The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-05-16
Nature opposing the Progress of
Man.

The following passage from Mr.. Buckles
History Of Civilization indicates in glowing
colors the obstacles which the prodigaIty OF
Nature may oppose TO the progress OF man :
"BraziI, which is nearly as large as the
whole of Europe, is covered with vegeta-
tion Of incredible profusiOn. Indeed so rank
and luxuriont is the growth, that Nature
seems TO riot in the very wantorness of pow
er. A great part of this immense country
is filled with dense andtangled forests, whose
noble trees, blossomiDg in unriyslled beauty
and exquisite with thousand hues, throw
out their produce in endless prodigality.-
On their summit are perched birds of gorge.
ous plumage, which nestle in their dark re.
cesses. Below, their base and trunks are
crowned with brushwood, creeping plants,
innumbrable parasites, all swarming with
life. There, too, myriads of insects of every
variety. reptiles of strange and singular
form serpents and lizards, spotted with
deadly beauty all Of which find means of ex-
istence in this vast workshop and repository
OF Nature. And that nothing may be want
ing to this land OF marvels, the forests are
skirted by enormous meadows which teek.
ing with heat and moisture, supply nourish.
ment TO countless herds of wild cattle, that
browse and iatten on the herbage; while
the adjoining plains, rich in another form of
life, are the chosen abode OF the subtIest and
most ferocious animals, which prey on each
other. but which it might almost seem no
human power can hope to extermnste.
But amidst this pomp and splendor OF Ma.
ture. no place is left for man. He is reduc
ed TO insgni6csnce by the majesty with
which he is surrounded. The forces that
oppose him are go formidable, that he has
never been able to make headway against
them, never able to rally against their accu.
muIated pressure. The whole of Brazil,
notw outstanding it's apparent advantages, has
always remained entirely uncvlized ; it's
inhabitants wandering ssvages, j. competent
to resist those obstacles which the very
bounty Of Nature had put in their way. In
heir country the physical causes are so ac.
i've, and do their work on q scale of such
magnitude. that 1t has hitherto
'een found impossible to escape from the
Effects of their united action. The progress
# agriculture ia stopped by impossible for
'sts, and the harvests are destroyed by inpu.
nerable insects. The mountains are too
Ugh to scale. the rivers too wide to bridge
verything is contrived to repress the human
mind, and keep back its rising ambition. 1t
} thus that the energies Of nature have ham.
cred the spirit OF man. And the mind,
owed by the unequal struggle has not only
cen unable to advance, but without foreign
ID. it would undoubtedly have receded.-
rail the country where, of all others, ply.
cal resources are most powerful, where
,e soil is watered by the noblest rivers, and
10 coast studded by the finest harbors-this
immense territory which is almost twelve
mes the size of France, contains popula.
on not exceeding six millions OF people,
rofessor Ansted adds to this his testimony :
the effect that the native Indians seem ir. 6
deemable and sunk in the most wretched .
'rbarism and that there appears no pros
,ct whatever of any Improvement in the v
strict, since man can find no spot on which c
commence operations" Il