Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-28
CARGO OF ONE STEAMER.
Tons of Bacon, Flour and Lard and
Hundreds of Sacks of Letters.
YELLOW JACK AND QUARANTINE.
Climate at Para Not Altogether Delightful
for Strangers.
THE VOYAGE ACROSS THE EQUATOR.

Paradise.
am writing under an almost tropical sun
and hastily, too, for must catch an out
going steamer.
The weather of September here does not
differ very much from that of any other
month. The days are not only equal in
length, but are all alike, hot, exceedingly
hot, and the nights are "long and damp and
dreary, and the winds and rains are never
weary"
There are no twilights nor romantic sin
the cleaning" in this latitude When the
great copper ball which hangs over US all
day, discharging its fierce electric waves
of heat and light, disappears behind the dis
tant Western Andes, the sable curtain Of
night seems to drop upon us as suddenly as
that upon the mirlic stage, leaving US alone
In the darkness of tropical night
MOUTH OF THE AMAZON.
Para is city of about 80, 900 population,
situated about IS miles from the mouth Of
the river OF the same name, according
to the biographies, a river of which no
Brazilian has ever heard, however. Here
they call it "Guajara Bay" and it is only
picturesque little nook, several miles in
extent, in the immense labyrinth of chan
nels and islands and sea which is called the
mouth of the Amazon. This city occupies
relatively the same position to the Amazon
river and valley as that of New Orleans to
the Mississippi and Ohio valleys.
The city itself is one of the Oldest in
South America, and is IN many respects q
most interesting place-of which more anon.
I am advised that the yellow fever is not
confined to the summer time, as in our
Southern states. They never have any
October frosts here to kill the germs; but as
matter of fact, as an English official
reassuriDgly informed me, tie disease pre-
walls while the days and nights are equal;"
which, upon after reflection, discovered to
be, probably, every day in the year. There
were six cases officially reported by the
United States within tine past month. The
physicians of the city often call it by the
more eupnon1ous name of American
typhus" in their certificates OF disease.
YELLOW JACK GOES FREE.
There is practically no Board of Health.
ana no organized system for collecting the
data. 1t may be more than assumed that
the official reports do NOT at all approximate
the real facts. Yet the steamer that carries
this untumigated mail to YOU, and whose
passengers and crew have mixed indiscrim.
lnately with the town people during the
stay of some days in the port, departs with
the consular official clean bill of health. II
is said to be the duty OF the local officials
alone to decide upon the important question
as to when the disease NAV be considered as
epidemic, or dangerous and not within the
province of the United States Consul. This
may be good international law, which the
customs of the country accept but it does
not strike your correspondent as savoring of
good common sense. This statement serves
to show that an official clean bill of health
Is not to be relied upon in all cases.
As serving to further indicate the unre-
liability OF the ordinary quarantine regula-
tlons, heard a private conversation be-
tween a ships official and doctor, wherein
1t was humorously related how this ships
official had, on previous occasion, sue
ceeded in deceiving the health officer while
at Barbados in regard to a case of yellow
fever aboard his ship. The surgeons OBJ
servation to the effect that sit cost about
$500 day to be quarantined, and they
couldn't afford that completely and point
edIy covered the ground. the inference being
that the hrst consultation in quarantine
matters, as IN all others, is usually of a
selfish character-more regard being paid to
the mercenary interests of the few, than to
the sanitary interests of the many.
THE CORRESPONDENT EXPLAINS.
You will pardon my explaining WHY am
located at so undesirable a place. 1 quote
from the press the following as serving to
indicate my positions"
Hon. James g. Blaine. Secretary of State,
who has known the author and family during
many years, has read the book, and In reply to
recent interview with Hon. John Dalzell, OF
Pittsburg, relating to consular appointment
said: "Oh, yes, know him very well and
know Just what he wants, and mean to give it
to him. think he Is the right man to send
out there as Consul; he can undoubtedly make
good use Of his earlier experience as war
scout, as well as his later training as WASH
1ngton telegraph newspaper scout. and will in
telligently report to the department. and write
up for the press syndicates the possibilities for
American business in that eountry-but the
facts are, we have more pegs than holes 10 pus
them in; but we will lind hole for him."
And he did. He kept his word, and put
me in the hottest hole on the surface of the
globe. Being an old soldier, I obey orders
and am here and will carry out instructions
"to the letter." Notwithstanding the eli
matte difficulties, there were numerous ap-
plicants for the place, and there is still some
hope for them. ! do not expect to live long
or die soon at this point. NV desire is to
''go west" in South America, perhaps 10
the Andes at the head waters of the great
river, where I may enjoy, in lonely, selfish
delight, the privilege of exploring the ANA
zonian valley of the equator, and perhaps
tell the story in the papers, If do not be-
come lost, Ia Stanley in Africa.
BIG SOUTH AMERICAN MAIL.
To come to Brazil from Pittsburg one
does not have to come to New York. The
elegant steamers of the unsubsidized but
United States and Brazil
Mail Steamship Company call at the South
ern port OF Newport News, Va, on regular
dates, some three days alter leaving New
York, for the last United States mail. This
important mail service with our Southern
neighbors is becoming quite extensive, our
ship receiving some 200 bags, nearly all Of
which was known as ''letter mail, as dis
tinguished from prints" which comprises
the bulk Of the ordinary service. 1t may be
assumed that almost every letter in the 200
bags was OF an important character, proba-
bly, orders, invoices. drafts or exchange and
relating to the growing business interests
with these sections.
As there are but comparatively few social
relations between the countries, owing 10
the difference of language, as well as gen.
eral ignorance Of each other, il becomes ap-