The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-20 00:00:00

TILE EMPRESS DOWAGER OF BRAZIL
AND HER SLAVES.

We have been desired to publish the following
translation of a letter which has appeared in the
Correio Mercantile of Rio de Janeiro. We comply
with this request, in the hope than an august lady
resident in Europe may have a chance of learning
how her character for kindness and humanity is
compromised:by her:agents on the other side of the
Atlantic :

Sir,—l am neither an English saint nor an Ame-
rican abolitionist. lam a man, a Christian, and a
Brazilian. I am convinced that it is not the fault
of the present generation that the social wound
called slavery exists, which retards our moral and
intellectual development, but which at present it is
impossible to extirpate.
I approve, however, whenever I observe that the
kindness of the Brazilian character, and the mild-
ness of our customs soften the horrors of such an
institution.
In Brazil owners have not the power of life and
death over their slaves. House-born children gene-
rally form part of the family. To sell one of these
is by many planters considered quite as painful as
if they were disposing of their own children.
Planters who have no family are generally humane
and generous in their wills, frequently bequeathing
freedom to large numbers.
Even amongst those who have families many
avail themselves of the right the laws give them to
dispose as they choose of the third part of their
property and free their slaves (1).
Two years since the Correio Mercantile noticed
the will of a philanthropic millionaire, the late Mr.
Antonio Joze de Brito, who manumitted a great
number of his slaves and left them Government
stock and household property, the income from
which was quite sufficient to secure the subsistence
of those he had benefited.

When a widow lady has a large estate her slaves,
encouraged by numerous precedents, expect free-
dom when they lose their mistress, who in general
they love and respect more as a mother than as an
owner.

And if this is so generally when ladies possess
estates, what deep visions of the future and of
freedom will have been indulged in by the poor
families, slaves, consisting of 140 individuals,
Brazilians (2), who have had the misfortune
to be born in slavery on the Macaco estate, but
who, knowing by report the high and virtuous qua-
lities of their mistress, the august widow of our
first Emperor, considered themselves comparatively
happy, and cherished well-founded hopes of free-
dom, common to those who belong to religious and
charitable ladies. They never expected to belong
to another owner—and with reason. It is quite
an excusable idea that a slave who belongs to a
royal personage cannot be transferred to the powela
of another owner.

His Imperial Majesty the Duchess of Braganza
certainly cannot know that 140 Brazilians are to be
sold by public auction. lam well aware that her
Majesty the Empress makes good use of her money;
the benevolent institutions of Portugal tells us that.
Her Imperial Majesty would be better advised
by her comptrollers, if they were to remind her that
her charity in general has not been exercised in
favour of Brazilians, and if the estate of Macaco
yields her no revenue it would be better to sell the
land and houses, and give freedom to the Christians
who are living there as slaves of her Imperial
Majesty.
Trading in human flesh in the name of, and for
the profit of, such an estimable Princess is to me a
horrible thing.
How much will the comptrollers receive from
this wretched merchandise ? Certainly not the
tenth part of what her Majesty the Empress
Dowager has received from the coffers of Brazil in
pension and dowry.
Why is not her Majesty the Empress Dowager
reminded of the example of his Majesty the Em-
peror of Russia, who is now freeing the millions of
slaves that are in his dominions.

Her Majesty the Empress Dowager will not wish
in charitable and religious feeling to be beneath
many ladies that are here in this vast region of
Santa Cruz (3).
Rather more than two years ago a widow lady
solemnised the 7th of September (4) by liberating
on that day many dozens of her slaves.
I beg, therefore, Counsellor Faria, the very
worthy agent of her Majesty the Empress, to stop
this unhappy sale of Brazilians that is about to
tarnish the renown of the august widow of the
Founder of our Empire.
(Signed)

MONARCHISTA:

(1). By the Brazilian laws a married man can only be-
queath one-third of half his property. the remainder belongs
to his wife and lawful children.

(2) By the Brazilian constitution all persons born in Bra-
zil are Brazilians, whatever may be their colour and condi-
tion ; if free, they are Brazilian citizens.
(3) Brazil is sometimes called the land of Santa Cruz.
(4) The 7th of September is the anniversary of Brazilian
declaration of independence.

HEALTH OF LONDON _DURING THE WEEK.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Return.)
The deaths in London registered in the week that
ended last Saturday were 1,121; they exhibit an
increase of no great amount on the returns of the
two previous weeks. They are less than the number
of births registered in the same period by 822.
The average number of deaths, derived from the
returns of corresponding weeks in 10 years 1851-60,
and corrected for increase of population, is 1,099.
Hence it appeais that the rate of mortality that
prevailed last week was slightly in excess of the
average.

Nine fatal cases of small-pox are recorded ;17
of:diarrhcea ; 22 of measles; 28 of scarlatina; 30 of
typhus; 88 of whooping-cough. The deaths that
are classed under the general head of " typhus" in
the tables are returned as follows :-7 from typhus,
7 from gastric fever, 10 from "fever," 2 from low
fever, one from bilious fever, and one from brain
fever. Eight children died from whooping-cough
in Westminster. Six infants sank under syphilitic
disease. One death was referred to intemperance,
besides 5 caused by delirium tremens. Eleven
weze caused by nephria (Bright's disease) ; 3 by
eczema. 23 infants died who had been born
prematurely. Bronchitis was fatal in 85
cases, considerably exceeding the corrected
average, which is 59. Zymotic diseases in
the aggregate appear to be neither more nor less
prevalent than is usual at this season. The son of
a journeyman carpenter, aged four years, died on
the 7th inst. at .3, Wood-street, Lambeth of "cho-
lera" after 36 hours' illness. A man was poisoned
by an overdose of colchicum ; another by an over-
dose of laudanum.
Last week the births of 1,017 boys and 926 girls,
in all 1,943 children, were registered in London.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1851-60
the average number was 1,544.

METROPOLITAN WATERS, MAY 1861.
The unusual dryness of May has exercised a
purifying action on the waters supplied to London
for domestic use, according to the analyses of
Dr. Robert Dundas Thomson, F.R.S. For
the sake of comparison the composition of the
water introduced into Glasgow from Loch Katrine
as analysed in March last, and that of Manchester,
examined at the same period, is appended together
with the constitution of a surface London well con-
taminated by sewage :

Total impurity Organic im
per gallon, purity.
gre, ordeg. grs. or deg.
01) 0.0

Distilled Water
Loch Katrine water, new supply
to Glasgow
Manchester Water Supply (March) 3.33 •680
Well at Camberwell 62.67 10'69
THAMES COMPANIES.
West Middlesex.
Grand Junction .
Chelsea

17.32
1744
17*52
17'20
16'60

Southwark .
Lambeth ...

OTHER COMPANIES
New River
East London
Kent

1815
20.00 •
231-1

The table is read thus—Loch Katrine water contains in the
gallon 2.35 degrees or grains of foreig-n matter in solution, of
which •605 degrees or grains are of vegetable or animal
origin.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29859 in.
The readings fell to 29.54 in. on Sunday, and rose
to 30 07 in. on Thursday. The mean temperature
of the air in the week was 60.5 deg., which is 2.2
deg. above the average of the same week in 43
years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher). The mean
daily temperature was considerably below the ave-
rage on Sunday; and towards the end of the week
it was 8 deg. above it. The thermometer in the
shade fell to 42.9 deg. on Sunday, and rose to
80.8 deg. on Saturday, being the lowest and highest
points respectively in the week. The entire
range in the week was therefore 37.9 deg. The
mean daily range was 21.4 deg. The difference
between the mean dew-point temperature and air
temperature was 6.2 deg. The greatest dryness of
the air was 19.7 deg. on Thursday ; the mean dry-
ness on that day was 9.4 deg. The mean degree of
heausmt.idiTtyhewtahseroBl,ocomplete saturation being repre-
sented.. by 100, which point was attained on Sunday.
:lnoheswNva4itluneraddziab:lr:.ewd
pgnerally from the north-east and
'Warmest days,
south-west.
the
IvFeirtni
edara
wyi p
hn
tuSet:lo
north-eastrs deatyo, thel 32
dat
ewngdo.
e
of rain fell meanonwTsahsuenc
the subsequent days.
of the Thames
Sunday
4y
a ndMonday;
n temperaturedayO;f thaheereiviwatitser
deg. About half an inch
6

TRE SUPPLY OF COT TON.

An Association for the supply of an article in great
demand is by no means an extraordinary phenome-
non, but the case does become rather singular when
it is announced that the " supply" in question is
not to be actually effected by the Association, but
only promoted. We have companies for the manu-
facture, sale, and general supply of almost all
imaginable commodities, but in one instance only
have we a company for the encouragement of other
companies in a particular line of business. The
" Cotton Supply Association" undertakes, not to
supply cotton, but to see that cotton is supplied.
Many people might think that the best association
for this purpose was that constituted by the manu-
facturers of Lancashire, and such was certainly the
opinion of the manufacturers themselves. Yet they
have been rather at fault in the matter. They con-
tented themselves with a single source of supply,
and took no account of the chances of interruption.
They could not believe that any disturbance would
occur. They thought that if it did occur the
void would soon be filled up from other sources, and
they conceived that in any case they could not do
better than maintain the demand, and leave the
supply to regulate itself, according to natural laws.
It is clear, however, that the risk was greater than
they imagined. The exports of cotton from the
United States must almost certainly be diminished
and if the matter had not been taken in hand
some time back the consequences must have been
truly serious. Fortunately, we are not without
other strings to our bow. It is about fourteen
years since we first called attention to the subject
in these columns, and if our security is still im-
perfect a good deal has been really accomplished in
the way of guarantee. We could afford to lose
a considerable portion of the American crop with-
out much harm, and in a few years more we may
see the sources of our supply so multiplied that all
danger of deficiency will be past. The Association
which has specially charged itself with the promo-
tion of this supply has just published its fourth
annual Report, and from that document we can
gather some very encouraging information.
Cotton is a plant which can be grown in so very
many countries that the mere selection of soil
counts for nothing in the problem. There are
hundreds of spots in our own colonial empire
which could produce cotton enough for the con-
sumption of all Lancashire ; but cotton is of various
kind; it requires peculiar preparation for the mar-
ket, and, as itis bulky in character, facilities of
communication enter very largely into the question.
It is probably not every cotton country that could
produce cotton equal to the Sea Island kind; but
the supply of Sea Island cotton is always small. It
forms only about 1.50 th part of our whole annual
supply ; so that the question of quality is not a very
critical one. The cleaning process is exceedingly,
important, but that, again, depends only on instru-
ments which can be easily furnished, and dexterity
which can be quickly acquired. In the end we
come to this, that the whole problem turns upon
facilities of transport. In fact, if India had but
good roads, the question would be solved for the
present ; and that is evidently the opinion of the
Cotton Supply Association. It is easy to supply
good seeds and good cleaning machines, but it is by
no means easy to get the cotton from the field to
the coast. Carriage is either impracticable alto-
gether, or so tedious and costly as to absorb an
enormous proportion of the whole value of the crop.
Another point to be considered is the immense
magnitude of the trade, which calls for a correspond-
ing extent of organisation. That is where the
United States had so great an advantage. They
had got the trade in their own hands, and they had
gradually brought it to perfection. They supplied
the best cotton with infallible punctuality, and in
such quantities as almost to suffice for the entire
consumption of the country. To organize a com-
merce like this must needs be a work of time. It is
a question whether any one country could ever do
again what the United States have done. India would
make the nearest approach to the mark, beyond a
doubt; but then comes another question—whether
we should not make a point rather of distributing
than concentrating our demands. India has far
greater capabilities than any other country, but
India might be troubled, just like America, and all
our anxiety would come over again. Four years
ago we should have felt a great deal of uneasiness
if all our cotton supplies had been drawn from
Bombay. The object is to insure ourselves against
all kinds of contingencies; against bad seasons and
damaged crops, as well as against political disturb-
ances. To effect this we must divide our resources,
and put our eggs in more baskets than one. Per-
haps we shall never get better served than we have
been served by America; but, unluckily, that ser-
vice was never safe to last. It was always exposed
to danger from the operation of natural circum-
stances, and now events which nobody could foresee
have threatened it with most serious interruption.
What may be the turn of affairs in America we shall
not attempt to conjecture, but if the cotton crop of
1861 has to be raised is spite of war, and exported
in spite of a blockade, it can hardly be expected to
reach us without large deductions.
To compensate for this possible deficiency, we have
many new sources of supply opened. The report of
the Association actually enumerates 58 different
ports from which cotton either never came before,
or had ceased to come, or came in insignificant quan-
tities, but which have contributed to our supplies
with greater or less success during the last twelve
months. Attention has also been paid to quality,
and upwards of 150 samples have been despatched
from various countries to the Committee of the As-
sociation for inspection and appraisement. In fact,
the Association has been doing for the last year or
two all over the world what Government within
the last few months has been doing in India.
The Committee could not speak with oMcial au-
thority, but they "agitated," "corresponded," and
set things in motion wherever they saw a chance.
They let all manner of people understand that we
wanted cotton, and were ready to pay for it. They
described the kind of cotton required, and made
grants of the proper seed. They sent out good gins
for cleaning the cotton, and presses for packing it.
They were ready, in short, to provide everything
except roads, and that, as we have seen is more than
the Indian Government itself can do.
Perhaps it will be asked how far all this was
really called for, and which was in the right—the
manufacturing interest, which was disposed to leave
things to themselves, or the Association, which took
them thus under control ? We have no he-itation in
saying that the doctrines of the Association have
been justified by events. The committee explain
their own position by saying that their object was
not to interfere with the law of supply and demand
but to remove certain obstacles in the way of its
free operation. The truth was that the whole case
was exceptional—exceptional, not only from the
magnitude of the trade, but from the institutions of
the country which had got a monopoly of the sup-
ply. The manufacturers were right in saying that
their demand would insure a supply in the ordinary
way, but they forgot that the supplies they needed
were more than ordinary supplies, and that their
trade was too important to endure ordinary inter-
ruptions. The Americans, no doubt, were just as
anxious to sell as the Lancashire men were to buy,
but there might come a time when they could not sell,
and then what were we to do ? Wait till fresh sup..
plies rushed into the vacuum ? That would be the
ordinary course, no doubt, and in due time the sup-
plies would certainly have come; but what would
hare been our condition in the meanwhile ? That
is where the case differs from ordinary cases. The
trade is so immense, and the interests involved in
it are so incalculably great that we cannot take the
risk of even six months' interruption. It is no easy
matter, as we have found, to deal with the distress
of a single city, but the stoppage of our cotton mills
would throw a fourth part of our population out of
the work from which their daily bread is earned.
So long as the Americans monopolised the supply
no other people felt the operation of the demand.
Now people in all quarters of the globe have been
told that we are anxious to receive cotton, and cot-
ton is coming in accordingly —not a day too soon. It
would have come in, of course, in any case, at some
time or other, but, except for the timely agitation
of the question, it would have come too late.—Times

BLED TO DEATM—When the announcement of
the three bleedings was made in the columns of the daily
press, Cavour was in our mind doomed to death. The
feverish reaction which almost inevitably resulted was en.
countered by more bleeding, in accordance with ordinary
Italian practice ; and after that, what could we expect but
that he would be bled again? So he was. We were then
informed that there was congestion of the brain, that he was
occasionally delirious and had a slight attack of typhus
fever. How could it possibly be otherwise after all this vast
of the life-sustaining material? Bleed any other man in
the same way; coup sur coup, whose nervous centres had
been long over-excited, and would he not be delirious too ?
Of course, a patient whe has been bled four times will be
bled five, as Cavour was, six times, and the final result of
death from haemorrhage will be attained. The Italian
physicians were probably surprised at such a conclusion of
their efforts, but it will not astonish anybody else. It is
possible that this great calamity may induce the profession
in Italy to reconsider their practice—a practice that has
been abandoned as pernicious in every other civilized coun-
try.—Nalical Circular.

DEER CROSSING LOCH NESS.—The other day the
Plover, steamer, picked up a fine roebuck, of two years old,
making its way boldly across Loch Ness. What had allured
the animal out of its native element, says the Inverness
Advertiser, does not appear, although we believe that an
adventurous buck has been known occasionally to cross
Loch Ness, and shift its feeding ground opposite
WWI to the