work; and thousands of the citizens-those who have
been educated at home and abroad-are awake to the importance
of both those means of public enlightenment.
The history of Brazilian literature is brief; yet, under the circumstances in which it has sprung up, that literature must be
considered creditable. Of all that has been written in the Portu



586


BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.


guese language within the last hundred years, Brazil has produced
her full proportion of what is meritorious. Without entering into
details upon this point, it is sufficient to mention the names of
Caldas and Magalhaens in the department of poetry; Moraes in
philology; and the Andradas in science and philosophy. Within
the last few years there has been a decided and promising movement at the capital in behalf of literature and the diffusion of
useful knowledge.
It may perhaps be considered by some as a misfortune, in a literary point of view, to Brazil, that her language is the Portuguese.
A prejudice against that language prevails extensively among
foreign nations; and, although that prejudice is in a great degree
unjust, it will not soon be overcome. The learned have seldom
been induced to acquire that knowledge of the language which is
essential to an appreciation of its real merits. Those who have
formed its acquaintance accord to it high praises. Mr. Southey,
for example, has declared it to be " inferior to no modern speech,"
and to contain "some of the most original and admirable works
that he had ever perused."  Schlegel, in his "History of Literature," bears the very highest testimony to the beauty and copiousness of the Portuguese language, and cannot restrain his admiration for De Camoes. Of the Lusiad a distinguished French writer
has said, "It is the first epic of modern times." (It must be remembered that the Latin nations have never been able to comprehend
Milton.) BM. de Sismondi says, "The distinguished men whom
Portugal has produced have given to their country every branch
of literature."  And again:-"Portuguese literature is complete:
we find in it every department of letters." (De la ]Litterature dut
Midi de l'Europe, t. iv. p. 262.)  "The Portuguese language,"
says M. Sane, "is beautiful, sonorous, and copious: it is free
from that gutturalness with which we reproach the Spanish: it
has the sweetness and flexibility of the Italian and the gravity
and descriptiveness of the Latin."  (Poesie Lyrique Portuguaise,
p. xc. Paris, 1808.) In fine, it may be remarked that no living
language-not excepting the Spanish and Italian-is so near in
every respect the tongue of old Imperial Rome as that of Lusitania. If the Brazilians, possessing such a language, shall develop
the genius and the application necessary to such a result, they




CONCLUSION.


587


may yet, by creating a literature worthy of themselves, secure
the respect and admiration of the world.
Notwithstanding so little is known of the Portuguese language
to certain classes of the literati, it prevails wherever there are or
have been settlements of that nation,-not only in Brazil and the
Portuguese Islands, but along the coasts of Africa and India, from
Guinea to the Cape of Good IHope and from the Cape of Good
Hope to the Sea of China,-extending over almost all the islands
of the Malayan Archipelago.
How interesting it would be to witness light and truth radiating
from Brazil and spreading their influences to each of those distant
climes! Before such an event can be reasonably anticipated, how
great must be the changes in the moral and religious condition
of the Empire!
The ecclesiastics are notoriously corrupt,      The report of a late
Minister of Justice contains the following language:"The state of retrogression into which our clergy are falling is notorious. The
necessity of adopting measures to remedy such an evil is also evident.... The
lack of priests who will dedicate themselves to the cure of souls, or who will even
offer themselves as candidates, is surprising.... It may be observed that the
numerical ratio of those priests who die or become incompetent through age and
infirmity is two to one of those who receive ordination. Even among those who
are ordained, few devote themselves to the pastoral work. They either turn their
attention to secular pursuits, as a means of securing greater conveniences, emoluments, and respect, or they look out for chaplaincies and other situations, which
offer equal or superior inducements, without subjecting them to the literary tests,
the trouble and the expense, necessary to secure an ecclesiastical benefice.
"This is not the place to investigate the causes of such a state of things; but
certain it is that no persons of standing devote their sons to the priesthood. Most
of those who seek the sacred office are indigent persons, who, by their poverty, are
often prevented from pursuing the requisite studies. Without doubt, a principal
reason why so few devote themselves to ecclesiastical pursuits is to be found in the
small income allowed them. Moreover, the perquisites established as the remuneration of certain clerical services have resumed the voluntary character which they
had in primitive times, and the priest who attempts to coerce his parishioners into
the payment of them almost always renders himself odious, and gets little or
nothing for his trouble."
At the present time Brazil is in want of nothing so much as
pious, self-denying ministers of the gospel,-men who, like the
Apostle to the Gentiles, will not count their lives dear unto themselves that they may win souls to Christ. And is it too much to
hope that God in His providence will raise up such men in Iis own
way, especially when we reflect that His own Word shall not




588               BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS.
return unto Him void, and that faithful prayer shall never be forgotten before the throne of the Most High.
We might have unfolded before the reader many more incidents
of labor in our Master's cause in Brazil, but have, from        proper
motives, withheld details: we believe that we have every encouragement to hope for Brazil in a religious as well as a political
point of view.
Just as we were finishing this volume we received Brazilian
journals containing the message delivered by the Emperor at the
opening of the Assemblca Geral-the Imperial Parliament-on the
3d of May, 1857; and we know of no fitter conclusion to our work
than the quotation of that document, which is characteristic of
Dom Pedro II.
Propositions to enlarge commercial intercourse and to remove a
narrow and restrictive policy; rejoicings over the suppression of
human piracy; and proposals to extend civil and religious liberty,
do not generally emanate from      monarchs of Latin descent.     This
message, unimportant as it may be in the eyes of some, augurs
well for the future of this Empire; and our wishes and prayers are
that Brazil may fulfil the high destiny which Providence seems to
place before her.
The Brazilian Legislature opened its session the 3d of May, when
the Emperor delivered the following speech from the throne:"I am highly gratified in opening the first sitting of the present Legislature.
Your reunion, always full of hope, is still more promising in view of the general
tendency of the public mind toward concord and moderation, which will receive a
new impulse from your desire to promote the happiness of the country.
"The tranquillity reigning throughout the Empire is one of the results of the
policy which filled the hearts of the Brazilians with the conviction that, under the
shelter of our institutions, faithfully maintained, we may with security and glory
advance in the career of progress and civilization.
" The relations of the Empire with other nations continue in a peaceful and
friendly state, and it is my constant endeavor to cultivate them in the sense of the
most perfect cordiality, basing them always on the solid grounds of justice and
mutual interest.
" My Government employed the means voted in the last Legislative session for the
development of the immigration of useful and honest working-people, and it is one of;its constant efforts to watch over this vital element of our national industry. With
the resources at the disposal of my Government, and certain measures which in time
will be solicited from your patriotism, calculated to secure the civil rights of individuals who profess different religions, I hope we shall arrive at that important end,
obtaining at the same time the increase of our industrial population.




CONCLUSION.                             589
"The extraordinary price of all kinds of provisions is causing great suffering
among the less wealthy classes of society, and demands of your enlightened zeal
some adequate legislation. The reduction in the new customs-tariff is not sufficient
to obtain this result.
"The vigor with which the two last attempts to introduce African slaves at
Serinhaem and St. Matthews were suppressed must have discouraged the adventurers
who deemed it a proper occasion to carry out their criminal enterprises.
"I again recommend to you the reform of the mortgage-law, which, by facilitating
the system of advances on landed security, will have a decisive and immediate influence on the future of our agriculture.
"The army and navy require measures which may improve their discipline, and
a criminal code of procedure which shall secure prompt punishment and the execution of judgments.
"I also call your special attention to the project of law concerning the promotion
of marine officers, which is depending on your approbation, as well as to the necessity of modifying in the most convenient way the rules regulating the system of
recruiting.
" The reforms carried out in the different branches of instruction are producing
the wished-for results.
" The satisfactory state of public revenues permits us to indulge in the hope that
the anticipated deficit, in view of which the increase of two per cent. in the exportduties was decreed, will not occur, and we may therefore either look for their
abolition at an early date, or devote them to such purposes as are particularly interesting to our agriculture.
"August and most worthy representatives of the country, your task is a difficult
one; but the certainty of the reward to which you nobly aspire-of seeing our
country in a prosperous state-encourages you constantly; and my Government will
prove worthy of your support by the discretion with which it will employ the
means granted to it to aid you in the glorious achievement of so sacred a duty."




NOTES.
No. 1.
AMERICUS VESPUCIUS fares worse at the hands of some Portuguese authors than Pinzon. The
Padre Ayres de Casal, in his Corographia Brasilica, urges that the Florentine "never accompanied
Gonqalho Coelho or Christopher Jaques in their explorations of the coast of Brazil." Gen. J. I. d'Abreu
Lima, in a note (page 8) to his Historia do Brazil, roundly asserts that Americus Vcspucius did
not accompany the two navigators mentioned above, (todavia o que se p6de negar corn boas authoridades
t que elle accompanhasse aos dois primeiros exploradores Portuguezes acima mentienados.) It is true,
also, that Robertson throws doubt upon some of the dates of Americus Vespucius, but more recent
writers, of equal authority, give the account as stated in the text. This hesitation on the part of some
Portuguese and Spanish historians, in regard to Americus, is doubtless influenced by the sentiment, on
one side, that the employment of the Florentine by the King D. Manocl necessarily supposes an underrating of the Lusitanian navigators,-which does not follow, because the latter, in the expeditions
referred to, appear to have had the supreme command: on the side of the Spaniards, they never
could forgive Americus for having supplanted, in the New World, the name of Columbus, of whom they
are as proud as if he were a Castilian.
No. 2.
It is commonly supposed that the wood yielding the red dye, Csesalpinia Brazilletto, derived its
common name, Brazil-wood, from its being principally imported from, and produced in, Brazil. This,
however, is not the fact. It has been shown that woods yielding a red dye were called Brazil-woods
long previously to the discovery of America, and that the early voyagers gave the name Brazil to that
part of the continent, to which it is still applied, from their having ascertained that it abounded in
such woods.-Bancroft's Philosophy of Colors, ii. 316-321.
No. 3.
The Padre Ayres Casal, in his Cbrographia Brasilica, says that the squadron "entered the Bay of
Santa Luzia, which name was changed to that of Rio de Janeiro, because it was entered on the first
day of the year, 1532." Any examination of the facts of the case as detailed by almost every other
chronicler w ill not bear out the statements of Padre Ayres Casal.
No. 4.
Diario de Pedro Lopez de Souza, page 14, in which he explicitly says, " Sabbado 30 de Abril, no quarto
d'alva, eramos com a bocca do Rio de Janeiro."
No. 5.
The Madeira Christians were compelled to flee for refuge to the United States, in 1850; and in 1852
most intolerant acts were sanctioned by the Portuguese Government, in order to put an end to the
so-called Protestant heresy in that island.


590




APPENDIX A.
CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS THAT HAVE
TRANSPIRED IN THIE HISTORY OF BRAZIL.


A.D. 1500. The continent of South America dis- 
covered on the 26th of January, by Vincent
Yanez Pinzon, a companion of Columbus,
and the first Spaniard who crossed the
equator.
"  April 21, Pedro Alvarez Cabral, commander
of the second Portuguese fleet that doubled
the Cape of Good Iope, discovered that
portion of the Brazilian coast now called
Espirito Santo.
"  On May 3, he landed at Porto Seguro.
1503. The Bay of All Saints discovered by Americus
Vespucius.
1510. Diogo Alvarez Correa (Caramurfi) shipwrecked at Bahia, (Bay of All Saints.)
1530. The unexplored territory of Brazil divided
into captaincies by the King of Portugal.
1531. Martin Affonso de Souza entered the Bay of
Nitherohy, (Rio de Janeiro,) previously
visited by De Solis and Majellan. On the
22d of January he discovered the harbor
of San Vincente, and there founded the
first European colony.
1548. Numbers of Jews, having been stripped by
the Inquisition of Portugal, were banished
to Brazil.
1549. Thome de Souza, the first governor-general,
founded the city of San Salvador, (Bahia.)
1552. The first bishop appointed, to reside at Bahia.
1655. Villegagnon occupied the Bay of Rio de Janeiro with a colony of French Protestants,
and built the fort which still bears his
name, upon a small island in the harbor.
1567. The French expelled by the Portuguese and
Indians.
" The city of St. Sebastian founded.
1572. The government of the colony of Brazil divided between two captains-general, resident severally at S. Salvador and Rio de
Janeiro. IHence the name Brazils.
1576. The government again reduced to the jurisprudence of one captain-general, residing
at Bahia.
1580. Brazil, in connection with Portugal, brought
under the dominion of Spain.
1561. Thomas Cavendish, the English adventurer,
sacked and burned S. Vincente.


1593. James Lancaster, commanding a marauding
expedition, fitted out of London, captured
and plundered Pernambuco.
1594. The French established a colony at Maranham.
1615. The French expelled from Maranham.
" The city of Belem (Parit) founded by Francisco Caldeira.
1624. The Dutch invaded Bahia.
1630. Second invasion of the Dutch, in which they
took possession of the whole coast of Brazil, from the river of S. Francisco to Maranham. Pernambuco was their seat of
government.
1637. Expedition of Pedro Tcixeira, from Pard to
Quito, by way of the river Amazon.
1640. Portugal and her colonies freed from the
Spanish yoke.
1646. The Dutch defeated in the battle of the Guaarraps, near Pernambuco; and in
1654. Finally expelled from Pernambuco.
1661. Holland abandoned, by negotiation, all claim
to Brazil.
1675. The diocese of Bahia constituted an archbishopric.
1693. Regular mining for gold commenced.
1697. Settlements made in Minas-Geraes.
"  Destruction of the famous Republic of the
Palmares.
1710. Assault of the French upon Rio de Janeiro
under Du Clerc.
1711. Capture of that city by Du Guay Trouin, and
ransom by its inhabitants.
1713. Northern limits of Brazil defined by the
treaty of Utrecht.
1729. Discovery of the diamond-mines in Serro Frio.
1758-60. Forcible and complete expulsion of the
Jesuits from Brazil.
1763. Transfer of the capital from Bahia to Bio.
1805. Rev. Henry Martyn visited Bahia.
1808. Arrival of the royal family of Portugal.
" Publication of the Carta Regia.
" Establishment at Rio of the first printingpress in Brazil.
1811. Second printing-press established at Bahia.
Remark.-These two were the only presses
in use up to 1821.
591




592


APPENDIX A.


1815. Brazil elevated to the rank of a Kingdom.
1817. Revolt in Pernambuco.
1818. Acclamation and Coronation of D. John VI.
1821. The Constitution of the Cortes of Portugal
proclaimed and adopted at Rio.
" 24th April, D. John VI. returned to Portugal,
leaving his son, Dom Pedro, Regent of
Brazil.
1822. 7th September, Declaration of Independence.
"  12th October, Acclamation of D. Pedro as
Emperor.
" 1st December, Coronation of D. Pedro I.
'   "     "      Session of the Assembly convoked to draft a Constitution.
1823. Montevideo united to Brazil, under the title
of the Cisplatine Province.
" The new Constitution offered to the Brazilians
by the Emperor.
1824. March 25.-Sworn to, throughout the Empire.
"  Revolt in Pernambuco. Confederation of the
Equator proclaimed and suppressed.
1825. Independence of Brazil recognised by Portugal, August 29.
"  Birth of the Imperial Prince D. Pedro II.,
December 2.
1826. On the death of King Dom John VI., the Emperor of Brazil, heir-presumptive to the
Crown of Portugal, abdicated that crown
to his eldest daughter, D. Maria II.
"  Final separation of Montevideo from Brazil.
that province becoming the Cisplatine Republic.
1831. Abdication of D. Pedro I., and Acclamation
of D. Pedro II.
1832. War of the Panellas for the Restoration of
the first Enperor.
1834. Reform of the Constitution, creating Provincial Assemblies.


1835. Revolution broke out in Parl January 7.
"      "       i"   "     Rio Grande do Sul,
September 20.
"  Diogo Antonio Feijo elected Regent.
1836. Donna Januaria recognised as Imperial Princess, and heiress to the throne.
1837. Feijo renounced the Regency, September 19.
"  Pedro Araujo Lima appointed Regent pro
tempore.
"  Revolt in the city of Bahia, November 7.
1838. Restoration of Bahia, March 15.
"  Death of Jose Bonifacio de Andrada.
"  Lima elected to the Regency.
1839. First steam-voyage along the northern coast.
1840. Abolition of the Rlegency and Accession of
Dom Pedro II. to the full exercise of his
prerogative as Emperor.
1841. The Emperor's Coronation, July 18.
1843. Imperial marriages.
1844. The treaty between Brazil and England,
signed in 1827, expired by limitation, November 11.
1845. Birth of the Imperial Prince D. Affonso.
1846. Birth of Donna Isabella, (heiress-apparent.)
1S47. June 11, death of D. Affonso.
"  July 13, Birth of Donna Leopoldina.
1849. December, First appearance of yellow fever.
1850. Suppression of the slave-trade. First steamship-line to Europe.
1852. Overthrow of the Buenos Ayrean Dictator
Rosas by the aid of the Brazilian arms.
" Ground broken for the first railway.
1853. The first locomotive on the Mauli Railway,
and a regular line of steamers on the
Amazon.
1854. Rio de Janeiro lit by gas.
1855. Surveys of various railways.
1857. The first section of the Pedro Segundo Railway finished.


IMPERIAL FAMILY.
The Crown of Brazil is hereditary in the line of direct succession.
EMPEROR-DOM PEDRO II. d'Alcantara, born Dec. 2, 1825. Salary, $440,000; and income from large
estates.
EMPRESS-DONNA THERESA CHRISTINA, sister to the King of the Two Sicilies. Salary $54,800
IMPERIAL PRINCESSES-DONNA ISABELLA, heiress-apparent, born in 1846; DONNA LLOPOLDINA, born in
1847.
Emperor's Sisters-DONNA JANUARIA, born 1822. Married to the Prince D. Luiz Conde d'Aquilla,
1843. DONNA FRANCISCA, born in 1824. Married to the Prince de Joinville, 1843.
IN PORTUGAL.
Ex-Empress of Brazil, the Duchess of Braganza, DONNA AMELIA AUGUSTA, widow of Dom Pedro I.;
born in 1812.
NOTE.-In case of the death of D. Pedro II. without issue, his sister Donna Januaria, who has three
children, will succeed to the throne; and at her decease her eldest child will be the Monarch of Brazil.




APPENDIX B.
ABSTRACT OF THE BRAZILIAN CONSTITUTION, SWORN TO ON THE
25TH OF MARCH, 1824, AND REVISED IN 1834.
(1) BRAZIL is declared an Independent Empire, and its Government Monarchial, Constitutional, and
Representative. (2) The Reigning Dynasty is to be Dom Pedro I. and his successors. (3) The Roman
Catholic religion is constituted that of the State; but the exercise of all others is permitted. (4) The
unrestricted communication of thought, either by means of words, writings, or the agency of the
press, exempt from censure, is guaranteed: with the condition that all who abuse this privilege shall
become amenable to the law. (5) A guarantee founded on the principles of the English HIabeas Corpus
Act. (a0) The privileges of citizenship are extended to all free natives of Brazil, to all Portuguese
resident there from the time of the Independence, tnd to all naturalized strangers. (7) The law is
declared equal to all; all are liable to taxation in proportion to their possessions. (8) The highest offices
of the State are all laid open to every citizen; and all privileges, excepting those of office, abolished.
(9) The political powers acknowledged by the Constitution are the Legislative, the M1oderative, the
Executive, and the Judicial; all of which are acknowledged as delegations from the nation. (10) It is
declared that the General Assembly shall consist of two chambers: the Chamlber of Deputies are to hold
their office for four years only; the Senators are appointed for life. (11) The especial attributes of the
Assembly are to adminiister the oaths to the Emperor, the Imperial Prince, the Regent, or the Regency;
to elect the Regent or Regency, and to fix the limits of his or their authority; to acknowledge the
Imperial Prince as successor to the throne, on the first meeting after his birth; to nominate the
guardian of the young Emperor in case such guardian has not been named in the parental testament;
to resolve all doubts relative to the succession on the death of the Enperor or vacancy of the throne;
to examine into the past administration, and to reform its abuses; to elect a new dynasty in case of
the extinction of the reigning family; to pass laws, and also to interpret, suspend, and revoke them;
to guard the Constitution, and to promote the welfare of the nation; to fix the public expenditure and
taxes; to appoint the marine and land forces annually upon the report of the Government; to concede,
or refuse, the entry of foreign forces within the Empire; to authorize the Government to contract
loans to establish means for the payment of the public debt; to regulate the administration of national
property and decree its alienation; to create or suppress public offices, and to fix the stipend to be
allotted to them; and, lastly, to determine the weight, value, inscription, type, and denomination of
the coinage.
(12) During the term of their office, the members of both Houses are alike exempted from arrest,
unless by the authority of their respective Chambers, or when seized in the commission of a capital
offence. For the opinions uttered during the exercise of their functions, they are inviolable. (13) All
measures for the levying of imposts and military enrolment, the choice of a new dynasty in case of
the extinction of the existing one, the examination of the acts of the past administration, and the
accusation of Ministers, and of Councillors of State, are required to have their origin with the Itouse
of Deputies. For the indemnification of its members, it is decided that a pecuniary remuneration shall
be allotted to each during the period of the sessions. (14) The number of the Senators is fixed at onehalf that of the Deputies, and the members are required to be upwards of forty years of age, and to
be in actual possession of an income amounting to at least eight hundred milrcis per annum. (15) It
is their exclusive attribute to take cognizance of the individual crimes committed by the members of
the Imperial Family, Ministers, or Councillors of State, as well as of the crimes of Deputies during
the period of tihe Legislature. Their annual stipend is fixed at fifty per cent. more than that of the
Deputies.
(16) The Members of both Chambers are to be chosen by Provincial Electors, who are themselves to
be elected by universal suffrage,-in which only minors, monks, domestics, and individuals not in the
receipt of one hundred milreis per annum, are excluded from voting. (17) The Senators are nominated
by the Provincial Electors in triple lists, from which three candidates the Emperor selects one, who holds
office for life. (19) Each Chamber is qualified with powers for the proposition, opposition, and approval
of projects of law. In case, however, the House of Deputies should disapprove of the amendments or
38                                     593




594                                  APPENDIX B.
additions of the Senate, or vice versd, the dissenting Chamber shall have the privilege of requiring a
temporary union of the two Houses, in order that the matter in dispute may be decided in General
Assembly.
(20) A veto is conceded to the Emperor; but it is only suspensory in its nature. In case three successive Parliaments should present the same project for the Imperial sanction, it is declared that on the
third presentation it shall, under all and any circumstances, be considered that the sanction had b(eon
conceded. (21) The ordinary annual sessions of the two Houses of Legislature are limited to the period
of four months.
(22) To each province of the Empire there is a legislative Assembly, for the purpose of discussion on
its particular interests, and the promotion of projects of law accommodated to its localities and
urgencies; but these Assemblies are not invested with any power excepting that of proposing laws of
provincial interest.
(23) The attributes of the moderative power (which is designated the key to tile entire political organization, anld which is vested exclusively in the hands of the Emperor) are the nomination of Senators,
according to the before-mentioned regulations; the convocation of the General Assembly whenever the
good of tie Empire shall require it; the sanction of the decrees or resolutions of the Assembly; the
enforcement or suspension of the projects of the provincial Assemblies during the recess of the Chambers; the dissolution of the House of Deputies; the nomination of Ministers of State; the suspension
of magistrates; the diminution of the penalties imposed on criminals; and the concession of amnesties.
(24) Tlhe titles acknowledged in the Constitution as appertaining to IIis Majesty are "Constitutional
Emperor and Perpetual Defender of Brazil."   Iis person is declared inviolable and sacred, and he
himself exempt from all responsibility. Ite is, moreover, designated as the chief of tile executive
power, which power is to be exercised through the medium of his Ministers. Its principal functions
are the convocation of a new General Assembly in the third year of each legislature, the nomination
of bishops, magistrates, military and naval commanders, ambassadors, and diplomatic and commercial
agents; the formation of all treaties of alliance, subsidy, and commerce; the declaration of war and
peace; the granting of patents of naturalization, and the exclusive power of conferring titles, military
orders, and other honorary distinctions. All acts emanating from the executive power are to be signed
by the Ministers of State, before being carried into execution; and those Ministers are to be held
responsible for all abuses of power, as well as for treason, falsehood, peculation, or attempts against
the liberty of the subjects. (25) In addition to the Miinistry, a Council of State is also appointed, the
members of which are to hold offices for life. They are to be heard concerning all matters of serious
import, and principally on all subjects relating to war and peace, negotiations with foreign States, and
the exercise of the moderative power. For all counsels wilfully tending to the prejudice of the State,
they are to be held responsible.
(26) The judicial power is declared independent, and is to consist of judges and juries for the adjudication of both civil and criminal cases, according to the disposition of future codes for this effect. The
juries are to decide upon the fact, and the judges to apply tile law.  For all abuses of power the
judges, as well as the other officers of justice, are to be held responsible. It is within the attributes
of the Emperor to suspend tie judges in the exercise of their functions; but they are to be dismissed
from office only by a sentence of the supreme courts of appeal instituted in all the provinces.
(28) Thle presidents of the provinces are to be noninated by the Emperor; but their privileges, qualifications, and authority are to be regulated by the Assembly.
(29) If, after the expiration of four years, it should be found that any articles of the Constitution
required reform, it was decreed that the proposed amendment should originate with the Iouse of Deputies; and if, after discussion, the necessity of tlhe reform was conceded, an act was to be passed and
sanctioned by the Emperor in the usual manner, rcquiring tile electors of the Deputies for the next
Parliament to confer on their representatives especial powers regarding the proposed alteration or
reform. On the assembling of the next Iouse of Deputies, the matter in question was to lie proposed
and discussed, and, if passed, to be appended to the Constitution and solemnly promulgated.  (Thlo
reforms were few,-the two principal being tile regulation of succession in case of the ldeath of D.
Pedro II. without issue, his sister Donna Januaria, or her children, becoming heirs; and changing the
provincial councils to provincial Assemblies.)
(30) Finally, civil and criminal codes are organized; the use of torture is abolished; the confiscation of property is prohibited; the custom of declaring the children and relatives of criminals
infamous is abrogated, and the rights of property and the public debt are guaranteed.




APPENDIX C.
THE following lines were composed by D. Pelro UI., and written by him in the album of one of the
Maids of Honor. They were doubtless never intended for the public eye, but were obtained through a
member of the diplomatic corps at Rio Janeiro. Their didactive character and great compactness in
the Portuguese make a poetic translation exceedingly difficult; but they have been kindly and very
faithfully rendered into English verse for this volume by Mr. D. Bates, of Philadelphia, whose
"Speak Gently" has become a household word.


Se fui clemente, justiceiro, e pio,
Obrei o que devia. i mui pesada
A sujcigao do sceptro; e quern domina
NTo temr ao seu arbitrio as leis sagradas;
Fiel executor deve cumpri-las
Mas nao pode altcra-las. r~ o throno
Cadeira da Justica; quem se assenta
Em tio alto lugar, fica sujeito
X mais severa lei; perde a vontade!
Qualquer descuido chega a ser enorme,
Detestavel, sacrilego delictol
Quando no horizonte o sol espalha
Sobre a face da terra a luz do dia,
Ninguem o admira, todos o conhecem;
Mas se eclipsado acaso se perturba,
Nesse instante infeliz todos se assustao,
Todos o observao, todos o receiao:
Logo se premiei sempre a virtude,
Se os vicicios castiguei, nada merecei.
P.II.
Dec. 1852.


If I am pious, clement, just,
I'm only what I ought to be:
The sceptre is a weighty trust,
A great responsibility;
And he who rules with faithful hand,
With depth of thought and breadth of range,
The sacred laws should understand,
But must not, at his pleasure, change.
The chair of justice is the throne:
Who takes it bows to higher laws;
The public good, and not his own,
Demands his care in every cause.
Neglect of duty,-always wrong,Detestable in young or old,By him whose place is high and strong,
Is magnified a thousandfold.
When in the east the glorious sun
Spreads o'er the earth the light of day,
All know the course that he will run,
Nor wonder at his light or way:
But if, perchance, the light that blazed
Is dimm'd by shadows lying near,
The startled world looks on amazed,
And each one watches it with fear.
I likewise, if I always give
To vice and virtue their rewards,
But do my duty thus to live;
No one his thanks to me accords.
But should I fail to act my part,
Or wrongly do, or leave undone,
Surprised, the people then would start
With fear, as at the shadow'd sun.


595




APPENDIX D.
SLAVERY AND THE SLAVE-TRADE IN BRAZIL-ENGLAND AND
BRAZIL.
[Translated from the Jornal do Commercio of Rio de Janeiro of May 26, 1856.]
IT is impossible to undertake, with greater energy and with more honesty than our Government did,
the difficult task of suppressing the slave-trade. This is a truth which cannot be contested, it being a
self-evident fact.
Notwithstanding the old usages of our agricultural and manufacturing industry, which were actually based upon the slave-trade, and which must have suffered from its suppression, prejudices did not
even spring out of these circumstances. Injured interests, habits broken up, did not even raise a cry:
reason prevailed, and the prospect of future national welfare was acknowledged, and the whole nation
and its Government did not hesitate to accept all the sacrifices of the present, in order to leave to future
generations the country freed from this centennial crime, however painful may be its just expulsion.
In consequence of this change of opinion in Europe, and especially in England, toward Brazil, we
should have thought that the relations between the Governments of Brazil and Great Britain had
attained such a degree of brotherly esteem that it might be wished to exist between the official representatives of both nations joined by so many ties of mutual interest. We were convinced that, seeing
the efforts made by the Brazilian Government properly supported by the general opinions of the people,
the English Cabinet would certainly give it credit and the homage of its sympathies. But the notes
addressed by the British legation to the Imperial Cabinet, when an attempt was made to land slaves
near Pernambuco, and especially the last of their notes, have completely destroyed our illusions on this
subject.
After having subdued the indignation caused by reading that note, considering its full extent, we
said to ourselves, "What can the British Government mean when, in our present circumstances, it
assails us with such a threat?" Is it the suppression of the slave-trade?  Certainly not. If proper
reflection could not suggest to that Government that by carrying the threatened measure into execution they would only promote and encourage that very trade which we are anxious to suppress, we
would recommend to them the lessons given by the years 1830 to 1850 inclusive!
Public opinion in support of our Government has strongly sustained, and maintained with all possible watchfulness, with all the power of reason, the conviction that the suppression of the slave-trade
is a true national interest: this conviction gave to our Government an incalculable strength, by which
it was able to obtain the entire and immediate extinction of that trade, so that whole years have
passed without any attempt being made to violate this law.
And when an attempt of this kind is occasionally made, it is always done through merchants of
Lisbon and in Africa connected with North American adventurers, and carried on in vessels from the
United States; and even the Brazilian Government succeeds in discovering the agents of this crime,
and manages to watch and accompany them and to arrest them at the very moment when they are
going to perpetrate it.
And in view of these facts the British Government, instead of congratulating our functionaries and
applauding their efforts, sends us insults and threats.
In the two attempts made by Americans to establish the slave-trade, praise must be given to the
Government of Brazil alone, which has so ably succeeded in defeating and repelling them. England
must be conscious enough that with all her squadrons on the coast of Africa, and on the vast seas of
this Empire, committing even all the silly excesses of the Aberdeen bill, it would not have effected
any thing against attempts of that kind; and when our Government, by itm measures and vigilance,
succeeds in obtaining this admirable result, we find it difficult to explain the object of the note alluded
to. But why, on this occasion, did not the British Government act as it would do if it believed that
insults and threats are the best means to suppress this trade? They ought to direct their threats and
insults not against us, who are innocent in this case, but against the United States.
The crime was wholly of foreign origin, and its authors were in New York and Boston. Brazil has not
arms long enough to reach them; but every thing that could be done was actually done, and, at the very
moment that a North American crime was about to be perpetrated, a Brazilian authority stopped it.
596




APPENDIX E.


597


But Albion's arms are long, and, with its diplomacy and cruisers, why does not the Government of Great
Britain turn all its means of action and all its arro-ant demands toward the Cabinet at Washington?
Why does ohs not compel it to prevent such criminal enterprises at the hands of its bold adventurers
and filibusters?
The following is the contract between a number of Mina blacks (who freed themselves) and the
captain and consignee of the British brig Robert,-in which vessel they sailed for their native land,
and arrived safely:"CHARTER PARTY.
"Rio 'Dr, JANEIRO.
"On the 27th of November, 1851, it is agreed between George Duck, master of the British brig called
the Robert, A 1, shall receive in this port sixty-thiree free African men (women and children included
in this nuniber) and their luggage, and shall proceed to Babia, and remain there, if required, fourteen
days. and then proceedI to a safe port in the Blighst of Benin, on the coast of Africa not south of Badagry, (the port of destination being (leci(Ied in Bahia,) and deliver the same, on being paid freight here,
in this port, the sum of ~800, to be paid before the sailing of thle siext Biritish packet. The master
binds himself to provide for the said passengers sixty pioiinds of jerked beef, two and a half alqIuieres
of farinha, and one-hialf an alquiere of black beans, daily; a cossking-plawe and the nec~essary firewood
to be furnished by the captain; half a pipe-say sixty gallons-of water to h~e supplied (alath.  Thle
master is,allowed to take any cargo or passengers and luggage that may offer at itahia for the benefit
of the -ship.
"Passeiigers and hiifgage to be on board on or lsefore the I15th of December, 1851, and disembark
within thrty-eighit houirs after the ship's arrival at the port of destination.
"Penalty for non-perforicance of this agreement, five hundred pounlds Sterling.
"GEORGE DUCK,
"RAPiHAEL JOSf-, OLIVEIRA."
APPENDIX E.
TABLES OF BRAZILIAN COINS, WEIGHtTS, AND MEASURES.
THE following statistics, from the consular bureau of the United States, were most carefully made
out by J. S. Gilhiner, Esq., Aminerican Conseit at liabia, ami forwarded[ in his reports to the State Department at Washin-ton.   These are the mnost correct comiputations of Brazilian coins, weights, and measures, ever presented to the English and American public.


Table exhibitisg the legal gold and silver coins
of Brazil, with their weights in diets, and grains
lfjvy, fineness, asid comiparative, value in Federal
money of the Uniitcd Stales:GOLD.


Denomitnationi.  Dwis.
Pecas..........   9
Moedas........    5
Soberanos.
(20 milreis`.);.:::  11
Half do......... 5


Value.
513   $ 8.20
4Y2      4.62
I2Y8   10.24
1413   5.12


COPPER COIN
is comiposed as follows:The real (p1. rois) imanginary.
Five-reis piece, (imaginary.)
Ten   "1  "   (out of use.)
Twenty-rlei dia.  asic vintemo.
Forty   "' do.    two vinitems.
Tue latter wveighis 18 diiuto. 10 grains, of the nominal value of 2~ cents. Twenty-five of these pieces
make a milrois, or 1000 rots, the real being userely
used as a numeral.
The above calculations are not given as absolutely correct, but, with this exception of very slight
fractional differences, they are so.
PAR OF EXCiIANGE.
The Brazilian "1Soberano," or twenty-milrois
piece of this recent coinage, being worth (according
to its relative value compared with our gold coin)
$10.24, it follows that the "par of exchange"
between this two cousitries is 5l1 cents per milrots; but, the currency of Brazil being more than
one-half coinposed of Government paper moaney,
this standard cannot be applied to commercial


SILVER.
Comparativel
Deesmilnation.   Dwt~s. Graino-  Value.
Patacia -.........   17    7      $1.00
ITwo patac~as.......  5    0        30
Two-siniireis pilece,  16  91/-,     94
One   do........    ~      4)       47Y
Five huiidred robs    4    2%        23
piece..-   --




598


APPENDIX E.


transactions as a guide, and in the absence of direct  The "Alqueire" of Rio de Janeiro contains 2322
exchange transactions with the United States, we cubic inches, equal to 1.08 bushels.
must be governed by the rate of exchange on      (The "' Moio" of Lisbon is composed of 15 Fangas,
London, which either rises or falls as influenced by and each Fanga of 4 Alqueires; the Lisbon Alqueire
the commercial or other vicissitudes of the day.  contains 824.832 cubic inches; the Lisbon " Moio,"
The rate of exchange on London being twenty- therefore, is equal to 23.02 bushels.)
eight pence per milreis, by taking the value of the        LIQUID MEASURE.
pound sterling at $4.80 cents, the result is fifty-                     custo-houses of the
Duties are exacted at the custom-houses  of the
six cents as the value of the milreis in United  E     o  l      b t   M         o  o 
Empire on liquids by the ~ MedidaL" of Rio de JaStates currency.
~States currency.!~ ^neiro, which contains 162.4 cubic inches, 142.241
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.                 " Medidas," being equal to 100 gallons; but in the
The "Marco" is divided into                  different provinces they are sold by local measure.
8 Ounces,                                In the province of Bahia, oil, rum, &c. are sold
64 Octaves,                             by the Canada of Bahia, which contains 435 cubic
192 Scruples,                           inches, equal to 1.883 gallons,-one Canada, there4608 Grains,-which are equal to 354112Troy  fore, being nearly equal to 13 gallons.
grains, or 229.400 French gramnes,-83 lbs. Troy  The "Canada" is divided into halves and subdiweight being equal to 135 " Marcos."          vided into quarters, called ' Quartillos," eighths, &c.


COMMERCIAL WEIGHTS.
The "Aratel," or Round, contains
2 Marcos,
4 Quartos,
16 Ounces,
128 Octaves, and
9216 Grains,-which are equal to 7082 Troy
grains,-110.729 pounds being equal to 112 lbs.
avoirdupois.
32 pounds = 1 Arroba = 32. lbs. avoirdupois.
4 Arrobas or 128 lbs. (Portug.) = 1 Quintal 
129'2 lbs. avoirdupois.
13y2 Quintals or 54 Arrobas = 1 ton = 1748/ lbs.
avoirdupois.
DRY MEASURES.
The "Alqueire" of Bahia, in daily use for corn,
mandioca, &c., contains 2475 cubic inches, equal to
1.15 Winchester bushels, and is divided into halves
and subdivided into quarters, eighths, &c.
The "Moio" of Bahia contains 30 alqueires, or
"Fangas," as they are called when used for measuring lime. The "Moio," therefore, is equal to
34.6 Winchester bushels.


CLOTH MEASURE.
The "Covado" and
"Vara."
The former is equal to 26.7 inches, and the latter
equal to 43.3 inches: eachl is divided into halves,
thirds, quarters, and eighths.
LONG MEASURE.
12 lines  =   1 inch.
8 inches =  1 Palmo.
12 inches =  1 P6 or foot.
5 Palmos = 1 Vara.
2 Varas     1 Braga.
935.276 Bragas =1 mile, (Port.)
3 miles  =  1 league.
18 leagues-  1~ of latitude.
LAND MEASURE.
Land in Brazil is bought and sold by the "Tarefa" of 900 square Braqas, or 3600 square Varas,
which are equivalent to 4330 (Eng.) square yards.
The "Geira" of land in Portugal is considered
equivalent to 4840 square Varas, equal to 5821
square yards.




APPENDIX F.
POPULATION.
NoTunro is more difficult to ascertain with correctness than the population of Brazil. No census
of the whole country has as yet been taken; and, when we see it stated from "official documents," it
means nothing more than conjecture andt approximation.
I give the following table, made up from the estimates of Sr. Francisco Nunes do Souza, published
in the Agricultor Brazileirr; also the percentages of slaves, &c., from the very careful computa
tions of lion. J. U. Petit, formerly U. S. Consul at Maranham. There will be found a considerable discrepancy between this estimate of the population and that in the notes of Thomas Rainey, M.D.      I
have preferred to follow the lowest.
Brought forward. 2,600,000
Am  azonas.......................................  30,000  Bahia..................................   880,000
Par...............................................  190,000  Espirito  Santo................................  60,000
M ara h  o....................................... 280,000  Rio  do  Janeiro............................... 1,400,000
Pianhy........................................... 170000  S. Paulo..................................   680,000
Cear.....................................   350,000  Paran..........................................  70,000
Rio Grande do Norte........................ 160000  Santa Catharina.............................  90,000
Parahiba......................................  230,000  Rio Grande...................................  240,000
Pernambuco'.................................. 800,000  Minas-Geraes............................... 800,000
Alagoas.....................................  210,000  Goyaz..........................................  120,000
Sergipe...........................................  180,000  M ato Grosso.................................  100,000
2,600,000                                      7,040,000
In these provinces, the slave population is to the free in the following proportions:Rio  Grande  do  Norte....................... 1  7.221  Sergipe.......................................... 1: 2.927
Goyaz..........................................  1  7  Piauhy..........................................  1:2.666
Santa Catharina.............................. 1: 5  Espirito  Santo................................ 1: 2.009
A lag as.........................................  1:  4.221  Corte.............................................  1:  2.409
Iar......................................   1: 1.431  Rio de Janeiro................................ 1:18.1
M ato  Grosso................................... 1: 3.4
The following is the rate of females to males:Par............................................. 1.079:1   Rio Grande  do  Norte........................ 1.007: 1
Alagoas.........................................  1.069:1  Rio  de  Janeiro................................  1:1.270
Sergipe..........................................  1.015:1   Corte............................................  1:1.347
The male population exceeds the female in Maranhao, CearS, Pernambuco, S. Paulo, Santa Cathar
rina, and Rio Grande do Sul. This is a singular result in the last two provinces, especially the latter,
which for many years suffered from domestic and foreign wars.
THE YELLOW FEVER OF BRAZIL.
(WRITTEN FOR '; BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANS" BY A. R. EGBERT, M.D.)
In a publication like the present, any elaborate medical disquisition on the yellow fever of Brazil
would be obviously misplaced; yet in a work upon that country a brief sketch of this disease seems
necessary.
Owing to the peculiar situation of the Brazilian Empire, any one unacquainted with the country
would naturally suppose that it would abound in those causes which, in all tropical countries, are so
inimical to the lives of strangers. This is not the case, but exactly the reverse. Lying immediately
under "the Line," B;razil is, for its situation, singularly mild and healthful. Its climate is delightful,
and. along the coast especially, is tempered by a cool and never-failing breeze; while, in the interior,
the elevation of the country compensates for its proximity to the Equator,-thus proving that climate
must never be jludged by ltitude alone. All these things go to show why Brazil has been so free from
the ravages of that " terrible scourge," the yellow fever.
Like all other epidemics, yellow fever hides its origin in the mists of the past. These giant devastators of nations lhave had no chroniclers to record their birth and early history.   Some physicians
imagine they can find this fever described in the writings of Hippocrates; but they forget that the
peculiar symptoms on which they rely to establish the identity-black vomit and yellowness of the
599




600                                   APPENDIX F.
skin-are by no means peculiar to the disease in question. The prevalent opinion among those who
have investigated the subject is that the disease is of modern origin; and some facts seem to connect
it with the slave-trade. It certainly made its appearance simultaneously with that traffic, and some
of our Southern physicians are convinced that it, like the blacks, was imported from Africa.
As far as our knowledge extends, Pere Dutertre is the earliest writer who can be said to have alluded
to this "frightful scourge of the warmer shores of the Atlantic." lie saw it in 1635, in the Antilles,
and expressly tells us that before that time it was unknown in those islands. In 1647 it was in Barbadoes. Pere Labat found it raging at Martinique in 1649. The earliest period at which this epidemic
occurred in the territory of the United States was in 1693, at Boston.  Since then it has been, unfortunately, too well known to our ancestors over the whole Atlantic coast.
It first appeared in Brazil in December, 1849, or January, 1850, and committed its greatest ravages
in 1850, in the maritime provinces. It was especially violent at Para, Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro.
Pernambuco escaped. Bad as it was, the accounts of its ravages were greatly exaggerated. In the
whole Empire of Brazil, the population of which is more than seven millions, there were from this
disease, in 1850, in fourteen thousand deaths; and, according to the official reports, there were not
quite four thousand deaths from yellow fever il the city of Rio de Janeiro,-whose population is three
hundred thousand. Dr. Paulo Candido and Dr. Merrilles, who stand deservedly high in the medical
profession, corroborate this statenent. Dr. Lallemant, an eminent German physician of the first professional ability at Rio exaggerates, it seems to us, both the number of cases and deaths: the former
he places at one hundred thousand, and the latter at ten thousand,-which seems to be utterly at
variance with the statement of all the reports from other and equally credible sources. But, even
admitting Dr. Lallemant's figures, we can see how much less was the mortality than at New Orleans,
(a city of one-third the population of Rio.) where in the month of August, 1853, 52(69 perished fiom this
fell disease. And yet it has been represented that the capital of Brazil is the most unhealthy place in
the world!  According to Dr. Lallemant, 475 died at Rio in 1851; 1943 in 1852; 853 in 18u3; and only
four in 1854. In 1857 a few scores of cases occurred, but we have not the exact number at hand.
In 1854 the disease had entirely disappeared, and has not since shown itself until in the beginning
of 1857, and in the nonth of March of that year it ceased.
There is little doubt that the cause of yellow fever is peculiar and specific. But great diversities of
opinion exist upon the nature of this cause. Some consider it to be a living, organized, microscopic
being, and others regard it as a species of ferment. Strong reasons are adduced in favor of both theories;
but nothing is positively and definitely known of the nature of the cause.
As to whether the disease be contagious or not, authorities are divided. But it is now beginning to
be generally conceded that it is not contagious; and the burden of proof is certainly in favor of this
view of the subject.
Yellow fever exhibits a great diversity of phenomena, occasioned by a variety of influences,assuming the particular form in accordance with the circumstances of its appearance,-scorbutic,
typhous, or whatever the case may be.
[The symptoms are then described. The writer thus continues:-]
These symptoms generally last from a few hours to three days, when they subside, leaving the
patient cheerful and hopeful. But this is a delusive calm, and continues from a few hours to twentyfour. Then set in debility and prostration. In severe cases the weakness is extreme: the pulse is quick,
irregular. and feeble; the skin is yellow, orange, or of a bronzed aspect; the blood appears to be nearly
stagnant in the capillaries, and the dependent and extreme parts of the body become of a dark purplish hue. The tongue is now often brown and dryish in the centre, or smooth, red, and chapped;
and sordes occasionally collects about the gums and teeth. The stomach resumes its irritability, and
the black vomit appears. The bowels often give way and discharge large quantities of black matter,
similar to that ejected by the stomach,-and occasionally hemorrhage takes place from various parts
of the body; low delirium  sets in; an offensive odor sometimes exhales from the whole body; the
eyes become sunken and the countenance collapsed, and death takes place, often quietly, but sometimes in the midst of convulsions.
Occasionally patients will die of yellow fever without either the black vomit, yellowness of the skin,
or hemorrhage appearing.
Instead of pursuing this fatal course, the system very often reacts after the period of abatement,
and a secondary fever sets in, which may be of various grades of violence. It continues a variable
length. of time,-sometimes speedily terminating in health, and sometimes running into a typhoid
form, which may last, with various results, for two or three weeks or more. In severe cases the convalescence is always extremely tedious, and the patient is often incommoded by obstinate and unhealthy
sores or abscesses in various parts of the body.
In some cases the animal functions seem to be at first almost untouched. The patient may be walking
in the streets and nothing call attention to his case, unless, it may be, an unusual expression of countenance. Upon his pulse being examined, it is found to be exceedingly feeble, if not quite absent at the
wrist. Black vomit and death speedily ensue. These have been called "walking cases."




APPENDIX F.                                         601
The modes of treatment are many and widely different,-sometimes none of the slightest use.
[As the treatment of yellow fever in the United States is within the reach of all, it has been thought
best to omit mention of it here, and only to insert Dr. Egbert's account of the Brazilian method as
laid down by one of the first physicians of the Empire.-J. C. F.]
The prevention of the disease is of course even more important than its treatment. Individuals
who are unable to leave the place where the disease prevails should select a residence in the highest
and healthiest spots; should sleep in the highest parts of the house; should avoid the night-air;
should abstain fiom fatiguing exercise, exposure to alternations of temperature, and excesses of all
kinds; should endeavor to naintain a cheerful and confident temper; should use nutritious and
wholesome but not stimulating diet; and, if compelled to enter any spot where the atmosphere is
known to be infected, should take care not to do so when the stomach is empty or the body exhausted
by perspiration or fatigue.
According to the sbest medical authorities in the United States, attempts to guard against this disease
by low diet, bleeding, purging, or the use of mercury, are futile,-if not worse; for they weaken the
system, and the weaker the system the less is it able to resist the entrance of the poison, or its influence
when absorbed.
The following mode of treatment is that recommended and pursued by Dr. Paulo Candido, of Rio,
and was under hisn eminently successful.
" Tle first step is to cleanse the digestive canal. Castor oil, in a dose of two, four, or even six ounces,
must be admistered iwitlout delay, whatever be the state of the patient. If he obstinately rejects this
remedy, emiplloy citrate of magnesia or neutral salts in sufficient quantity to produce eight evacuations. This eflect ought to be kept up the succeeding days, but with greater moderation. Neither
foreign substances nor intestinal secretions ought to be allowed to remain: they become the centres of
poisonous matter. The torpor of the intestines does not allow us to trust wholly to purgatives: it is
necessary to administer injections, and I nake use of the following mixture:" R.-Expressed juice of Persicaria, cut up and steeped in water...... 2 lbs.
Lemon-juice (skin and pulp cut and squeezed)........................ 4 oz.
Sulphate  of  Soda................................................................  4 "
Socotrine  A loes..................................................................  4 "
Calmphor, and Sulphate of Quinine, each............................... 1 drachm.
I.-Saturate with kitchen salt.
Q. S. for two or three enemas.
"If persicaria cannot be obtained, it may be replaced by the same quantity of infusion of chamomile,
orange-leaves, or sca-water.
"These injections must be given every two hours, as hot as possible: they are rejected immediately,
but are usually follow-c d Iy an abundant l)crspiration; but the use must be continued.
" lot sinapisms at the soles of the feet, the knees, and the thighs, ought to be employed from the first,
conjointly with the above remedies, and repeated until some abatement of fever ensues.
"Friction all over the body, particularly on the abdomen, groin, armpits, arms, with the following:".-Camphorated Vinegar.................................................. 1 lb.
Sulphate  of Quinine...................................................... 2 drachms.
Tincture  of Quinine..................................................... 2  oz.
Creosote.......................................................................  1  drachm.
MI.
"A draclm of creosote in half a pound of spirits of wine, to rub the abdomen, arms, and sides, is an
excellent means of provoking perspiration and producing other effects. These frictions must be performed under the coverings of the bed, in order not to chill the Ipatient, and must be continued for three
or four hours. Besides their antiseptic action, they produce perspiration.
"A weak infusion of borage, sweetened, every hour, very hot, each infusion prepared at the time
of being taken; or of hot gum-water.
"If the perspiration cannot be effected in two or three hours, we must have recourse to the tincture
of aconite nalpel, (monk's-hood.) one drachm of, in two pounds of water, to take by spoonfuls every
quarter of an hour, without interrupting the other means.
"Besides, in four hours after the evacuants have been administered, the use of interior chloride
must commence:' R.- Eau  do Labarraque........................................................ 2  drachms.
Distilled water, slightly acidulated with Muriatic Acid......  bottle.
M."Take three spoonfuls of this mixture in half a cup of fresh water, or simply a spoonful of Eau de
Labarraque in a glass of pure water, and take a spoonful of this solution every quarter or half hour.
"Sugar must never be added to Eau de Labarraque. It must be saturated with chloride, which is
easily known by the smell, and kept out of the light.




602                                 APPENDIX F.
"For very delicate persons the dose must be weaker. All these means must be continuous: they do
not contradict each other.
"At tie end of twenty-four hours, the malady is generally subdued; but the medicaments must not
cease, but the employment of them relaxed or the intervals augmented.
"Rtelapses, and that deceitful calm that is so often noticed preceding death, take place from the
abdominal secretions having been permitted to be reabsorbed. Therefore the medicaments must be
continued.
"I permit no broth, oranges. wine, or any thing else, until two days after the symptoms have
disappeared and when the pulse has lowered perhaps to forty.
"I have often had recourse to sialagogues for the secretion of saliva: these are such substances as
ginger, cinnamon, liquorice-root, kept in the mouth. I advise amateurs to smoke cigars.
"Tonics, especially the preparations of quinine, are very useful in small repeated doses when only
weakness remains.
"I oughlt to add, that if the terrible symptom of suppression of urine takes place, I give to the
patient a drachm of nitrate of potash dissolved in a bottle of water,-half a cupful every half or quarter
of an hour; injections of an ounce of camphorated vinegar in two cupfuls of tepid water; frictions of
the same vinegar or camphorated oil of almonds on the abdomen repeated at short intervals.
"I have no faith in bleeding, leeches, cupping, calomel, quinine internally, ammonia, laudanum,
opium, arsenic, turpentine, nitrate of silver, ice, hot or cold baths, &c."
The treatment of Dr. Paulo Candido differs very materially fiom that pursued by the prominent
physicians of the United States. It also differs from that pursued in the West Indies. The reason of
this is, I presume, owing to the different character of the disease in Brazil. The yellow fever first
appeared in Brazil on the 28th of December, 1849, and remained in the country from that time until
March, 1854; in December, '57 it reappeared in a milder form, and in April disappeared.
The following is a schedule, from official records, of the number of deaths in the Empire and in the
Capital, (where it was the most severe,) separately, during each year:Populati.,   s i, 10 Deaths in Doa thsin   ths in Daths in
P~opulation.Deaths  1U     1652.    18. 51.   18j. 185. 5 -Empire.          7,000,000    14.000      8719    9527     8531
Rio de Janeiro.  300,000       3827       475    1943  I   853     04
This table shows that the disease was comparatively light, the percentage being small.
The following is an extract from the " Report of the Minister of the Empire" fur 1855.
" The yellow fever, as an epidemic, may be considered nearly extinct in this city, (Rio.) This benefit
is particularly owing to the very vigilant sanitary policy that has been established. The great number
of ships from all parts of the world which frequent this port has ever been the great focus of infection
for this and other epidemics.
"IIappily, this has been combated by the disinfecting measures that have been resorted to, and by
the prompt succor that has been rendered to the afflicted crews, who, as soon as the epidemic shows
itself, are conducted in the steamer (health-steamer) to the maritime hospital of Jurujuba, where they
receive the most judicious and careful treatment. This hospital merits all praise. Durilg the past
year there entered 1627 patients, (not all yellow fever:) cured, 1576; died, 40. Therefore the mortality
was less than 21/2 per cent."
The origin of this pestilence in Brazil is a mooted point, and has given rise to the most conflicting
views among the best observers: for example, Dr. Pennell, of Rio, and Dr. Patterson. of Bahia, entertain precisely opposite opinions,-the former contending for the indigenous, the latter for the foreign,
origin of the disease; and both offer cogent arguments and striking facts in support of the opposite
conclusions.
The scope of this paper does not admit of medical discussion; yet, as the facts observed by Dr. Pennell are highly important, and, as his conclusions entirely coincide with those of Dr. Dundas, a short
sketch of them will be given.
They state that for some years the fevers of the country had been clearly changing their character,
and the genuine remittent had been little seen for three years; that it was replaced ill 1847, '48, and
'49, by a fever of its own class, popularly known as the "Polka fever," but in reality a remittent;
and that this fever was, in its turn, superseded by the yellow fever, a disease with similar features.
Coincident with these and other changes in the diseases of Brazil, the climate in its broad features
had altered strangely.  Thunder-storms-formerly of daily occurrence at a certain hour, so that
appointments for business or pleasure were made in reference to them as to taking place "before" or
"after" the shower during the summer-are now but seldom heard. There was, too, at the commencement and during the continuance of the pestilence, a stagnation and want of elasticity in the atmosphere,
from the cessation to a great degree of the fresh and regular winds from the sea,-a change very perceptible and very oppressive.




APPENDIX F.                                        603
The supporters of the theory of the foreign origin of yellow fever insist that it was imported by a certain
ship from New Orleans to Bahia, (some say to Pernamnbuco,) and thence diffused throughout the Empire.
Some of tlheml urge thlat it was imported from Africa by slave-ships, whilst the facts adduced by Dr.
Pennell go fir to establislh, as already stated, its indigenous parentage. Dr. Dundas says that in support
of this opinion we have the strong additional fhct that for the last forty years there has existed, uncontrolled by any efficient quarantine-laws, an extensive intercourse with the United States, Africa, and
the West Indies,-the very hotbeds of yellow fever,-and yet up to 1849 Brazil remained perfectly
healthy. Can we then in reason believe, if tile disease be deemed really importable, that the maritime
cities of Brazil could, under such circumstances, have escaped infection fora period of forty years? Though
it is usual to say that no epidemic has visited Brazil, yet several of the older writers, ats Roclha Pita in
16(;6, Pere Labat in 1686, and Fereira da IRosa in 1694, have recorded the appearance of epidemics closely
resembling the yellow ifver, whicl, after persisting for some years, and desolating some of the large
cities on the coast, finally passed away.
Drs. l'cnnll and Dundas conclude, from the above and other facts, that the yellow fever, which
recently afflicted Brazil, is not an imported disease, but owes its origin to certain obscure atmospheric
disturbances, embracing variations of temperature, hygrometric influence, electrical tension, atmospheric
pressure, &-c.; and, judging from the previous history of Brazil, we believe that these unfavorable conditions are but te mporary: and we are rejoiced to be able to hope that the disease has nearly passed
away, that Brazil will maintain its character of unparalleled salubrity among the tropical regions of
the globe, and will deserve its title of " the Italy of the New World."
The following statements will show the greater healthfulness of Brazil as compared with the United
States.
In 1847, in New Orleans, there were 2252 deaths from yellow fever. The population was about 90,000.
In 1853, there were, from May 26 to October 22, 8406 deaths from the yellow fever. Tle population
of the city was more than 100,000; but, owing to so many having fled, it was estimated that not more
than 50,000 people were in the city during the prevalence of the epidemic.
In 1854, there were nearly 14,000 cases of yellow fever in New Orleans; from July 14 to October 15,
there were 2420 deaths fiom this cause, The population was about 102,000.
In Mlobile, during tile year 1853, there were, from August 1 to September 16, 611 deaths from yellow
fevev. I'opulation of the city, 12,500.
In Natclhez. in 1853, there were, from July 17 to September 20, 263 deaths from yellow fever. Population, 5000. of whiciih,nl 2000 remainled in the city.
In Charleston, in 1854, there were from fifteen to twenty deaths daily during the height of the disease.
Population, 29,000.
In Galveston. in 1854, there were from fourteen to fifteen deaths daily. Population, 7000.
In Savannah, during the year 1854, from August 23 to October 17, there were 919 deaths from yellow
fever. Population, 11,000. Three-fourths of the population fled to the country: the roads a few miles
fromn the city were lined with the tents of the fugitives.
In general, it has been found that from one-half to two-thirds of the population flee from the cities
in the United States when any severe epidemic prevails; and this must be born in mind whilst reading
the above data.
In the terrible scourge at Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., in 1855, 45 per cent. of the whole population died from yellow fever. The city was nearly deserted, there being scarcely a sufficient number to
take care of the sick. The duration of the disease was one hundred land twenty-seven days.
Now. compare these data with the table before mentioned, 4and we immediately see the comparative
immunity of Brazil from the yellow fever even during its most fatal visits. Under such circumstances
further comments, so far as comparison with the United States is concerned, are useless.
It is very probable that the mildness of the climate may have exerted a greatly modifying influence
upon the disease, rendering it less severe and less fatal.
In writing the above article we do not profess to have done any thing more than to have made
a mere compilation from different authorities and arranged them to suit our purpose. We therefore
whatever may be the merit of the production, disclaim all originality.
The authorities we have been enabled to consult, and from which we have drawn our matdrie, are as
follows:Medical News and Library for 1853 and 1854.
Dr. Wood's Practice of Medicine.
New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal for 1853.
Report of the Minister of the Empire of Brazil.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, 1857.
Sketches of Brazil, (a medical work,) by Robert Dundas, M.D., Supt. of the British Hospital at Bahia.
Conseils contre la propagation do la fievre jaune, by Dr. Paulo Candido, Rio de Janeiro.
And the Report of Dr. Lallemant, of Rio de Janeiro.




APPENDIX G.


THE following statement, divided into three   Statement of exports from Brazil, from 1841 to
periods of five years each, shows the aggregate im- 1855, divided into three periods of five years each,
ports into Brazil from foreign countries, in contos (in conto de reis.)
de reis. (A conto = ~11210s. exc. 27d per 1$000.)
1840-41...57.727 1845-46... 52.193 1850-51...76,918 1840-141.41,670 1845-46...53,630 1850-51...67.788
1841-42...56,040 1846-47...55,740 1851-52...92,860 1841-42...39,084 184647...52,449 1851-52.6.. 640
1842-43...50,639 1847-48...47.349 1852-53...87,336  1842-13...41.039 1847-48...57,925 18,52-53...73.644
1843-44...55,289 1848-49...51,569 1853-54... 84863  1843-44...43.800 1848-49...56.789 1853-54...76i842
1844-45...57,228 1849-50...59,165 1854-55...84,780 1 1844-45...47,054 1849-50...55,032 1854-55...90,570
1st Period.       2d Period.       3d Period.        1855.
Im ports................. 276,923................. 266016..................426,757..................84,780
Exports.................. 215,547   2    5.3....  75........................90,570
Statement of principal exports in two periods of five years each, and in 1854-55.
1st Period.        2d Period.
ARTICLIS.               1844-45 to 1848-49. 1849-50 to 1853-54.  1854-55.
Average.           Avcrage.
Rum...............  canadas     2,709,669         2,i5 i,820      3,848.546
Cotton..................  arrobas  714,959          956,237        869.960
Rice....................         291,262            256,865        236,677
Sugar..................         7,591,885         8,652.252       7,961,422
IHair.....................        31,740             47,081         46.047
Cacao...................  "      190,203            276,506        147.901
Coffee................  "       7,873,952         8,850,183      13,027.523
Hides, salted.........  number    680,028            512,078        475.985
Hides, dry.............  arroba   075,283            533,653        508.747
Diamonds..............  oitavas       632              6.364         12,459
Tobacco................  arrobas  326.343            499,204        631.161
India-Rubber........  "           38,336            105,784        195,284
Mate....................  "       254,474            404,221        372,098
Gold (bullion)......  oitavas    194.808            195.756         76,382
Sarsaparilla..........  arrobas    3.469              5.003          3,535


Staten


Cotl
Woc
Lin
Silk
Mix
Wir
Floi
liar
Cod
Croc
an
Spe<
Salt
But
Mac
Dru
Tea
Cop
Coa
Fur
Arn
Boo
Bee
Oil.
Spii
Pow


nent of principal imports in two periods of
five yars each, and the year 1854-55.
Average. Average.
18t11-45; 1819-)0 1854-55.
t184. —49. 15)3-54.
ARTICLES.
Vale     Vlue i  a   in Value in
Coltos. Contos. Contos.
ton (manufact.)...  16.781  26,445  25,756......  2 926    4.821   4,557
3n..     ".. 1,905   2,510   2,187
"...   1.287   1,892    2,562
ed..    "...  1.571    2,222   2,815
es.....................   3 58  3,321  3,145
ir (wheat)...........  3.457  4,330  4,173
dware................  2,193  3,256  3,547
fish and fish........  1,212  1,584  2,245
ckery, porcelain
id cut glasses.......  932  1,403   1,615
cie......................  2,050  6,929  4.566.........................   796  687  1,111
ter.....................  1,186  1,394  1,347
-hinery...............  213  242      225
gs......................  467  724     858..........................  277  272  330
per..................  398   404     487
I.....................  542  1,068  1,550
niture................  163   115     201
ns.......................  206  316   410
ts and Shoes........  314     329     679
fand Pork...........  750   1,560    1,579..........................   608  566  727
'its, distilled........  400  467      542
vder....................  241  330    341
604


The importation of Brazil in two periods were
made by the principal importers as follows: —
1844-45.            1854-55.
Great lBritain and Possessions... 30,503              contos 454.50
France and        'ossessions...........      7.41........... 9,978
Portugal and        Possessions........ 4.552..........          6,4;68
Spain    and    Possessions.............       737.......... 1,230
United States......................... 5,703..........           6,991
HIanseatic Cities..................... 2,725........... 4.884
Rtiver La Plata.......................        1,711........... 4.217
Belgium...............................    868......... 1,671
Chile............................     92........... 1,128
Sardinia................................        328..........       755
Austria.................................       475...........      260
Others.................................. 2,093........... 1,648
57,228              84,780
The exports of Brazil were made
To
Great Britain and Possessions...11,306 contos 29,274
France and       Possessions........... 2462...........         8,172
Portugal and        Possessions......... 4,216.......... 4,649
Spain and      Possessions.............        697...........      877
United     States.....................        9,210.........23.807
IIanseatic Cities..................... 4,844.......... 6,675
Itiver La Plata....................... 2,427.......... 4,175
Belgium.............................. 1,612.......... 2.783
Chile....................................        i5........... 1,479
Sardinia............................... 1,072..........         1.217
Austria................................. 3,125.......... 1,624
Others................................. 5.918........ 5,838
47,054              90,570




APPENDix G.


605


Vi/e four principala articles of export from Brazil in
fifteen years. Arroba ~-32 lbs.
Cotton-L      Coffee.       Sugar.
(arrobas.)    (arrobas.)   (arrobas.)
1840-41....691.875.....5,059,223.....6,698.391
1841-42....639.580.....5.565,32.5.....4,817,577
1812-43....685.149.....5,897,555.....5,209,721
184.3-44....814,255.....6,294,281......5,682,980
1844-45....826.4t5.....6.229,277.....7.4761.286
1845-46....645,345..7..,034,582.....  7,1110,804
1846-47....606,882.... 7,947,753.......9I;3,960 -1847-48....639,288.....9,307.292.....7,409,349
1848-49....849,416.....8, 354,840.....8,801,(;16
1849-50....1,109,314.....5,935,817.....7,993,586
1850-51....883.440.....10,148,268.....9,907,860
18,51-52....898i250.....9,544,858.....7,480,099
18-52-53....997,908.....9,923,982.....10,681,-344
1853-54....892,27:.....8.698.0836.....8,2.58,378
1854-55....869,960.....13,027,526......7,951,422
RIEVENUE OF BIIAZIL.
Statistics of the public revenue during eighteen
years, divided into six periods of three years each,showing the progressive increase from tho year
1837 up to 1855.
Revenue triennial.
'2d. the increaoe was 3,678 cant.
The 1st triennum   I d,          I     5,608
compared with    41th,         "   10,449
the              5th,     "    "   12,827   "
6th,               20,487  "
In 1837-38 the revenue of Brazil wa 13,252 cantos.
In  1842-43     "       '      "    1.0
In 1852-53      "      "       "3 36, 3 91  "
The following shows the public revenuec for two
periods of five years eacit1845-46......25,693          1850-51.     33.::~,5532
46-47......26,76(4           51-5.   3.76
47-48......24.124            52-53......:36(,1917
48-49....... 25,204          53-54......34.499
49-50......26,1)77           54-55......35,195
Total, 128,762               Total, 174,329.Eotimates of expenditures for 1856-57'.
Department of Empire...........5,309 contos.
Department of Justice............3,002
Delpartsnent of Navy............4,537     "
Department of War.............8,691       "
Department of Foreign Affairs......588     "
Department of Finance..........11,651     "
33.7 80"
*Estimated receipts...........34,000    "
Balance,..........      220   "
*This estimate is generally below the revenue
received.
DEBT.
In December, 1854, the exterior debt amounted
to ~5,824.200; in December, 1855, it was reduced
to ~,5,635, 900.
The interior funded debt up to December 301,
1855, was as follows:
Contos......55.795....at  6 per et......1,824....    5    i.....119....    4 CC
57,739
Debt not converted......  443
Treasury notes it circulation...............3.596
61,778
50,096
Total debt of Brazil  111,864 contos,
or ~-12. 584,700.
The paper money circulating is about 45,000
cantos.
Monage of Gold and SMilver.
1854-55......2,899 cantos.
1849 —54......27.5G6
29,965 cantos.


The following are the classes of revenue.
Custom-house or importation.          Exports.                         rrovincial..   '.~~ 2d the increase was  3.352  the 2d increase  592   the 2d was a reduction of   265 cantos.
I3d      ",484       3d    "      829        3d was an increase of   595
4th      "     "         7,181       4th   "     1,633       4th    IC     "       1,631
5tlh,                 9,455  j     ths.       1,721       5th     "             1,651
6th     "             16,033        6th  "     1,817   l~6th       "      "       2,636    "


[The various tables of Appendix GI. were prepared with great care by M. le Chevalier d'Aguair,
Brazilian Consul at New York.]




LINE OF THE NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICAN STEAM-SHIP COMPANY,
FRom NEW YORK AND SAVANNAH TO ST. THbOMM9~, BARBADOs, DEMERARA, AND PAPA(.


LIVI
" I. I
_-_                     I    "I
I-liI
I
II
II
11


Brazilian Imperial Linie, touchbing- at, all ports and capitarls each way, semi-monthly, between ParlS, Rio
de Janeiro. and La Plata. Ai~so. Line of large Propellers (semni-mionthly) between Cearit and M1aceio. ALSO, several
coast lines between the several cities.
ALSO, seven Steamers running to Peru monthly, and to Barra do Rio Negro semi-monthly, on the Amazon, Tocaom
tins, Tapaj6s, Madeira, and Negro Rivers.
Royal M~ail Lines, all semi-monthly, each way. between St. Thomas and Southampton; Vera Cruz, Havafnal,
Porto Rico. and Htayti; Jamnaica and Balize de Honduras; Htavana and Vera Cruz; San Juan; Chagres or Ceolen to
all the Windward Islands,-Antign,,a, Guadaloupe, M1artinique, Barbados, St. Vincent's, Granada, Trinidad, and to
English, D~utch, and French Guiana. ALSO, from Dememara to the Orinoco and Venezuela, semi-monthly.
ALSO, Cunard Line between St. Thomas, Bermuda, and Htalifax; formerly, from those islands; to New York. These
lines reach Amnerica in Nova Scotia and Central America only; not anywhere touching the United States.
ALSO, English Line from PanamA to Valparaiso and about tiventy intermediate places.
ALSO, Venezuelan Semi-monthly SailingiPackets between St. Thomas, La Guayra, and Porto Cabello.
The Short United States Line, which collects the mails from so many points, touches at Savannah. St.
Thomas, Blarbados, Bemerata. and Cayenne, including New York and ParA. The distance from the United States to
Rio by this and the Brazilian Line i~ 600 miles shorter than that of the English Lines.
*Eight Lines between Europe and Pernambuco, Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro, monthly, and of larg     tea~lr
namely, the Southampton (Eng. Royal M1%ail), Lioverpool (British Mail), Lozo,-Br-azileira (Brazilian and Portugguec),
JHaire (1~rensch), M~arseilles (French), Genoa (Sardinian), Antwerp (Belgian), and Hambury (German).
Auso. Brazilian semi-monthly, and Engli~sh Royal Mail, and Sou'thampton, each monthly, touching at all ports
betwceen Rlio and Buenos Ayres.
Tlae dotted line shows the course that a letter takes from New Orleans, by New York, Liverpool, Southampton,
Portug'al, M,%adeira, and the Cape de Verdes, to any part of Brazil. The letters for IParfi leave the Br-itish line at Pernambuco a nd take the Brazilian coast steamer.
The other dotted line shows the proposed steam line from Liverpool to Par6.




APPENDIX H.
COMMERCE AND STEAMSHIP NAVIGATION, BETWEEN BRAZIL,
AND THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE.
THE following remarks and the elaborate and reliable tables and analyses which
accompany them are extracted from a paper prepared with great care by Dr.
Thomas Rainey, of New York, for the New York IIistorical Society, entitled, "The
Commerce of Brazil with the United States and Great Britain, considered in its bearings on the establishment of Mail-Steamsl p Communication between the United Slates,
the West India Islands, and Brazil."  They are fuller, more complete and comprehensive in their generalizations, as well as more minute in their details, and
cover the whole field more effectually, than any thing which has been written on
the subject:" Since the establishment of 'the Independence and the Empire,' in 1822, Brazil
has made a steady and unfaltering march in civilization, improvement, permanence,
and power. Until the year 1808 her ports had been closed to the commerce of all
other nations than Portugal; the anxiety of the mother-country with regard to her
rich colonies and the fear of foreign influence being so great, that she prevented,
by all possible means, any intelligence reaching Europe which might disclose the
value and importance of her undeveloped foreign possessions, or in any way attract
such attention to their commercial advantages as to excite a contest over them.
The Government was so imbued with this spirit, and carried this rigid and unwise
policy so far, that it issued an order, which was executed under the strictest
surveillance, to the effect that the eminent savant, Alexander Von IIumboldt, who
was then travelling in the Spanish American provinces for purely scientific purposes, should not be permitted to enter any portion of the Brazilian territory.
From the time that Dom Joao VI., King of Portugal, entered Brazil for the purpose of making Rio de Janeiro the seat of his kingdom, until the abdication of his
son, Dom Pedro I., in 1831, in favor of Dom Pedro II., then a child, and even
through the regency, until Dom Pedro II. ascended the throne, in 1841, at the age
of sixteen, the foreign commerce of Brazil gradually increased, notwithstanding the
constant agitations, violence, and revolutions, which marked nearly the whole of
that transition and crystallizing period of the Brazilian Empire. He removed, in
1808, the extraordinary restrictions on foreign trade and intercourse to which I
have alluded; encouraged intercourse with foreign nations; stimulated domestic
industry and enterprise; guaranteed the rights of property; and endeavored, by
laudable efforts, to build up and sustain a large foreign trade, on which he knew
that the revenues of this portion of the kingdom necessarily depended, as well. as
607




608


APPENDIX H.


stimulate his people to the production of those numerous and rich staples which
would so greatly increase the wealth, power, and independence of Brazil. But the
few past years, especially since the accession of the present emperor, have witnessed extraordinary progress in the material wealth, prosperity, and power of this
young empire; a progress attributable to the stability of her government, to the
necessities of commerce, and to the advancing and controlling civilization of the
times. The greatly-increased demand for her principal staple,-coffee,-as well as
for many of her other important products,-sugar, molasses, cotton, tobacco, rice,
rubber, hides, cacao, salsa-parrilha, erva mate, farinha, precious woods, dyewoods,
nuts, fruits, tapioca, annatto, clove-bark, balsam-copaiba, isinglass, piassaba, puxirj,
(sassafras-nuts,) tonqua beans, gum-copal, guarana, vanilla beans, diamonds, golddust, bullion, and several ores and paints,-has led to a wise, liberal, and widespread system  of internal improvements and inland and ocean steam-navigation
for the development of the varied and vast physical resources of the empire.
Agriculture is becoming extended throughout her wide-spread territory, which,
until within a few years, was a vast and untamed virgin forest, with a population
too sparse for any regular intercommunication or for concerted action, and too
weak for the maintenance of national and territorial integrity, except by extraordinary effort and foresight on the part of its rulers. But his majesty Domn Pedro
Segundo has imbibed and obeyed the spirit of the times as fully, during the few
years of his actual reign, and advanced the material and social prosperity of his
country as safely and rapidly, as any ruler living.
It is my purpose to direct the attention of the Society particularly to the commerce between the United States and Brazil, and between Great Britain and
Brazil, and, at the same time, to notice the total value of our commerce not only
with Brazil, but with all those rich fields of trade embracing the West India
Islands, the Spanish Main, in South America, Venezuela, and the Guianas, the
Orinoco and the Amazon Valleys, and Buenos Ayres, Uruguay, and the various
republics lying on La Plata, which are directly affected by the mail-steamship
intercourse which we propose establishing.
The total sum of annual trade, exports and imports, between the United States
and the countries named, including Brazil, is, for the years1854..........Imports, $46,197,059...............Exports, $27,326,072...............Total, $73,523,131.
1855..........Imports, $50,277,502...............Exports, $27,454,082...............Total, $77,731,584.
1856..........Imports, $62,726,587...............Exports, $29,400,977...............Total, $93,857,512.
The total foreign trade of the United States for 1856 was: Imports, $314,639,942:
exports, $326,964,908: total foreign trade, $641,604,850.
It is a most singular fact that, with an aggregate trade so large as this, and
composed of those staple articles so essential to each country, the United States
-with the largest commercial marine in the world, disputing with the last great
contending rival the championage of the seas, and claiming an aggregate civilization
equalled by that of no other people on the globe-should yet lag behind some of
even the most insignificant nations of Europe in the prosecution of that trade,
which all of the natural advantages of geographical contiguity would proclaim
peculiarly her own; that she should not sustain a single steamship-line of any
class to those vast, important, and growing countries where we have the large
trade noticed above; while to Brazil alone, Great Britain, with a trade but fiftyfour per cent. larger than ours, (though far more rapidly increasing,) is now supporting two distinct lines of first-class steamships; France, with fifty-six per cent.
less trade, also two first-class lines; Genoa, with a trade not two and a half per




APPENDIX H.                               609
cent. of ours, one first-class line; Portugal, with a trade only twenty-five per cent.
of ours, one first-class line; Hamburg, one first-class line; and Belgium, with a
trade only ten per cent. of that of the United States with Brazil, havilg also one
line of first-class steamships with which to prosecute it. The record is startling;
but will, doubtless, be very speedily and effectually corrected by our Government;
and, I trust, in a ratio commensurate with the glaring necessity.
The commercial men of this country complain bitterly that the Government gives
them no facilities for conducting this large trade successfully, and competing, on
fair terms, with foreign merchants. They see Brazil, the Spanish-American Republics, and the West Indies, lying right at our door, on the sunny side of our
republic, much nearer to us tllan to Great Britain and other European countries,
and offering to us a trade which is now very large, but which, if not already as
large as that with the Old World, is yet destined within the coming generation to
be the largest, the richest, the most natural, and the most profitable in the whole
world. Its capacity for development and expansion is almost indefinite and boundless.  They complain not so much that Great Britain has the monopoly of this
trade, which naturally belongs to the United States,-not so much that she conducts that trade by s/eam-facilities, to the detriment of us who have none,-not so
much that she has even four lines of steamers and weekly communication, as well
as the advantafge and use of all the other European lines,-but that the citizens of
the United States are not permitted to enter into a fair competition for this trade.
Our people probably surpass any other people in the world in individual and aggregate enterprise and energy. They ask as few favors of the Government as any
people on earth; doing every thing that is practicable, and that energy and capital
can accomplish, without the intervention of the Government. But there are some
things that, with the entire concentrated skill and ability of the nation, her citizens
cannot accomplish; and o.ne of these is the maintenance of steamship mail-lines
on the ocean. In ordinary enterprises competition necessitates improvement; and
mechanical improvement and skill, in due course of time, enable individuals to
compass ends otherwise deemed impracticable and unattainable. These attempts
have all been made, in every form, with ocean-navigation. It was supposed that,
by superior engines and great economy of fuel, a speed high enough for all ordinary
mail-purposes could be attained, and yet leave enough room for freight and passengers to enable the income from these, at rates much higher than on sailingvessels, to pay for fuel, engineering, and the great additional cost of running a
steamer. Vast engineering skill and ability have been directed to this point both
in this country and Europe; and this object has been declared the commercial desideratum of the age. But all of these efforts have failed in their design; so much
so that there is not, to-day, one steam-line upon the high-seas of the whole world
which is not sustained by a subsidy from some Government. Many attempts have
been made by British merchants to do a freighting and passenger business in propellers, without any mail-pay, and depending on their receipts alone. These, too, have
all failed. No permanent line of these propellers has been established to any of our
American cities, except by subsidized companies, owning side-wheel steamers also.
It has been found that to bring the propeller to any reasonable approach to the
side-wheel steamer in speed, so as to adapt it to mail-purposes, would require
for it about as much fuel and other general outlay as for the regular side-wheel
steamer.
The only trade in which it has even been supposed that steamers of any descrip.
tion whatever could carry freight is that between Europe and the United States,
39




610


APPENDIX H.


where there are vast quantities of rich, costly goods, in small and valuable packages, which pay an extra rate of freight, as express goods; but, even here, the
steam-freighting system without Governmental aid has proved a failure. There
have been one or two cases where a steamer could make money in carrying freight,
as between this country and California during the gold-crisis, and owing to the
great distance around the Horn, as well as an unnaturally large passenger-trade.
This, however, was a state of commerce wholly abnormal, and such as is not likely
to occur once in a century, or last very long; or prove more than an infinitesimal
exception to the great general laws of freighting and commercial transport.
Great Britain has learned this doctrine from experience, and is profiting by it.
Her wise merchants and statesmen know that commerce can be accommodated only
by rapid steam-mails, which have regular and reliable periods for arrival and departure; and that, although these mails cost the Government and the people something more than those slow and uncertain communications which depend on
sailing-vessels and overland transit, yet they are enabled, by the facilities which
they afford, to monopolize and control the commerce of the world, and divert it
from even the most natural channels into the lap of British wealth. It is in this
view of the subject that our merchants so justly complain that our Government, by
refusing to give them the facilities commensurate with the demands of the age,
deprives them  of the power or privilege of competing with foreign nations, and
palsies their hands, simply because they are not able, individually and by their
associated capital, to do that which the Government only can do. The reason
why our mail-steamers require the aid of our Government is that foreign Governments subsidize their lines; hence our individual enterprise could not compete
with their individual enterprise and that of their Government combined.     The
reason why foreign Governments thus subsidize their mail-lines is, that those lines
cannot depend upon their own receipts for support, or run without Governmental aid.
This is also the prime reason for Governmental aid in running our lines. These
facts are undisputed by steamshipmen and merchants, and are verified by the
practice of the whole world, and the great number of failures in attempting to sustain steamers, from year to year, on regular lines, by their receipts alone.
In enumerating the steam-lines to Brazil, I have said that Great Britain had
two,-the Royal Mail from Southampton, and the Liverpool,-both of which extend
to Lisbon, Madeira, Teneriffe, Pernambuco, Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro, and thence
to Montevideo and Buenos Ayres; both of them connecting also at the latter city with
a line of English river-steamers which run up the La Plata to Asgunsion, in Paraguay. But these are not the only lines by which she conducts her large Brazilian and
South American trade. Her African and Mediterranean steamers touch at Lisbon,
which enables her to use the Luzo-Brazileira line from that city to Rio de Janeiro and
intermediate places. Enterprising English companies are also establishing lines
from some of the Continental cities, which are sustained by liberal subsidies.
Some of these lines touch at Southampton, and are made subservient to British
wants, as the following extract from The Liverpool Times, March 7, 1857, shows:The managers of the new European and American Steam-Shipping Company hlave completed their
scheme for the future working of their splendid fleet. The operations of the Company will commence
with the departure of the Golden Fleece for Lisbon and the Brazils, leaving Hamburg on the 20th
of April, and Southampton on the 24th. This ship will run in conjunction with the Hamburg and
Brazilian Company's steamships Teutonia and Petropolis, forming a monthly line, for the transmission of passengers, specie, and cargo, from Hamburg and Southampton to Lisbon, Pernambuco, Bahia,
and Rio de Janeiro, and vice versd. The trade with the Brazils will be further augmented by the
establishment of a new line of steamships between Antwerp and the same ports, also calling at




APPENDIX H.


611


Southampton each way,-the first vessel on this line being the Hydaspes, which is to leave Antwerp on
the 30th of May, and Southampton on the 4th of June. When these two lines are in filll working-order,
there will be three steamers a month from Southampton to the Brazils,-viz.: The Royal Mail Company's steamer on the 9th, the Antwerp steamer on the 4th, and the Iamburg steamer on the 24th.
The second branch of the new Company's operations embraces the extension of the traffic with New
York vid Southampton. Tlis line will be opened by the Queen of the South leaving Bremen on the
25th of April, and Southampton on the 29th.
There are eight monthly lines of steamers now running between Europe and
Brazil and La Plata, affording semi-weekly communication, and so arranged that
Great Britain uses nearly all of them for the prosecution and monopoly of the
large trade of Northern and Eastern South America. We have seen that mailsteamers cannot be run without some extraneous aid. If this be true, and if the
Europeans have eight lines, while we cannot have one until the Government of the
United States comes to the rescue, how are the enterprising-the almost omnipotent-commercial men of this country to prosecute the trade which European
energy and foresight are wresting from them?  It is a known fact, that this trade
is passing from us, or that ours has been paralyzed since Great Britain established
her first steam-line in 1850; while, in five years since that time, hers has increased
two hundred and twenty-five per cent.; whereas for the ten years preceding the establishment of that line it did not advance one dollar. (See Report, House of Representatives, XXXIV. Congress, 3d Session, No. 261, hereunto appended.)
Our commerce with the West Indies and Brazil, and all the northern and eastern
portions of South America which would be reached by the steam-line which we
propose, is already very large, as the tables which follow will show; but that
commerce is now only in its infancy. It constitutes the largest and the last undeveloped field of trade now left open to the industry and enterprise of man; and,
as the many million acres of its fertile lands become filled with an active and productive population, its resources and its wants will both expand into a commerce
such as has never yet been seen in any part of the world or in any age. It will
be, moreover, a commerce peculiar to the Western Continent, peculiarly our own,
where the demand and supply, found side by side, will make the interchange
natural, easy, and cheap. With such a commerce, thus situated, this continent
can rely upon itself alone, without being forced to look to any portion of the
Eastern Hemisphere for either a market or supplies.
With such a prospect for the material development of those vast regions which
lie at our southern door and beckon us on to the peaceful conquests of trade, there
can be no doubt as to the policy which the Government of this country should
pursue. We feed nearly the whole of Brazil, Venezuela, New Granada, and the
many West India Islands, and the Guianas. We send to them large quantities
of the products of the Mississippi, Ohio, and Missouri Valleys, as well as of the
whole Atlantic and Gulf seaboard. In return, we are becoming almost dependent
on Brazil and Venezuela for our coffee, chocolate, rubber, hides, and many other
articles, and on the West Indies and the Guianas for sugar, molasses, rum, and an
infinite variety of less known but not less important articles. The two halves
of the continent are becoming indispensably essential to each other. The policy
of the one necessarily affects the other in every thing; and these conditions, which
are becoming stronger and more apparent from year to year, demand of us an
entire change in the inert and indifferent policy which we have so long pursued
toward South American countries. Political influences, which we have hitherto
despised, are now becoming manifestly indispensable to the safe and certain continuance of material interests; and wise, liberal, and continuous diplomacy, with




612                              APPENDIX H.
a forecasting policy settled and pursued for years and even generations, must now
provide those enduring bases of better understandings, of deeper sympathies,
of less divided interests and more concerted and continental policy, which are so
essential to our international well-being, and particularly to that large commerce
which must always be controlled by the United States.
Most important among these countries is the young, stable, and rich empire
of Brazil. Possessing the best Government in South America, she has become the
most prosperous of all the countries of the Southern Hemisphere. She produces
in great abundance many of the most important staples of the world, such as
coffee, sugar, cotton, tobacco, rice, &c., and is becoming greatly enriched from them.
In some of these, Brazil competes largely with the United States in the European
market, especially in cotton and tobacco.    And it is a singular fact, just here,
that the Southern planter or merchant gets his intelligence concerning the progress
of these crops in Brazil only through Europe, and that generally after the Brazilian
crop is sold and the American crop taken up; whereas, with the proper steam-mail
facilities, it would be easy for the American producer and dealer to know the condition of the Brazilian crop many days earlier than it could be known in Europe,
and use all the advantages consequent upon such earlier intelligence. These productions are now in their infancy in Brazil; but as the river and coast navigation
is extended, and as the numerous railroads are pushed to the interior, the production will increase in a rapid ratio, and thus add largely to a commerce which
the United States could and should control.
The population of Brazil is gradually increasing.    Immigration from    Southern
Europe has, since the abolition of the slave-trade in 1850, been constantly encouraged by liberal grants from the imperial and provincial treasuries for defraying
the expense of passage between Europe and Brazil. This immigration is indispensable to supply the want of labor, which, previous to 1850, was supplied by the
constant influx of slaves from Africa. Brazil, having now most heartily abandoned
the slave-trade in fact and principle, finds that the labor of white colonists, so far
from being unable to supply the demands of the country, is really largely increasing
its production, and adding more rapidly to the permanent wealth. I think that
the experiences of the past five years have so thoroughly satisfied the Brazilians
with the change, that they not only greatly prefer the new system, but could not
be induced to countenance the revival of the African slave-trade.   As an evidence
of this fact, the slaver " Mary E. Smith," taken in January, 1856, into Bahia, had
touched at five places along the coast previous to detection, but had not succeeded
in selling a single slave.
The population of the provinces and of the empire, according to returns published
by the Government in 1856, is as follows:Provinces.                     Pop.        Provinces.                     Pop.
Minas Geraes............................... 1,300,000  Rio Grande do Norte.................  190,000
Rio  de  Janeiro.............................. 1,200,000  Sergipe.........................................  183,600
Bahia..........................................  1,100,000  Goyaz...........................................  180,000
Pernambuco.................................  950,000  Piaf(hy.........................................  150,400
Sao Paulo.....................................  00,000  Santa  Catharina............................  105,000
Cear..........................................  385,500  M ato-Grosso..................................  85,000
Maranhao....................................  360,000  Parana.........................................  72,400
Parahyba...........................  209,300  Espirito  Santo...............................  51,300
Par&............................................  207,400  Am az6nas....................................  42,600
Alag6as......................................   204,200
Sgo Pedro......................................  201,300  Population of Brazil............ 7,678,000




APPENDIX H.                                613
[For want of space the tables have been omitted; but the following carefully-prepared Analyses,
together with the table furnished by M. le Chevalier d'Aguiar, (Appendix G,) will in a measure supply
their place.-J. C. F.]
ANALYSES OF TABLES.
The following tables-very carefully compiled, after a laborious investigation of
several works, from a large number of Parliamentary Reports, Rela/orios, or Reports, of the Prime Minister of Brazil, the late Marquis of' Paran6, the volumes of
" Commerce and Navigation of the United States," a large number of tables furnished me by public officers and private gentlemen, as also from many documents
collected and conipiled by myself in this country, South America, and the West Indies,
-will present, in all necessary detail as well as combination, the past and present
trade oft Brazil with all nations, and more particularly with the United States and
Great Britain, which constitute the two most important competitors. I shall present
analyses and generalizations of a few of the more important of these only, for the
purpose of gaining a clear and more distinct summary view of our most important
relations withl Brazil; leaving to individual investigation those more minute generalizations which these tables so clearly indicate and suggest.
The currency, weights, and measures employed in this paper, not being reduced
to either the United States or British standard, require particular notice before
proceeding to the tables themselves.  The milreis (one thousand reis) is composed
of one thousand parts of the very small denomination called real, (the Portuguese
word for royal.) 'Tle milreis is equal to 27d. @ 273d. sterling exchange in Brazil:
2 mil. = 54dl. One dollar, exchange at $4.44 to the pound sterling, = 4s. Gd. 
54d., by which the dollar is equal to two inllrcis. But this is selling the milreis too
low, as it is based on two reductions for exchange.  One dollar, in all' parts of
Brazil, sells for 1800 reis; so that, for all practical purposes, we may call the
milreis fifly-fice cents.  Thus it will be easy to convert the Brazilian into United
States currency.  The Arroba is equal to 32 lbs.  Five arrobas of coffee make one
sack, of 160 lbs.  The Alqueire is equal to.998 of one bushel, and hence is
called one bushel in measure. The Quintal is 129.517 lbs.; the Medida, or Candda,
is.703 of a wine-gallon,-about four bottles; the Pipa, or pipe, is 126.587 gallons;
the Marco is equal to 8 ounces, or 64 Oitavas: hence, 128 oit. = 1 lb., while 1 oit. 
1 drachm.
We will perceive some striking and important facts by a slight analysis of each
of these tables separately:TABLE II. shows that, while in 1849 and 1850 the average exports from
Great Britain to Brazil were two and a half million pounds sterling annually, the
average of 1851 and 1852 was three and a half; an advance of forty per cent.
during the two first years of the operation of the Royal Mail-Steam Line. There
was a large increase in the value of the cotton and linen manufactures, but much
larger in the woollen.  The advance was one hundred and fifty per cent. in three
years. The imports remained about stationary. This table also gives a list of the
principal articles constituting the British imports and exports.
TABLE V. gives our imports, exports, and navigation with Brazil for 1856,
and with each province of the empire and each of our cities. Rio de Janeiro
alone takes above three of our five millions exports, and furnishes us fifteen of our
nineteen millions imports. In our exports, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, Par&,
and Bahlia, follow in order of importance. In our imports, the next in order are
Rio Grande and Para, then Pernambuco and Bahia. The two latter cities export




614


APPENDIX H.


largely of their principal staples-cotton from Pernambuco and sugar from Bahia
-to Great Britain and Europe generally. New York exports nearly two millions,
Richmond over one, Baltimore one, Philadelphia and New Orleans, each, half a
million, while Charleston exports 23,000, and Mobile and Savannah nothing. In
imports, New York has six millions dollars, New Orleans very nearly six also, Baltimore three millions, Boston 944,000, Philadelphia 1,753,000, Richmond 149,000,
Charleston 269,000, Mobile 61,000, and Savannah 25,000.
Our commerce with Brazil for 1856, imports and exports united, was as follows,
-New   York, $7,823,599; New Orleans, $6,376,697; Baltimore, $4,271,538;
Philadelphia, $2,861,231; Boston and Salem, $1,524,361; Richmond-which exports 110,000 barrels of flour, value not given-imports $149,345; while Charleston
imports $269,169 and exports $23,470.
Of our aggregate Brazilian commerce for the year the Atlantic cities had
$17,919,836; and those of the Gulf-Mobile and New Orleans-had $6,437,728,
rather above one-third of the whole.
IMPORTS.-In the importation of 1856 we have arrivals of 367 vessels, with
124,374 tons, against 87,229 tons in 1851. Of the arrivals in 1856, 113,475 are
United States, and 10,899, or nine per cent., are foreign. In 1851, it was 63,666
United States, and 22,428, or above twenty-three per cent., foreign. During each
of the years from 1851 to 1855 inclusive, the import from Brazil in foreign vessels
has continued about double any year, or the average, of previous years.
EXPORTS.-In 1856, there are 263 vessels; while there were 262, with about
twelve hundred tons more tonnage, in 1851. In 1846, we had 52,708 tons leaving
for Brazil, and 50,735 in 1841. In 1851, of our exports to Brazil, ten and a half
per cent. were in foreign vessels; while, of our imports, twenty-five per cent. were
foreign tonnage; the value of the imports in foreign vessels being twenty-three
per cent. of the whole. About this ratio continued to the beginning of 1855.
TABLE VI. shows that, in importations of coffee from 1851 to 1853 and 1856,
New Orleans stands first, New York next, and Baltimore next. In the first year
named, Baltimore stood in advance of New York, but now imports only twothirds; New York is but little behind New Orleans, and both are rapidly increasing
this import. The importation of coffee has increased about twenty per cent.
annually.
Each sack of coffee weighs five arrobas, or 160 lbs.; the arroba being 32 lbs.
Of the total above, for 1856, 1,051,325 sacks, or 93.7 per cent. of the whole, come
from Rio de Janeiro; 28,473 sacks from Bahia; 15,040 sacks from Santos, in San
Paulo; and 31,682 sacks from other places in the empire not yet reported.
The analysis of this table shows us that, in 1851, Baltimore had 20,649 bags
more than New York, while New Orleans imported 38,119 more than Baltimore;
that, in 1853, New York had 26,671 bags more than Baltimore, and New Orleans
85,365 bags more than New York; and that, in 1856, New York had 102,844 bags
more than Baltimore, while New Orleans had 27,872 more than New York. Also,
that, in 1853, New York increased 12,715 bags over 1851, and, in 1856, 8,133 bags
over 1853. In 1853, Baltimore declined 34,605 bags, and, in 1856, was yet 2,645
bags short of 1851. New Orleans, in 1853, increased 39,312 bags, and, in 1856,
had 50,640 more than in 1853.
Thus, while New York has largely increased the importation of this article, it has
greatly diminished in Baltimore. The latter city has for many years almost controlled the importation of coffee from Brazil; but recently has lost ground in that
trade, and submitted to its partial transfer to New York.




APPENDIX H.


615


In the export of flour Richmond is first: then follow, in order, Baltimore, New
York, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Boston.
TABLE VII. shows that, in our total imports and exports to and from Brazil,
in 1851, New York exported one million, and New Orleans one hundred thousand,
Maryland 800,000, Massachusetts 700,000, Virginia 600,000, Pennsylvania 400,000.
New York imported three millions, Louisiana 2,800,000, Maryland 2,700,000, Massachusetts 1,000,000, Pennsylvania 700,000, and Alabama and Georgia 26,000 and
28,000 respectively.
Of the sum of imports noticed in this table, the value of $8,891,582 was imported in vessels of the United States, and $2,633,722, or more than one-fourth, in
foreign vessels, according to the returns of the custom-houses. Of the imports of
1855, $13,500,000 were in United States vessels, and $1,716,935 in foreign.
TABLE VIII. (not here inserted) shows a regular but very small increase in
our shipping with Brazil from 1830 to 1856.  The arrivals of foreign tonnage in
this country from Brazil is about four times as great as the departure, owing to so
large a quantity of the coffee received in this country being sent by foreign rather
than American merchants, the latter being driven out of the trade by reason of the
superior advantages enjoyed by English, Greek, andl( German houses in Brazil, in
consequence of superior postal and banking facilities.  After bringing coffee to
this country, their ships return to Europe, freighted with cotton, grain, lumber,
and provisions.
TABLE IX. (not inserted) shows that the tonnage of all countries with Brazil
is about stationary, her exports and imports increasing more in value than in
quantity.
TABLE X. gives the total imports and exports of Brazil, for each province,
from 1840 to 1855 inclusive. In 1840, the imports commenced at fifty-two millions
milreis, and ended, in '55, at eighty-four and a half millions. In 1841), the exports
commenced at only forty-three millions, but ended, in 1855, at ninety and a half
millions. Brazil has thus, within these fifteen years, shifted the balance materially
in her own favor; although if we take the average of the past five years, we will
find the imports considerably exceeding the exports. This is due, however, to the
change of her slave-system in 1850, from which she has not yet entirely recovered.
The total imports (provinces not specified) for 1846 were 52,193,510 milreis, and
for 1847 they were 55,740,019.
The total exports (provinces not specified) for 1846 were 53,630,092 milreis, and
for 1847 they were 52,449,452.
TABLES XI. and XII. (not inserted) show the total Brazilian imports and
exports, of different articles, from 1848 to 1855. The import of cotton, wool, linen,
silk, and mixed manufactures, and of flour, has increased very rapidly. Imports
of iron manufactures and coin have also gone up rapidly. The value of coffee exported has increased more than one hundred per cent. since 1848 and 1849. Sugar
has remained stationary; cotton also; also hides.  Cacao* has also remained stationary, and rum has advanced slightly; while the exports of India-rubber have,
during the eight years, advanced seven hundred per cent. We formerly monopolized
* Cacdo is the bean from which chocolate is made. It is pronounced, in the Portuguese, kali-Jk6w. It
is improperly called cocoa in commerce, and cannot be distinguished in name, except by explanation,
from the cocoanut. There is also the cocd, producing leaves of a stimulating property, which the
Indians of Peru spread with line, and chew. They sustain the body, day after day, without food,
under great fatigues. The spelling and pronunciation of the three names alike cause much unnecessary confusion.




616                          APPENDIX H.
this import and the manufacture of rubber; but both England and France now
import and manufacture it very largely.
TABLE XIII., where the Brazilian imports and exports of 1855 are compared
with two periods,-lst, from 1845 to 1849; and, 2d, from 1850 to 1854,-with the
percentage of increase and decrease, shows us that, for the first period, rum,
coffee, diamonds, smoking-tobacco, rubber, erva mate, and sarsaparilla, advanced
very rapidly, and that, in the second period, all the same articles, except mate and
sarsaparilla, maintained this advance. In the imports, for the first period, every
article, without exception, advanced,-cotton, silk, and iron manufactures, moneys,
drugs, coal, arms, shoes, meats, codfish, powder, and earthenware particularly.
The same advance, though at a lower figure, continued through the second period,
except in linens, moneys, &c. This table gives a clear view of the progress of trade
in every important article.
TABLE XIV. shows the total imports and exports, separate and united, in three
separate periods, and in 1855, running from 1841.
TABLE XV. gives the value of the various products exported by each province
for 1855. We see that the relative value of each province is sustained. Rio has
fifty-six per cent.; Bahia, thirteen; Pernambuco, eleven; Pari, five and a half;
and Rio Grande do Sul, four and a half.
TABLE XVII. gives total Brazilian exports il 1855, and also in 1845, to each
foreign country.  The analysis shows the percentage of this trade pertaining to
each country for 1854 and 1855,-also for 1845,-and, in addition, the rate per
cent. of advance and decline fiom 1845 to 1855.
TABLE XVIII. exhibits the trade of the port of Para from 1851 to 1855, and
the shipping for 1855. The imports appear to have doubled in the two and a half
years to 1855. The value here given is the very minimum price on which the
duties are charged by the custom-house: the sum is probably thirty-three per cent.
too low. So with exports. They declined in 1852, advanced twenty per cent. in
1853, more than doubled in 1854, and again slightly declined in 1855. The yield
of the revenue steadily increased, as it has throughout all Brazil. Of the 23,335
tons entered, Liverpool has 4,979, and New York 3,744. Cleared,-Liverpool, 3,971;
New York, 4,193. Parl is nearly twice as far fiom Great Britain as from the
United States; yet the British furnish nearly all the manufactured goods, and, to
accommodate them, make, in Manchester, vast quantities of " Lowell Drills." The
reasons for all this are very obvious to every reflecting mind.
TABLE XX. (not given) presents an elaborate view of the India-rubber trade
fiom 1837 to 1856 inclusive. New York and Salem have imported more than any
cities in the world. The imports to this country have declined since 1854; but those
of Great Britain have largely and steadily increased since 1850.
TABLE XXI. gives the revenues of Brazil from 1837 to 1855, which we will see
are in a most flourishing condition,-the income, for a few years past, exceeding
the expenditure. In 1837, the revenue was thirteen million milreis; in 1843, it
was eighteen millions; and, in 1856, thirty-six millions.
It also exhibits the state of the Public, Foreign, and Domestic Debt, which is
gradually decreasing, and which in 1855 amounted to only ~12,584,700. (See
Table for analysis, also for Paper-Money and Coinage.) This Table presents the
Brazilian Empire as one of the most prosperous countries in the world; while the
condition of its finances will compare favorably with that of nations arrogating
far more than Brazil.




APPENDIX II.


617


TABLES III. and IV. show our Brazilian imports and exports minutely fiom
1826 to 1856. Our total exports have doubled since 1843,-in thirteen years;
those of Great Britain have doubled since 1850,-or in five years. Our imports have
trebled since 1843, and doubled in the seven years since 1849. In the same seven
years the British imports have more than doubled; but this consisted mostly of
coffee, for reshipment. The proper analysis of these two tables would require
hours of close attention. I have given the total imports-the quantity, value, and
price-of coffee; total Brazilian exports of coffee; total imports fiom all countries,
value, consumption, and re-exportation of same for thirty years; and the imports
of sugar, cacao, molasses, hides, and wool, from Brazil for the same period. Our
imports from  Brazil commenced at two million dollars in 1826, and gradually
ascended to nineteen millions in 1856. The large import of the present year is,
however, due to the sca'rcity of coffee in other countries than Brazil.
I have given also the total exports for thirty years, which have ascended also
gradually, and in almost an arithmetical ratio for all periods alike, from two millions in 1826 to five millions in 1856.  Distinction is made between United States
and foreign products exported.  I give also the quantity and value of flour, the
value of cotton manufactures, (which are reapidly declining,) and the quantities of
fish, fish-oil, candles, soap, beef and pork, butter and cheese, hams and lard, and
powder.  There is no increase in the shipmient of foreign products. The European
nations now take good care of that themselves. The only article permanently advancing is flour, and this in value rather than quantity.
The quantity of our flour shipped to Brazil has not materially changed since
1851. The average quantity, from 1854 to 1856 inclusive, is considerably less
than from 1851 and 1853 inclusive. It was less in 1856 than in 1853; yet the value
in 1856 was nearly twice as great as in 1853. In 1856, it constituted nearly fourfifths of our exports to Brazil; previous to that year it had averaged rather above
one-half the value of those exports. From 1840 to 1850, our exports of flour to
Brazil went up from about one hundred and fifty thousand barrels to about three
hundred thousand; the value increasing from one million to nearly two millions
dollars annually.  Since 1850, the quantity of flour has declined gradually,
although the aggregate value for the same six years has increased about thirty per
cent. European vessels take Trieste and other European flour to Brazil, thence a
cargo of coffee to New Orleans or other Southern ports, and return to Europe with
a cargo of cotton, provisions, or lumber. They sell their flour, employ their
shipping, despoil the American producer and ship-owner, and make an excellent
round transaction of it, because they have such speedy communication with Brazil
as to give them the control of her markets, both of demand and supply. These
facts demand particular attention.
TABLE I. exhibits the British trade with Brazil, giving the total exports from
1821 to 1855, and cotton, linen, and woollen manufactures separately from 1827 to
1855; also the total imports from Brazil from 1840 to 1855, and of coffee from
1830 to 1855; also the tonnage from 1821 to 1854. The tonnage for the last three
years is in Brazilian measurement, which makes the tonnage of a vessel something
larger than that of the United States. The Brazilian exports for the three last
years are also taken from the Brazilian financial reports. All other matter in the
Table is taken from the Annual Parliamentary Reports of Great Britain on Commerce
and Navigation;-accessible in this country, so far as I know, only in the Astor
Library and that of Congress. They have been annotated and revised with great
care. The British imports of coffee, up to 1852, were nominal; and, even now,




618                          APPENDIX     H.
Great Britain enters very little for home consumption, engaging in the trade simply
because she has much greater facilities than we have for its conduct. We imported
less coffee in 1854 and 1855 than in 1852; but Great Britain went from three million lbs. in 1852 to fifty-two millions in 1853, fifty-nine millions in 1854, and one
hundred and twelve 7millions in 1855.
From 1840 to 1850 her total imports from Brazil made no increase. In 1853,
they had advanced one hundred and fifty per cent. on 1848; and, in 1855, they had
advanced over 1848,-or, the average of the ten years noticed,-about three hundred
per cent. This, however, it must be recollected, was in coffee, for re-exportation;
a trade which was lost to our merchants and to our shipping. Her total exports
to Brazil from 1840 to 1850 were stationary at about two and a half million
pounds sterling annually. In 1851,-the first year after steam by the Royal Mail
Company,-they advanced forty per cent.; and, in 1854, they had advanced one
hundred and two per cent. on 1850. Thus, her exports have doubled in five years,
from a stationary point before the establishment of steam mail facilities; whereas
ours have been thirteen years in making the same increase. The total trade
between Brazil and Great Britain has increased in an unprecedented ratio. The
combined British imports and exports, up to 1850, averaged ~3,645,833 annually;
but, in 1855, these had reached ~8,162,455. Thus, the British trade increased two
hundred and twenty-five per cent. in five years after the first line of steamers was established to Brazil.
In this connection, TABLE XVII. shows that Brazil imports from Great Britain
fifty-four per cent., France twelve, United States eight and a quarter, (which, in
1845, was ten, Portugal nearly ten, Itanse Towns nearly six, and La Plata five per
cent. of the whole. From 1845 to 1855, the imports from Great Britain increased
forty-nine per cent., France thirty-four, United States twenty-one, Portugal fortytwo, Hanse Towns seventy-eight, River Plate one hundred and forty-seven, Belgium one hundred, (Belgium, Portugal, Sardinia, and Hamburg now have, each, a
line of steamers, and England and France two lines each,) Chili twelve hundred and
twenty, Sardinia one hundred and thirty-three per cent. For the same period,
the increase of Brazilian exports is,-to Great Britain one hundred and fifty-eight
per cent., United States one hundred and fifty-nine, France two hundred and
thirty-five, Portugal eight, Hanse Towns thirty-seven, Rio Plata seventy-one, Belgium sixty-eight, Chili nine hundred and twenty, and Spain twenty-six per cent.
I say but little of the British imports from Brazil, as nearly all of the cotton and
sugar go to Great Britain and other European countries. These being the staples
of Bahia accounts for our limited trade with that rich province. Coffee, particularly, and tobacco, are, however, likely to supersede these articles in a few years;
a change for which we should be prepared.
The production of Brazilian coffee, notwithstanding the abolition of the slavetrade, has largely increased, as the tables will show. In 1855, the production exceeded that of any year previous to 1850 by aboutfour million arrobas.
Our exports of flour have gradually increased. They will become much larger
with the increasing population of Brazil, and especially when the four great railroads to the interior, one from Pernambuco, one from Bahia, and two fiom Rio de
Janeiro, are opened; these railroads directing the attention of a population, now
idle and indigent, to the production of coffee, sugar, tobacco, and rum, for export,
with the corresponding necessity of imported breadstuffs, as well as manufactures.
The Mississippi Valley will, in a few years, share largely in this provision-trade, in
exchange for coffee.




APPENDIX H.


619


We see, from a generalization and combination of these tables and analyses, that
our great advance in the Brazilian trade has arisen from imports instead of exports; whereas the trade of Great Britain has advanced in both; and particularly
in her exports, which were already large; the tendency being to enrich Great
Britain and to impoverish us: that until 1850 her exports were stationary, while
ours were increasing; due, doubtless, to the superiority of our clipper-ships at
that period, which placed us much nearer than England to Brazil: that she is now
taking the coffee-trade away from us, and giving it to her own and other European
merchants and shipping: that she is rivalling us in the rubber-trade; wholly distancing us in that of manufactures: and that from 1850 to 1855 she has doubled
a large trade of profitable exports, and increased her aggregate imports and
exports two hundred and twenty-five per cent.; whereas it has taken us thirteen
years to double a small trade, composed mostly of imports: it being evident
that, with equal facilities, we could outstrip Great Britain in nearly all the
elements of this Brazil trade, as we were doing for the ten years from 1840
to 1850.
It will hardly be necessary to suggest to the wise and reflecting merchant or
statesman the evident causes producing this startling effect. It is the effect of
steamship mail and passenger facilities, so well understood by the wise and forecasting British statesmen who established the Southampton, Brazil, and La Plata
lines; not as a means of giving revenue to the General Post-Office, but of encouraging foreign trade and stimulating British industry. If England by steam
has overtaken and neutralized our clippers and embarrassed our trade, then we
have only to employ the same agent, and, from geographical advantages, we feel
assured that we will soon surpass her as certainly, and even more effectually, than
she has us. She sweeps our seas, and we offer her no resistance or competition.
Not satisfied with the Royal Mail-lines, it is reported that she is making a contract
with Mr. Cunard to run another line along by the side of the Royal Mail, from
Liverpool to Aspinwall, and from  Panama to the East Indies and China. She
gains in these seas an invaluable trade, because she employs the proper means for
its attainment and promotion, while we do not. Hence, although much farther
off she is practically much nearer. Suppose that Great Britain had no steamers to
the great sea at her threshold, the Mediterranean; and we had the enterprise to
run a great trunk-line to Gibraltar and Malta, and nine branches from these termini to all the great points of commerce in Mediterranean Europe, Asia, and
Africa. Would we not soon command the trade of all Southern Europe, of Western
Asia, and of Africa? But we find her wisely occupying her own territory, and
that it is impossible for us to get possession. If we had been there, she would
soon have given us competition.    But Great Britain did not wait for competition to urge her to her duty to her people. She could easily have continued
the trade already possessed; but she could enlarge and invigorate it by steam,
and she did it: not from outside pressure, but for the advantages which it
always presents per se. For the same reason we should have established steam to
the West Indies, Brazil, the Spanish Main, and La Plata long since; to foster a
trade naturally ours, but practically another's. It is pre-eminently necessary now
when steam, under the system of Great Britain, is ruining our trade; whereas, by
a similar process, we could re-establish ours, if not paralyze theirs. Neutrality is
impossible. Indifference to the present posture of affairs only leads to the ruin
of our interests. We must advance and contend with Great Britain and Europe
step by step, and employ the means of which we are generally so boastful, or we




620                          APPENDIX H.
will be forced to retreat from the field, and be harassed into ignominious submission.
I have been cheered, from the conception of this enterprise, in 1853, until the
present time, by the prospect of seeing North and South America linked in a closer
bond of fraternity and commerce, and the last great field of commercial enterprise
and industry, since the occupation of the East Indies and Asia by Great Britain,
kept open to my countrymen, and cultivated for the interests of the Western Continent. We have many reasons to hope that the Government of the United States,
so just to the people, to their enterprise, and to their industry, is now about to
realize that conception, and give to Americans the means of reaping, in those
regions, a rich harvest of wealth and power.
Of the gentlemen with whom I have the honor to be associated in this enterprise it does not become me here to speak. It suffices that we have all deemed it
essential that none but those among the most eminent, practical, vigorous, and
experienced of the steamshipmen in this country should be engaged in the work
that we have undertaken. It is only by their enlightened enterprise, their penetrating forecast, and their public spirit, combined with the favorable disposition
of the Government of the United States, that I have thus far been encouraged in
believing that all of our efforts would be ultimately, and at an early day, crowned
with entire success. The two committees of the Senate and House of Representatives at the last session of Congress reported, with great unanimity, a joint " Bill"
for the establishment of the line. But it was found impossible to reach this bill at
the short session, and no action was taken on the subject.
The distance, direct, between the United States and this rich empire is only
three thousand miles. Steamers can easily make the run within twelve days to
the mouth of the Amazon. The distance to the West Indies, and the Guianas, and
the Spanish Main, is fromn thirteen hundred to twenty-two hundred miles; yet our
large and important correspondence with all of these countries passes by way of
England or the Continent, a distance of eight to ten thousand miles; the letters
never arriving at their destination under forty-five days, and being frequently kept
sixty days on the passage. There are three rates of postage:-fiom this country
to Europe, across England or the Continent, and thence to Brazil. If these letters
are destined to Parda, or any part of the northern coast west of Pernambuco, they
pay yet another rate, by the Brazilian line. These three or four postal charges
amount to as much as three or four times the rate which would be charged by both
the United States and Brazilian lines, which would deliver the letters in Rio de
Jhneiro in twenty-two days with inevitable certainty, and not subject them to the
long transit and the selfish foreign arrangements which now embarrass such correspondence. Letters would also reach the West Indies in four to seven days, at a
nominal cost. They now go by uncertain sailing-vessels. I have said, in my memorial to Congress, that
"It is a notorious fact, susceptible of abundant proof in the State, Treasury,
and Naval Departments, that the despatches sent by our Government to, or received from, the ministers, consuls, commodores, captains, and agents in those
countries, seldom come to hand under four months, sometimes six, and that they
are not unfrequently lost altogether, or opened and destroyed.  We have no
clipper-ships engaged in any part of this trade, and but rarely hear of a short
passage. And sailing-vessels being run for private purposes are at best supposed
to serve their private interests first, and those of the public next, or never, as
policy or the pursuit of profit may dictate expedient; so that it would be sheer




APPENDIX H.


621


folly to suppose that sailing-vessels could ever accommodate the large correspondence of commerce and the Government, much less furnish the rapid transport, without which we become a prey to the nations more energetic and far-seeing
than ourselves.
" By means of this line, letters and passengers could reach Rio de Janeiro in
twenty-two to twenty-five days, stopping at fourteen of the prominent commercial
points of the world; whereas, the time now generally required by sailing-vessels
is forty-five to sixty days. This would bring that great capital nearer to us than
it now is to England and France, as the line from the United States, including all of
the deflections to reach the ports named, is shorter by five to six hundred miles than
that of the English steamers, while we have the advantage of better seas. We
would then have the advantage of four to six days over Europe; as their steamers
transport immense cargoes, and require generally twenty-six to twenty-eight days
for the passage. It is believed, moreover, that the Brazilian Government will have
the time between Parl and Rio reduced to eight days; in which event the time
between New York or Savannah and Rio would be from nineteen to twenty days,
and to the La Plata twenty-five.
" There are other very weighty considerations influencing this question. Saying
nothing about that immense trade to which we are naturally entitled, and which
has been swept away from us in consequence of the superior energy and foresight
of England, this line would give to our Government some control of its diplomacy
in South America, and enable our country to derive some practical benefits from
our Brazilian and Gulf squadrons. As we are now situated, our vast commerce
in and around South America might be swept from the seas four times over
before the intelligence of a declaration of war would necessarily reach those ports,
or the large squadron kept in them. Our diplomacy has always suffered in Brazil
and her sister States the most untoward inconveniences. We have not cultivated
with those people the intimate and close relations due to the large interests involved.  We have certainly neglected the first duty of good neighborhood, in
failing to establish steamship-lines to them, and have at times, in effect, almost
ignored their very existence. The consequence is, that we have not a particle
of influence among them, and permit England and France to occupy the place
that nature designed for us.  As an instance of this, we have no treaty with
Brazil, and have been almost frustrated in our endeavors to cultivate the ordinary
national civilities with the La Plata Republics.  There are above one hundred
steamships on the coast of Brazil and the La Plata to-day, in their merchant and
naval service, varying from five hundred to seventeen hundred tons each, of
which but two were built in the United States. Yet all Brazilians confess that our
engineering and ship-building are superior to those of the whole world, and say
that if they 'were in the way of doing business with us,' if they ' could get to
us and ever return home,' or if they could ' arrange their exchanges except
through London,' they would gladly turn to those whom nature has made their
powerful neighbors and perhaps only true friends.
"The necessity of this steam-communication has long been urged by a multitude of interests and by all enterprising men, whether among us at home,
throughout the West India Islands and the countries along the Caribbean Sea, or
in Brazil and the republics lying on the La Plata.  The desire for the line is
everywhere profound and pervading; but it is not deeper or more widely spread
among the friends of America and American enterprise and institutions, than is
the determination of the British Government and British capitalists to offer every




622                          APPENDIX     H.
conceivable facility of transport and correspondence to those regions by way of
England and English steamers, and to repress, if possible, any awakening among
our people to their real and true rights and to their safest policy. It was to this
end that the line was established between Southampton and Rio, and a large bonus
for ten years granted to the Company for establishing it. So, also, with the
Cunard line, whose steamers formerly ran monthly from St. Thomas and Bermuda
to New York. It was found that they afforded too much accommodation to American
interests.  The line changed, and the steamers now run monthly from those islands
to IHalifax, in Nova Scotia. It is thus seen that these British lines sweep closely
around the American coast, but never touch it, except at the extreme north or
south, where it is not likely that their steamers can serve our people. Yet, so far
from having competing enterprises, we have scarcely any at all. We hear very
much said of the intention of the British Government to discontinue the policy of
subsidizing steamship-lines; yet we never witness the fact. On the contrary, that
country is not only creating new lines every year, but, while warmest in these
professions, very recently renewed the contract with the' Royal Mail Company' for
ten years, increasing the sum to nearly six million dollars annually, and establishing two new lines.
" It appears strange that the United States, so near to Brazil, so enterprising in
steam, and so eager to share the profits of foreign trade in all places and with all
nations, should have no steam-communications with the countries named; while
European nations of much less note and with far less commerce than our country,
are subsidizing regular lines of large and costly steamers. Nor have these lines
been fruitless. They have given thus far to them a very undue voice in the affairs
of South America and the West Indies, and a control of the trade that proves very
disastrous to American interests generally. They have diverted a large part of a
trade naturally belonging to us."
Before proceeding to the analysis of the Commercial Tables I will remark to
the Society that Savannah, in Georgia, is for all practical purposes the terminus
for our proposed Brazilian line. Although it is but a few miles nearer than New
York to the mouth of the Amazon, and cannot be made a profitable terminus for a
line, in a commercial point of view, yet the steamers, by receiving and delivering
their mails at Savannah, will accommodate the whole commercial public much
better than at New York. Delivered at New York, they would be easily distributed
to the Atlantic seaboard; but they would accommodate these Atlantic cities only.
Distributed at Savannah, the letters would within a few hours of the same time
reach Mobile, New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Louisville, Richmond,
Baltimore, and Philadelphia.  The steamer would proceed to New York only to
accommodate her passengers, by making European connections, and for her light
freights. It is due to the South, that these steamers should touch at Savannah,
and that the Gulf seaboard might share equally any advantages growing out of
the mail-facilities established. New Orleans imports more coffee than any other
city in the United States; and, in connection with Mobile and other Southern
cities, have an enormous supply-trade with all of the countries to which our line
extends. I refer the Society to the report on this subject, made at the late
session of Congress to the House of Representatives, for many important facts
bearing on this question.




APPENDIX I.
THE following able Report, from late Congressional documents, presents a lucid
view of the condition of our commerce, and the want of steam-mails. It was
made, at the last session of Congress, to the House of Representatives, but for
want of time was not acted upon.
Mr. FLAGLER, from the Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads, made the
following Report.
The Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads, to whom were referred the petition and memorial of
Robert M. Stratton, Samuel L. Mitchffl, William II. Webb, and Thomas Rainey, praying for a contract
for the transportation of the mails between the United States and Brazil, via the Wfest India Islands,
beg leave to report:
That they have had the subject under careful and detailed examination, and recommend that the
prayer of the petitioners be granted. The committee have come to the following conclusions:1st. That the service proposed will afford rapid, regular, and reliable steanzship mail and passenger
facilities, each way monthly, to one of the largest and most profitable fields of American conmerce,
where our trade, if properly fostered, must continue to increase and expand for many generations.
2d. That this trade now greatly suffers for the want of the mail-facilities proposed, and especially
from the great advantages secured to most of the European nations by the steamship mail-lines which
they employ in the same trade.
3d. That the service is desirable, both commercially and politically; and, being national in its scope
and character, is calculated to benefit equally all portions of this country, whether in production, consumption, or manufactures.
4th. That the line proposed combines, in a remarkable degree, the important interests of an unusually
large field of commerce, by making several important connections with other steamship-lines, which
thus become tributary to the American line, and obviate the necessarily large expenditures which would
otherwise be necessary to create the extensive mail-facilities desired.
5th. That the income from postages would be large and increasing, to say nothing of the probable
large increase in customs-duties.
6th. That the sum required for the transport of the mails over a line three thousand nine hundred
and sixty miles long is reasonable, and as small as could be expected for efficient service by responsible
and experienced parties; [this sum is $180,000 annually] and,
7th. That the petitioners, practical steamshipmen, known to the country, are fully competent to
execute faithfully the service which they propose.
Your committee deem it a duty, in the presentation of these results, to give some of the facts and
representations on which they have relied. The memorialists propose making a passage each way in
every month, in first-class steamships, between the cities of New York and Savannah, in the United
States, and Parg, or Maranham, in Brazil, touching at the islands of St. Thomas and Barbados, and at
Demerara, and perhaps other places.
The line contemplated is but one essential link in the long chain of communication between North
and South America, and which, extending from the head-waters of the Amazon and La Plata Rivers
embraces all of South America east of the Cordilleras and Andes, and from New Granada, on the north,
to Patagonia, on the south. It commences in New York, and ends in Para, on the Amazon River, in
Brazil. The steamers would touch first, probably, at the Spanish island of Porto Rico, and next at the
Danish island, St. Thomas, where they would connect with ten distinct steamship-lines of the English
Royal Mail Company (all semi-monthly) to Southampton, to Havana, to Aspinwall, to San Juan, to
Mexico, to Jamaica, to Barbados, with all the Windward English and French islands, to Demerara,
623




624                                 APPENDIX I.
Dutch and French Guiana, and to the Spanish Main; and also with the Venezuelan mail-line, under
the patronage of Venezuela, to Laguayra; these being sailing-packets. After makingl this important
mail and passenger connection at St. Thomas, the steamer would proceed to Barbados, to IDemerara, in
British Guiana, probably to Cayenne, in French Guiana, and to Para, in Brazil. Para is a city of 20.000
inhabitants, situated just south of the equator, at the mouth of the great Amazon, and is the capital of
that immense region known as the Amazon Valley. It is the terminus of the six steam-lines which
navigate the Amazon, the Rio Negro, the Madeira, and the Tocantins Rivers, into Venezuela, New
Granada, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and all Interior Brazil. It is also the terminus of the Brazilian Governmental line, on which tile best class of steamers run semni-nmottldy, and with great regularity, the whole
four thousand miles from the Amazon to the La Plata, along the coast of Brazil, touching at all of the
northern and eastern provinces and capitals of the empire. These steamers touch at Maranlham, 35,000
population; Ceara, 12,000; Parahiba, 12,000; Rio Grande do Norte, 10,000; Pernambuco, 80,000; Maccio,
6,000; Bahia, 130,000; Rio de Janeiro, 395,000; St. Catherine's, 12,000; Rio Grande do Sul, 14,000;
Montevideo, 85,000; and Buenos Ayres, 200,000.
Beside this imperial line, to which the Brazilian Government gives about $340,000 annually, and which
has nine steamers, varying from 700 to 1100 tons each, (English build,) a line of propellers, of 850 tons
each, (English build also,) runs semi-monthly from lMaceio to CearS, with an annual bonus from tile
Government of $146,000. There are also three companies running steaners of 500 to 70o tons (Elnglish
build) between the various cities along the coast, sustained by a large local business and a joint bonus
from the provinces and the empire. There are, beyond this, eight European lines, whose steamers touch
at Pernambuco and Bahia, on their way to Rio; while from the latter place there are also two English
as well as the Brazilian, Genoese, and French lines to the La Plata and Buenos Ayres.
This comparatively short line between New York and Para, it will be thus seen, accommodates our
interests with all of tlhe West Indies from Puerto Rlico, around the Caribbean Sea, to tile WVindward
Islands; the Spanish Main to Venezuela and New Granada, through a line already running w-est from
British Guiana; the interior of Venezuela and New Granada to Angostura and Bogotat by the steamers
of the "Orinoco Navigation Coupany;" the republics of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, by the imperial
mail-lines of the Amazon; all Eastern and Central Brazil, after passing tile three Guianas; tlhe whole
coast front Para to Montevideo and Buenos Ayres; and Uruguay, the Argentine Republic, and Paraguay,
by the Brazilian, English, and Paraguayan lines already established on the La Plata and the 1aranTi.
The Government mand commerce would consequently have the benefit not only of the appropriate navigation of three thousand nine hundred and sixty miles among so many interesting points, witl tlhe concentrated English lines at St. Thomas, but would benefit by the correspondence and travel of nearly six
thousand miles of coast-navigation around South America, and of five thousand five hundred miles
along the rivers named.
Your committee feel satisfied that the combined trade of these regions, although in its infancy, and
by no means so large or profitable as it could be made by proper steaml mail and passenger connections,
is yet of an importance and value in its results to our country that will hardly be realized by those who
have not particularly investigated it. We bring from them a large number of the most staple and
valuable articles of commerce, such as are wholly indispensable to the United States, and send to them
many of the nost staple and valuable products of our agriculture and manufiactures. While we get
sugar, molasses, rum and fruits fronm the West Indin Islands, Brazil and other South American countries
furnish us with not only the same articles in large quantities, but coffee, cotton, tobacco, rice, rubber,
hides, caclao for chocolate, sarsaparilla, finrinha, precious woods, dye-stuffs, nuts, fruits, tapioca. annatto,
clove-bark, balsam-copaiba, isinglass, piassaba, sassafras-nuts, tonqua-beans, gum-copal, vanilla beans,
diamonds, gold-dust, bullion, ores, paints and drugs; and we send to these and the West Indies nearly
all their breadstuffs, flour, corn. beef, pork, lard, butter, horses and mules, lumber, machinery, and the
manufactures of iron and wood, the implements of agriculture and the arts, cotton fabrics, woollens,
drugs, hardware, and some few steamers and ships.
Your committee have a statement of the trade of the United States with the West Indies and South
American countries for 1856, furnished by the Ionorable Secretary of the Treasury, from which it appears that we import from Brazil alone $19,262,657, and export to that country $5,094,904, making a
total annual trade of $24,357,561; the cash balance against us being $14,167,753, which we pay in bills
on London. We import annually from the West Indies, and other South American countries than
Brazil, $49,985,052, and export to them $32,514,899-making $82,499,951 of trade. We nust deduct
from this about $7,000,000 for Mexico, $5,000,000 for Chili, and $1,000,000 for Peru, which do not belong
to the field of the proposed line, and which leaves the total trade of our country with those regions for
1856 at $93,857,512. This constitutes nearly one-sixth of the whole foreign trade of the United States;
our exports for 1855 being $275,156.846; our imports $261,468,520, and the total $536,625,366. From
reliable data before the committee* it appears that the exports from the United States to Brazil have


* See "Commerce and Navigation" of the United States, and a late statement furnished by the Secretary
of the Treasury.




APPENDIX I                                         625
gradually increased from two million dollars in 1826, to five million in 1856; and that our imports from
Brazil have also increased in a steady ratio from two million in 1826, to above nineteen million dollars in
1856. It has taken thirteen years to double our trade with Brazil. We import about half of the whole
coffee crop of that country. The British imports of coffee from BFazil, up to 1852, were nominal only;
and even now, very few pounds of it are entered for home consumption; yet British merchants now
engage largely in the trade, simply because, from tire great advantages afforded by their Brazilian steam
mails, they have much greater facilities than we have for its conduct. We imported less coffee in 1864
and 1855 than in 1852; but Great Britain went from 3,000,000 pounds in 1852 to 52,000,000 in 1853;
59,000,000 in 1854; and 112,000,000 in 1855.*
From 1840 to 1850 the British imports from Brazil made no increase. In 1853, after the establishment
of the Southampton, Brazil, and La Plata "Royal Mail Line," which was in 1850, they had advanced
one hundred and fifty per cent. on 1848; and in 1855 they had advanced over 1848, or the average of the
ten years from 1840 to 1850, three hundred per cent. This was mostly in coffee for re-exportation; a
trade which was lost to our merchants and to our shipping in consequence, as your committee believe,
of the want of speedy mail-facilities with Brazil.
The total British exports to Brazil fiom 1840 to 1850 were stationary at about two and a half million
pounds sterling annually. (See "'Ble-Books" and McCtlloch.) In 1851, the first year after steam, they
advanced forty per cent., and in 1854 they had advanced one hundred per cent., on 1850. Thus, the
British exports doubled in five years fiom a stationary point for the ten years previous to the establishment of steam mail and passenger facilities; whereas our trade with the same country has been thirteen
years in making the same advance. Our advance in the Brazilian trade has arisen from the imports,
which have increased about nine hundred per cent. since 1826; our exports having, for the same period
of thirty years, increased only one hundred and fifty per cent.t The great advance in British trade,
which was already large, arises fron both, and particularly from exports; this greatest advance being
since the employment of steam; the tendency being to enrich Great Britain and to impoverish us;
although, with proper encouragement, we could successfully compete with her in manufactured goods,
and prevent such competition as the large mlanufacture of imitation "Lowell drills" in Manchester for
a market that is nearer to us. and which we could supply at cheaper rates if we had the proper accom.
modations for the transit of letters and passengers. Against every obstacle our exports of flour to Brazil
have doubled in six years, and must continue to increase gradually as the country grows, and as the
many railroads now building in the empire direct the attention of the interior population to the production of coffee, with the consequent necessity of living on American or Austrian flour. Your committee believe that the stagnation of the British trade from 1840 to 1850 arose from the superior
advantage s given to us by our " clipper-ships" at that period, which placed us much nearer than England
to Brazil; anid that her rapid strides in this trade since 1850, in taking our coffee trade from us and
giving it to her own and Continental merchants and shipping, in rivalling us in the rubber trade, and
consequently in its manufacture, and in wholly surpassing us in a manufacturing trade to which we
have in some instances superior claims, have arisen, as a direct effect, from the establishment of the
" royal mail" steam line to Brazil in 1850. It is believed that the mail which is proposed would not
only restore to us the prestige of our clipper-ships, but enable our commerce rapidly to advance as far
beyond that of Great Britain as liers is now in advance of ours. The policy of the wise and forecasting
British statesmen who established that line was, doubtless, not so much to increase the income of the
General Post-Office as to encourage foreign trade and stimulate domestic industry,-a duty which your
committee conceive to be incumbent on every wise and provident Government, as one of the prime purposes of its establishment.
It is proper to observe that of the total Brazilian imports Great Britain furnishes 54 per cent.;
France, 12; the United States, 84, (which in 1845 was 10;) Portugal, 10; Hanse Towns, 6; and La
Plata, 5. From 1S45 to 1855 the imports from Great Britain increased 98 per cent.; France, 34; United
States, 21; l'ortugal, 42; Ilanse Towns, 78; River Plate, 147; Belgium, 100; (Belgium, Portugal, and
Sardinia now have each a line of steamers, and France as well as Great Britain two lines each;) Chili,
1220; and Sardinia, 133. For the same period the increase of Brazilian exports was: to Great Britain,
158 per cent.; United States, 159; France, 235; Portugal, 8; Ianse Towns, 37; River Plate, 71; Belgium,
68; Chili, 920; and Spain, 26. Hamburg now has a steam line also.
Your committee regard it as a singular fact, that with all this large trade of ninety-four millions of
dollars annually, affecting directly the interests of every State of this Union, and demanding the time
and efforts of so large a number of our enterprising people, in addition to being spread over those regions of the world with which it is most essential that we should maintain intimate political and
* For these and the following statements regarding British commerce, see "Parliamentary Reports," the
annual volume of British "Commerce and Navigation" from 1830 to 1855, inclusive; also "Relatorioe," or
Treasury Reports of the Brazilian Minister of Finance.
t The total trade of Great Britain with Brazil, imports and exports combined, from 1850 to 1854 inclusive,
or during the first five years of the steam-mails, advanced two hundred and twenty-ive per cent.-T. RI
40




626                                 APPENDIX I.
commercial relations in regard to every thing that affects our political and commercial system and
theirs; we have so long failed to bring to the aid of the Government, diplomacy, and commerce the
evident and incalculable advantages of regular steamship-communication. It is also a singularly
significant fact, and one demanding the serious attention of this body, that while the British Government sustains a perfect network of steam lines among the West India Islands, along the Spanish Main,
to Central America, and to Mexico, and from Panama, along the whole Pacific coast of South America,
as well as from the West Indies to Halifax, in British North America, which are all so arranged as to
sweep closely around our whole coast, and yet afford to our commerce and our countrymen no possible
accommodations, and also two excellent monthly lines from Southampton and Liverpool to Brazil and
La Plata; the United States have not established a single line of steamers, save a short line from
Charleston to Cuba, and to some unimportant touching-points in Central America, to any of these
large and growing fields of commerce, notwithstanding our very highly favorable proximity to them,
which, with the proper encouragement from the Government, would make our people actually, as
naturally, almost their sole furnishers, carriers, traders, and bankers.
Hitherto, our only important rival in the trade of these countries has been Great Britain; but we
are now surpassed, in our endeavors to cultivate and foster it, by several of the most insignificant
nations of Europe. The European lines thus far established to Brazil, are the Southampton, (English
"Royal Mail;") the Liverpool, (English Mail;) the HIavre, (French;) the Marseilles, (French;) the
Antwerp, (Belgian;) the Genoa, (Sardinian;) and the Luzo-Brazileira, (Portuguese and Brazilian combined.) A line from Itamburg to Brazil also went into operation in December, 1856. While these
European nations enjoy such facilities for correspondence, travel, and the cultivation of those general
relations of amity and sympathy so essential to a vigorous commerce and a proper understanding between nations, we have neglected these important and vital interests, and are dependent on our commercial rivals for the means of conveying our correspondence and the persons engaged in commerce;
thus becoming tributary to them, and wholly dependent on their favor. British, Greek, and German
merchants have already driven us from the great trade of Rio de Janeiro. They employ their own
shipping to send to this country articles of prime necessity, which our merchants and our shipping
alone should furnish. As a consequence, they freight these ships in Europe with the flour, manufactures, provisions, &c. which might, under a better system, be sent from this country alone. Thus,
the American producer of wheat, corn, beef, pork, cotton fabrics, manufactures, machinery, &c. sees
his market abridged and his prices reduced; while the merchant loses his profits, sees his ships lie
idle, and vainly deplores the conversion of a large and remunerative trade into unnatural foreign channels; and all this simply for the want of an insignificant expenditure for the transport of the mails,
and the establishment of commercial facilities equal to those of countries which he would be ashamed
to acknowledge as commercial rivals of the United States. Instead of sending our orders to Brazil. the
West Indies, or South America direct, over a line two to four thousand miles long, we have no other
alternative than to send eight to ten thousand miles through England, or through France, Portugal,
Belgium, Sardinia, or some other Continental country of rival interests; thus subjecting this correspondence and travel to all the caprices, disadvantages, and detentions of foreign and selfish arrangements, and losing a period of time in the transaction which, if properly employed, would give us
advantages which Europeans, at a distance so much greater, could never neutralize or equal. The
order leaves New Orleans, Mobile, Richmond, Baltimore, Philadelphia, or New York, and after fifteen to
eighteen days arrives in Europe. The British or Continental merchant inspects the American market,
and knows his own; knows the American wants, and orders on South America with this improved intelligence, and the advantage of fifteen to eighteen days of time; a period entirely adequate for the
greatest commercial crises and revolutions, and is thus enabled to drive his American competitor entirely from the field. Of this premise the small number of American merchants to-day in South
American countries, and the increasing business of this country through foreign hands and foreign
capital, is a sufficient exemplification.
Your committee are of opinion that the time has come when the United States should watch the
political condition of all the countries on this continent with jealous care. Interests of vast magnitude
are involved in the rapid changes incident to the times.  The spirit of development in material
wealth and power, and in social improvement, admonishes us to be prepared to dispute, at no distant
day, a trade now forming and expanding on this continent, which is destined to rival that of the
whole world. Our present position indicates how essentially we must conform, and to a certain extent
control, the destiny of the New World: a control that we will exercise rather by the peaceful extension
of our commerce and civilization than by conquest or usurpation.
The proposed mail line is deemed the more essential from the fact that there is now positively no
steamship-communication, regular or transient, anywhere in or near the field of the proposed line; and
that commercial, diplomatic, naval, consular, and social correspondence all depend on the slow,
irregular, and unreliable conveyance of sailing-vessels, or the circuitous, and, necessarily, selfishlyarranged steam lines of our European rivals. Reasons exist for this service which did not hold in establishing that with Europe. IIere we have no reliable means of communication whatsoever, although
the commerce is immense; there we had already a regular and rapid steam-packet service, which, to




APPENDIX I.                                        627
a considerable extent, accommodated correspondence and travel. But it was the desire of Government
to enlarge and extend this, and especially to keep pace with Great Britain "in the contest fir the
supremacy of the seas," and to foster and increase steamship-building and general steamship-enterprise
in this country, as an important adjuvant of commerce and an honorable and profitable branch of
domestic industry. The enterprise is eminently national in its character, as the steamers, running
from both New York and Savannah, will furnish nearly equal facilities to our whole Atlantic and Gulf
seaboard. while it develops a field of commerce in which every State of the interior, as well as on the
seaboard. is directly interested. The mails delivered at Savannah would reach all of the Atlantic, Gulf,
and interior cities within a few hours of the same time, while passengers could reach the Mississippi
or the Ohio Valley as quickly as they could any of the Eastern or Northern States. It is necessary that
the steamers should run from Savannah, to afford these easy and equal mail-facilities to every part of
the Union, and that they should run from New York for that freight and passenger traffic without
which they cannot be supported.
Your committee believe that the sum required for the said service is as small as could reasonably be
expected, in view of the fact that the line is within a fraction of four thousand miles long; that
it is an experiment, in which it is very uncertain how far it can rely on passengers and freight; that
the sugar and molasses of the West Indies cannot be transported in passenger steam-vessels; that all
other freights, unlike the rich. costly express freights between Europe and America, are gross and
heavy, and cannot afford the cost of steam transportation; and that the chief purposes of the line are
the transport:tion of the mails and passengers, the cultivation of political and commercial relations, and
the growth of mutual and American interests. The sum is seen to be small enough when compared
with that paid to lines of less extent. The contract pay of the "Royal Mail Company," carrying the
West India and Brazilian mails, is ~270,000 per annum for twelve years. Thle sum of ~240,000 annually had been given to this company for the ten years from 1840 to 1850, for the same service, with the
exception of the line to Brazil, which the company agreed to establish in consideration of the renewal
of the contract for twelve years and ~30,000 annually additional subsidy. The Government bound
itself, also, to increase the annual subsidy in an additional sum, not above $75,000, when the price of
coals, the rates of their freights, and the rates of insurance on freights and on vessels should increase.
These have all greatly increased; and the Royal Mail Company now, most probably, receive for the
Brazil and West India service ~345,000 annually, (about $1,669,800.) It must be remembered, also,
that Great Britain has but few colonies in the West Indies, and those of but little importance. The
American line proposes to accomplish the same general service by making the British lines at St.
Thomas and along the Spanish Main, the Brazilian lines from the Amazon to La Plata, the lines on
those rivers, and the European lines centring in Brazil, all tributary to its mails; and for the annual
sum of $204,000 only. There is probably no line where so many interests can be combined at so small
an outlay by the Government. Vast sums of the public money have been expended in the development
of interior wealth and trade in this country, while the sums devoted to the encouragement of the
foreign commerce, on which the prosperity, wealth, and particularly the revenues of the country so
especially depend, have been, and are yet, comparatively insignificant.
It is the opinion of the committee that the income from postages by the line would, after the first
few years, be nearly adequate to its support; from the fact that it would convey all of the correspondence
between the United States and the countries named; and that this income, instead of being diminished
by other lateral lines, as is the case between Europe and Brazil, would largely increase from year to
year from the permanence and reliability of the communication, from habit, and from the natural and
artificial increase of trade. This opinion is further justified by the operations of the Southampton and
Brazilian line, established in 1850. In February, 1852, two years after it went into operation, an
account was rendered, by order of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, showing that the postages collected
from the Brazil line were ~44,091 17s.; deducted returned letters, ~1636; British inland postage,
~5307; Brazilian inland postage, ~5307 = ~12,250; which leaves the net postage from the Brazilian mail
at ~31,841 17s.* Lord Canning reports that in 1853 the net income was ~33.478, considerably above
$150,000, and this at the time when the Luzo-Braztleira line was running between Lisbon and Brazil,
and carrying nearly all of the Continental correspondence and news. The Parliamentary Papers for
1842 give the total income from the Brazilian and La Plata mails at that time by all sailing-" packets"
and other vessels at ~5034 13s. 6d., which, considering the increase made by the steam mail in 1852,
gives a reasonable basis for calculation on the American line. This estimate of the Brazilian postage
for 1853 does not, however, include the postage from the West India line, which in 1852 yielded a net
income of ~56,062. Deducting one-half of this for the British colonial postage on provincial correspondence, the West India and Brazilian net postage combined amounts to ~61,509, or nearly $300,000
annually. It must be remembered that this postage, $300,000, is derived from precisely the same field
as that to be drained by the American line. The main trunk line takes the correspondence concentrated
at St. Thomas to Southampton, just as the American line would take the same correspondence from St.


* See Parliamentary Papers for 1852-'53; postal affairs, containing the report of Lord Canning, the Postmaster-General of Great Britain, July 8,1853, and other papers.




628                                 APPENDIX I.
Thomas to the United States. The other branch of the line takes the correspondence direct from
Brazil to Southampton, just as the line here proposed would take the concentrated South American
correspondence also from Brazil to the United States. The committee have not been able to obtain the
returns since 1852-53; but are satisfied that,although the carriage of correspondence has recently
been shared by seven other steam lines, yet the combined net income from them must be twice as large
as in 1852; from which it is evident that the American line will produce a large postal income.
From the report of Lord Canning, cited above, it is evident that the British steam-packet system is
sustained without any reference whatever to the postal income, but entirely for commercial and political
purposes. The committee say:
"Your lordships have seen from our report that in framing these contracts various objects have
entered into the consideration of the Government. the cost of which ouglt not. in our opinion, to be
charged upon the revenues of the General Post-Office. A simple colmparison of the receipts and expenditures upon solme of the lines is in itself sufficient to prove this. If the post-office is to be considered
as a department producing revenue, it is not to be supposed that a line of vessels wliicll costs tlle State
~240,000 a year. and brings in no more than ~510,062, (as is the case with the West India packets,) or
one for which ~25,000 is annually paid, and which returns little more than one-fifth of that sum, (as
the Pacific line,) can be maintained as a part of its machinery; and, in ftlct, the contracts for manly years
of the services have been made without reference to any estimate or olpinion on the part of the Postmaster-General of their probable value as postal lines."
In speaking of the large sums expended on the various steam-packet lines, the report says:
"The value of the services thus rendered to the State cannot, we think, be measured by a mere
reference to tile amount of the postal revenue, or even ly the conmmercial advantages accruing from it.
It is undoubtedly startling, at first sight, to perceive that the inmmediate pecuniary result of tlhe packetsystem is a loss to the revenue of about ~325,000 a year; but, although this circumstance shows the
necessity for a careful revision of the service, and although we believe that much may be done to make
that service self-lsupporting, we do not consider that the money thus expended is to be regarded, even
from a fiscal point of view, as a national loss."
The report of Lord Canning and others, above cited, was made by order of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who desired the committee to examine the steam-packet system of Great Britain and report
on the propriety of continuing or extending it. After remarking that some of the vessels of some few
companies were unfit for purposes of war, in instructing the committee, the " minute of the Treasury"
says:
"At the same time, it is not to be conceived that, on account of this failure in a portion of the design,
the country has cause to regret having paid a larger price than was intended to be paid simply for the
establishment of these noble chains of commlunication, which wellnighl embrace the world. The
organization of a complete postal system lupon the ocean, with absolute fixity of departures and a
general approach to certainty in arrivals, was a great problem, of high interest and benefit. not to England only. but to all civilized countries; and this problem may now be said to have been solved by England for the advantage of mankind at large. It was, to all appearance, altogether beyond the reach of
merely coimmercial enterprise; and if the price paid has been high, the object has been worthy, and the
success for all essential purposes complete."
As an additional evidence that Great Britain supports her steam mail lines for purposes independent
of the postal revenue, she continues the establishment of new and expensive lines to points where she
already has them, and pays them, as declared by the face of the contracts, an annual subsidy of
~1,033,140. whereas the revenues derived from them anmount to only ~443,782. The above total expenditure include s ~175,000 given annually to the new Australian line, which was contracted for and went
into operation during the past autumn; no po)stal return having bten made from it. A new line was
established from Liverpool to Brazil, and went into operation in September of the past year. The sum
of subsidy paid it has not yet transpired. The passages are to be, like those of the Southampton line,
monthly each way. Tile sum of ~1,033,140 sterling, above noticed, does not include the ~75,000 annual
advance pay of the "Royal Mail Company," the ~100,000 which the Cunard Company probably receives
by contract in the same way, (see Report of Lord Canning,) or the sum to be given to the new Liverpool
and Brazilian line. Nor does it include any estimate for tile several mail lines run by vessels belonging
to the British navy, and, consequently, paid from the naval funds. These added would show that the
British Government expends about $7,000,000 annually on the mail steam-packet service. Notwithstanding this sum, the British Postmaster-General and the committee associated with him have reported
in favor of continuing and even extending the system. It was on this recommendation that the two
new lines noticed were established; and it is now reported by British journals, as it was announced by
the Postmaster-General himself, that the Government is negotiating with Mr. Cuniard for the establishment of a new line fron Liverpool, by the side of the present West India line, to St. Thonas. to Central
America, and thence to China and the East Indies. The report of the Britisl Postmaster-General, after
recommending the continuance and extension of the steam mail-service, and urging that the packets
had fulfilled the most sanguine expectations of the Government as a means of transport and defence in
the naval service, says:
"The object of the Government in undertaking the transmarine postal service, whether by packets or
by the system of ship-letters, is to provide frequent, rapid, and regular communication between this
country and other States, and between different parts of the British Empire. The reasons for desiring
such communication are partly commercial and partly political. In cases where the interests concerned




APPENDIX I.                                            629
are chiefly those of commerce, it is generally more important that the postal service should be regular
than that it should be extremely rapid, though, of course, rapidity of communication where it ca&n he
otitained without sacrificing other objects is of great advantage, It would clearly be the interests of
persolis eng-aged in an important trade, provided there was no legal impediment in the way, to establish
a regular postal communicationi in connection with it, even without aid from the State. This, however,
wiiiiuld iiot extend t~o many cases in which there are political reasons fir maintaining such services, while
the commnercmia interests involved are of less magnitude. Nor is it probable that private communicatioiis woulid be nearly so rapid as those directed by the Government; for a high rate of speed canl only
be cittained at at great expense, which will generally be fiiund to be disproportionate to the benefits
diiectly received froii it. unless unider pecnliar circumstances of jias-senger-traflic. Lastly, it is to be
conlsidere tha li t thern arii'Ceveral1 services which, if they were niot carried on by the British Government,
wsoulil proiibaby tie sinidertaken by the G"overnmlients if' foreign States, aiid] that it is not likely that pnivalo imdivi uals or aosiiciations wvould. in such cases, enter into conipetitiiin with them.
"From olitese coiisideratiiins wve iiifer that., even upon the lines in theu maintenance of which the
grea test cimmercial iiiterests aire involved, private enterpirise cainiit tie depended upiin fir providing a
compilete substitute for Goverinient agency; while it is clear tiest in others, where regular comimunicathins air deisireil soi~lly oir chiefly for poolitical pusrpooses, Such agency is ibsolsitely indispensable. It is,
hioweveru otoiions that to estabolishi a Goovernmienit systomn ill soiie casio, anid lou leave others wholly to
prcivate persons. would cause is icli inconvenience. The coonetnsioni therefore foillows, that it is right
tiat tih. ( iov riinient ole nut have the management of' the whole if the transmarine postal conimunicatwin. is it ilso lois that ol the comiuniiicationi within hli counit~ry.
"Iii unolertikiiig this duly tue Grovernment will, in liii tirst I 1acc. have regiard to the national intoiiests. whethelir political. siocioit, or coiiiiercial. iviilvolei ii liii estatotishiient laiii maiiitenance of each
particular lin. me le xtenision of' coimiierce is undoubtedly ii nutioonal adv'ant~uge, Aiiot it, is quite reasoonatile that t iriatmienlar ii  ri nis sliouli ioccasioinally boe emipliovei foor the stike' of iffordling fresh
olwieiiigs fir it. by establishing new hules oif coiuuninicatioii, or initrodulcing new methods of coiiveyance,
thie expeiise if wich.li fti ir the first outlay has ieeii iiicurrcil, iiiiy be expected to be boriie liy the
parties asvailiiig ltieiiselves of the ticiltiies otfereod Iieni.
"There still ii aniii  tiossciir. soiie cases in which there exists no private comniunicatiiin sufficient
to render such '0 niose (if prooceeiing poricticiutle. (iTie  rainsniissiiin by pirivate steaiiiers engaged in
the trade.) W tih IC this is sii, anat where ii comiiiunication lois lii tie created, it ivill be necessary that
contracts if lonieer diiratioii should tie niale  for it is iinreaoiniatble to expiect tiititaiiy loersin, or associatioii oif hersons. should incuir the expenee. and risk of builoling steanuers, fsirmiiig costly estabilishiiments.
aiid opiening a iiewi hue oil cooumierce at a heavy outlay of caloital, wNithiout sooiie security that they will
tie alliiwed ol  cniiiliiie the service lonig enough to cecli some beiiefit fronil their undertaikiiig. It iiust
be iiiriie iii miniol tliirt the ( vpeuisive vessels built for thev conveyance of the nutats at at high rate of
speedl. lire iiit iii sic iii flor'ttie puirtposes of ordiniiarv Iraihc. anot cannot, therefiore, be withdrawnl and
ap~plied tii aniiither service it shiri I iotice. It is. thoui. faur lust (in the first eipeniuig of' iit new line, contirocts should be naiaede for ouch a leiigthi of tiiie is may encourage the biuitlding of ships for the purpose,
by uiffiording a prosloect. of their euuutloy iieii for a cinsiderabole nuiinber of years. But. we see uio sufficient reason fir coiutiniually reiiewiiig such contruels for periodsl equally long, after the okiject has once
been attained. A compnieuy which has recoived ai literal subisidly for teii or twelve of the first years of
its existeiice ought, to priovide, by the estdilishiiieiil of' a siniking-fuini. fir the miuintenance of its fleet
of vessels, and iiay be fauirly expccted. llster liaviiig tieeii conipensatied foir the origiuial hazard, to continue the service, by fresh contiacts enteicd into either from year to year, or for a period iiot exceeding
three years."
Your committee have good reason to believ e thnt the parties proposing this mail-service are responsible,
and fully able toi execute thie contr oct fuuthufully; and. iii view of the ulesirableness of the service, recommend that the Postmnaster-General be reoluired toi contraict with tnhieni according to the terms of the
"ibill"' for thot purpose herewith reported, fir a lien-itd of lime iiot less than teii yeiurs, which is deemed
sufficient to enatile them to successfully establish the line aiil determine the experiment of a steani mail
betwveen the Uniited States and the W~est India Islands and Brazil.
Your coiimiittee further coiisider it proper, in this connection, to present brief extracts from some few
authors wtio have treated of this subject, and who are supposed to be acquainted with the facts. In a
late work, entitled 11Brazil mnd La Plata, by the Rev. C. S. Stewart, U.S.N.: G. P. Putnam, 1856." the
author, in speaking of this niail line, says:
"The importance to the United States of the trade of Brazil will hardly be credited hiy those not particultorly iiiforineod on the subject. This t~rade aiiouints 1.o aboout $24,thOO,000 annually; then balance
against the United Stites hem0g $14,000O0d0 paid in cash. It is believeol by those best informed on the
suitject, that the establishment of a line of regular mail-steamers to Brazil, with a suitable subsidy from
the Government for postal service, would he the means of doubling the amount of frade in the course
of five yeatrs; torid toy the increased denuanol for our prouhuctions. iarising from the facility of communication and correspondence, would equalize this exchiaige, if not tuirn the boolarice in our favor. It is a
reproaich to us that.,fsr the scant of direct communication by steani, our correspondence, both commercial
aid diplouuatic. with LEastern South America, is carried by English mail-steamers by the way sf FEngiand,
o distaince of near eight thou-sand mites. For the same cause the disbursements of our government to
its public agents there are made only at heavy percentage. To place the salary of a charg6 d'affaires
at 1tio costs the Government at home usually one thousand dollars, and the naval disbursements on that
station are made at a corresponding loss."
The following- letter is from Commander Thomas J. Page, U.S.N., who has recently returned from an
exploring expedition in the United States steamer" Water-Witch"~ to the La Plata River and Brazil.
Commander Page, huaviiig explored those regions for more than three years, must be well qualified to
speak of their iwants, and of this facilities necessary for the proper prosecution in them of our vast cornmnerce. Htis letter, dated Washington, December 22, 1856, and addressed to the projector of the enterprise, says:




630                                 APPENDIX I.
Thomas J. Page to Thomas Rainey.
"It is much to be hoped that the enterprise for the establishment of a line of steamers between the
United States and Brazil, which you have brought to the notice of Congress, may receive that patronage
which the importance of the measure so justly merits.
"It is one in which not only the conmercial community is deeply interested, but one which offers to
the Government facilities and advantages for the transaction of its own affairs with its agents and
representatives in South America as well as with those Governments, for which it is now dependent on
foreign means. It will relieve the Government of its present state of dependency on foreign enterprise
and capital, for which it must necessarily pay dearly.
"No Government has ever fostered similar undertakings without deriving from them ample compensation,-in the economy of the system, in the extension of commerce, and in the revenue from the postal
arrangement.
"1 hope the line you propose to establish will not long keep its southern terminus confined to the
Empire of Brazil, but will extend it into the waters of 'La Plata,' where, within the past four years,
has been opened to the world a commerce of inestimable value; which, if our Government does not
avail itself of at an early day, must necessarily fall into European hands. To secure these benefits
something more is required than simply the energy and enterprise of our commercial community. In
these we challenge competition; but their entire success depends on the fostering care of the General
Government."
The following extracts, bearing particularly on this subject, are from "Hacdfield's Brazil, River Plate,
and Falkland Islands," London, 1854; a work abounding in facts and figures. Mr. Hadfield went to
Brazil as the agent of a Liverpool steamship-company which recently commenced operations; and being
a practical steamshipman, his opinions will have the more weight:
"Until 1850 the eastern coast of South America, including the extensive and flourishing Empire of
Brazil, and the boundless regions watered by the La Plata and its tributaries, were entirely without
European steam-navigation. Tle old process of sailing-ships, and a monthly sailing-pack.et from Falmouth, conveying mails, were the only medium of communication. In that year the Royal Mail Company entered upon the service they had undertaken with Government, to run a monthly steamer from
Southampton to Rio Janeiro, and a branch steamer to the River Plate. The vessels placed on the station
were draughted froml their VWest India fleet, and, althougl not possessed of extraordinary steaming or
sailing qualities, they performed tle voyage with regularity, and in a space of time which reduced to
one-half that ordinarily occupied by the sailing-craft. The consequence was an augmentation of traffic,
both of goods and passengers, such as few persons contelmplated, and the line proved speedily unequal
to the task of dealing with either to the extent required.
*               *               *                *               *               *
"Thus it will be seen, from this brief recapitulation of dates and distances, that in the space of two
months a merchant can visit his Brazil establishment, and another, under three months, can look after
his River Plate affairs, often saving himself much anxiety and loss of time. The nanufacturer can,
without great trouble, make himself practically acquainted with the markets he wishes to trade to.
Whilst, which is equally important, the natives of those countries have an opportunity of visiting
Europe, and forming by personal contact those relations of amity and good-will which tend so much to
soften prejudices and bring about a right understanding on all points mutually advantageous. Hlence
the ramifications of such enterprises as steam are most interesting in their results to mankind; and if
once the tide of emigration begins to set in fairly toward that immense agricultural field, watered by
the rivers of South America, there is no foreseeing the extension of wealth and prosperity that must
assuredly follow; for population is the sole requirement to fit these limitless and teenling regions to
work out the destiny which it is impossible to doubt that Providence, in the fulness of time, lhas designed for that portion of the earth where the majesty and the luxuriance of nature invite the presence
of man through highways at once the mightiest and most f;cile in the world.  *   *        *
"Steam-navigation has, however, in a great measure remedied this evil (the distanca of the capital
from Para) as it has done so many others, and news is now regularly transmitted between Rio Janeiro
and Para by a steam company, liberally subsidized by the Government, the former being bound to
despatch a vessel once a fortnight, calling at all the ports.
"In the absence of internal roads or communications along the coast, steam must very properly be
regarded as the main-stay of the executive, at the saime time that it offers the needful facility for provincial deputies attending the sittings of the Rio Chambers. Steam. valuable everywhere, is invaluable
here, and may, indeed, be looked upon as the great civilizer and regenerator of a country like Brazil,
with a seacoast extending nearly four thousand miles froml north to south; while other tributary lines
of steamers are being established in the innumerable bays and rivers.
" The northernmost point is the mighty Amnazon. wliclh is being explored and opened to general
traffic by another steam company, established at Rio Janeiro, and likewise aided with an ample subsidy
from the Government.
Speakihg of a line of steamers between the United States and Brazil, Hadfield says:
"The importance of this line of steamers to those interested in the trade between the two countries
must impress itself upon all who are conversant with the trade carried on; but althoughll  considerable
amount of freight may be relied on, the passenger-traffic will probably be far more important. Besides
the Americans and others interested in this trade, many English and lBrazilians intending to travel from
South America to Europe, and vice versd, would go vid the United States, some for business-purposes,
and many to visit that country.
"Although the trade between the West Indies and Brazil is unimportant, these countries are at
present so thoroughly devoid of means of intercommunication that advantages could not fail to be
derived by the establishment of this line. At present a person wishing to leave a Brazilian port for
the West Indies will generally find that he must go viii England or the United States, and this even
from the most northern ports.
"Ten years ago Brazil had little external influence; now Brazil is obviously at the head of South
American States, and has a distinct and separate part assigned to her in the destinies of the human
raco.
THE END.




PROSPECTUS.


ELISHA KENT KANE.
BY WILLIAM ELDER.
IN announcing the LIFE OF DR. KANE, we are but anticipating the wishes of the thousands and tens of thousands
of the admirers of that great man.
His family have kindly placed in the hands of DR. WILLIAM
ELDER all his manuscripts, journals, and other documents available for the preparation of an accurate and complete biography.
Having been a personal friend of the deceased, and enjoying
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CHILDS & PETERSON, PUBLISHERS,
124 Arch Street, Philadelphia.
PHILLIPS, SAMPSON & CO.
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SHELDON, BLAKEMAN & CO.
115 Nassau Street, New York




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his vessel, (which had not even one companion,) the extent to which he
explored the Polar regions, the length of time he remained there, and the
marvels of his escape-seems to me without a parallel.
" His constant self-possession during his long trials, his quickness
of judgment, his unshrinking courage in danger, his fertility of resources
in the hours of greatest difficulty, give him a very high place in the very
first rank of Polar navigators as a leader, and commander, and man; and
no one of them all has told the story of their adventures so charmingly as
he has done. For execution, so far as the publishers are concerned, the
volumes are among the handsomest that have issued from the American
press."




WASHINGTON IRVING saysYou ask my opinion of his work. lWhat can I say that has not been
already said by more competent critics? I do not pretend to critical acumen;
being too much influenced by my feelings: still I may give some opinion in
this department of literature, having from childhocd had a passion for voyages
of discovery, and I know of none that ever more thoroughly interested and
delighted me than this of Dr. Kane. While I read the work I had the author
continually in my "mind's eye." I was present when he lectured in the Smithsonian Institution in 1853, on the Arctic Expedition, which he had already
made; when we all wondered that one of a physique apparently so slight and
fragile, having once gone through such perils and hardships, should have the
daring spirit to encounter them again. I saw him after his return from that
second Expedition, a broken down man, broken down in all but intellect, about
to embark for Europe, in the vain hope of bracing up a shattered constitution.
It was this image of the author, continually before me, that made me read
his narrative, so simply, truthfully, and ably written, with continued wonder
and admiration. His Expedition, and his narrative of it, form one of the
most extraordinary instances of the triumphs of mental energy and enthusiasm over a frail physical organization that I have ever known. His name,
like that of Henry Grinnell, will remain an honor to his country.
Hon. EDWARD EVERETT says"It does the author equal credit as a man of science, and an energetic,
skillful and courageous adventurer, and a true-hearted philanthropist. In
conjunction with his former publication, it will secure him an abiding-place
on the rolls of honest fame among the heroes of humanity. The style of
typography and illustration is of superior excellence."
G. P. R. JAMES, the Novelist, says"I read the two volumes with deeper interest than I ever felt in any
work in my life; and I concluded them with love and admiration for the
man who wrote them. I only wish there were a dozen volumes more."
Gen. LEWIS CASS says"The expedition is a monument of human energy and endurance, originating in the most honorable and commendable motives, and conducted
with rare courage, sagacity and perseverance. To the severity of truth it
adds the romantic interest of perilous adventure and of the extremity of
exposure and suffering. I never read a narrative which took firmer hold
of my feelings, nor which excited to a higher degree my commiseration for
the heroic men whose terrible calamities it records, nor my admiration for
the fortitude with which these were met. It was a contest between man
and nature-between the stern power of an Arctic winter and the human
frame to resist it. And it is wonderful to see that in their worst extremity
the objects of the expedition were never abandoned by the hardy explorers,
but they seemed to triumph over the icy desolation whose broad expanse
was marked by no animated being but themselves. All other life had fled
before its power of destruction."
Hon. CHARLES SUMNER says"It is a book of rarest interest and instruction; written with simplicity,
ease and directness; possessing all the attractions of romantic adventure
elevated by scientific discovery, and, as we sit at our warm firesides, bringing under our eyes a distant portion of the globe, which, throughout all
time until now, has slumbered unknown, locked in primeval ice."
Prof. LOUIS AGASSIZ says"It will give me the greatest pleasure to write a scientific review of Dr.
Kane's last expedition, which I have read with the deepest interest, mingled
with admiration for his energy and the warmest sympathy for his sufferings.




Hon. ROBERT C. WINTHROP says"In common with the thousands and tens of thousands of readers who
h;ve enjoyed the same treat, I have been delighted with Dr. Kane's book.
I have hardly known which to admire most,-the heroic fortitude exhibited
in the whole conduct of the expedition, or the clear and striking manner in
which he has described it. Whether as an actor or an author, Dr. Kane is
destined to hold no second place in the history of Arctic explorations, his
volumes have taken a deep hold on the popular mind. The narrative is so
spirited and natural, the illustrations are so abundant and so beautiful,
and the scenes are so novel and exciting, that no one can resist the attractions of the work. It is at once a valuable contribution to art, literature,
and science."
Lieut. MAURY, LL. D., says"His book of travels rivals in interest the most fascinating tales of romance. His journey over the ice, the privations and the hardships which
his little band was called on to undergo, the fortitude and spirit with which
he met and fought against difficulties, and his whole conduct as the leader
of such an expedition, excite our highest admiration, and make us feel
proud of the man. In every emergency, and in all the trying circumstances
by which he was surrounded-and they were many-his head, his hand,
and his heart, were invariably found in the right place, conceiving and executing the right things at the right time and in the right way. Of all the
expeditions to the Polar regions this is the most interesting; for those engaged in it passed through many a severe trial and thrilling scene; and, of
all the contributions that have been made to our knowledge concerning
these regions, none are more valuable than those which Dr. Kane has
brought back. Any one who will read that wonderful book-and whoever
takes it up, young or old, male or female, will find it difficult to lay it down
unread-will feel satisfied that the way to the North Pole is now open, and
that there are no physical difficulties of an insuperable nature to prevent a
thorough and complete exploration of the Arctic regions."
S. G. GOODRICH (Peter Parley) says" I scarcely know which most to admire, the energy and skill of the explorer, or the historian who has recorded their results. It displays all the
daring and conquering patience of the knight-errant or the Crusader-battling with giants and monsters more mighty and more formidable than
those dreamed of by Roland or King Arthur-and all in the cause of science
and humanity. The mechanical art brought to the aid of the narrative is
worthy of the subject. It is a cheering thought that in our day such deeds
can be done and such accounts of them be prepared, and finally that these
are appreciated by the great, busy, beating, bustling heart of the country.
GEO. D. PRENTICE, the Poet, says"It is a splendid contribution to the literature and scientific and geographical knowledge of the age. Dr. Kane has won for himself a world-wide
fame, more honorable and more imperishable than that of a hero in a hundred sanguinary battles. His victories are those of peace and science.
His discoveries are full of novelty. He accomplished what for a whole cenltury had in vain been attempted by Arctic explorers. The narrative of his
expedition is not only valuable, but full of interest The illustrations are
elegant and numerous "




Rev. PRANCIS L. HAWKS, LL.D., says"The world has in it but few such stories of human suffering and heroio
endurance as is presented in Dr. Kane's last work. Tho book is one which
needs not the word of approbation from any man; it carries with it its
own recommendation; and I should feel that in me, it would be but an act
of impertinence should I pretend to endorse its merits. Dr. Kane and his
book will, very properly, be remembered long after I am forgotten."
Hon. J. T. HEADLEY says"I have perused the recent work of Dr. Kane, embracing his Northern
explorations, with the most intense interest. I will not speak of its great
typographical excellence, nor of the beautiful and striking illustrations that
embellish it. For graphic description as a narrative, for thrilling scenes
as a book of adventures, and for the exhibition of hardihood, energy, and
courage, as a history of one of the boldest explorations of modern times, it
stands unrivalled in the literature of our country."
RUFUS W. GRISWOLD           LL.D., says" The publishers have done every thing that lay in their power to fulfill
the promises of their prospectus in regard to the illustrations and typographical arrangements of the work, and its appearance is every way worthy
of the importance and all-absorbing interest of the text. The work is one
of the most attractive that has ever been presented to the American public.
Of the narrative itself it is impossible to speak in terms of too high commendation. It is, in fact, a model of style in its particular line."
E. P. WHIPPLE, the Reviewer, says"In common with the majority of his countrymen, I have read Dr. Kane's
wonderful volumes with great admiration for the author, and with an absorbing interest in the work. It is not difficult to state the source of the
fascination lie exerts over all classes of readers, and the cause of his universal popularity, for he is a hero without vanity or egotism, who narrates
great actions as he performed them-with simplicity. The character of the
man makes the character of the book; and that character, in its union of
intelligence with intrepidity and fortitude, enlarges our ideas of the possibilities for human action and human endeavor. The style of the work,
destitute of all attempts at mere rhetorical display, is remarkable for the
fidelity with which it conveys an exact image of the author's mind and impressions. Clear, compact, and level to the matter, his words always stand
for things. The result is that the writer's experience is reproduced in the
minds of his readers, and they become his companions, following him in all
his adventures, and participating in his anxieties, his hopes, his moral
daring, his solid fortitude, his deferred but glorious triumph. Indeed, we
may say that through him the whole nation has made, mentally, a voyage
of Arctic discovery."
N. P. WILLIS says"Such a marvel as that history is, of daring and modesty, achievement
and simplicity, open-heartedness and good taste, common sense and chivalry,
thorough pluck and Yankee contrivance, it is safely-'book'd' for immortality. No words of mine could do any manner of justice to that enterprise
and its narrative."
The foregoing handsome testimonials to the merits of Dr. Kane's great
work have been selected from the biography of the distinguished explorer
in ALLIBONE'S DICTIONARY OF AUTHORS, now in course of publication, one
volume large octavo, 1500 pages.




Extract of a Letter from ALFRED TENNYSON. the Poet, to
DR. KANE.
"The book is really magnificent. I do not think that I ever met with one
which gives such vivid pictures of arctic scenery; nay, I am sure I nevei
did; and indeed I feel that I owe you many thanks for it, and for your
warm-hearted inscription and your memorial of me in the wilderness, than I
could well express in as many words; so I will say nothing about it, only beg
you to accept that volume of my poems containing the line which came into
your mind when you stood first before the great greenstone minaret."
Extract of a Letter from SIR JOHN RICHARDSON, the Arctic
Navigator, to DR. KANE.
"While in Edinburg, I had an opportunity of perusing your book, and I
need scarcely say that I read it with the deepest interest, combined with
admiration, of the skill and perseverance with which you accomplished your
explorations, and the most heart-felt sympathy with you in your trials and
privations. I know well the languor and dislike to exertion which comes on
under long want of nourishing food; and your being able to plan for and
direct your party under such circumstances, indicates a steadiness of purpose
and strength of character of the highest order. With a less energetic leader
the whole party would have perished."
Prom the NORTH BRITISH REVIEW, London, Feb. 1857.
" In taking a general view of this Expedition and its results, we cannot
but admire the activity, energy, and skill displayed by Dr. Kane in the
trying circumstances under which he was so frequently placed. With the
single exception which we have found it our duty to notice, his attention and
kindness to his people and to the Esquimaux, and his cheerful discharge of
the most menial duties, when they could not be performed by others, deserve
the highest praise. As the leader of an expedition of discovery his merits
were equally conspicuous. His devotion to the cause in which he was
embarked, his promptitude of action in availing himself of every opportunity
of advancing northward, and his patient endurance of unexampled hardshipsof cold, and hunger, and disease, and fatigue, have not been surpassed in
the annals of Arctic discovery."
From BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE, March, 1857.
" The engravings in Dr. Kane's book are eminently happy, as the productions of a man who is a real poet in art-Mr. Hamilton-whose good taste
scatters beautiful vignettes, like gems, through the two volumes, and invests
the whole work with a halo of romance, mysterious as the effects of light in
those northern regions, and which could scarcely have been produced by the
power of words, or letter-press, unassisted.
"Either the adventures of this party surpass in actual interest almost any
other that we ever recollect to have read, or they are much better described
than usual. A cold that burnt like the hot breath of the Sahara, want of
provisions, want of fuel, scurvy, frost-bites, incessant labor and sleeplessness,
attacks from bears by night who plundered their stores, insubordination and
desertion; such form part of the list of miseries that this admirable commander had to endure either in person, or in the persons of those nearest
him. Wonders were seen and done; and we cannot help thinking that, added
to his philanthropic object, Jonathan was animated by the secret hope of outdoing John Bull. Whether such an emulation existed or not, it would have
been one innocent, even noble, in the highest degree. Would that the more
bitter feuds of America and England could be concluded over the desert-grave
of Franklin, as the Montagues and Capulets were reconciled beside the corpses
of their children. The differences, though equally fantastical and unreasonable in both cases, have been none the less acrimonious. It is tim e now that
they should cease forever."




From the BRITISH QUARTERLY REVIEW, April, 1857.
"The task so gallantly achieved has been as worthily recorded, A more
nteresting narrative of Arctic research than Dr. Kane's does not exist. Corn
pared with some of the dull journals it has been our lot to read, and especially
with that pompous but flatulent work, entitled the Last of the Arctic Voyages,
the present work is as superior as a sea tale by Marryat to a merchantman's
log. It is illustrated with several hundred engravings, so that the pencil of
the author has liberally aided his graphic pen; and with two such able implements at work for the reader's benefit, he must be fastidious indeed who
does not yield to the fascinations of the book, or who permits his attention to
grow cold before the last chapter is completed. We have noticed several
little discrepancies, perhaps the consequence of hasty preparation; but when
a writer gives us such a delightful narrative, couched in so modest a strain,
we can only thank him for his magnificent volumes, and, still moro for the
noble addition which he and his comrades have made to the world's stock of
valiant and memorable exploits."
From PUTNAM'S MAGAZINE, November, 1856.
"Arctic literature has become a distinct department of letters, but none
of its many attractive books have the fascination of the record of Dr. Kaule's
Expeditions, the last of which is now published. (Arctic Explorations:
Childs & Peterson, Philadelphia.)  No more beautiful books, in every
typographical respect, have issued from the American press.
"We cannot now speak further of this delightful work, which will be
universally read. Few men have achieved so great and peculiar a fame at
so early an age as its author. But it is clear that, beside the eminence of
his position among the great explorers, Dr. Kane is the one American who
will dwell side by side in the boy's imagination with Robinson Crusoe."
"GEO. W. CURTIS."
From the LONDON SATURDAY REVIEW, Nov. 22, 1856.
" Looked at merely in a literary point of view, the book is a very remarkable one. Dr. Kane frequently apologizes for the haste, the roughness, the
compression, and the fragmentary character of many parts of his work. We
do not think the apology is necessary. The general impression which the
book conveys is graphic to the last degree, and its effect is greatly heightened
by what Dr. Kane speaks of as defects. It consists almost entirely of
extracts from a journal kept at the time, connected by narrative matter more
or less compressed from it. An attentive reader can trace the feelings and
prospects of the little knot of ice-bound prisoners, and of their gallant leader,
with extraordinary clearness; for Dr. Kane is obviously a cultivated man,
and by no means unaccustomed to watch the processes of his own mind.
The hoping against hope, the determination to look at the bright side of
things, and the effort to write himself into a cheerful frame of mind,
which may be detected in the lines penned by the light of the dim perpetual
lamp, in the filthy little den into which the crew was crowded-penned, too,
when all but the writer had half forgotten their troubles in sleep-seem to
us far better worth having than any amount of artistic composition. One of
the most curious vestiges of those feelings which the book displays, is to be
found in the occasional forced gayety and levity of the writer-gayety which
cannot be mistaken for any thing else than what it is-the only possible
refuge from utter despondency. He laughs at scars, not because he has
never felt a wound, but because he has felt so many that laughter is for the
time his only resource against weeping over them."
" We hope on a future occasion to say something of the scientific results of
this wonderful expedition-the most daring and the most terrible in the
records of maritime adventure."




FROM THE MASONIC REVIEW, Jan, 1857.
"We have,read his 'Expedition' with an interest that no other book of
travels or voyages has ever before awakened in our mind, for it has no
parallel among the detail of explorations by land or sea. No one should
fail to procure a copy of the work and read it, for he will gather from it
additional knowledge, it will awaken new thoughts, and stir up emotions in
his heart unfelt, unknown before. It is a wonderful work-its author is a
wonderful man. It is well known to our readers that Dr. Kane is a Freemason-so was Sir John Franklin."
FROM    THE WESTMINSTER REVIEW, (London,) Jan'y 1857.
" Dr. Kane's Arctic Explorations is an elaborate work, profusely illustrated from the author's own sketches, and written with that spirit and
freshness which belong to the narratives of a man who is an actor in the
scenes he describes, especially when that man is, like Dr. Kane, of vigorous
and cultivated intellect, and rare moral force. The enterprise which he
headed, and which he describes in these volumes, was the second of those
expeditions in search of Sir John Franklin, due to the generosity of private
Americans; and although it entirely missed its immediate object, it was
rewarded by important geographical results.
'( Hoping to recur to Kr. Kane's remarkable work, we feel the less regret
at leaving it for the present, with an emphatic recommendation to the
reader's attention. Simply as a story of heroism, it would be fascinating;
but that story, lying as it does among some of the most terribly magnificent
scenes of nature, and b zing connected with objects near to science, touches
our intellectual and moral enthusiasm alike."
FROM    THE NEW      YORK DAILY TRIBUNE; Oct. 18, 1856.
' Dr. Kane is one of the singularly fortunate men, who are permitted not
only to perform noble actions, but to leave a worthy record of their history.
The admirable qualities which he has displayed in the discharge of his official duties are a sure pledge of permanent fame. Courage, wisdom, fertility
of resource, power of endurance, devotion to an idea, and skill in accomplishment, are stamped on his intrepid career of Arctic research. The fulness of manhood gives a lofty character to his adventurous course. He
might well be content with his exploits, which have called forth an order
of talent that is rarely combined with the conditions of literary excellence.
Distinction as a writer was unnecessary to give brilliancy to his achieve
ments. But in the composition of these volumes, he has gained a new title
to the admiration of the public. If they presented merely a narrative of
other men's performances, they would be counted as productions of remarkable interest, for their graphic vigor of description, and the richness and
novelty of the information which they impart. But as a transcript of personal appearance they occupy a unique place in literature. Written with
rare modesty of tone, great simplicity of expression, and a certain cordial
frankness of manner, securing the sympathy of the reader, which at the
same time is evidently taken for granted, they possess a peculiar charm,
apart from their unquestionable value as memorials of maritime discovery.
" In concluding our extended notice of this work, we cannot but repeat the
expression of our sense of the heroism, energy and intelligence of the intrepid chief of the expedition. His modest narrative has a certain autobiographical fascination, unconsciously revealing the highest order of manly
qualities, while in the interest of its incidents, it is almost superfluous to
say, it surpasses the most exciting wonders of romance. A vein of beautiful humanity pervades its composition, and even in the describing of the
most desperate scenes, a lurking humor often peeps forth, showing the impotence of uncongenial circumstances to depress an elastic and generous
nature. The ethical lesson of these volumes is a no less precious gift to;he reader than its scientific instruction and picturesque delineations."
GEO. RIPLEY,




From the METROPOLITAN MAGAZINE.
" The sentiment during the perusal of the two volumes of Dr. Kane's Arctic
Explorations is that of intense sympathy. There is a sad but irresistible
fascination in his minute detail of incessant strife with cold, storm, ice, and
mental depression, amid continual darkness. So deep is the spell of this
simple narrative, that the reader is often forced to put the book down and
seek relief from over-taxed interest.
" It may have been unsatisfactory to Dr. Kane that he did not rescue his
illustrious predecessor in Arctic suffering, or add much to polar geography;
but the book he has given us is, we think, unequalled in our literature for its
description of the moral and physical scenes incident to Arctic adventure.
It is a picture in which every lineament of ice-life, or rather of ice-death, is
drawn with dramatic force. The vivid narrative-mostly in the form of a
journal-photographs the passing event or impression. Every trial to which
mind, nerve, muscle or flesh can be subjected in the constant night of half a
year, or the dismal daylight of the other six months, is recorded with striking
distinctness. All the contrivances and resources in dealing with such phases
of nature are disclosed; and if Dr. Kane did not enjoy the happiness of rescuing Sir John Franklin-a happiness which we are sure would have been
more delightful to him than its glory —he has, at least, produced a memoir
of noble exertion, which, in literary and personal value, will be as lasting
as the fame he so richly deserves.
"'We would be unjust to American art if we concluded this imperfect notice without alluding to the style of illustration and printing. We possess
many more costly works, embellished and published in the United States,
but none of them can compare, in exquisite typography and engraving, with
Dr. Kane's. The execution and printing of the plates are certainly unsurpassed; and perhaps nowhere has so large an edition of any work been issued
in which all the impressions are equally faultless.  BRANTZ MAYER."
JUDGE JAMES HALL, of Cincinnati, says-," The public demonstrations of lively grief for the death, and of profound
respect for the memory, of the lamented Dr. Kane, by which I am surrounded,
remind me that I have omitted to express to you the very great gratification
with which I have read the beautiful volumes which narrate the story of his
humane and perilous exploration of the Arctic Regions. The whole narrative
is one of intense interest. The noble benevolence which conceived the enterprise, the munificent liberality which supplied the means, the intelligent and
patient daring by which the general scheme was carried out, as well as the
actual sufferings and hardships endured, all unite to render the expedition of
Dr. Kane one of the most remarkable events in the records either of philanthropy or of science.
"( As a narrative of adventure, it would be difficult to point out a book so
attractive. The events related are fraught with peril, hardship and suffering;
the style of the narrative modest, unpretending, yet spirited.
" The heroic Dr. Kane has fallen a victim to his noble enthusiasm in the
cause of humanity and of science, but his country will cherish his name; and
this book, which you have published with such liberality and good taste, will
remain a lasting monument of American genius and courage."
GEORGE      H. BOKER, the Poet, says" The literary merits of Dr. Kane's book are of the highest order. Simple,
graphic and direct, he writes as a man bent upon telling the whole truth in
the fewest words. There is no straining after effect, no overloading of descriptive passages with gaudy words, and no effort to place his own figure in
the foreground for the vulgar reader to wonder at. So modest is the whole
tohe of his narrative, that he seldom mentions himself except it those scenes
where he stood almost alone; and he often screens his own bold deeds behind
he exertions of his companions. "




DR, KANE'S FIRST NARRATIVE
THE UNITED STATES GRINNELL ExPEr)ITION IN SEARCH OF SIR JOH1N FRAN.KLIN, during the years 1850-51. A Personal Narrative, by ELISIIA KENT
KANE, M. D., U. S. N. One volume 8vo., upwards of 550 pages, containing 200 steel plates and wood engravings, including a fine steel portrait
of Sir John Franlklin, being the only one ever engraved in America. Also,
a BIOGRAPHY OF FI.RANKLIN, by S. AUSTIN ALLIBONE, Esq. $3.00.
This work is totally distinct from the second Arctic Expedition, and
embraces much valuable and interesting matter never before published. It
should be owned by all who have purchased the last Expedition as it makes
Dr. KANE'S works complete.
From the LONDON ATHENAEUM.
"It would, we think, be difficult to produce a more interesting story of
Arctic adventures than the present volume. We have to thank Dr. Kane for
the excellent and graphic manner in which he has painted, not only this
terrible picture, but also all the incidents of the Expedition. Besides the
account of his voyage, which is full of startling incidents, Dr. Kane enters
at length into the physical geography of the arctic regions.  His book,
which is profusely and admirably illustrated, is one of the most interesting
that we have seen, and deserveaa place by the side of our most cherished
records of Arctic adventure."
From HARPER'S WEEKLY.
"The death of Dr. Kane has revived all the interest felt in his noble attempts, and the history of the second expedition has increased the interest
which attaches to the first, the account of which is published in a new edition, uniform in size and style with the second work, and necessary to all who
possess the latter. We h:ave always prized the book of the first expedition
above the other, both on account of its general incident and style, as well as
because of the greater progress made in it toward the object of the search."
IN PRESS,
COL. J. C. FREMONT'S EXPLORATIONS.
PREPARED BY THE AUTHOR, AND EMBRACING ALL HIS EXPEDITIONS.
Superbly Illustrated with Steel Plates and Wood Cuts, engraved under the
immediate superintendence of COL. FREMIONT, mostly from daguerreotypes
taken on the spot, and will be issued in a style to match Dr. Kane's works.
It will also contain a new Steel Portrait, being the only correct likeness of
the author ever published.
Two VOLUMES, OCTAVO-$5.00.
This work is being prepared with great care by COL. J. C. FREMONT, and
will contain a resume of the First and Second Expeditions in the years 1842,
'43 and '44, and a detailed account o.f the Third Expedition during the years
1845, '46 and '47, across the Rocky Mountains through Oregon into California, covering the conquest and settlement of that country; the Fourth
Expedition, of 1848-49, up the Kansas and Arkansas rivers into the Rocky
Mountains of Mexico, down the Del Norte, through Sonora into California;
the Fifth Expedition, of 1853 and '54, across the Rocky Mountains at the
heads of the Arkansas and Colorado rivers, through the Mormon settlements
and the Great Basin into California. The whole will embrace a period of
ten years passed among the wilds of America.
The greatest possible care has been taken to insure the accuracy of the
Maps, which will fully illustrate all the above-named Expeditions.




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