Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-12-15

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Dear B'Oher:--HaVing convenient oppor
tunity 10 write and send you few lines, has
ten with pleasure to improve the same by in
forming You Of my health, present condition, an(
what It has been since left Boston. After leav
ing Boston, we had been GU. rs days, when oul
ship sprang leak; we were obliged to make fol
the nearest point of land, which was about 500
miles of, and was the Cape de Verde Islands
on the coast of Africa. The ship being loaded
with - was the only thing that saved hei
from sinking We labored hard at the pump,
8 days and nights-the 4th day we made the
Isle of st. Vincent. The ship was abandoned
and sold for $500, with part of her cargo. We
went on shore, and staid 2s days. Such people
manners and customs will not undertake to
describe to you fully, but will give you little
idea Of them, and Of our case. We hired about
as good n house as there was for 20 cents a day
The house was about 10 by 10 feet square, the
walls were made of mud, the roof was matched
with straw, and the bare ground constituted the
floor, furniture, and all there was in il except a
door. We made a table, and rugged some chairs,
and made Fireplace out of doors, and did our
own cooking. We spread our beds on the
ground, and lived equal to the Governor. One
of the natives, who spoke English, wanted me
to 60 to his house with him. and sec where he
lived. He appears to be as well off as the best
of them. His house was abou, the size of your
hog-pen. He had wife and family; his bed
was in one corner Of the room. and consisted of
two boards, raised from the ground at each end
by few stones, so rs TO leave room for the hogs
underneath. That was his station (the two
boards were for the NAM. His wife and young
babe, with three or four children, occupied the
other side, on the ground. The dogs, goats and
pots, with the fireplace, were at the other end
of the room. The fireplace in which they cook
ed was made by placing three round stones on
the ground, as to ct the three legs of the pot
There was 10 chimney to it. After the yictuals
are prepared, which consist of piece Of boiled
goat, or pounded corn, with goats milk, they can
sit on the ground, and eat all out of one pot, or
take it in their fingers, or eat out of a she'll,
whichever suits their fancy the best; and in
case the hogs or dogs are too intimate at such
times, they are ordered out Of doors directly,
with a big lick over their heads, until such
times as the family are done. They then have
C sweep of all there is left. So you see that ev-
cry thing is carried on rs regular as possible.
We left there on board a small schooner, with
our baggage, lasts, pegs, and few other things,
for the Isle of Maygo. We sailed there in
days. We went on board a large schooner, and
sailed to the Isle of st. Jago. We sailed from
there to Pernambuco Brazil, remained there
days, discharged cargo of salt, and took in a
cargo Of sugar, and sailed for Buenos Ayres-
We arrived here after passage of A months and
days from Boston. The climate here is the
reverse Of what it is at home--winter here, sum-
mer at home. July and August are the coolest
months. Vegetables, peas, beans, oranges, and
lemons grow all winter The people here are
principally Spaniards, and they live chiefly on
beef that they cook out of doors in this manner:
First, they get some dry cow-dung and few
sticks, then lay the sticks the ground, and the
beef next the dung on top, and set FIRE to it, or
else hang it on stick over the FIRE. Wood is
very scarce-I believe it costs about $50 cord
Beef brought to you is / cent pound; -four So
barrel; potatoes are or 4 cents = pound
Clothes are very dear here; shoes sell rather
hard. The people Of Buenos Ayres and Monte
Video are at war with each other. don't know
what will be the result Of it. If a man walks
out after dark here, he runs the risk of losing
bis life. They don't make no more of cutting a
mans throat than you would Of killing a dog.
The 9th of July, being a celebration day, par
ty came over the river, about 100 miles above
here, and killed 1900 people. A few days ago,
a family of persons was murdered some miles
back in the country-a man, his wife, and
children. ] have not room to give you an &C
count of their proceedings. Therefore will
give you an account of myself After being
here about 5 weeks, We got all things nicely ar
ranged, and went to work. Daniel and j had
made about 20 pairs of shoes-ths was on Sat
urday. Saturday night, as was going to bed,
! bowed out the light, and the second time
bowed, 1 set my lungs to bleeding. They bled
so hard it almost stopped my breath for two or
three minutes Sunday l had another attack,
and Monday another. ! sent for physician,
who bled me and gave me some medicine.
had four more attacks in the course of or 10
days. The physician called on me almost every
day for weeks and during weeks was not
able to get off and on my bed alone, nor permit
ted to speak aloud. had the best care taken
of me by Mr. Hickman and wife, and Miss Ev-
ans, lady that came out with us from Boston.
1t seems to have been the will of God that It
should be SO, and that, too, for my best good. II
showed me that ! am liable to be called from
this world to eternity at any time, prepared OF
unprepared, and in order to meet this, we've got
something to do besides seeking the riches and
yanities Of this world. Let us first seek the
kingdom Of Heaven and its Righteousness, and
lay up treasures in Heaven, and there let our
hearts be also Brother and Sister, desire an
interest in your prayers, that may hold out to
the end, and let us pray for one another, that
we may hold out, for the promise is to those, and
those only, that are faithful; and when we are
prepared to die, and are willing to leave this
world and be with Jesus, II it is the will Of God
then we are prepared to live, and live as though
we received every blessing from God. 1t wal
His goodness that spared us from watery grave
and il is His mercy and goodness that has raised
me from bed Of sickness, and hope shall
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