The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-10
LIFE AND MONEY IN BRAZIL
The First Made a Burden by Custom.
House Rules and Greedy Boatmen.
While the Volume and Character of the Cur
rency Fill the Traveller from Other Lands
with Feelings of Gloom aud Despair.

countries where heavy duties are imposed
on imported goods, Rios port regulations
are extremely rigorous and often vexa-
tious. All incoming vessels are required to
drop anchor of Fort Nillegagnon-common
ly known as the "Pico"-and there await
the coming of the health and customs off,
Gals. These gentlemen take their own
leisurely time for il, and their convenience
must be awaited. however imperative your
reasons for expedition. If the steamer
happens to have arrived near the dinner
hour Is p. VI. is the Brazilian rule for that
most important meal. or near the fashion
able time for promenading in the Rua do
Ouvidor-say an hour carrier; or, if a
fiesta happens TO be In progress. or one
OF the political demonstrations SO
numerous In the new republic no atten-
tion will be paid to 1t till some time next
day, and, meanwhile. no communication
whatever is permitted between ship and
shore, not even so much as message to
waiting friends. or letters to catch an out
going mail. Should quarantine be i'm
posed. as it is more than likely TO be
during seasons of epidemic. though there
may not be a case OF sickness on board. the
sixty miles down the coast There is no
accounting for quarantine regulations,
especially in times of scare. We expert
enced their unreasonableness to the full
few years ago. when sailing among the
West Indies. because our ship had passed
q place where smallpox was raging
though no passengers were taken on
there, and nobody went ashore but the
purser on his regular business-we werc
not allowed to come within three miles of
Mt as,l hon ND
i'll we could not visit Martinique, Barba-
dOes ST. Thomas nor any of the places We
had come so far TO see; nor send ashore for
the loDged-fOr home letters waiting in the
consnPs office. nor dispatch those we had
written during the voyage. Passengers
who must land were compelled TO spend
fifteen days at the quarantine station-a
pest-house 10 which were consigned
the leprous and diseased of every
class md all nationalities. in which
the chances were few for q per-
son who entered In perfect health TO
come out alive at the end of half a month.
Among our number was n charming French
family. who had been visiting In Para and
were coming to their home at st.
Pierre. OF course they were obliged
to disembark at Martinique; and n mourn
full procession they made-husband, wife.
four children and three servants. being
rowed away to the desert quarantine island
In the custody of officers, like criminals,
headed by the yacht of the health com-
missioner, with its significant yellow flag.
Though the family were rich and Intluen-
tial. and all III good health. nothing could
save them-simply because they happened
TO take passage on steamer that had stop
ped at an infected port several hundred
miles below the place where they EN-
parked. A year later, happening to meet
again the captain OF the same steamer on a
more fortunate voyage, l inquired after
the quarantined family. and learned, with
sorrow that the husband and three of the
children died of yellow fever. contracted at
the pest-hOuse.
PROFITABLE BUSINESS.
About ten years ago tho Brazilian au-
thorities erected q costly quarantine sta
tion on Grand island 1.-The Grande)-and
have got their money back long ago from
the charges. fixed by law, for their CON-
pulsory boarders. The rates arc as fol-
lows: First-class passengers must pay 81
600 refs per diem. for semi starvation on
villainous food; secoud-class, $500 refs;
third-class, 500 reis: children between four
and ten years OLD. half rates. aud
between one and four years, One-third
rates Then all the baggage must be dis
infected. the charges being 100 reis per
kllogramme-and the ordinary Saratoga
trunk will weigh many kilogrammes. IL Is
useless to protest that nothing Is the mat
ter with your luggage and you don't want
1t dIsinfected-it must undergo the process
or he dumped into the bay, and you must
pay for IL all the same.
In cases of merely quarantine "observa-
tions," which is usually from twenty-four
To forty-eight hours. the vessel is required
TO anchor oil Jurujuba point; but that is no
hardship il ones business not urgent,
for the glorious view amply compensates for
being compelled to endure sea-iood and a
stuffy staJe-room while longer. Inc
slip lies In what he old navigators called
Three FathOm bay" between Icarahy
beach. which is famed alike for its beauty
and it's bathing, and the rocky peninsula
which is crowned by the celebrated
Fortaleza de Santa Cruz One never
wearies of this magnificent harbOr, which
far surpasses that of Naples or the Golden
Horn The whole bay. one hundred miles
IN circumference. Is surrounded by peaked
behind another in every conceivable
position-some bare. Others covered
palm trees growing at their feet Nest
prominent, because nearest, among the
dark bills looming close on every side. is
the Pao do Assucar ('Sugar-loaf), so
smooth and sharp that its cOnlcal peak does
not appear TO be more than twenty feet In
diameter. AZ Is the extreme and highest
point OF range OF granite hills that eX-
tend a short distance along the coas..
separated from the larger range hack of
the city BY narrow valley, IN which has
been built the aristocratic suburb called
Botofoga. Just behind the Sugar loaf is
the gap known as Praia Vermilha
('Green valley'), w here the first Portuguese
settlement on Botofoga was located, i'll the
year 1865. It Is strongly fortified, and is
the site OF the Imperial Military Academy.
A rocky peninsula juts out from the base
OF the Sugar-loaf. and on it is the Fort
alezs de :. JoaO and some extensive bar
racks. Some of the batteries belonging to
this Saint Johns fort are cut in to the solid
rock. and are said t. DO among the strong
est in the world.
OTHER DEFENsEs.
The Fortaleza de Santa Cruz, under
whose frowning walls the vessel is
anchored. Is Brazips most important
stronghold-a perfect Gibraltar in strength
and Inaccessibillty. and as picturesque as
formidable. 1t was built in 1906. but has
since been greatly enlarged and siren 9Th
ened. 1t holds a large garrison and
is well armed with modern cannon
of the most approved type. Standing at
the foot OF two rocky peaks. it is further
defended on the outside beach BY O strong
water battery, while the summit above is
capped by the small but impregnahle Forte
do Pico. The only approach to the Pico
fertilization Is through the Santa Cruz
fortress below. and that. in turn. is assail-
able only by water.
Then there Is FortaleZa de Lage, built
upon partially submerged rock near the
narrow entrance. the site of the first at
tempted settlement on the River of Janu-
ary." Its fertilization, constructed about
500 years ago. possesses no great strength.
but Its position gives IL great ADVANTAGE
In its dungeons. followed out of the solid
rock below sea-levei. prisoners of state
nsed 70 be lucarcaratei. anil Cruaeo,na