The New York herald., 1877-02-03
BRAZILIAN EMIGRATION.

BRAZILIAN EMIGRATION.
A TERRIBLE STORY TOLD TO THE COMMISSION
ERs or EMiGRAIIUN- HUNDRED
AND THIRTY DEATHS IN TWO COLONIES WITH
IN FOUR MoNTHs-THE COLONIES ABANDONED.
Daring the last three years tho Commissioners OF
Emigration have been forced from time time 10
for emgrants from Germany arriving ut this port
route 10 Brazil. Some who landed at Boston sent
10 Now York thrown the charity OF this State
Tho only pioa tnoy made for rcief was that they
had left their home In Germany, sold all their house
hold goods pay steamship faro TO Brazil, believ
ing that Rio Janeiro opposite New York.
they were told SO. and believed the story Yesterday
the Com ssioners OF Emigration were startled by the
following story, given as an affidavit by man who
has boen subjected the horrors Of "Brazilian
gration:"-
AN RMlGRAxr's STORY.
My name is Thomas OILERS. l arrived in this city
with my wife and child about two weeks ago,
after voyage Of nine weeks IRON Rio Janciro l
oamo on the bark Cuba. am native Of West Prussia,
and by trade am mason. About tour years ago
through my native place TO nduce the
people TO emigratc 10 Brazil and TO
settle In q colony called "Tierra del Oro. !"
II said TO be about twenty miles
southerly from ''Bahia' Mine, with other
families, concluded to cmigrate and in May, 1874, We
sold goods und started. Tho conditions made by
the agents were rs follows Each passenger
pay $25 In Prussan money for passage from Antwerp
TO Bahia Alter their arrival the colony they agreed
work at the ratio OF one mil rels (about fifty cens
a head per day for year, for the colony Alter
that timo they were TO receive twcnty.1vo acres Of
land for each family, but TO pay $50 for the
e,iL Land affor
also, that the emigrants should receive their
provisions at one-half of the market prices
Ut Bahia All Of the cmigrants signed those contracts
In tho circular published by this man Hormes It was
stated that tho land already cultivated, and that
number OF block houses had boon erected to receive the
cmigrants When the families ready to sail it
was found the people could not 60 via Hamburg be.
cause, they were told, the German government had
forbidden emigration TO Brazil Therefore, the families
were sent via Antwerp
LIVING ON ROOTS.
Seven ships with grants wero sent TO Brazil by
Hermcs-iOur TO the colony Of TERRA del Orc, and
three TO the colony of Munis, or MungL Tho owner
OF these two colonies was party called Baron NUNS.
Mung living IN Bahia. Alter passage Of
about eight weeks the emgrants were landed as tho
port Of Cumandalo ms we understood the name.
From taken by largo boats 10 the colony
OF TERRA del Oro On our arrival we found there
but prmcvaI woods We found there some
OF tho passengers by tho first SHIP My
family was III the second vessel We found those
people encamped in tents In the woods. In
qucrco OF rams and the want of proper food and
nourishment about 500 deaths occurred during the
hrst month"; that U.s. to the best OF my belief. Baron
NUNS promised to send provisions from Bahia, but
faned TO do SO. During the first month COM
PEELED to live roots called inatLca, OF which the
natives make -four aud whatever else could gather
During the second month the steamer tho COL
prices high In those two mouths the enigrants were
working TO clear the wvods, and the next three
months exhausted IN building block houses For
those dve months tho emigrants were paid, according
to the contract, ono mrels pcr day. Then NUNS
quescd them to take the twenty-five allotted to
each family and 10 cultivate them but refused 10 pay
the agreed oil milreis dny, sayinl that tho
could live tor the remainder OF the year
the money which they had earned during the
months. Under such circumstances The people re.
fused.
Then Baron NUNS told them that he would get
soldiers from Bahia and hc did So Tor very soon after
tho refusal Of tho to work IN violation OF tho
contract madc with them 500 Portuguese soldiers
rived garrsoned the colony. Guards were placed
in such manner to render 1t impossible for any OF
tho TO leave the colony IN order TO seek re-
dress from tho German Consul at Bahia. The guards
arrested the colonss whenever they attempted "
tho lines and put them in prison at place called Gu
nanduba. That Is the as can tell Il In
German. About 100 Of the members OF the two col
oncs were so imprisoned The terms OF service varied
In that prison from two weeks TO one month heard,
but do not know Of my own knowledge that the guards
shot one OF the coonists In the woods.
A coNsrL.
Finally four OF the colonists succeeded In passing
the guards and made their way, to the Office OF the
German Consul ut Bahia where they told the story of
tho suerngs OF their comrades ana begged Tor relief
In the absence OF the Consul tor Germany his repre-
sentative, Mr. julius Meyer returned TO the colony
with those iour and demanded Of The Inspector OF
the colony that all Of the colonists should be dis
charged Immediately. Tho order was complied with
Instantly, and the cingrants departed In differ
cnt directions. Baron Nuns told the captains
OF vessels TO transport thcm The majority
OF the people went 10 small town
called lheos about miles from the colonies They
remain about two weeks. Many took sick and
died. ship agent at lhlcos named Louis Adam sent
number OF tho people 10 Bahia, whence many oil them
returned by German steamers TO Hamburg. Tho
money TO pay their passages TO Hamburg was raised
partly by collections from the resident citizens ana
partly by the money earned by the omgrants whilc IN
that place.
A vEARPuL MORTALITY
out OF 1000 coonists in four months the mortality
In the two colonies reached $50 souls Aicr reaching
Ihlcos made tho acquaintance OF Captain kettescu
the Norwegian bark Cuba, AID he brought me and
my family from Rio JahcirO TO New YORK at his own
expense One OF my children died AT the colony ifoIn
yellow My wife gave birth TO another child at
lhlcos tn February, 1874 All that ask of the Comns-
sioners Of Elm grat.on is to aid me TO get work. am
destitute