The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-02-23
THE RIO MARKET,

Worlds within themselves are the mar
kets or mercedes of Rio. Great are
they in extent, rich IN variety, teeming
in interest and loud in smell. The wish
tor will have no difficulty in finding
these interesting places if he follows the
dictates OF his own organ of smell, for
the odor of the markets is greater,
stronger and richer than all the other
odors of the city, aud can be detected a
square or so away. The market | would
essay to tell you about, and the one that
often attracted me at times when felt
able to wade through the unpleasantness
of the place, is situated on the bay shore,
and has it's docks for the fish and vege-
table boats. You may have seen the
French market in New Orleans. Ii you
have, and are gifted with IN magma
ton that can picture similar place a
little larger in size, many times more
curious and crowded, twenty times more
dirty, you may have a faint idea of what
this market may be like. In its area,
which is about equal to that of an ordi-
nary city square, are comprised a greater
assortment of things than could be
dreamed Of in i mouth. In sheds and
stalls and stands are offered for sale a
most miscellaneous lot of merchandise,
perisha5le and otherwise. Everything
You could find in the North is here, be-
side the infinite variety of things the
existence of which the people of the
North had not the faintest idea. Next to
stall where is displayed chaotic stock
of notions and general store" goods, in
many of which we recognize the handi-
work of the Yankee, we find IA vegetable
stand, where is offered for sale every
thing that grows and possesses any value
as food--the fruits of the tropics. pump
kns, sections of the edible palm trees,
mandioca and other vegetable looking
things that the Hoosier could not call by
name. This edible palm beats every
thing in the food line l know of. We
see pieces of round, green, pithy wood
two or three inches in diameter and as
long as stick of cord wood, and can
hardly be convinced that this should be
an article in the bili-of-fare of the nat
ives, yet VIC are assured that it is a
popular food among the poorer inhabi-
tants. The palm-tree serves the natives
manifold purposes. They build houses
and roof them with materials from the
tree, they make clething and thread,
tools, household utensils, and ! forget to
what other uses they put the tree, be-
sid eating the trunk.
Next to the vegetable stall we'll find a
crockery establishment. The bulk of
this stock will be seen to be water cool
ers, bottles, ETC., of the Dutch porous
ware, which is so we'll adapted for use in
the tropics. But all of the bewildering
maze of things, animate and inanimate,
the poultry booths will hold most of the
visitors attention. The boxes of chick
ems, pigeons, ducks, etc, that arr SO
familiar to our eyes we pass with a
glance, but the cages of canaries, finches
poiioes, pa'odaObS, SoShp-s
toos, and others of the plumcd tribe
valued either for their musical ability
loquacity or plumage, retain our
terest. You may say that the latte
named are queer poultry. 1t does see
funny to see roosters and hens, that To-
so natural we could almost believe WEI
in the poultry department of an India;
county fair, and the rarest birds of TN
tropics side and side, but SO we find it here
Amid the scores of birds, the species
which am ignorant, l found a sc
and solemn toucan, with its prepo
ance of bill. We saw this same
every time we visited the place, an
became very familiar SO familiar, il
that the major felt free to call him *
tor"-a name suggested by the size
the bill WI Woyward.