Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-08-08

relch, it was forty miles orless, and We were ad
vissd it would take five days to reach it, with nj
provisions for mnn; or animal on the road. W
afro heard from what we deemed good authority
that although the lands were rich, the climate al
allng the great mountain range of this coast
which separates the interior from the seaboard, i
SO damp, that cotton and corn can not bcsuccess
fully produced. Some ono laughingly remarked
thut it rained three hundred and Sixty-six day
in the yearSon the Big Sierra, as they call thi
mountain range in Brazil. Itwas therefore plain
chat we either had to abandon this part of the
trip or the other, and hero we agreed with DR.
CASTOR, that he should go over tho mountains
and examine the lands in that direction, whilst
we turned in the other. The Doctor promised. tc
give us full account of his Investigations, md
we engaged to do the same for him. This MAS
all subsequently, done, and his report to us will
be appended to this. We therefore changed on,
course towards the interior, in the direction oi
Bctucatu and Lencoes, where we heard there
were public lands but on our arrival there, found
i. mistake All the lands were owned by pri-
vato parties From st. Paulo to this place, by
the direct route, is about one hundred and-ffty
Mills. The present terminus Of the r. Il. is ff-
teen or twenty miles nearer. The road, if road
1t nay be called. leading to it, pa3ses-ovcr tract
ot country except for some twentyo or forty miles,
called here campo, without trees or other growth
uro.l it than grass, and q few small.bushes. Thc
lands on these cumpos are not cultivated at all,
but used for pastures. The people here contend
lust if ploughed, they would produce: well, but
10 one has tried it. In our opinion, they are not
fs for farming purposes. sAs-ntimnted above,
there are some superior farming lands on this
route and we saw cotton that would make one
thousand pounds per acre, or more, and corn that
would yield twenty five or more bushels per acre.
all cultivated with the hoe. We saw cottonin all
stages of growth, some just planted, and some
up Eve or six inches,-some in full bloom, and
some planted the year previous, with bolls open.
We also saw cotton gins at work, driven by steam,
by water and by hand. All the cotton here is of
good quality.
The traveller in going from St. PauO to Botu-
catu, with the exception of these twenty or more
miles of good farming lands, Ind patch Of
woodland now and thep m which are usually o
house and small field, plantedin corn and beans,
will say he has travelled over q vast plain un-
friendly to agriculture; and SO, in our opinion it
is. But in the midst of this extensive campo or
plain. or il you please, barren waste, suddenly
rises up a mountain or succession of mountains,
about iity or sixty miles long, by ten or twelve
miles wide, evidently of apecular volcsnic forma-
tiou. As this mountain District was the most in
teresting visited we examined it with the greatest
care and satisfied ourselves that it contained the
richest lands we had ever seen. This immense
and inconceiyably fertile trnct.is owned, and, to
some extent, cultivated by small farmers. Ask
maj, 'tbow much lard dc, yousown," " and his usual
reply is II do not know exactly, but it is four,
six, or ten miles long, and from four to six miles
broad" The lands Of Brazil, except in rare in
stances, have not been surveyed, and no one with
whom we have conversed on this subject knows
how much land he owns.-All guess. we saw eern
growing on these lands, which would yield more
than fifty bushels per acre. The timber, is cut
down, allowed to lie and dry for two months, COM
monty, and then set on fire. All the timber not
consumed by the FIRE, remains just as the fire left
it, till ierots. Then usually with stick-sharp-
iened at tho end sometimes with hOe-a hole is
made in the ground, the seed, from five to ten
grains, put into this hole and covered with the
n IL
ceive. Corn, cotton, rice, sugar cane, tobacco,
coffee and al the Tropical fruits grow here in
great perfection. We saw peaches and grapes
also OF good quality. Tho most Of these lends
are exempt from fro.t,-tho health of this region
is ssid to be unexcept;onsble-tho water of the
purest freestonc, and tho wafer power equal to
any in the world. Stock of all kinds, hogs and
cattle especially, nre superior. The usual depth
of soil is supposed to be thirteen feet, but it is
known to be twenty or moro in some places. If
this tract Of country had convenient and easy
communication with the trade Of the world, if
there raight DO auy to equal there could certainly
be none to surpass it. It's present outlet is by
the Railroad, one hundred and twenty-five miles
to its terminus, and from eighty to one hundred
miles byit to sautos. Another outlet may be
opened for It across the Big Sicrraaludcd toabove
In that direction, it is from eighty to one hun
dred miles to steamboat navigation.
Those lands be purchased at iron one to
two dollars rernere, and somo tracts or parcels
With considerable improvements.
II large number of families from the States
should settle there we have been assured official
ly, thar good roads will DO opened up immediate
ly; ana tits practcoblc TO connect this District
by Il. r. with the ST. Paulo II. T., or by R. l..
over the Dig Sierra to the acad of navigation.
Running parallel with Ibis mountain range is
tho river Ticte ind for ahoat twenty miles dis
t,ni, ou either side Of WHICH, arc lands of t5c
best quality, producing cTery description ofcrops,
except Coffee in the greatest perfection and abun-
dance There were some fields Of as good, il
not better cotton than we ever saw before and
without doubt the best cultivated grasu," whole
fields of which were from FIVE to ssven.fect higo,
and eaten by the animals with the greatest avidi-
ty. There too, I'VE found Germ good enough for
any country. Fifty bushels per acre is-a small
estimate for it. Our information is, that for more
than one hundred miles down this valley, tho
same quality of land continues. 1t belongs to
private individuals, and can bo bought at from
fifty to severity five cts. pnr acre. 1t is proper tc
mcation here, that tho gerrtory forty or fifty
miles south Of tho mountain range above referred
to, is in the hands of tho Indians. The lands IL
this valley we believe to be as good for cotton a.
apy in the United States. The ordinary estimate
of this crop is from two to three thousand lbs
with but little cultivation. The character Of th'
soil is what is usually call,d with.us MulattO,
and its depth from eight inches to five feet Bu
great objection to this exceedingly fertile vale!
is its liability to chills, which are sometimes ma