The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-07-28

! 'iiO DUt'"o", VI WlIlc- pam, from WHICH
the flowers droop in long crimson cords,
set at intervals with bright green berries;
! the cocoanut palm, whose flowers burst
! from the sheath in such long, heavy
plume Of creamy blossoms that strong
man could not lift it; and others too nu-
merous to mention. No wonder the palm
tree has been named the ''Prince of the
Vegetable Kingdom 1t ought also to
called the Special Providence of South
America, for it furnishes the natives re-
mote from cities with nearly all the nee
essaries of life.
Take for example the hut of an Anna
zonian Indian. Its rafters are formed by
the straight, tall Leopoi0ind pulchrd palm
it is matched with leaves of the Carono
split stems OF the Hortco erhorigd palm.
! From another species he takes the wide
bark that grows beneath the fruit for
cloth, from which to make his scanty
/ dress. His swinging bed is woven from
| the tibcrs of several palms. and are 50 his
/ bow string and shline. The comb which
| he uses in adjoining his head is made from
the hard wood of a palm. and his fish
hooks from the spines of the same. He
makes caps for his head, bags in which to
carry his jarrito of deadly arrow poison
and most treasured feather ornaments
from the ibrous spathcs of the mttnicnlia
Saccitcra.
| From eight species he can obtain intoX-
icating liquor; from others he receives
harvests of fruit that serves for food. BY
burning the little nuts of the lara assn,
| he produces a substitute for salt. He gets
his cylinder for squeezing mandiVia- pulp
from another whose wood resists the ac-
ton of the poison juice for long time.
The enormous spathes of the mo,rimilian0
rcgio are used by hunters to cook meat in,
as with water inside they stand fire as
well as iron. Arrows are made from the
spinous processes of the Patano palm, and
lances and heavy harpoons from the
biatea tc1,tricoso The long blow pipe,
through which he sends poisoned arrows
to bring down birds, peccaries, tapirs,
etc, is furnished by the >etigcru palm.
The great bassoon-like musical instru-
ments used in Indian devil Worship are
made from the stems of young palms.
Others furnish him with wax for candles,
oil for Illuminating purposes, cordage for
Ilammocks. fuel, and goodness knows what
not.
Sailing for days within sight of an end
less variety of those tropical monarchs, we
thought OF the fascinating lands of the
Orient-of Palmyra, 1.-THE city of palms
ot Elm, the city of palms and of Persia
and Babylon: of date bearing palms in the
oasis of Africa. and similar varieties shad-
inc the ruins of ancient Egypt The
words of an old hymn ran in our minds
/ ION faintmg soul that readest we'll this story,
Longing through pain fordcath benignant
balm,
| Think not to win heaven OF rest and glory
II thou shalt reach its gates without thy
palm
But We're our feet actually beneath those
palms that viewed from a ships deck
make the shore appear like an enchanted
land, we would probably not live to tell
the tale of the Palmer pilgrimage, for the
iun9les are alive with ferocious beasts and
enormous serpcnts and poisonous insects.
| Acting upon the Captain advice, we
arose at day-break on the morning of the
| fourth days voyage, in order to witness
the approach to Bahia the oldest city in
South America, Brazil $ second city in
size though not in commercial Importance.
| 1t was founded 3S3 years ago, and was of
considerable Importance before the little
French settlement a thousand miles far
ther south, Nellegagnon, now Rio de
Janeiro, (founded in 15555), was heard of.
For more than two centuries Bahia was the
capital of all the Portuguese possessions
in South America, up to the year 1863,
when the brazilian government transferred
its seat to Rio. The ancient Capital was
christened San Salvador but took it's pres
cnt name from the magnificent sheet of
water in front OF it, which Americas Yes
pucius discovered in 1903 and piously call
ed Bahia de Todos os Santos, EBAY of all
Saints. 1t is similar to that of Rio in
shape and size and lies north and south,
81 miles long. - miles wide and with an
average depth of forty fathoms. But, I'M
like Rio bay with its exceedingly narrow
entrance. this has two openings toward
the south. one of them ten miles wide.
And this is not environed by wall of
crazy peaks, leaning in all directions ''out
OF plumb" but there is no land in sight
rising higher than five hundred feet
The bay has also given its name to the
province, which is one of the most impoI-
tant in Brazil, with an area of POO, 900
square miles, including many towns, vii
lagos and rich plantations. Bahia oranges
are the best raised in South America, and
its tobacco is good enough to be made into
cigars and sold in the United States and in
Europe us genuine ''Havanas" it also
f, produces enormous quantities of sugar,
/ cotton and rice. Some of the most ia
nous diamond mines in the world are