New-York tribune., 1880-02-29
THE FAMINE II Brazil.
IRGEYr AppEAL FOR AID.

ALMOST ,rlXHACsIED-sCtFTRGNG OSN hUSDAfD
FOLD WORSE THAN IRELANDs.
To me EdtfOr Of The Trt1""e'
SIR. While Americans are opening hearts ana
purses FOR the Irish poor, far greater cry ct sur
fering comes to rs from another quarter. The Bra
lillian famine has been almost hidden from the
world our journals have been silent ahont IT, OF
have given only the stereotyped notices that nave
reached thom. by way of Rio de Janero. Yet there,
within 3 900 miles of New-IOIk. is being enacted
one of the greatest tragedies in history tragedy
before which the Irish famine sinks into lnsIgnih-
cance.
More than year ago, while travelling in brazIl
for Scribne|s Magaziae | heard many and contra
dictorv reports about the famine in the Northern
provinces Determined TO get my information at
first hand visited the dronght-stricken districts
The truth was far beyond the ruInors that coud
hardly believe it myself None the less the Brazil
ian famine is a terrible truth more terrible now
than it was a year ago for another year of drought
has been added to the two that had passed.
THE FAMINE DISTRICT.
The famine district IS compTeheHded between the
Rivers Parnahyba and Sac Francisco, IN that part
of Brazil which is known as the sertao ms re-
non. unlike the rest of Brazil has sharp division
of the seasons half the year, corresponding TO our
Summer. being very dry. and the other half rainy.
the valleys and hillsIdes give fine crops of cotton
and sugar-cane Before the drought the country
WAS well populated-about as thiclly as ONO ana
mdiana-and the provinces comprehended here
were regarded as among the most houllShlng III tue
Empire. The richer classes, shout one-tenth o1 the
population formed a race by themselves, ana per
haps the finest one in Brazil they were patriotic
frank and generous to "a fault and to theSe natural
traits many of them added an excellent educauon'
obtained in Europe the United States. The poorer
people were an Arab-ke race, formed by the inter-
mixture of white. negro and Indian blood; they
formed kind of fondal tenantry. cultivating the
ground rent ft,e and giving their services to the
landlord when necessary. The whole population
was directly dependent On agriculture; there were
absolutely no manufactures, and hardly any mines
CattIe-rasing was a principal industry aud sugar.
cotton and colfe, were exported in considerable
quantities.
This region is subject TO periodical dronPhts,
when for one two years the Winter rams arc
lighter than usual or wanting altogether Several
Of these droughts are on record, but none of them
will compare for duration and terrible ELECTS WIN
the present one 1t began III 1877, when the VIM
ter rains were almost entirely wanting 80 thai an
the crops failed and the cattle died for want oil food
and water b. July of that year third OF the pop
rlation were begging for food; by November nine
alike were suffering from hunger The whole coun-
trv WAS dried up 50 that not even green leaf or
blade of grass could be seen. except along lew
fertile hillside, The poor people were gathered IN
camp, about the larger villages, where they lived
on charity or on Government aid but this latter
was scanty and irregular, and il was almost useless
TO beg where the whole country was impoverished.
Even at this time the famine deaths ran up 10 ten
or fifteen DAY in small villages.
DETAILS OF SUFFERING ASD DEATH.
Following this first year Of drought came second
one over the greater part Of the country II did not
rain at all and at the best there were ONLY few
showers As the people were starving already this
new calamity drove them TO despair. In March,
1873 great panic seized them the whole popula-
tion deserted the inter- country and came rushing
down 10 the coast cities. There no railroads,
and. for the most part no horses were left they
came on foot as best they could. In the single
Province of Ceara the exodus comprshended
800 900 people and at least 10000 died on the
road strictly speaking, OF starvation THIS greatest
mortality was during about five weeks-bet"een
the 25th OF February and the lst OF April. By that
trne the interior country was almost deserted, 9nd
immense eamps of refugees were formed near the
coast At one time no fewer than 10000 persons
were Gathered at FOrtaleza. city the normal pop
ulation of which Is no more than 2oOOO. These
refugees were dying by hundreds; many were alb
solutely without clothing they lived in huts made
of dry branches aud daily came to beg the streets
"A horrible throng. have some photographs which
were taken in Fortaleza at this tme-pctures Of
men and women picked up at random from the
| crowd-and they speak more eloqucntly than words
can of the terrible effects of starvation. Most of
the figures are perfectly naked, just they were
found in the streets: prorudng bones and ieshleSs
limbs tell the story of suffering After seeing these
pictures could believe the account of shop
| keeper: "A refugee came to my house aud asked
permission to kill the rats that he might eat them"
AID FROM THE BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT.
| Up to this time the Brazilian Government had
paid 10 great attention to the drought-stricken re-
gon | suppose that 1t did not comprehend the
magnitude of the evil. But after the great exodus
occurred the Ministers at Rio woke up, An extra
ordinary credit OF $50, 900 was voted for the
relief of the refugees But as the Brazilian finances
were i'm wretched condition, this demand had TO be
met by an issue of paper money. to the great detr
ment of the country. CeaT6 was the principal scat
of the calamity. and there most of the Government
money was applied. The Provincial Government
was resolved into a great aid commission, with
branches for every refugee camp; the ann and end
of legislation was to feed the destitute poor. Some
were set to work on public buildings railroads :;
the rest supported In their camps. being al
lowed to draw daily ratiOns like 80 many soldiers.
I'm the early part Of 1873, feyers and other epidem
| lea appeared among the refugees later In the year
| these gave way to smallpox. In FOrtaeza the
death rolls from this disease were rightful At that
| time the adventitious population Of the city had
dwinded to about GO, 900. and of these almost two
| Afths died during the months of November and De
| Gambler; on one day the death rate from smallpox
alone ran up to sos; and this number taken from
the Official reports does not includetwo camps which
| were a little further away from the city.
/ visited Ceara at this time and saw with my own
ewes the horrors of the drought and the conse-
III.
ssnneal for aid from the American
people. because the Brazilian Government was
| feeding the refugees and few cases of starvation
| were then recorded. I knew that were power
less against the ravages of disease, could help