National Republican., 1884-02-29
PARA, IN BRAZIL.
An Old Town Presenting the Same Appearance
as Two Centuries Ago
A Massive Stone Cathedral Whose Build
ing is Clothed in Mystery
The New City One Of Enterprise and Prosperity and
with Modern Improvements,
PARA, IN BRAZIL.
Built Had Eight Hundred Cases OF SMALL
poH In january
Special Letter.

Special Letter.
PARA, BRAZIL, Feb. Is, 1ssl-Belem-do-
Para took its name from the ancient town of
Belem, near the mouth Of the Tagus river, in
Portugal, noted as the port whence vasco da
Cana set sail on his voyage of discovery.
Wherever an expedition from Portugal landed
during the sixteenth and seventeenth con-
turies town was laid out and invariably
the name of Bolem do something was given
TO it.
The old town Of Para, which is entirely
surrounded by walls, undoubtedly presents
much the same appearance which it did 200
years ago, excepting that the walls and old
forts are in q very deplorable condition, and
fast crumbling away. The walls aud forts
once mounted more than 200 cannon, but now
not one can be found, excepting in passing
through the streets of Nazareth and the city
of New Para, where you see them planted,
muzzie down, at the street corners, to serve
as Tenders against the great water carts con-
stantly passing to and fro. The old cathedral
and the palace Of the bishop, both
within the fortified town, are moss COW
ored and moudy, and seem ready
to fall down, yet they are occupied as OF old,
and will servo for q century or more to come
The solid stone partition walls, of which
there are many, have thickness of about
four feet. Where these stones came from,
and how they were brought there, is quite as
much Of a mystery US that which surrounds
the pyramids of Egypt. There is no stone tc
be found within hundreds of miles of Para
yet here we find massive stone blocks, jonted
and cemented in most workmanlike man
ner, the like of which is found only on the
American continent in the wilds OF Peru.
The Indians from up-country, even into
Peru and Bolivia, come yearly to this shrine
which, to these poor benighted people, is GER
tainly consecrated ground.
The new ty Of Para, or Para proper, pre-
sents a very respectable appearance with it,
clean paved streets and fairly well con-
structed buildings. The city and province
cannot well help progressing. The entire
commerce of the Amazon centers here, and
all the production Of the up-river country are
brought here to market. The business il
carried on principally by English and Ger
man merchants, very few Braziians benl
engaged in trade. Large stocks of goods o
every description are kept on hand to supply
the river trade. Very little money, however
passes between the buyer and the seller
rubber, Peruvian bark, balsam, tonca beans
&C., bel ng taken in exchange for hardware
clothing. and provisions The hotel:
are bad. Food is badly served, aside
from being badly cooked, and then one must
take just what is set before you, as there
is very little to choose FROM and you mus
trust to your landlord to do the mark citing
The conntry produces no vegetables, except
ing, at times, tomatoes, lettuce, and chickory
Everything else, such rs potatoes, onions
cabbage, &C., is brought from Europe by di.
rect steamers. Occasionally we have a beef
famine, when for days there is no beef to be
had in the place. Cattle are brought to mar
ket from Cayenne, in French Guiana, and, as
there is only one steamer engaged in the
cattle trade, the supply is not equal to the
demand, and we are obliged to fall back on
chicken or wild fowl We get good wine
(imported), good bread, coffee, and canned
vegetables, but one gets tired o.
out again. Beds arc very little
used, nearly every one sleeping in
hammocks Scorpions and lizards infest
every house. The first are dangerous, bu
the latter are very useful in killing bugs
flies &C., while at the same time they are
perfectly harmless To nervous person
these companions would not be very pleasant.
But what will you say when tell you that
in many houses, and In nearly every store
or warehouse, you will find boa constructors
which are kept as rat catchers and in many
instances they are made pets ofby the people
of the household. They are absolutely
harmless, and l can assure you that thu
stories we read about the boa constructor
attacking mon are false. Sometimes they dc
attack and kill cattle, sheep, and hogs, but
they will get away from man as fast as
possible when found in the forest wilds
Later ON l will tell you something more
about these household pets and take yor
through tho great depository where hundreds
are kept on sale,
Tram cars run to all parts of the city anC
to Nazareth. They are well patronized, and
the original investment yields handsome
profit. The cars are all made in New York
but the material from which the road is con
pNr NnIa an, fwnY., al.
is warm and generally unhealthy, though q
foreigner, once acclimated who keeps goot
hours and lives fairly regular life, enjoy,
most perfect health. Yellow fcyer and small
pox are the only dreaded diseases which come
upon us here. To be sure, we have various
kinds of low fevers, but all of these are sub
dued and overcome by the physician of the
present day, so that they have no terrors al
compared with the dread yellow jack. JUS
now the city and province is in terribl,
condition. More than 500 cases of smallpox
are reported during tho month of January.
Para boasts of one of the finest theaters in
the empire. | have seen many better, but il
is well not to tell u Brazilian that in Other
cities they have finer buildings or better
theaters or prettier women than in their own
Music halls, concert rooms, and beer gardens
are numerous, while each year there comes
greatest show on earth which goes from
province to province, being subsidized largely
by the provincial governments. The princi,
pal thGater in Para receives q subvention oil
twenty contos of reis-5ay $40, 0,00O-cach year
The reasan given for thus subsidizing al
opera or circus is that the cost of trans
portation is 30 great the government, by pay
ing thisgratuity, Is senabled to fix the entrance
fee for performance at q low figure, OF
comparatively so, 80 that tho people cur
attend all performances,
In my next | will give some interesting
details as to tho commerce of the Amazon, tho
people whom you meet there, the manner o
doing business, and then, too, will take yOl
through the famous establishment of " Mon
key Joe," which for the present will finisl
the north of Brazil. L.
License Tax on Commercial Travellers.