New-York tribune., 1872-02-29
TIE uASSLER EXPEDITION.
rxp,oRrNG THE BRAZILIAN sEA-CoAsT.

(pROM OCCASIONAL CORRBSPONDbNTOri
RIO DE JANEIRo, Jan. 25.-We were detained
9s hours nc Pernambuoo In getting our coal on ooaru
and although our captain thought IL prudent because o.
the yellow fever In tho port not TO allow us to anu We
enjoyed the quiet OF the harbor, and tho visitS Oh
American friends from shore and from the icohao
roea Some OF the best life and enterprise ofthe brahan
Empire ia found among Americans resident there roui
or five OF our party agreeaby surprised ~ moethR
old Massachusetts friends In Pernambuoo; among them
one who has inst laid down lines OF horse rail-
roads in that city and in Rio. There was something
too of royalty In our condition. that we sat NJ
ON the ouartereck and gave audience while We wert
wholly exempt from returning the Vists ono rrieho
from Onda brought her two children born tnere' U
show that Bostonian and German blood did not dete
rorate that tropical climate and certainly Two more
charming and healthy children OF and 81 years old thar
these, who daily bathe throughout the year In tn
Atlantic at 81 Fahrenheit 1t would bo difficult to find.
THR TNTs OF A TROPICAL SEA
We also enjoyed exceedingly the colorng Of the ocean
as we saw ii from the harbor OF Pernambuco. Imme
dately outside the coral reef which makes the marrow
harbor lie shOa waters intersected by deeper ohanne
Over these waters the shadows OF clouds were wander
ing and those patches OF shadow and intervening
patches OF sunlight were Of course foreshortened ino
parallel belts of varying color Kaleidoscope in the sun
denness and frequency and beauty OF their changes,
and varying from green. brilliant June grass over
the sunt shade down to the deep black purple OF t1e
shaded depths l can never again accuse any marine
painter Of exaggerating the briancy Of ocean tones
Our coal put board by ab0rers wearing nothing
In the world but pair OF ragged trowsers tied
tight round the waist. There were twentytwo
men employed, some negroes, some indians.
some Portuguese, some mixed. The regular
lheavers are negroes, mixed negro and Indian
the Portuguese men pressed into extra service be-
Of our haste The negro seems to be by iar tne
most muscular aud finest developed physically, OF the
three races and the generally inferior 80 far
as / saw, to the pure breeds. ono great advantage
which Brazil will have in the practical working
OF the abolition of Slavery. will lie In the absence, In
this empire OF any prejudice against color Negro In
dian Portuguese alike enjoy social and political equality
aud honors. But disadvantage Is also found in the
strong prejudice here against labor; the feeling
that only mercantile, professional, or Gov
ernment employments honorable This prejudice B,
however, disappearing under tho wise administration
and example of the present Emperor, and the anti
Slavery reform and laws which he assisted
by American residents has done much to bring into
action II s refreshing to hear the tones OF universal
and profound respect with which all persons speak OF
the Emperor He must have enemies, for he Is man OF
strong decided opinions and actions but hear OF
nothing but his cordial admirers and friends Great
hopes expressed Of good results from the new Hue
OF steamers just put on by the Brazilian Govern
ment the vessels built In England but the model and
plans partly American. and tho management OF the line
principally in the hands OF our countrymen.
ORANGES AND PIsEAPPLEs TOO SWEET FoR SUGAR
We went out OF the harbor Of Pernambuco soon after
sundOwn on Tuesday, jan 10. Our table was adorned
with a profusOn Of flowers, sent on board by
friends and was also resuppied with oranges
and pineapples. Oranges almost necessary
of life in the tropics. and both the oranges
and the pineapples of Brazil are confessed
to be the finest in the world. To enjoy an orange
thoroughly should also eatt in Brazilian fashion You
segment Off the flower end deep enough to go com
petey through the skin then replacing the segment
thrust fork through to the center OF tho orange
the tines are long enough Holding the fork in left
hand peel the orange with very sharp small table
slicng all the skin of the segment at the base OF the
fork being In this operation shield to prevent any
danger cutting the left thumb Now with two cuts OF
the the pulp OF OF the pockets and
convey 1t to your mouth. Follow this up. pocket by
pocket skins of the pocket remain on the fork
like the leaves Of q book opened until the covers
touch We had oranges and pineappes, too sweet
need sugar at meal since leaving Pernambuco
On the 18th the day lovely. and we dropped a line
several times to nearly 1000 feet without finding bottom
the temperature at that depth little over 40 f.
On the afternoon of tho 18th found bottom at 36TS
feet temperature S9at the surface always nS. Later
in the day dredged in 20 and 20 fathoms water and
obtained some valuable specimens This was about
latitude l1o s. On the 10Th. in lat 3o 49, we passed
through patch Of some hundreds of acres of minute
like a whale We saw other patches succeeding days.
1t to noticed that this Is precisely the same region
in which Darwin the plant, than 80 years
ago. - - - -
On the afternoon OF the 10Th sounded and found no
bottom at $50 fathoms the temperature at that depth
was 400 f. in the afternoon. we approached the
Abrolhos Islands, sounded and dredged in 20 to 80
fhoms water and continued " cast the dredge through
the night and the following morning There was great
sameness the resutspebbes Of coral rock sheerng
few constantly recurring forms of plants aud animals
some OF which, however, like those obtained on the 18th,
were highest scientific interest and value. On the
afternoon OF the 2is pposng ourselves near the edge
OF the shosi on which the AbrolhOs stand cast the
dredGe but found that had gone too far, and 800
fathoms Of line failed to find bottom! We returned
to dredging on the next afternoon near Capo
Frio 10 IS fathoms OF water AT first We had great sue
cess At ono haul we brought up the dredge full Of
coral rock pebbles, richly covered with seaweeds in
great variety and full Of animals Of almost every kind
that could thus captured. The naurass we're very
busy harvesting their spOs. We moved on two miles
further and the depth OF water found absolutely
nothing but shes-sma clean shells-and they nearly
all OF species
We entered the barbor of Rio the next morning, Jan
49, Nothing short OF q masters pencil and the most
brilliant oil cOors do justice to the beauty " the
panorama as we approach this greatest city OF South
America, and certainly snhu not attempt III with my
poor PEN The beauty OF mountains depends scarcely
at all upon their magnitude, but almost alto
gethor upon their form and coloring, and
of course thus upon the light, which reveals
the form and cOoring Form is the principal instrument
of EXPRESSION in visible. melody Is in the audible
while coiorlng comes IN like harmony to tighten the
effect; which effect is, after ALL largely dependent
the light just the melody and harmony largely
dependent their power the execution the
OF playing We we're fortunate in the Light the
ing of the 23d seeing. we approached the beautiful
capital the purple huss OF the dawn lighting up the ma
iestic dones and startling peaks which surround the