, 1886-02-10
CAPITAL CITY OF BRAZIL.
RIO JANEIRo's sLeAR-LoAF PEAKS
AND SPACIOUS HARBoR.
A Picture Of Beauty and o~uaintness-
sesnss in THO Streets Of the city1ouee,
Caxts-The botanical Garden-A Touch
of All N~ationaIitiss


of All N~ationaIitiss.
NFIH @ UrT
The first and last impression OF this city
Of palms, mounds and lovely bay is that
Of beauty and qunintness. The sugar-loa
peaks, and the blue Of surrounding hills,
the forts guarding the narrow entrance,
the spacious and lovely bay. and the
strange way the city pours itself round
several round hills that rise up close to
the coast-like promontories-all these
things fix the first view and are present
as one steams away.
Approaching the island that stands out
ermost M one comes from the south, the
electric light house with its white walls
shines out over the sea. Tho whole const
Is studded with azure peaks and the en-
trance into the slit-like opening,
guarded by two rock shoulders Of the
mountain chains, leads TO an open recess
from the sea very wide and deep. The
entrance Is contracted and can not be over
a mile wide, and every inch OF IL is com
handed by the guns that frown on the
parapets and embrasures Of the fortified
mounds.
HARBoR N III CITY.
The harbor is circular and about ten
AAAAAn ia 0AA1 VI AAA = kNnN NAAlA
best in the world, said to be equaled by
the one ut Sydney, in Australia. Yet
there are no wharves at which large ships
can receive aud discharge cargoes. The
lighter and steam tug are here as at
almost every other port in South Amer
lea, the ~fayorite way to carry freight to
and from the vessel. Small steamers and
sailing crnft can run up to the solidly-
built stone wharves.
There are seven mounds rising up near
the shore Of the bay, with narrow fringes
between their base and the water, wherein
are warehouses and other stores OF com
mission merchants. The streets and tall
buildings lie along the intervals Of these
mounds and all about them.
One finds himself alternately in a
throned city and almost in the country as
he follows one OF the lines Of street cars.
There are houses and stores sided with
glazed tiles, generally blue, reminding
n OF Lisbon, where the same style pre-
walls quite extensively. The streets are
finely paved with square stone, the build
lngs fronting upon them are built with
out fear OF earthquake, often three and
four stories in height. Then, too, the lit
tie courts and spaces about the houses are
lovely with green trees and flowers.
There are 10 wagons in use, but the
irayage is done with huge carts drawn by
a single ok, bull or mule. The wheels OF
these cnrts are something tremendous
felloes over four inches deep and nearly as
thick and spokes in proportion. They
are very noisy and sleep is badly disturbed
In n room fronting on the street, for they
go laundering and jolting all night long.
One will also see men driving cows with
muzzled calves following them from place
to place, distributing milk, though there
are peddlers Of the tactical fluid, mounted
On horses aud mules, flying along evory
morning.
AToUCH OF L EATIoSALITIEs.
Many OF the streets are so narrow no
carriages are permitted to enter them
after o O'clock I'm the morning. The shops
mostly ~patronized lie along these secluded
passages, Generally the stores are bright
and attractive, patterns OF Paris shops,
and many OF them are kept by French
people. The city is most cosmopolitan.
A touch Of all nationalties is found here.
Portuguese Is the dialect Of the masses,
but several languages are spoken in every
shop.
The botanical garden Is perhaps tho
most interesting spot about Rio. IL lies
some hve or more miles out, and Is reached
by a tramway. Here are the finest row Of
palm trees in the world. They cross each
other at right angles-the rows are in
pairs, with bases OF circular green sward.
The vista down the rows is very imposing.
rhe trees are at least 100 feet high, and
perhaps much more. with diameter Of two
Or more feet. The green tops, the grace
ful body tapering to the lofty SUBMITS,
the wonderful symmetry are all quite
perfect.
The garden has other beauties, lilies,
lunches OF bamboo very tall and vigorous,
\ cascade of water let down in sheets over
sight walls, a queer troe whose roots start
out above ground from one TO ten feet
high and strike down to the earth in close
proximity TO each other, hedges OF a
strange plant. flowers, walks and foun-
tains, The garden is a ~favorite resort.
The languor OF the tropics rests ON the
people. There is no hurry; every one has
time to spare. The stores are full OF
quiet. Whether this inertia is peculiar to
the Latin race In sultry ATTITUDES It may
be hard to tell. Some OF the English and
American residents of these regions,
though long domioiled here, are yet full OF
energy, while others have taken on the
habits OF the people among whom they
uve.-Rio Janelro Cor. Kansas City Jour
nal.