The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1867-08-17
The Brazil Fever.

ton, sends the News the following
letter for publication, the writerof
which, Mr.. Williams says, is q
gentleman of gelose observation
and of more than ordinary intelli-
gence: .r.s.r-- -...- -s
HARRoDsBuRG. KY. May %, 81
g. ". Williams, Esq, -.
DEAR SIR: On our parting at
Charleston in January last, on my
way to Brazil, I promised to ad-
dress you on my return to the
United States, which | now do.
| After travelling ON the. coast and
land 5000 miles in Brazil, I re-
| turned to the United States, sat
isfed that Brazil would not suit
our people, all things considered,
| Notwithstanding thousands are
going there who are not informed,
and, I think, will never be happy
or even comparatively satisfied.
/ Nature has done much for Brazil.
i More beautiful harbors and scenery
the world cannot excel-much of
the soil very fertile, but not more
so than many parts of the United
States; a fine climate-that is, if
one is fond of perpetual summer.
Thermometer averages from 78 to
9S-in short, average of a South
| Carolina summer, Rio Janeiro is
precisely the climate of Havana.
i Population Of Rio 100000. But
j few roads in the entire empire that
would admit of wagon, and only
4 three railroads in the entire EN-
pire, one of which is eighty-fve
nils, another 124 miles, the
other ninety miles, l regard the
d the country as being well
adapted for coffee, sugar and to.
bacco, but not for grain, and cot
ton I regard as yet an experiment
Rice does we'll. have very great
doubts as to cotton doing well
there; the soil is all right, but the
climate doubt They do have
! the wet and dry season there, and
either of which ruin a cotton crop
in Carolina, and [ see no reason
why it would not in Brazil. Last
year in the most desirable prov
ince. I understood it did not rain
in six months. 1t is the wors1
country in the world to obtain
truthful information as to these
matters. All the book-writers de
ceive the public, and when / set
you I will tell you the cause
which you VIII easily understand
!. There are no facilities in the coun
try, and. worse than all, the Ian
guage, which is Portuguese, thel
: the habits, manners and mode 0
;. living; and any man must be yer.
vain who supposes that a fey
| Americans can go to that natu
rally fine country and cause thos
people to adopt ours. Not sO.-
n If you go there, you must give u
o the English, acquire the Portu
!, gese, and become q thorough Brs
lillian, before you could begin t
: live there; live on Mandioca mes
/. for bread and a barrel of importe'
-four, to reach the interior on tn
back of a pack mule, which is
II curiosity, and bacon, rarely see
s. in Rio, fifty cents per pound i
gold; and of the many familie
going there now, by the time the
7 settle in the interior, / think
doubtful whether they, will eve
', see a ham of bacon or barrel I
-four again. Society none wha
- ever. E ,5 sd Ht
S. The coffee plantations we
beautiful in the extreme. I'll
g negroes looked well, and wou
", class, in appearance, with ours
ce the days of slavery, but l did n
nd think they were as good worker
~ The price of slaves, for young mt
=. he and women, likely, from $500
5000. Much more has been sa
- in this country about the eman
patton of slavery in Brazil tn;
has been said there. II | cou
n. have consented to settle in Braz
he 1 can only say that | would Il
lpt have any fears on that score. B
u / could not consent to settle the
. with my family, all things cons
- ersd.s OF course, ] cannot und
a. take in this letter to go into
tails. When / see you, [ can t
IT, you many things interesting as
the that country.
the have purchased property
era e'ni Kentucky, and shall return
South Carolina next week, a
py- hence will see you shortly. Yo1
mt, truly. ID. L. B
soc, ---.-az>.----s' a52
ST. 1 New Jersey has debt
30 205. ono