Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-12
A SICK MAN IN PARA
Finds That the Forces of Nature Are
In League Against Him.
HIS ROOM Is FULL OF REPTILES.
Lessons From Brazil as to the Proper Way
to Use O Hammock.
SOLDIERS AND POLICEMEN AT WAR
rcoBREsPoNDENcE OF THE DIsPArcH.J

ing bond-as they call their cars, because It
took so many bonds to run them-and being
in a weak condition I Jared a tender spot
which I carry with me as a relic of the
Gettysburg campaign. AS usual thought
it would soon pass of, but getting a sore or
sickness of any sort in this climate is en-
tirely different from the same thing at home,
and 1 was confined to my by IL room a
fortnight. A mosquito bite if irritated be-
comes fostering sore here. Ones blood
becomes as thin as water, and this fact, with
the heat and general depression caused by
the heavy atmosphere, serves to aggravats
every kind of illness.
It seems as if the millions of animate na-
ture that thrive in this climate are only
waiting till ones blood gets a little cool
that they may at once begin to prey upon
it. A plaster of bread, ETC., put on the
body here will attract millions of little ants
to the spot, and one can without much
stretch of the imagination know that the
vultures which you must see every time
your eyes look to the sky are eagerly watch
ing for chance to prey upon you. 1t is no
exaggeration to say that l lay awake nights
shuddering at the running noise the nasty
lizards make rapidly scrambling up and
down the walls of my little room One
may rise In the morning and expect to find
in his undiscovered shoes a scorpion in the
right and centipede in the left. 1t is
fact that trunks etc, have all to be raised
from the floors, because if allowed to re-
main IN one position day or two you are
sure to find in the dampness that gathers
centipedes and scorpions. Collars and cuffs
and all starched linens are eaten to rags by
another little insect called bosheebas.
Troublesome Little Insect.
This is not only the case indoors, but one
cannot go into the grass outside for five
minutes without becoming covered with
little red insects so small as to be almost
invisible to the naked eye They are well
known all over this country as moqueens.
They are after the nature of wood ticks, and
though it may take q day they are sure to
penetrate stockings and underelothing and
insert their entire bodies into the skin,
where they die. The newcomer will scratch
and scratch, and find himself in "a hours
covered with little hard Jumps of a most
irritating sort. The danger arises from ex-
cessive Irritation that may bring about
permanent and fostering sores. The only
remedy is bath in cognac, or cachaca, the
native rum of the country, which kills the
pestiferous insect.
/ have such q terror of those ticks from
severe experience that L avoid touching
blade of grass. No one but an Indian or a
tough-skinned negro ever thinks of laying
| down in the grass in this country.
Besides the intense almost overpowering
heat and glare of bright sunshine during
the monotonous days, a sick person here
must suffer from a lack of nourishing diet.
We have no fresh, green garden stuff; no
tart or juicy fruits A strawberry is IN
known in this part of the world. We have
the watery, tasteless oranges, that promi-
| nent Brazilian advised me against eating at
any time, as being quite unhealthy; some
sickly bananas, and occasionally a pine
apple. I've never seen an apple, peach,
pear, or plum in the Amazonas. How
have laid in my hammock these dreary days
and thought over all the good things one
can enjoy in Gods country; dreamed Of
babbling brooks and springs of clear, cold
water bursting from rocky hillsides, and
how have longed for the sight of hill or
mountain, and wondered why anyone should
ever come here to liVel
How the People Sleep.
Everybody in this country sleeps in ham
mocks, or as they call them redes. In each
house will be found probably one bed draped
with a canopy of lace or mosquito netting,
and dressed as the ladies say with sham pill
lows, creating the impression that it is more
for ornament than for use. If there be a
dozen in a family each will have his or her
own rede, and if necessary be prepared to
take it up and walk.
The redes may be of different colors, but,
as a rule, the majority are of white material
that may be washed. The girls of the fam
lily will have their redes strung in one room,
side by side, merely giving one another suf-
fcient room to swing freely and they all
swing and talk themselves to sleep, the
pendulum motion of the redes only ceasing
when they become too weary to reach out
and kick it into motion again. Sleeping or
lounging in hammock is quite an accom-
plishment, and is certainly brought to q
greater degree of perfection here than any
place that I have ever seen.
The redes are all provided with neat lace
like curtain, woven from the same material
as the body of the hammock. These hang
straight down at each side, adding to its
gracefulness, at the same time concealing
the pudding-like shape of the occupant.
These curtains are neatly embroidered, and,
being light are sometimes used as cover to
keep off mosquitoes.
How to Use . Hammock.
To properly enjoy hammock one must
not try to lie straight in line with it, but
stretch out "bias"-that is, sleep across it,
putting his head high on one side and rest
ing the feet in the low part of the other
side, and then, to properly appreciate the
situation, one should be dressed in pam
jamas.
The most excellent and skillful DR..
Bricio, who has been attending me says,
with his courteous French accent: "You
must have change. Para is no place for
an American like you. Take sea voyageI
that will make you well soon."
But I begged that he would change the
prescription and order river voyage, as I
always get sea sick; besides the river trip
would admit of the carrying out of my origi-
nal plan. With a shrug of the shoulders he
consented, but directed that carry some
medicines along for the prevention of the
intermittent fevers that prevailed in the in
terror.
The General Government at Rio and the
State governments are already having con-
siderable friction in the working of the new
machinery As is well known the reYolu-
ton was from an Empire to a Republic, and
was brought about by the discomfort and in
subordination of the old army. 1t did not
come through the people. The Rio Govern
ment have quartered at Para a few soldiers
OF the Brazilian army, who have been very
turbulent and mutinous, and causing great
deal of trouble by their riotous behaviour
toward the armed State and municipal police
force.
Some Rather Unpleasant Scenes.
On election Gay number of mounted DO
lice attacked few disarme1 soldiers, abus-
ing them outrageously with their sabers,
etc. Last week one of the regular soldiers,
who had been relieved from guard duty, in