New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-11-09


t,ors during extensive journey. through Brazil commanding IN
,ae early par; Of this yesr
FROM DIAMANTISA TO THE PRIMITIVE FORESTS
OF TIE MUCuRI-THE COLONY or PIILA-
DELPHA
Three DAYS in Diamantina without rain, deter.
mined me to make trip to the Mucuri. People
there promised me what they called Veranico,
that is short spell of fine weather, which usually
occurs IN the rainy season Generally the Neranico
comes in January, but as ii had not this year. they
said il must come in February. But this hope
soon dissolved for after three days Of travel, the
rain came down again, hard as ever. These SIX
days were the only rainess days for three months
Ny general course eastward, across the RIO
Gequtinhonha, the Rio Manso, the Rio Preto
and the Rio de Arrassuahy TO San Joas de Aiinas
Noyas considerable village, which hopes Ia
be a city in q few weeks. Two days later
] reached Capea de Nossa Senhora de Grafa,
little village generally known under the name OF
/. Capellnha, which until few years back was only
collection OF few miserable LutS. but since the
beginning of the colonization has grown rapidly.
On the plateau between San JOas and tapelhnha 1
saw for the first time wild. the American ostrich;
indeed they are so plenty that saw pairs III three
different places II would have been folly 10 pur-
sue them on u weary mule so drove quietly BY at
a little distance They are often caught young and
tanned In Damantna | SAW mt the nous" oil an
acquaintance very large specimen in u roomy
court: its feet however. were swelled tor lack OF
exercise Capellinha il the limit Of civilization IN
! the direction of the Mucur the last place which
! contains an inhabitabe house. Here was To pro-
vide myself with provisions and corn for the mules.
| On the day of my arrival there was seyen-hours
| pouring RAIN which put everything under water
] al Il A., -, ,.r. hann tha
next day | came to the Rio fanado, it had risen so
much that we could not ford il, and were obliged
| 10 90 twelve miles up its bank, throw temporary
bridge over a branch ut II, carry over our baggage
/ and swim our mules across with the greatest care.
| On the next day il was worse; We had come into
| the region Of the primitive forest to rl'er AT
! other times unInp0rtant but now swollen high,
and with extraordinarily steep fallen banks. The
frrt pack mule, one OF the best of his kind,
! got over we'll but the second fell back into the
| water We had to loosen his pack under water and
then get him and il out of the wafer. As there was
| no oJportuny to dry the articles in the trunks
which h. carried, it Is easy to imagine the condI-
ton Of THEN contents when five days alter We dried
them on our arrival in Philadelphia. Next day we
| could find no settlement night came on we
| made tent out of two Ox-hides; we had scarcely
| got it I'D before ran-stOrm broke upon us which
| lasted that night and the next day. The air about
our eucampment was perfumed by a hafdecaycd
mule near by. On the next morning was Obliged
| To throw away most of the geological specimens
| which had collected, for travelling grew worse
| and worse. We were on the road opened by the
| Mucuri Company toward Minas Noyas, through
the original forest. Only the gr0ssest ignorance
could have laid out and built tittyfour miles of such
road as this A premium iofthe worst possible road
between the two points could not have called forth
worse plan. The commonest European road laborer
would have built it better. The engineer who pro-
duced il will have to answer for heavy sins against
the Company luckless travellers and the poor mules.
wanted 10 reach the settlement of Antonio Gomez.
AT o'clock in the evening saw fire on the right
of the road and rode out to it. suddenly found
myself surrounded by crowd of naked brown In
| dams. Botocudos of the Pote tribe, one of whom,
who understood little Portuguese, pointed out nay
way Early in the morning visited the Indians
again and exchanged piece of tobacco for a bow
aud arrows.
Not far from Antonio Gomez the Mucuri il
crossed on tolerably good bridge, between which
! and Philadelphia, which | reached on the 20th
/ saw frequent troops of Botocudos, some hurrying
! along the road to be- first on their hunting grounds
and some quietly jogging on toward Philadelphia.
| BY every troop Was bcseged for (instead of
| fuuo) tobacco, and little piece Of it always ex-
cited loud cries ofjOy
Philadelphia lies on the banks of the Rio de todos
os Santos 40 miles from the ocean. Founded in
1sj3 il has at present li5 houses some 90 of which
are large and well built the streets are broad and
regularly laid out. A Catholic and Protestant
church are in process of construction, and will be
finished in the course of the year. The so-called
city is situated on little plain from. which radiatc
several valleys, where most of the colonists have
settled. The climate is healthy, and the land very
rich.
The founder and present manager of the Joint
Stock Company for the colonization of the Mucuri
is Mr.. Theophio Bencdicto OttOni, a man Of
thorough philosophical culture, and of great firm
ness earnestness and probty. He has had need of
these qualities 10 surmOunt the countless obstacles
which arose from the beginning and 10 conduct the
enterprise 10 a successful issue. The Company
owns selected lands all along from Philadelphia to
the sea- which they cede 10 coonists on the most
favorable terms. The married settler gets a free
passage from Rio de Janer0 to Santa Clara: his
baggage is carried free to his future home, about a
hundred acres of forest are given him, aud pro,is-
ions for the first year. For the land, the pr0yis-
ions and some advances in money the coonist con-
tracts to pay IN the of four years. His first
labor is To build some Kind OF house and 10 clear
up the torest if he is industrious aud comes in the
right season, III eight or ten months he can get to-
gether enough 30 as 10 need no more AID from the
Company. The great fertility OF the soil renders it
possible for ever, coonist 10 pay Of his debts in
four years, that he can then 20 on az free land
holder.
1t ls hard work 10 clear IF the primitive forest
and change it into arabic land; the labor Of the I
agrcuiturlst is much greater here than IN Europe;
emigrants ought to ponder this well. Yet the I
greater part OF the coonIsts 70 Brazil in the
sweet expectation that the earth will give them her
blessing without drinking of the sweat OF their J.
brows. 4 terrible curse for tie poor emigrant are /
the papnnoipted agents nho ar,i through erery rdt-
Icy Of Europe, deceiring neir taekless rietims nh l
tyiHg promises. | have met c0l0nsts who came to I
Brazil with tolerably precise knowledge Of the I