Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-02-21

Brazil which produces a great variet,
OF luscious fruits. There are severa
kinds OF fruits produced by anothe
family which are most delicious: but
viii only entertain you at Intervals viii
these, for there are other articles which
are Of more Importance to the commere,
OF the world. Ia the valley OF the 4 ma,
z0n there is grown an immence aunornt
OF coffee; its culture extends over tbf
northern province Of Brazil. and also
over Sierra, and the production Of this
1 plant is so great in that country that
probably its yield is greater there than
anywhere else. The chocolate we derive
from plant grown there in immense
quantities; it is the cocoa plant which
grows IN all these forests and produces a
Irult somewhat Ike a cucumber but
iargeri IN which the great seed are now
growing. These seed are taken out when
ripe, dried and prepared, and it is from
these seed That the various prepara-
uonS- OF cocoa are made. Then
there is another fruit very exten-
slvely cultivated there, the guararia
which produces a cooling beverage ~
which the Brazilians are very fond. II
Is sometimes ike chocolate. It's cultiva-
tlon covers extensive areas between the
MADEIRA and the Tapaj0s. But the great
staples OF that country are the dyestufFs
ana variety OF medicinal drugs, the
saFsaparllla, the pecac and the palm
Whicn Is 50 extensively used in the man
fracture Of quininei sugar, and the post
valuable OF all the productions is india
rubber. The india-rubber is obtained
from tree which grows in the sub-
merged lands, aud which is a kind of
eaehone. We have hardly a plant cf
that Family to compare with it which is
at all similar in aspect. It il perhaDs
more like the mulberry and may becom-
pared to it, though it grows taller ana
does not spread 50 much. A
wound Is made in the bark of
lhe tree By cutting it, and The sap which
1OWs from ID Is collected into 2 number
OF cups made of the leaves Of trees. and
Is then poured into q larger vessel, dried. /
smoked and prepared in the wav I'M
Whlch you see it in commerce. Thus far
has only been collected
nowhere is it cultivated
'.i'd &C is one Of the mysteries dlthe |
country that al the natural productions 1
are still in their Wild condition. and nave I
nowhere received the Importance which /
their culture would necessarily com |
mand. The consequence Of this mode |
Of collection Is the extraordinary methods /
connected with it. The labOrers 20 into
the forest ts collect it, and tap the trees
in the most irregular manner, and when 1
they collect the sap there are many trees /
which they pass unnoticed. In that way /
an immense quantity Of the material h /
wasted. / have been told that any one |
who would follow in the ordinary
track of these collectors Of india |
rubber would find as rich a
harvest as those who made the first col /
lection. And so tits with all the natural |
productions Of the country. The Bra /
lillian mats, which are so extensively |
used in the west, and Of which the Bra |
ziliaus manufacture very excellent oil. |
These nuts, which are produced from
fruit about the size Of your two fists, fall |
10 the ground. and are also collected st
random and | have been told by one Of /
the most Intelligent men connected with 1
the trade Of the Amazon, that he was 1
satisfied that annually about SO, 900, 900 |
wOrtA Of the natural products Of the |
Amazon remained rOtting on the ground /
from want of hands to collect them, /
when, if there was an Industrious popu- /
atI0n, all this wealth would be saved |
and if the population was sufficiently ex- \
.ensive to cultivate regularly those val
lable productions, you see at once what |
mines Of wealth would ilOW into the /
commerce of the world. But the first
requisite is that there shall be set
led population, aud q population living
The population which now
occupies that valley Is indolent, is irreg-
liar in its mode Of life, and in conse-
luence Of that liable to diseases which
ire ascribed To the unhealthy elimAte.
fOr what could lie expected Of q uopula-
ion which goes into the wood with an
Indifferent supply of food, and that of
l0or quality, and will remain in the - Z,
will allow themselves to be rained UPON,
without taking any precautiOn for
mango, but that after while they would
get fever or rheumatism, and all other
diseases which CaTelessness and poor food
ring on, and which are universally
harged 10 the climate. The first step
Oward improving Brazil would he reg
liar settlements-settlemen au these
leat banks which rise regularly
.hove The level Of the water and
when are so inviting, not only on ac-
cunt Of the variety of vegetation, but
n account Of the picturesque manner in
which the rivers intersect these infinite
Orests. There il one feature which il
charming-it is the narrow
hanDels OF water which cut through the
0rests, sometimes SO narrow that the
ranches meet together and form .
losed arch over the water, sometimes 80
lose that the smallest buasa and it diff
ult to follow thsiF courses. All these
onstitgt5 0ue-of the great charms of
hat region, 10 which you may add the
interest arising from the immense va
iety of animals Of ali Glasses which min
lie in this iuXuriant vegetation, and of
which ! shall say more in future lee
ure. Applause.