The New York herald., 1878-12-31
DISTRESS IN BRAZIL.

TERRIBLE SUFFERING IN THE PROVINCE OF
cEARA-FAILURE OF THE CROPS AND DEATH
OF THE cArrIE-sMALLpox AND STARVATION.
The latest advices from Pernambuco Brazil. by
tho steamer Rio de Janciro, confirm the HERALDs $
telegram concerning famine and pestilcnce in
the Brazilian province of Ceara. From the
interior of the province the famished in.
habitants hayo Ao11 to the seaport of Fortaeza by
tliousands. swelling the population Of that city from
1l.oo0 to 2OOt souls. Fortaleza the only promi
nent seaport stown In tho province. and offers the
only outlet by which Rio Janeiro Pernambuco
be reached To this port the natives have fed to
escape the inevitable starvation that awaited them
and then have fallen victims in great numbers to the
smallpox. Pcrnambuco advices state that. with tho
pcstilence and famine combined the distress in For
taeza is terrible. and daily the increase and unless
an abatement Of both is soon reported threatens to
destroy tho greater portion of the population of
Ceara.
LOCATION OF THE PROVINCE.
The province. State OF Ceara, is the most north
eastern Of the Brazilian Empire. and embraces
area about equal to that OF the State Of New York.
It has . seacoast OF about hundred and eighty
miles ana several small seaport towns. the only
OF considerable size being Fortaleza, Which ordi
narily as population Of 1000 The southeastern.
southcr andaencoast parts Of the country noun
famous. but the greater part of the province consists
Of vast ptai7os and plains. The population OF the
province fceording to the OF 1872 100000
which ~ rapidly increased since that time. and
numbcssd = assc.. the date of the beginning of tho
present 1ss. nearly one million. The climate is
mild thre3Aout the year. resembling that of Cali
fornia. haS&4ga rainy season from May to August.
and sumr1{tfz from August to january. The popula-
ton is atAost entirely Portuguese, which language
prevails IN the province. The rcligion is Catholic
throughost.
PREVIOUS DISTRESS
In 1875 Che rain failed and drought ensued which
destroyed the crops Of the part of the prov
ince ana caused the death Of hundreds Of thousands
of cattle the main support Of the back country. In
that ycsr. as in this the people from the interior
crowded from the arid and barren plains the
coas t. They swarmcd into Fortaleza and the other
seaport tewns leaving their surviving herds to live
bcst could and descrting their homes the
food ~ fresh air Of the coast. The Distress
which Hen eliminated in the starvation Of hundreds
in the cities, brought to the attention of the
goverr1pent Ships chartered by authority of
the government at Rio Janeiro, and the greater por
ton a. the inhabitants were removed from the
provin6e to Bio Janeiro, pernambuco and Bahia
In it'll efforts to relieve the distress by this
and tl)e present famine the Brazilian government
has expended $8000,O0O, beside the contributions
from the Provinces, England France, Portugal and
the aid furnished by merchants of New York. few
merchants in New York in 1876 contributed $1,000.
which augmented by o donation Of $4,000 from
tho business Of Liverpool. England and various
sums from other maritime nations, countries trading
with tho Brazilian Empire. The fight Of the nhabi
tants from the famincstrick district in 1876 left
Cearn nearly deuopulated.
THE PRESENT YEAR.
In in i6n1v nhnrc of fha
people to return and furnished them the means of
living and planting crops for this year. The drouth
mating misfortune Of the wretched population and
has brought them face to face with famre equal
has failed entirely. and the vast herds in
the interior have died on. leaving the natives
without subsistence the prospect Of living without
aid from abroad. The province is 80 remote from
the seat of government and the populous parts
Of the Empire that. unless energetic and immediate
steps saken to relieve the famished and plague
stricken people, it is probable that the death
OF horror in Fortaeza and the other parts
the 1r osa w o f the noss
States. The smallpox. which is adding to
the terrors Of famine in Ceara brought from Rio
Eortaeza and is of type that 80 resisted the
,treatment of the native physicians The death rate
Fortalcza which at best afforded but scant accomo-
dations for its ii 900 people. Is crowded beyond
description by the 2O0OO that have sought relief and
shelter in it, and the viruent plague is sweeping
them of by the hundreds. There is no escape
| by vessels from the port which Is avoided by all
those knowing Of the epidemic and in the interior s
nothing but the slower, though surcr. death by
starvation.
THE BRAZILIAN CONSUL.
HERALD reporter yesterday called upon the Bra
lillian Consul at No. ~ Broadway for the purpose Of
ascertanng anything further regarding the calamity
which is visiting the province of Ccara Brazil
SENIOR Salvador De Mendonca was found in his
Office, and in to the inquiry, stated that in
teligenco received by him from Pernambnco con-
frmed and more than confirmed the HERALDs tele-
gram in regard to the famine and pesti-
lence in Ceara "The famine which is now pre-
vailing in this northeastern province OF Brazil said
Scior Mendonca, 's not . Distress but is the
proongaton Of tho faniipe OF 1876 and has before
been brought to the notice of the people Of the
United States. III that year the misfortune Of the
people of this unfortunate province, which is now
increasing, received the prompt and efficient attcn-
nearly $4,000 900 in aeviatng it. The failure of the
rains for the year 1876 and last year have proved mis-
haps beyond the resources of the people of Ceara
and the consequence Is famine
GOVERNMENT
Senior Mendonca stated that the Brazilian govern
ment still rendering aid to the famshed people,
and would rapidly assist many as possible to leave
1t until the had rendered IL inhabable aud pos
sible to cultivate. In regard to assistance from
side the Empire, the Consul said that although deli
cacy would prevent him from publicly soliciting aid
from the United States, and especially from New
York city, whose merchants had already voluntarily
contributed to the aid OF his suffering countrymen
no would nevertheless gladly accept any assistance In
behalf Of the sufferers that should be rendered ~
would the brazilian Minister at Washington.
SPREAD Or THE pEsTILENcE.
Papers from Pcrnambuco, received at the Office Of
the Moro Mundo give additional particulars of the
ravugcs of the smallpox i'll Fortaleza and Of the effects
of the famine in the interior. The pestlence has
reached the other seaport towns of the province,
and vessels from the coast towns and Rio Janeiro
have quit the ports. while othcre are warned OF and
do not touch