The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-03-01
DEADLY HOMES IN BRAZIL.
The Experience of Four Thousand German
Colonists.-Nearly Half Of the Number DIE
within Five Months.

The Experience of Four Thousand German
enthusiastically Half Of the Number Die
within Five Months.
The experience of party of Germans
who went, in the spring OF 1873, and
settled near the sea coast OF Brazil,
ciyes an idea of colonization IN that
country. Thomas Diller, one OF these,
tells his story under oath. He says that
his and seven other families OF Nurem-
burg signed contract with Brazilian
agent. agreeing that each member OF the
party should pay S25 in Prussian money
for his passage across the Atlantic, and,
after their arrival in Brazil, work tor
one mil reis (about fifty cents) per day
for one year; afterward to receive twen-
ty.fye acres Of land for each family, for
which they were to pay $50 in three
years. They were to be kept supphed
with provisions at half the regular
prices. The agent said that the land
was under cultivation, and that block
houses would be ready to receive the
colonists. They sailed from Antwerp on
Nav 25, 1874, with five hundred other
colonists, on the ship Alvinia. They
arrived safely at San Salvador, the capI-
tai of the province OF Bahia, Brazli;
Thence they went to the colony called
Terra del Orc, the owner Of which IS
Baron NUNS, of Bahia. A larger num-
ber of colonists had arrived there two
months before. Instead of cultivated
land and block houses they found a
wilderness filled with snakes, tiger cats,
monkeys and parrots. The colonists al
ready there were sick, detected and lly-
ing in tents made of vines and leaves.
Many had died and all were ANXIOUS to
get away.
For week after OILERS party ar
rived the rein poured steadily. The
leaves kept the water from coming IN at
the top of the tents, but it flowed IN
under the sides. Their tools, which had
been left at Cumandale, arrived after
two weeks. They then built more sub.
stantial dwellings,, using mud instead OF
leaves: but these huts were damp and
unhealthy. Wood became scarce, and,
to exc out subsistence, Wild root, OF
which the Brazilians make flour, was
eaten. Many fell sick, and during the
first month over three hundred died.
OF OILERS party, his own child and two
other children died. At the end of the
month o steamer from Bahia brought
provisions. The meat was bad and the
flour poor, and very high prices were
asked for both. About this time third
ship load of colonists arrived. The men
worked at clearing the woods and max
ing roads. With the exception OF few
planters, the surrounding country was
uninhabited. A similar colony owned
by the same baron, and named Nuns
after him, was a days journey of. Sew
eral families took their twenty-five acres
of hard, woody land and tried to raise
potatoes and onions. The blazing sun
allowed the sickly plants to grow to
height of two inches and then dried
them up. The myriads of red ants, an
inch in length, completed the work OF
destruction.
OILERS party remained in the colony
from July to December, 1874 During
that time 1880 of the 1000 colonists
died. During three months it rained
steadily, and in the other two months
the heat was intense. They received
their one mil reis each day as agreed
upon. In the latter part OF December,
however, NUNS stopped payment. They
refused to continue working, and wished
to abandon the settlement. NUNS
, would not permit them to 60, and
brought from Bahia five hundred police
officers to prevent departures. Those
who tried to escape were driven back OF
arrested, and imprisoned at Cumandale.
The object OF the Germans was to get te
the German consul at Cumandale and
have him relieve them, and the Brazl'
ians were determined to prevent this.
One day Petrus Krause of Oilers party
attempted, with his family, to pass the
lines, and refused to 60 back when told
to. A son, Johan Krause, attacked the
guard with knife, and was shot and III
stantly killed. In another effort Johar
Leipp was killed. Many others were
injured Finally four men reached
Julius Meyer, the representative OF the
! German consul at Cumandale. He i'm
! mediately went to TERRA del Oro anl
; demanded that his countrymen be re
leased. All opposition was at once with
drawn by the Brazilians, and the Ger
mans commenced to go away in partle'
of thirty and forty at time. Seyera
hundred remained behind, but subse
quently sailed for Europe.