Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-23

t7I HfZl<al3s
the little nuts Of the Jara assn he produces
substitute for salt. He gets his cylinder for
squeezing mandioca pulp from another, whose
wood resists the action Of the poison Juice for a
long time. The enormous spathes Of the Maxi
miliana regia are used by hunters to cook meat
In. as with water inside they stand fire az well
as iron. Arrows are made from the spinous
heavy harpoons from the Iriatea ventricosa
The long blowpipe through which he sends
poisoned arrows to bring down birds, peccaries
tapirs, &C., ia furnished by the Setigera palm.
The great bassoon-like musical instruments
used in Indian "devl worship" are made from
with WAX for candles, oil for Illuminating pur-
poses, cordage for hammocks, fuel and good
ness knows what not.
THE APPROACH TO BAHIA.
Acting upon the captains advice we arose ct
daybreak on the morning Of the fourth days
voyage in order to witness the approach to
Bahia-the Oldest city in South America, Brazil's
second city in size, though not in commercial
importance. 1t was founded 38S years ago,
and was Of considerable importance before the
little French settlement thousand miles farther
south-Vellegagnon, now Rio de Janeiro
BOUNDED In 1555)-was heard of. For more
the Portuguese possessions In South America,
up to the year 1853, when the Brazilian govern
ment transferred its seat to Rio. The ancient
capital was christened San Salvador, but took
its present name from the magnificent sheet Of
water in front Of it, which Americas yespucius
discovered In 1903 and piously called Bahia de
Todos os Santos, "Bay Of all Santa" It il
similar to that Of Rio In shape and size, and
lies north and south, thirty-seven miles long,
twenty-seven miles wide and with an average
depth Of forty fsthoms. But, unlike 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 0
wall Of crazy peaks leaning in all directions tout
Of plumb, but there Is no land In sight rising
higher than 500 feet. Tho bay has also given
Its name to the province, which is one Of the
most important in Brazil, with an area Of
200, 900 square miles, including many towns,
villages 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 a.
genuine "Havanas;' it also produces enormous
quantities Of sugar, cotton and rice. Some Of
are found in Bahia province-and part Of our
business here is to visit them, If practicable.
GUARDED BIZ xAxY FORTS
Steaming slowly past the great palm-covered
island Of Itaparica we come to the tall. round
light house directly opposite, which marks the
southern beginning Of the city. At the foot Of
the light house Ia a fort and presently We pass
another and another. Then on an enormous
boulder a short distance from shore Is the
fourth-a huge, circular castle, its top COM
pletely covered with guns, which was built
many years ago by the Dutch and looks today
like a great Dutch cheese. Bahia is rich in
forts. for several others are scattered along the
city and all the hills are bristling with them.
The situation Of the town reminds one of VAL
paraiso, for all along shore, from 200 to 800
feet back from the line Of surf rise precipi-
tous bluffs, whose average altitude is $50 feet
The original San Salvador lies close to the
water and to this day comprises nearly all the
business portion Of the city, though In some
parts but one street wide-the Rua da Praya,
four miles long. lined with shops and ware
houses and public buildings. The growing city
gradually crept up the heights and back into
the country, and now everybody lives in the
town above, though transacting business below
THE cHuRcHEs AND HOUSES.
While waiting the coming Of the health and
custom officials we have time to count the
domes and towers and spires and steeples Of the
sixty-seven churches, which are the favorite
boast Of its zoe, 900 inhabitants. We are sur
prised to see that the houses most Of them
sohdly built Of stone, are three. four and five
stories high. their white, yellow and pale blue
walls rooted with red tiles and many of them
brnced up on the very brink Of the precipice by
gigantic stone buttresses. They have green
jalousies and are broken out all over with tiny
balconies, like warts. The great yellow trapiches
(warehouses) that line the water front have
iron latticed windows and everybody's roof is
shadowed by towering palm or fig or mango
tree. The old town below and the newer town
above are connected by several steep, rocky
roads, constructed centuries ago at great ex-
pense, and also by q brand-new passenger ele-
vator. Landing at the stairs Of the alfandegs
Custom house, You sep at once into the oldest
portion Of the town and the center Of its bust
ness activity and are besieged by swarms Of
the darkest darkies that ever we're seen. 1t
seems that all Bahia is highly '.colored."
Dozens OF negroes offer you all manner Of SER
vices. They want to carry you up the hill in a
cadeira (''curtained chair for the sedan or
pslanquin is as common here as at Hong Kong
or Calcutta Others importune you to buy
feather flowers manufactured by the nuns,
handmade lace, living snakes and tanned skins
OF dead ones, monkeys. parrots, fruits, and the
instant your luggage is released from the allan
dega an ebony Hercules who was brought over
from Minas in slavery days swings your iron
bound Saratoga on top Of his woolly pate as
lightly as If it we're feathers weight and trots
with IT grinning,y up the steep street to the
hotel, half a mile from the landing
FANNIE B. WARD.