The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1871-12-27
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
LETTER FROM REV. MR.. LANE.
CAMp1NAs, Nov. 18th, 1871.

, CAMPINAS, Nov. IoCh, IoI1.
e Rev. and Dear Brother, Before this let
ter is received in Richmond you will have
heard of our safe arrival in Brazil, but some
particulars of the voyage may be of interes
to your readers. On the afternoon of the
29d of September our steamer left N. York
e On the wharf stood large crowd, some with
smiles, some in tears, while others with sac
and thoughtful countenances were gazing on
: the friends that were soon to be borne away
1t was pleasant to have our eyes rest on one
familiar form, to see one beloved friend
amid the throng of strange faces. But the
moment for departure has come, the signal
gun is fired, the lines are cast off, and the
ponderous paddles of the steamer begin slowly
to revolve, widening at every stroke the
} watery space that removes us from home, and
friends and country. 1t at such moments
the pain of separation is most realized, and a
feeling of seriousness and even Solemnity
will come over the minds of the most thought
less As if they too looked on these earthly
voyages as foreshadowings of that journey
over the sea of death, whose icy waves roll
all around our unhappy world, bearing on
their surface the young and the old, the good
and the bad; some with hopes anchored
within the veil, but alas the larger number
clinging to the broken spars and tattered
shreds of misspent and lost life, and rapidly
nearing that shore where hope and peace
never come.
Most of the passengers were bound for st.
Thomas; that being the point where tie va
rious steamers trading with the ports of the
northern part of South America and the
Caribbee Islands, touch to coal and exchange
mails. The commercial intercourse between
Brazil and the United States is increasing
year by year, and as an illustration of the
way in which American enterprise is making
itself felt in the countries South of the equa-
tor, we had on the deck of our steamer
four street,railroad cars, destined for Per-
nambuco, and ready to be put into service
on their arrival. Among the passengers,
there was also party of mechanics from
New York. The work before them was one
which interested me not little. They were
going above the rapids of the Madeira river,
one of the leading tributaries of the Amazon,
to build steamer, the first of line that is
to run from the rapids to the head of navi-
cation, and from that point railroads are
under process of construction to Bolivia,
with the view of opening pathway for the
commerce of those rich countries lying along
the eastern slopes of the Andes to pass to
the Atlantic, over those majestic rivers which
are now for the most part disturbed only by
the canoe of the Indian. "The children of
this world are in their generation wiser than
the children of light If the followers Of
Jesus had half the zeal and courage in
spreading the gospel, that the men of the
world manifest in their enterprises, how
speedily would the knowledge of the Lord
cover the earth as the waters do the sea.
We arrived at St. Thomas early on the
morning of the 1st of October, and it being
the Sabbath we did not 90 on shore. The
town is built against the sides of three pyra-
midal shaped hills, the houses rising in regu-
lar order on each; the apex being crowned
by single structure, one of them an old
castle named Blue Beard, and like other
buildings of the kind is not wanting in le-
gends of the bold buccaneers that once
roamed over these seas. The harbor is very
small, and the island is exposed to earth
quakes and hurricanes; the town and ship
ping frequently suffer severely in cOnse-
quence. Near where our steamer was an
chored the smoke stacks and masts Of an
English steamer which was lost here in the
hurricane of CT, rose above the water The
whole harbor is not more than two miles
long and about mile and half broad, and
although so small, nine ocean steamers,
which like ourselves had stopped for brief
space, were lying in front of the city.
At 10 o'clock we were once more out at
sea, and during the following day, the tedi-
um of the voyage was relieved by passing
through a group of small islands, which pre-
sented some fine scenery. The mountains
indicated volcanic origin, and were clothed
with thick but Indifferent growth Of trees.
The woods of tropical cline rarely present
to the eye, the light and shade, the beauti-
full vistas and varied landscapes of our for
ests at home. As the vessel passed within a
mile of Guadalupe, good opportunity was
offered to see the agricultural labors Of the
inhabitants. A few groves of Cocoa.Nut trees
and some large fields of sugar cane were the
only signs that the people drew their sup
port from the soil. Leaving the islands we
swept on our course without incident, until
the change in the color of the water an
nounced that we were approaching land
After we had been steaming some hours up
the Amazon, the Southern shore was visible
about ten miles distant, while we were fully
80 miles from the opposite bank. Early on
Monday morning we found ourselves at an
chor abreast of the city of Para which i;
situated on the south of the river. 1t pre-
sents few attractions to one accustomed tc
American cities. The houses are built ot