New-York tribune., 1880-02-08
AN AMERICAN FARMAR IN BR4zII.

IN AMERICAN FARMER IN BRAzIL
From Byaz the 4nsozOns and the BY Herbert H. sp fn
There IS great creakiD OF wheels and aconfuslon
of driver-shoutng. Down the Santarem-sf. come
four brown horses, dragging an immense American
wagon; tall, cOatless individual sits astrde OF ons
of the leaders, and guides the cavacade with muc,
flourish ana noise. He draws up in front of sr
Caetano's store, and salutes the merchant; then
al ghts and marches straight up 10 us, relnarkng:
wall Who are you r.
OF course. we get acquainted at once, and Mr..
Platt ia man worth knowing, too. He is one of
some fifty Americans who are established in the
forest near by Platt himself is a Tennessean: tbe
others from Mississippi, Alabama. and so on
la It's origin the colony much larger. Over 900
persons came here from Mobile, In 1866 under the
guidance of certain Major Hastings. This was
shortly after the great civil war, when tie subject
of Brazilian migTatlOn was much agliated IN our
Southern States. People who had lost everything
were willing enough 10 begin again ON new sol
the Brazilian Government encouraged them TO
come, and agents were PAID so much per head for
their importation. Naturally, these agents drew
very glowing picture of Brazil, and said nothing at
all about the difficulties that eDlgTants would have
to meet. None Of the colonies were very succeSsful
this one Of SantaTen was badly made up IN the out
set: with few good families there rabb!e
of lazy vagabonds, OifscOuIngs OF the army and va
grants of Mobile who looked upon the affair AS a
grand adventure Arrived at Saltarem. they were
received kindly enough but alter a little the good
people became disgusted with their guests. who
quarrelled necessarily and filed the town with
drunken uDrOaT. Government AID for the colony
was Withdrawn; gradually the scum n0ated away,
the others. The few families that remained mad TO
Outlive public opinion, AID hard time they had Ok
IT, with poverty on one side and 1l~wll on the other
But in time the BraZllans discovered lnat these
were not vagabonds they learned 10 respect their
industry aud perseverance,; and now, all through
the Amazons. you viii hear hothing Dat good words
ot tie Santarem colony
Farmer Platt presses Us TO come out for few
days" So when the wagon moves oil presently, We
ar seated ~ the bottom OF ~ among snndiy D%es
Of dried fish and baskets OF mandioca-mcal-tLe
weeks provisions. The farmer cracks his whip
sharply the is low already, and the wheels
must wade through eight miles of sand tonight.
Bare-legged boys come out 10 stare the wagon has
not ceased TO he a wonder, and truly II Us note
worthy spectacle, with the four horses and cur TALL
farmer The wagon Mr. Plat informs ", was sent
from his old home in Tennessee, and 1t had TO pass
through many yiclssltudos Of cusl clubhouse and
travel before it reached this place Long ago, law
passed by which agricultural implements could
be introduced, free Oi duty bur pIactlc8lly, THIS
law is a dad letter in almost every case. and even
If 1t Is allowed, the importer must be put 70 vast
amount OF trouble. Alr. Pat?s wagon paid qne as
much Tor duty as ii cost IN the outset; every oody
knows that this cXt0rtI0n Illegal, that the duty
was excessive III any case but poor Piatt has no
redress, except by lItlgation winch De cannot AZ
ford So lie submits. and gIumbes, as thousand
other good men are grumbng. And Brazil wonders
why immigrants do not come.
By the time we have tOiled up one long slope ant.
down auOthcr darkness begins to fail. The land,
thus far. Is sandy campo; trees are scattered over
The surface, not close enough Tor shade nos thehY
eaved enough 10 be called luxuriant; they are low
aud gnared; bushes and grass cluster about tue
roots, but there Is continuous uudcTgrowth.
he road Is merely track, winding among The tree
clumps untll It enters the forest, five miles fIOm
Sautarem.
1t is TOO dark row to see how great the change is;
only the trees rise high either side, and the
branches almost meet against the gray sky above.
PIatt's shOuts TO his horses have different sound,
among the echoes he stOops now and then. to avoid
q branch. Here and there great vine-stems hang
down tho darkness above: IN making the road they
have been cnt away near the ground. bat the ends
are still low enough to give the driver an occa-
,ae filprl Fl and pff he
bushes with great crash; We III the wagon must
look out for hats The darkness grows deeper,
until the tree-trnnks are lost in gloom and our
driver is hardly visible The forest seems to be
higher; we can just see few glintlng stars over
head, where the gaps are widest. Iree-frogs and
crickets chTping all around; ni2ht-bIrd walls
from the branches; or twice we catch gllmpses
of moths or bats fitting above Us.
Presently we stop with jerk; one of the wheels
man. gets out of the wagon aud cuts away the OBJ
structIOn with Il wOOd-knife Then we go on, now
running against tree, now sinking deep INTO rut,
getting through somehow with horse-nllIscle aud
man-muSClc. We pass clearing and a Ilttle
thachcd house, hardly visible in the darkness Mr.
Plat aud Francisco are discussing the owner of
of this house, an Indian, who is noted hunter IN
these parts, Half dozen jaguar skins he has, and
more he has sold; there scores OF the animals on
the hill beyond his house. Only week ago he shot
very large one, but not until he had lost his best
dog by blow from the creatures paw. Francisco
goes on 10 tell other hunting STORIES ana adventures
Of his own Ia the woods; the conversation takes
wonderful interest, with the darkness around and
the moaning of the wind above.
By and by we alight to stretch our legs, walking
beyond the slow-going wagon; we feel our way
rather than see it, dark the road is. There are
white an'-hIlls along the sldes-pale giows OF phOs-
phOrescent light like Goals in the ashes. They look
ghostly ia the darkness and we think of the jaguar
stories with little tremOr. Bat presently comes
the checry shout behind, and the creaking of the
wheels and beyond there is great clearing and
house, whence the dogs are peang noisy welcome
to cur party.
The farmers wife welcomes us cordially the chill
lren are shy. for they do not often strangers.
Greetings over. We swing our hammocks under the
hatch the air is cool and pie asant-a little cold to-
ward morning. SO that we have need OF our thick