The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-11-05
From the Boston Daily Evening Traveller.
BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANs.

L
ip their voice in songs of Joy and glsdness.
From the Boston Daily Evening Traveller
/ BRAZIL AND THE BRAZILIANs.
T. Until very recently the popular notion of
Brazil has been something like that of the GEN.
re of Africa, or any other unexplored tropical
| egion, of which it vas supposed we had no
.ldore definite knowledge than of Millions Tap.
Esobane or Campanells's CiUitas Soils Misss.
Ealppian rivers, virgin forests, palm-trees and
Sguars, snacondss and alligators, monkeys and
sarrots, revolutions and earthquakes, mingling
N about equal proportion. The recent para,
graphs in the papers, limiting that it was under
consideration to lay q telegraph, if possible,
from the Old World to Brazil, slight as they
are, have had some effect in unsettling these
indistinct conceptions. Telegraph cables imply
very productive, Industrious, and opulent
psst-full of steam engines, machinery, printing
presses, aud all the parspherpalia of an ad-
vanced civilization. Lieut.. Mshry's reports,
recent Congressional documents, Lieut.. Pages
explorations and occasional hketches and tin
eraries, such as Com. Stewards, or Com mission.
| et Ewbank's, have also had tome effect in dis.
| placing the old notions. The historical and de.
seriptive sketches of Brazil AID the BrdziLians,
| by the Revds. d. P. Kidder, d. D., aud j. G.
1
Co.,) will complete the business, and substitute
accurate, wellde6ned, and comprehensive views,
for what have hitherto been erroneous, inaccu.
rate, and vague.
| Before noting few of the main features of
this vast country and its inhabitants, we would
notice with commentator the excellent style
in which the book is produced, its fine maps
and engravings, Its copious appendices, its COM
peteness in matters of fact, history, or descrip-
ton, its captivating style, all uniting to make
it a worthy successor 20 Ksne's Arctic Expedi.
tion-the best book Of travels published in the
last half century.
Brazil occupies in the Southern Hemisphere
territory of greater area than that occupied
BY the United States ON the Northern. 1t has
population of about eeven and a half millions,
who constitute by far the most Progressive PEG.
pie south ofthe Equator, and as the descendants
Of the Portuguese, hold the same relative posi-.
ton in South Americs as the descendants of
the English in the northern half of the New
World. Its Government is stable constitu.
tional monarchy, and iss sovereign, Don Pedro
ii, who unites the blood of the Braganzas, the
bourbons, and the Ha1Bbrrghs, is one of the
best sovereigns now sitting upon a throne-a
Saul in size, with brain to match. His capital
city, Rio de Janeiro, sl at in by circle of Hel.
yetian mountains, is on q magnificent bay, wor.
shy to be clsssed with the Bay of Naples and
the Golden Horn, and has a climate of perpet.
ual summer, albeit its ,me, River of January
though misnomer, 81 ggests to our northern
ears scenes of arctic sterility rather than of
tropic abundance.
Following our trusty suides, we enter, through
, gigantic avenue of fountains and palm-cov-
cred isles, the superb bay, UPON whose shores
sits the queenly metropolis OF Brazil. On either
side of the contracted entrance, as far as the
eye can reach, stretea away the mountains,
whose huge and fantastic shapes recall the glo
ries of Alpland. Far through the opening, tower
up the Organ Mountains. Peculiar bright-leaved
woods cover the shores, with here and there the
le-blooming quaresma-trae, and the snake
like cacti and rich Towering parasites hang
down even from the jagged aud PERCEPTIONS
sides of the Sugar Loaf The white walls of
the Santa Cruz Fortress lift themselves at the
right, and far to the left, though nearer to the
city, is the fortress OF st. JOHN, bright amid the
surrounding verdure. A feet IF canoes and
arketbosts, manned by halfclad blacks, are
near by; miniature bay of Naples is set like
jewel between the smooth, white beach, aud the
broad circle of green around little steamers
and graceful felluccss are passing and repassing.
and white sails dot the whole hsrbor; and now
the vast city looms up, extending with it's white
suburbs for long miles on the, irregular shore of
the bay, raining back almost to the foot of the
distant mountains, and diversified by green hills,
which seem to spring ap from the most popu-
lous neighborhood.
| Brilliancy and novelty do not end with the
day. The night soon succeeds the short twilight
of the tropics. Innumerable gaAlghts line the
immense borders of the city, and extend over
the hills like the fablsJ star bridges of the Ara
.bian Nights. New CONSULTATIONS are in the
heavens. Orion is just visible in the northern
sky, but the Great Bear and Csssiopeia are long
since hidden. But in the southern sky we have
snstead the Southern Cross and the Magellan
clouds. In short, all',ravellers who have seen
Rio de Janeiro and tn, bay, unite. in pronounc-
| ing it the finest bay In the world. The streets
ofthe city are generally narrow, and rather DOOR
| ly paved. Over the n5rrow cross streets, vehi
eles are directed by ,n index to pass only in
one direction. Onni .uses run from the Rs.a
D1ettd and the Ldr9 do Rocio to every Dor
eqon OF the vast city ami its suburbs The houses
seldom exceed three CT four stories in height
Formerly, as in the e3od old days of Diedrich
knickerbocker, in Nsw York, and before the
FRevolution, in Boston the merchant of Rio de
Janeiro would reside il the house over his store !:
but now, there, as her /, the aspect of the com.
mercial quarter is aged. The buildings are
wholly given up to business, and at night and
morning, crowded steamers, full omnibuses. and
gahoplng horses, convey the merchants and
clerks to their distant or suburban Residences.
in the same way that has now become 80 uni
Yersal In Boston and New York. The crowds
OF the city have variety of complexion and
costume, and diversity of habits and appear
snce, which even those of London cannot eoual.
Business hours are from to 3. The Exchanoe
contains a reading-room, supplied with Brazil
ian and foreign papers, and beneath its snac;ons
porticoes the merchants of eight or nine differ.
emit nations daily mest. Tae Custom. House ia
hear by. The negro's head vas formerly aim ost
ghe only vehicle of transportation, but now carts
Sand wagons are equally ci.mmon, though not
Eeuperseding the former in tae moving of light
burdens and furniture.
T. In regard to the politene3s of the Brazil;ans.
this may be said no one enters or leaves an
omnibus, without salnting tae inmates, and hay.
Ting his salute acknowledged. On entering the
Custom-H House, the merchant removes his hat,
and keeps it in his hand till passing out of the
portico, treating the edifces of the Emperor
with the same respect he would pay to the pri-
gate residence of a friend. An Englshman
considers it a part of4the British Constitution
not to take off his hat except when he hears
the notes of God Save the Queen. The letters
and newspapers of the General Post Office are
distributed, not IN boxes, according to alpha.
oetical order, but in heaps, according to the
place whence they have come and he who
comes hrst has the privilege of selecting his
own and friend's lattera onl nc +ha Ill ~