The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1865-07-01

lies. Her Superficial area is o,3iU ,GUO square |
miles, and her population does not exceed seven
million souls. She is almost as large in territory
as the entire European continent, and her popu- !
lation is only in proportion of 1856 to that of
Europe Her population is confined to narrow
strip along the coast of the Atlantic and to the
mining districts in the interior; the rest of the
country is chiefly unbroken forests and grassy
plains, Inhabited by huge serpents. feroclous
beasts and gregarious birds gaudiiy colored, while
the rivers are teeming with an abundance of fish.
Brazil is one of the richest countries in the world
for vegetable and mineral products. The ANA
zon River, the largest in the world, runs through
the whole country from east to west to the Andes
mountains, lying in sight of the Pacific Ocean
its arms or branches biturcating in every direc-
ton through incommensurate Pampas or plains,
where herds of useful animals and wild cattle
such as horses, sheep and beeves are roaming at
will, almost undsturbed except by the unmer
citul hunter who slaugnters them for their hides.
producing very extensive branch of trade with
the city OF Rio Grande on the coast, whence they
are shipped to European markets.
| The banks of the rivers offer to the husband
man the most fertile soil upon earth, being under
a tropical sun; sugar cane. cotton and coffee
| grow with extraordinary luxurauce, the coffee
tree yielding two crops yearly and treble as much
as in the West Indies or Cuban Isles corn, CO.
Gao, indigo and tobacco are grown with scarcely
any labor: the most luscious fruits are growing
wild in the woods. The soil is comparatively
very little cultivated owing to the lack Of knowl-
edge more than to the scarcity of laborers. One
fourth of the population only are whites.s one
tenth are Indians and the rest are negroes work
ing under the same system as those of the Sonth-
ern States of North America before their desultory
struggle, which ended in the destruction and final
overthrow of their institutions. Rio-Janeiro. the
capital OF the empire, is a we'll built city in q
beautiful country, with a fine haGbor and extern
sive commerce carried on chiefly by foreigners
6 this is the renowned city whence we draw thai
splendid and highly relished stinulant. Rio coffee
the cheapest brought in this OF any other country
! 1t will not be atniss to close my remarks witt
the history of the empire of Brazil. She wa.
discovered in 1860, by Cabral, Portuguese
In 1924 the Dutch conquered Brazil, but the ia
tives drove them away in 1854, and the Portu
l guese took their place The kings of the house
! of Bragance, France, assumed the title of "kng
Of Portugal and Brazil Having been driver
from Europe in 1907, by Napoleon, they came t.
> Brazil and established their dominion in the city
t of RioJaneiro, hnt they remained there only
: few years (untii 1921. Their return to Europ
in 1922, caused Portugal to lose her rights OF
Brazil: she declared herself independent tha
0 same year and elected as her emperor Don Pedr
!, l. son of John VI; the sudden death of the latte
: in 1926, left the two thrones to Don Pedro, kim
It OF Portugal. This potentate gave UP the crow
Il to his daughter, Donna Maria. Au insnrrectio
= having broken out, he was compelled, after siren
nous efforts, to abdicate the crown in 1881 Fl
= transferred the crown of Brazil to his son Do
u Pedro IT. born in 1925, and under whose reig
and administration the Brazilian empire has bee
: SO prosperous. The marriage of the Prince {
: JoinvilIe, son Of Louis Philip I, king of France
's in 1543, with the sister OF Don Pedro II, seem
e. to have blended closely together the two mona
a. chies the mutual intercourse and friendly rel'
tions existing at that time are continued TO tn
day, and Brazil is now shipping almost all he
products to France
. A French author says: "L'empire du Brfs
le sesable etre apple d de hastss destsnfcs.' 0
,e leaving the subject. MIR. Editor, may be pc
mtted to say that some caf,. perhaps, enlarge an
extol on this little recital, but none can gainsa
y its truth. s&ess
st Respectfully yours, t +. +.