The New York herald., 1879-02-14
AFFLICTED BRAZIL.
Half a Million Of Her
People Swept Away.
CEARA DEP0PULATED.
Greatest Calamity in Two
Hundred Years.
DROUGHT, FAMINE, PESTILENCE.
Starving Peasants Eating
Their Own Offspring.
DEATHS TERRORS.
Unburied Bodies Torn and Devoured
by Wild Animals.
SMALLPOX VICTIMS.
Thousands in Open Trenches Rot
ting at Lagoa-Funda.
BLACK PLAGUE AT WORK
Graphic Sketches of the Most Horrible
Visitation of Modern Times.
Unburied Bodies Torn and Devoured
by Wild Animals.
SMALLPOX VICTIMS.
Thousands in Open Trenches Rot
ting at Lagoa-Funda.
BLACK PLAGUE AT WORK
Graphic Sketches of the Most Horrible
Visitation of Modern Times.

CEARA, Brazil, Dec. 30 1878.
question II one American in ten has ever de-
voted more than passing thought to this famine in
Northern Brazil. Most people do not know of it at
al. How should they when the newspapers have
contained more than brief notces-ittle para
graphs to be remembered dreamy Us something that
10 occurring in another planet? month or two past
there were notices Of the smallpox epidemic. NOR
tuary ngures large that they themselves on
the bulletin boards, but suppose that hardly any
body connected these with those of the pre-
vious drouth and famine Besides, all notices come
indirectly by way Of Rio. and I know from expert
ence that correct idea be obtained there.
What did learn at Rio was enough to show me
the importance Of the subject; beyond that
nothing but mortuary statistics and vague accounts
from men who had passed through Ceard. 1 deter
mined. therefore, visit the famine district and get
my information at nrst hand. Now. God knows
do not exaggerate. but can hardly believe myself
the horrors that write. hardly believe that
tho world has been indifferent to ono Of tho great
est cslamites in her history. The Chinese and Ind
nm fsmines will not compare with this one when
We consider the proportion of population. Our ycl-
low fever dead would hardly have been noticed in
the great cemetery of Ceara. The plague Of London
is the only comparison that know Of for these pes
tilences in Brazil. but the plague dwarf this
giant. What of petty European war that changes
boundary perhaps. and carries Off two thrce hun
n
scourgc which has destroyed province as large as
France destroyed it. for nothing but the ground is
leftl swept whole population from the earth, with
death vollcys Of hunger and disease and murders
DROUGHT sEKTAo.
ne famine of 1s77-7s is confined to that part Of
Brazil which is known the sertao. This region is
utterly unlike the matted forest of tho Amazon
or the gneiss mountains of Rio. It is Q rolling
plain ascending gradually from the sea copst and
diversified everywhere with isosted hills and noun
tains There is forest growth. but is low and not
thick much more like our Northern woods than one
is apt to imagine for tropical growth. Portions of
tho aud are open plains with only scattered trees;
in other places the woods have been cut away over
In tho Sertao the seasons are very
sharply divided. The rainy months proper extend
from January to June July; the remainder Of the
year is dry dry that the trees shed their leaves
and the grass is all withered. People can only OBJ
tain water by digging for it in the dry beds Of
streams. for there arc perennial rivers in the
sertao. Only in some districts there arc light
showers in October. tho so-called chsrar de caa or
eachen rains. when the tree of that nsmo is in
bloom. 1t sometimes happens that the winter
months remain dry like the othcrs-a terrible caam.
iy for the poorer people. because they depend for
living the products Of their little plantations and
the crops can only be raised during the rains. The
droughts have left black marks on the history Of
Northern Brazil. Hardly one of the dozen or moro
on record has failed to its victims by hundreds
or thousands. and the material loss is immense. We
understand this better II consider the peculiar
status Of the population
POVERTY STRICKEN POPULATION.
In this part of Brazil there manufactures
whatever very few mines. no fisheries of impor-
tancc. forest industries The community is OK
clusiveiy agricultural and pastoral There are i'm
emense herds Of cattle. considerable plantations Of
sugar. cotton. &C.. and the poorer people plant
dioca and corn using the land Of their richer neigh
bors. for whom they do little work occasionally.
Whether IL be for the pastusge of cattle the growth
Of crops tho whole community depends tho
soil. and hcnce the fertilizng rains Of winter.
II tho. rains do not como tho people stsrvo.
Again. the population has to suffer terribly because
II has hclp in itself OF the 25ooOoo nominal in.
habitants OF the sertao not 100000 are rich mon or
reasonably we'll of. Tho vast majority arc on
Arsbliko race. produced by the intcrmixurc of tho
blacks, whites and Indans--peoplo who have no
property and never try to rise above their normal
condition. Probably this is the most degraded class
in Brazil; immoral ignorant and abominably nithy.
hardly washing flesh clothes from ono years end
to the other. The dress generally of coarse cotton
white blue; tho mon with q pair Of drawers
shirt hung loosely outside of thcm and a broad.
brimmcd leather hat; the women with only chcmisc.
skirt and cloth to throw over their heads. These
people live in palm matched huts; tho