The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1866-02-28
Life In Brazil.

A Confederate officer sends back to a
friend in the South, the following notes Of
travel in Brazil:
We have arrived at our port of desti-
nation, Rio Janeio. Wefnd the weather i
not very hot here, as we feared-it is about
like that of Virginia in June. There is
a fine breeze here; the nights are quite
cool Went to the police Office and got
our passports, which were sent there by
the officials on the steamer all passports
are required to be revised by these func-
tionaries. Last night we went to the
theater. It was all in the language I'M
known to us, but the dancing and acting
were interesting.
About two or three miles from Rio Ja-
metro is situated the Emperor's palace. It
is on a high elevation, with magnificent
walks, arbors, etc., surrounding it. As
we passed along we saw coffee plantations
on all sides. One coffee tree yields from
twenty to one hundred pounds of coffee.
The berries are green, red and black in
the same cluster, which resembles our cher
ry somewhat, The country is very noun
famous. The coffee, sugar cane and corn
fields are on hills nearly perpendicular.
They never use plows to till the land, but
Simply to the common hoe. Some of the
plantations turn out from 100000 to
$1,000 worth of coffee per annum, and
have as many as three thousand negroes.
We see any quantity Of negroes and ba-
nanas growing
The scenery going over the mountains
is grand, and the finest have ever seen.
The railroad is completed about one hun
dred miles from Rio Janeiro, and to enable
the company to use it, they have built a
road over this mountain while
the tunnel is building.
The system of slavery In this country
is the hardest kind You Zee all the ne
groes that have been brought from Africa
have their faces horribly gashed more Or
less. Itwas done in Africa, to distinguish
what tribe they belong to. Those born
here have not these marks. 1t is some
fifteen or twenty years since the slave
trade was stopped here, but frequently
they are run into the country. The worst
and most repulsive part Of the custom is,
that where negro is found free Or eman-
cipated, he is allowed to associate by mar
rage and otherwise with the first in the
Empire. It is laughable to see both sexes
Of negroes going through the streets sing
ing and talking to themselves, generally in
their native tongue. As a general thing,
they have loads on their heads, ranging
from a diamond pin to a sack of coffee, as
we'll as large round baskets filed with va
rious articles, or, in some instances, five or
six empty -four barrels.
They have extensive markets here, well !
supplied with all kinds Of fruit, fish, poul-
Try, vegetables, ETC. The fowls are very
arge-chickens as large as our turkeys,
ducks as large as our geese, turkeys weigh |
from 20 to 30 pounds. -
The currency here is called copper coin,
which is forty refs, the size of a Canada
copper. twenty-five dumps are one mill |
-eis, making 600 reis for one millrcis
One millreis is but fifty cents Of our coin.
Their paper currency is from l to 1000
ni!reis. A contey is 10000 millreis, Or
say $500.
We had our hands full looking around,
md expect to be kept busy while here.
The Brazilian ladies, if such they can
DC called, so about in a half naked con-
lition.
The authorities are very anxious, and
hold out every inducement to emigrants
IThn p,,ass1optSS VITA Mnceon.o