The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-04-10

ed people We're now reduced to the ne
cessity of eating roots, cotton-pods, the
Mucuma bean, which produces dropsy,
lizards, dogs, cats, rats, reaches;
any living or dead thing capa-
BILE of affording sustenance; and in
some instances they were even goaded
to cannibalism by the pangs of hunger.
10 increase the unimaginable horrors of
the situation, the smallpox broke out
among the Sertanejos and became cpl
demic; typhus and other fevers were
raging, and, in February and March of
1873, the mortality became frightful.
The cattle were now all dead, the rivers
dried up, and there being no railroads or
other communication by which provi-
sions could reach the Sertao, the inhabi-
tants, dreading wholesale starvation,
abandoned it altogether, and the whole
torrent of life swept seaward.
Ceara, Parahyba, Aracaty, Batu1ute,
all the towns along the coast, were now
alive with suffering humanity, age,
youth, men, women, and children, all
tamlne-stricken, coming in from the
country by thousands upon thousands.
The City of Ceara, with $4,000 inhabit-
ants of its own, received over 10000
Sertanejos. Impossible to provide for
such host, the Cearenses did their best;
but it was a sorrowful spectacle to see
thousands of emaciated creatures sitting
or lying in the open largos (squares)
smitten with smallpox and other loath.
some diseases, some lamenting their owl
fate, or the loss of friends; others toe
weak or i'll to complain; some wishing t.
die from despair, and others insane from
suffering; dangerous and most harrow
ing scene, one with few parallels in his
| tory. ga ra.st.
In Ceara, or Fortaleza, as it is indis-
criminately called, the highest mortality
in normal times was 900 per year. Now
about half the population (25, O00) is
dead. In the beginning of last Novem-
Der, the population, including the influx
numbered 10000. The greatest mortal.
ity prevailed in the months of November
and December of 1878. From the 1st Of
November to the 9th of December there
died of smallpox alone, and were buried
in the Lagoa Funda deep lakes) Gene
terry, for the poor only, 23,470; estimated
from 9th to 31st of December, 1000; il
the st. Joao Baptiste Cemetery, 1921
in the City Cemetery, 1000; estimated
buried outside in fields, etc., 1000; ado
to this the mortality from other diseases
ten per cent, 2,S78; total interments fol
two months, 31,571.
| have given the statistics, as figures
tell their own incontrovertible tale
Sixty thousand Cearenses have beel
buried in the Lagoa Funda Cemetery
which was only commenced in the mid
die of last year. The soil is sandy, il
which trenches are dug six feet deep
and long enough to contain twelve I'm
coffined .corpses. Three or four NOR
are sometimes put in when the bodie
come too fast for the corps of grave-dig
gers, numbering twenty-five. Thes
diggers sometimes drop dead in tn
trenches, from the effiuvia emanatin|
from the bodies, which permeates tn
whole soil of the cemetery, and impreg
mates the surrounding atmosphere 70
nearly mile. aa
AT Parahyba, out Of 10, 900 Sertanejo
who came to that port, $4,000 died
others have wandered off, and the plac
is nearly depopulated. Of Sobral, Pa
catuba and other towns, distressing az
counts, that augmented the sum of hi
man suffering, could be given. Blu
enough has been narrated to conve
some idea of the magnitude of the terri
BILE secca of Ceara. 1t is estimated tina
100000 died from hunger alone; a
many more from its effects, and the re
naming 100000 from disease. Mean
while the Brazilian Government, full,
alive to the facts, is doing its utmost t.
alleviate the calamity. 1t has appro
priated and nearly used as relief funt
for the miserable sufferers $4,000, 900
Every vessel that could be had wa
freighted to its utmost capacity with sup
plies, and sent to Ceara. Ship loads O
Sertanejos, amply provided with seeds
tools and provisions, were sent up anC
distributed among the different towns
along the Valley of the Amazon. Anew
railroad, employing 5000 laborers, sus
tanning $4,000 people, was started, anC
is now in construction between Gear;
and Crato. Subscriptions have beer
taken up, and other means of help de
vised, but, best of all, the blessed rains
so vainly longed for by the now dream
less slumberers, are coming. Two have
fallen in Ceara at last accounts, so let III
hope the fearful scourge is over, that thu
usual rainy seasons will return, and tina
the barren and desolate Sertao will one,
more blossom as the rose, and TEEN will
/ I,h r,. Nd nh1