Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-04-06

the families would need, and would be
worth to-day, in the city OF New York.
$4,000 to $4,000 There are O great many
other kinds of timber on these lands that
are considered more valuable than the
rosewood. As to the quality and fer
tility of the lands, ask Pa what he knows
about the rich hammock east of East
Florida. These are just such lands,
except that they are richer and lie better
than the Florida lands. have travelled
over the whole of them in company
with Col Leitner, who has lived and
been planting upon large scale in East
Florida for the last fifteen years, and he
says that the country is far superior to
the rich hammocks OF Florida, and as
preof Of his sincerity he has bought
magnificent tract of land on the Pardo,
and is now living upon it; having writ
ten back to his family and friends to
make their arrangements and join them
as soon as possible. The lands are rich,
you may rest assured of that-as rich as
the decaying foliage of forty centuries
can make them. And the enormous
crops that grow upon them l can
scarcely restrain myself from shouting
aloud, when l think of this wonderful
country, which as I, believe has been
mercifuily reserved by the kind Beuefac-
tor, for the home and final resting place
of our oppressed people. Do you want
good fruit2 Iu no portion Of Brazil, or
Of the habitable globe, can you find bet
ter oranges, bananas, and pine-apples
than grow here in the province of Bahia;
and there are twenty other kinds Of fruit
more delicious even than those | have
named, whose names even | never heard
of until came to Brazil, that are grow
ing and ripening all the year. Do you
want country that will produce all the
great staples of the world, and produce
them to perfection2 Well, the province
of Bahia comes nearer fillingth bill than
any country l have yet seen. Sugar,
coffee, cotton, tobacco, rice and corn
grow her to perfection. Near the
coast it may be too wet for short
staple cotton, but, after leav-
ing the coast hundred. miles, it grows
and bears magnifcently. But none of
these things would have moved me, or
caused me to select the section of coun-
try | have, had / not been convinced,
beyond all doubt, that the country was
healthy. If it is not so, then l am the
worst deceived man upon earth. There
| is not a gallon of stagnant water in ten
miles of where l shall build my house,
nor has there been, nor will there ever
be- But on the contrary, the whole tract
is chequered here and there with the
most beautiful brooks and rivulets that
ever saw in my life. They glide over
beds of beautiful white sand gravel, and
their waters are as pure and delicious to
the taste as those that trickle and MUIR
mur at the foot of the Blue Ridge ITSELF
| In no land or country have | ever seen
or drank better water. These streams
afford sufficient water to turn any amount
of machinery that we may need; in fact,
every man may have him mill, if he 80
desires. Well, then, if upon this vast
elevated plain, with the blessed trade.
winds forever tanning our cheeks, and
these pure and delicious waters gliding
past our dwellings if, with the forests
abounding in game, the river with hsh,
aud the earth groaning beneath its pre-
cious load of staple products, vegetables
and delicious fruits-if, with all these
advantages, we do not enjoy good health,
then | despair of ever finding place
| where we can.
As to climate, the thermometer never
rises above ninety and never goes below
sixty degrees The nights are very cool
| always cover myself with blanket
when can get one. have not suffered
one tenth part as much with heat since
have been in Brazil as would have suf-
fered during the summer season In any
portion of the United States.
As to markets, we are only eighty
miles from the sea, upon stream that is
navigable the entire year; and when we
get to the sea we are two hundred miles
from Bahia, and four hundred from Rio
de Janerio, and these are the best mar
kets in Brazil; we can choose between
them. | have not mentioned the most
important crop that is planted in the
Immediate section of country where |
have selected my future home. 1t is
called Cacao pronounced Cacow), and
is, without doubt, the most valuable crop
that has ever been planted in Brazil, or,
perhaps, any other country upon the
globs. 1t is the fruit from which choco-
late is made, and can only be grown sue
cessfully in certain localities, one of
which favored localities is the section OF
country which l have chosen. ex-
pect to turn my attention prlneipally TO
the cultivation of this valuable fruit
see enough to satisfy me that | can
make twice as much money here as
ever made in the United States, and
with one-half the labor at that.
But | will not say that there are no
objections to the country. There are
MOSQUITOES here; but have not seen as
many during the five or six months that
have been in Brazil as / have many
times seen upon the Mississippi or lis
tributaries in the space Of forty-eight
hourr. They have snakes here, and some
terrible, big, poisonous fellows; but l
have travelled in canoes, on horseback,
and on foot, by day and by night; | have
been FIVE months upon the trip, and it
has been warm enough all the time for
snakes, and yet will take solemn oath
that during these FIVE months and during
this long and tiresome journey, have
seen only six snakes; they we're all small
one was a little green fellow about
twelve inches long, two were garter
snakes, two were king snakes, and the
other was double quicking to the thicket
80 RAPIDLY that / failed TO make a note
Of his color, size or qualities. There
are mighty anacondas and boa con-
strictors here, that can crush and MUNICH
and swallow an OK, but have yet
to 6nd the living man who has ever seen
one. There are cannibals hsre, wild
Indians. who kill and eat people, and l
have even passed through the very sec
tons said to be infested By them, yet
night after night have lain upon the
banks Of that might river, in the deHse
shade and deep solitude Of iis forests,