The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-08-15
Denerara,

Correspondence OF the Quebec Gazette.
Extract OF letter dated Demerara, May IL, lS43:
- My trpto the northern parts OF Brazil,
and back by the mouth Of the Amazon and Cayenne,
ler, as the French will now have it called, "Guiane
Franease") was very instructive. The backward
condition of everything in the ports Of Maranham
and Para took me quite by surprise. / had no ex-
Pectation of finding society there IN such prlmi-
tive, uncouth, and, may say, uncivillzed state
There is skilful application OF labor; there are no
roads, bridges, or even ferries the only steamer is
one that comes once month from Rio. Beggary
and bribery the characteristics of the officials
particularly OF the custom house officers. The
dians, Europeans blacks, and crosses OF all kinds
and degrees, proud as Lucer and idle as the sloth)
are about half naked, and the slaves stark naked.
None work but the slaves, and they work with a
vengeance;, Tor the treatment they experience is
unparalleled by anything that ever occurred in our
period of slavery.
OF one thing Ihave convinced myself that this
part OF Brazil at least is retrogadng. Society has
been too severely shaken by political disturbances
and massacres, Ohe perpetrators Of which are al
ways allowed to escape, and sometimes rewarded,)
Tor capitalists to remain Most of the wealthy citi-
zens have fled to Portugal, or betaking themselves
70 any country where they can gather together the
remnants oil their property. Land within gun shot
OF the town ID net worth 1.-THE of what il 10 hun
dred miles up our rivers
The province OF Para includes nearly 100000
square miles, and the population is only 1857 and
2977 slaves. Out of the ll9 ST. free persons it is
no exaggeration to say that lis 600 20 barefoot.
The soil yields everything almost spontane ousy, and
yet the average annual value OF the trade Of the
whole province does not, at present, exceed from
ETC, 200 to 100000. Formerly 1t was worth six
times that sum.
. The Amazon is navigable, without single OBJ
slace, nearly 1000 leagues from its mouth; yet no
steamer has ever ascended it at all nor any sailing
vessel above the Rio Blanco, about 100 miles up
one dlmlnutive steam vessel OF Is horse power, lay
IN the river when was there, without engineers or
stokers. IL was brought by some United States
americans, who proposed to form company, and
with this inadequate instrument to create COM
merce on the river, and establish communication
with Peru; but there was money to carry on the
company. In 1925 two large steamers were pull
chased at Washington, with the sanction OF the
brazilian ambassador there, with view to esab.
hsh commercial intercourse between the United
States and the Brazilian territories the Amazon
but when they arrived they were not allowed TO
proceed up the river. The citizens of the United
States engaged in the speculation now claim from
the brazilian government some E90,0OO OF DAM
ages"
How strkingly does the above sketch illustrate
the necessity OF sound mental culture and industry
to the temporal happiness of man. Without these
humanizlng influences, though good wheaton bread
could be gathered from bushes, and roast beef were
as plenty water, still idleness would lead 10
wretchedness and crime. Our great physical wants
are indispensable TO the full development OF our in
tellectual and moral nature. They alone render
man an industrious, and measuraby, virtuous
being. Goldsmith never composed better than
when writing Tor his daily bread