New-York tribune., 1879-11-22
COLONIZATION NECESSARY.

u-IAND FOR FEW CENTS AN ACHE--
WHEREIN COLONIES HAVE FAILED AND WHY
THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED.
70 me Ed.tOr or rae Tribune.
SIR: concluded my last letter with the ass,r-
ancc that | should in my next endcavor TO show
that the comparative failure of each colony that
has so far attempted permanent lodgment in the
Amazonian district is argument against the
practicabili,y aud success of such scheme,
but rather a clinching proof of bad management.
Now that am about to fulfil my promise aud pre-
sent 20 the public the results of my studies the
question: find myself face to face with difficulty.
for there is so much TO be said that hardly know
whence to begin. what to say or how to end. Con-
sistently, however, with the permissible lcncth of
newspaper correspondence, lhopc TO present state
incnt such to destroy the prejudice which has
controlled far the minds OF all the people inter
osted III that country.
Au increase IN the number of its inhabitants is
paramonntly requisite for respectable success in
the development of the wealth of tho Amazonan
valley. Recogizng this selfevident truth, the Gov
crnment OF Brazil has offered every manner of in
ducemenss to prospective settlers. The law on emf
grafton exempts from import duties all personal
property, agricultural implements and machinery.
Einigrants enjoy all the rights and privileges OF
Braziiians except voting, aud they may become
nainrazad after two years residence, or. by appl
cation to Parliament. after a few days They are
tNClDlI from illUtslN uutN, ptIh"vo NstNc
of war this privilege might become dead letter
The emerants passage TO Brazil is advanced by the
Government, and shoud be reimbursed within three
or four years. There is one very good thing how
this money is asked. if il Is, by de-
carng that one has means no further step is
taken for its collection. and accordingly the pas
sage may be safely considered as free. Government
land on the Amazon may be had 4; the nominal rate
of from to - cents per acre. and this, too.
liz for apH fba
may be postponed, usual to the end OF time. If the
settler can forth that his available capital has
been sunk in the improvement of his soil. In adj
dion TO these facilities the engrant supplied at
the Governments expense with such food as the
country affords for the first six months. and roads
have been and will be opened connecting the points
OF colonization with the centres OF trade.
These are wcll-attested facts; yet the Govern
ment has at times been accused of violating its part
in these aud certain other contracts of hardly less
value to settlers For the sake of truth il must be
acknowledged that, except where the cmigrants
have proved themselves unworthy of patronage,
the charges have been uniformly groundess.
knowledge of what classes of society have emil
grated TO Brazil will have weight in considering
these complaints. The larger number wee people
who could rest country, or drOnes who cx-
pcc;cd the largest remuneration for the smallest
cXerton and calculated on dIopplIg IN upon an adj
ventltous bonanza. humbugs and the lowest
dregs of the society fTom which they emlgra;ed
Ihe pllNdllOnS anu ndIh-HAps ItNtidi"oiC liOAA
lodgment on virgin SOL covered WIN lnpeh-
etrabe forests, required determination and steady
pluck not Characteristic of individuals OF the types
lust noticed. In tins way, essentially the frcncn
colony Of Braganza and the American one from tAe
Gulf States failed AT Santaren. brief experience
discouraged and dlsgusted the majority OF them,
and they departed from localities that had Occn not
less Disguised with them. For my purpose 1t VIII
be sufficient to investigate the organization OF the
American colony.
THE AMERICAN COLONY or 1864.
The town of Santarem stands upon a point Of land
which divides the black waters of the rapajoz from
the yellow waves of the Amazons The beauty oil
the gentle slope Oh which il lies is enhanced by
a background of steep bluffs and woody hills
stretching eastward The city is prettiy laid o1t,
and its envirOns unusually picturesque It's
land extremely fertile il possesses all the nat
ural advantages that any man could reasonably ASK
for and could be easily made the garden spot of the
world be soil is perfectly black, and is from two
tO eight feet deep, and IN DOdics as large as you
want. To get farm OF Thousand acres perieri4{
In the neigbbOrhOod are number of llat-topped
hills like those of Mounts Allegro aud Aimeirin so
well described by Agassiz and those tableands are
wonderfully adapted to the cultivation OF corn,
mandloca and sugar-cane. These plains, slopes ana
highlands were selected by Mr.. Hastings IN lSOf
for the American settlement the ground approprl.
ated for that purpose by the Brazilian Government
being about 200 square miles, some thlIly lani,lies
were scattered over surface OF 2OO square ihies
Between two cabins an interval OF several DAYS
journey not uncommon. Individnais were irI.
10 struggle single handed against dihcules that
demanded the efforts of an unanimous most ol WORK
oTs. Frequent communication was out oi the qiees-
ton There no machinery To compensate me
dearth cf hands, and so the WORK Oi clearing the
land proceeded at a snaiPs pace Ihe raising Oi the
lnaudi0ca and other articles which would nave
given immediate returns was neglected WhaleVer
good existed III the characters OF the settlers re-
manned undeveOpcd for want oil unlVersal response
and naturally enough In face of the exertions anu
expenses the profits yielded by weaIylhg ton VIZ
insignificant, or as was usually the case no ptont'
whatever were realized. The downfall Of the Amer
lean colony was worked principally by the heteIo-
geneouse elements OF whchit was compound py the
indepcndence with which each cOonlsts w0lk WAS
carried ont the settlers dispersion on surface iat
too wide for their numbers, and utter misuhuer-
standing of all the principles OF colonization.
Even with these heavy odds against them some
few of the settlers succeeded beyond expectation
thus proving that had all been as industrious as
some scattered examples the colony need not nave
entirely failed. Let us take an instance MI. Hen
ninoton. a Southern clergyman whose rebel tenden-
cies are still rampant, but who is nevertheless an
accomplished gentleman and mechanical geuius.
has transformed his wilderness into a real garden
When visited him and saw all he bad accomplished.
coclnded that he had not fallen fan short of KODih-
son Crusoe. At the end of two years ms iain was
self-snpporting Of the 900 acres OF land lie owns
he has cleared about 100. lie has built handsome
lttla frame cottage in the American style on the
side of hill, which is really more cOmInitaDle
than the best brick dwelling at Santarem; lhirty-
two different species OF beautiful woods nave oeeh
employed in the construction OF tins house. aI"unu
which some magnificent giant trees ale stationed u,
intervals. Near the dwelling a blacksmith ana
esrpeenteT shop ssw stables n9 te ,on OF the
hill is now the most luxunant sugar-cane plantation
ever With the exception OF tea and Hour all
be may wish Is produced on his grounds. lie manu-
faciures from the sugaT-canc the best cashaCa
twhiskey IN the whole valley, and obtains the hiKn
est price for II. He commands the wbiskey market
producing some 24O pipes per snnnni' ana n rms
with many customers yet To supply. Ali these lu-
dusiries have been erected by mis- Own exeItIons ana