The southern press., 1851-06-25
Para ON the Amazon.
By JOHN EsAIAs WARREN. Putnam, 10!


By JOHN EsAIAs WARREN. Putnam, 1851.
The Cry OF PARA-The city of Para is de-
lightfully situated on the southern branch of the
Amazon, called, for the sake of distinction,
/" The Para River" 1t is the principal city OF
the province of the same name-an immense
territory, which has very appropriately been
styled . The Paradise Of Brazil" The general
aspect of the place, with its low and venerable
looking buildings Of solid stone, its massive
churches and moss.grown ruins, its red-tilted
roofs and dingy-white walls, the beautiful trees
Of its gardens and groups of tall banana plants
peeping up here and there among the houses,
constituted certainly scene Of novelty, if not
of elegance and beauty.
The first spectacle which arrested our atten-
ton on landing was that of number of per-
sons of both sexes and all ages, bathing indis-
criminately together in the waters of the river,
| in a state of entire nudity.-We observed
among them several fine formed Indian girls of
exceeding beauty, dashing about in the water
| like troop of happy mermaids The heat Of
the sun was so intense, that we ourselves We're
almost tempted to seek relief from its overpow-
ering influence by punging precPtately amid
the joyous, throng Of swimmers. But we for
bore
The natives Of Para are very Clearly and in
dulge in daily ablutons nor do they confine
their baths to the dusky hours of evening, but
may be seen swimming about the public wharfs
at all hours of the day. The government has
made several feeble efforts to put restraint
upon these public exposures; but at the time of
our departure all rules and regulations on the
subject were totally disregarded by the natives.
The city is laid out with considerable taste
and regularity; but the streets are very narrow,
and miserably paved with large and uneven
stones. The buildings generally are but one
story in height, and are, with few exceptions, en-
tirely destitute of glass windows; kind of
latticed blind is substituted, which is so con.
structed that it affords the person within an OPP
portunity of seeing whatever takes place in the
street, without being observed in return.
We noticed several strange spectacles as We
slowly walked through the city. Vendors Of
fruit with huge baskets on their heads, filled
with luscious oranges, bananas, mangoes, pine
apples, and other choice fruits Of the tropics ;
groups of blacks carrying immense burdens in
the same manner; invalids fecEning in their
hammocks, or ladies riding in their gay.covered
palanquins, supported on mems shoulders; and
water-carriers moving along by the side Of their
heavily laden horses or mules.
- Finally, we met with a party Of some thirty
or forty blacks each one of them bearing a
large basket of tapioca on his head. They were
perfectly naked to their waists, and wore only
pair Of pantaloons of very coarse material.
They marched on at slow and measured pace,
chanting at the same time singularly monoto-
nous air, to which they beat time with their
hands,
We learned that they were free blacks, and
called themselves .Ganhadorcs" Their bust
ness was that of loading and unloading vessels !;
horses and carts being but little used in Para
These bands are under the direction Of a leader
or captain, who furnishes, on application, any
number of men that may be required. In loading
vessels, they frequently wade out into the
water until their heads and the boxes thereon
are alone visible above the surface They then
deposit their several burdens in a species of
Fighter" or lat-bottomed boat, which conveys
them Immediately to the larger vessels lying at
anchor in the stream.
INDIA RUBBER.
number Of blacks bearing long poles on
their shoulders. thickly strung with lnda-rubber
shoes, also attracted our attention. These. are
for the most part manufactured in the interior,
and are brought down the river for sale, by the
natives. It has been estimated that at least two
hundred and fifty thousand pairs of shoes are
annually exported from the province, and the
number is constantly on the increase.
A few words here respecting the tree ITSELF
and the manufacture of the shoes, may not be
out of place.
The tree (Siphilla Elastica) is quite peculiar
in its appearance, and sometimes reaches the
height of eighty and even hundred feet. The
trunk is perfectly round, rather smooth, and pro-
tected by bark of light color. The leaves
grow in clusters Of three together, are thin, and
Of an ovate form, and are from ten to fourteen
= Lac g Il,
ter is always the longest.
This remarkable tree bears curious fruit, Of
the size Of peach, which, although not very
palateable, is eagerly sought after by different
animals-it is separated into three lobes, which
contain each small black nut The trees are
tapped in the same manner that New England-
ers tap maple trees. The trunk having been
perforated, a yelowish liquid, resembling cream,
flows out, which is caught in small clay cups,
| fastened to the tree. When these become full,
their contents are emptied into large earthen
jars, in which the liquid is kept until desired for
| use.
The operation Of making the shoes is as SIM
pie as it is interesting. Imagine yourself dear
reader, in one of the seringa groves of Brazil.
| Around you are q number Of good looking ma
tives oflow stature and olive complexion. All are
variously engaged. One is stirring with a long
wooden stick the contents Of cauldron, placed
over pile Of blazing embers. This is the liquid
as il was taken from the rubber tree. Into this n
wooden "last," covered with clay, and having a
handle, is plunged. A coating Of the liquid re.
mains. You will perceive that another native
then takes the "last," and holds il in the smoke
arising from the ignition Of species Of palm
fruit, for the purpose Of causing the glutinous
substance to assume dark color. The "last"
is then plunged again inio the cauldron, and
this process Is repeated, as In dipping candles,
until the coating is Of the required thickness.
You will, moreover, notice a number Of Indian
girls (some very pretty engaged in making va.
rious impressions, such as flowers, &C., upon
the soft surface of the rubber, by means oftheir
thumb nails, which are especially pared and cul-
tivated for this purpose. After this final opera
ton, the shoes are placed in the sun to harden,
and large numbers Of them may be seen laid
out on mats in exposed situations. The abort.
4 ginal name of the rubberis cahuchu, from which
the formidable word caoutchouc is derived. In
Para II is styled borracha or seringa