The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-04-03


IL is to die unwept in foreign lands until ne
finds himself in danger of trying il.
am lot going to bore you with descrip-
tlon OF the unrivaled beauties Of Rios bay,
Tor other travellers have done it time and
time again. Enhanced by history and ira
dltlon, they are even more enhancing than
Wnen the ancient mariners discovered
them, that January day 800 years ago;
when, sailing through the narrow gateway
from the ocean into the bay, they fancied
themselves entering the mouth of a mighty
river that led to the enchanted land and
chrlstened it Rio de Janeiro-"River of
January" from the month in which the
event occurred. There is the Pao de As
srcar-Portuguete for sugar loaf-barriug
the entrance as it rises abruptly from the
sea l3l2 feet; the Gavea, with it's natural
fertilization on to which
HUMAN FOOT HAS NEVER SCALED;
CorcoVado, the colossal human back;u
Botofogr; ilha des Cobras, the ocky .'island
OF snakes" Ilha des Ratos, ''island of rats, -.
and all the rest of them, enclosed, as by a
wall, Within misty background Of noun
talns, draped with eternal verdure; tho
white city with its countless towers in the
1oreground-surrounded by an amphi-
theatre OF ragged heights, so dark and
1roWnlng that they exaggerate the calm Of
the water and the smile of the perpetual
midsummer. There are plenty of pictures
to show you how it looks, better than mere
Words can do. Yet no picture can do the
Ialntest justice to tropical scenery. The,
contour, and even the colors may be repro
duced, but 1t lacks the full glory of equa-
torlal sun and sky, the living green, the
ever-shlfting clouds, which in these regions
OF strong contrasts distinctly change the
TINT OF foliage and flowers wherever their
shadows fail, the indescribable glow and
intensity of animal and vegetable life, the
a III. moi Vic
some OF u.s. feeling all this for the frat
tlme realize in the depths Of our souls that
SOME MISTAKE IN NATURES PLAN
cast our lines in the cold and colorIess
north; or is 1t the natural man'sn vague.
instructive recognition of the birthplace Of
ms klIds Gazing at the imperial palms Of
no, than which mons finer can be- found in
the world, one remembers that all the ira
ditious OF earth speak of Paradise as a place
where palm trees grow. Whoever heard
OF heaven or the Garden of Eden located
where winter reigns during half the year4
The most unpoetical of Yankee preachers
tell OF 1.-The palm trees OF Paradise''-uot
altogether, let US hope, on account of tho
pleasant alliters1ions, and the dear old
orthodox hymns describe its climate as
high, eternal noon" But Brazil must be-
a long way from Paradise, or the place has
greatly changed since Ewes peccadillo-
The flowers have no perfume, the birds mo-
song, death is frightfully busy everywhere
and the people-well, the kindest thing TO
De said OF them is that the majority are
not such as one would like TO associate with
THROUGH ETERNITY.
a tangled mass Of wild, luxuriant vegeta-
ton crowds close to the city, full of birds
OF the most brilliant plumage, bugs that
look like living jewels, and blossoms OF
vivid scarlet, purple and gold that make the
yVOOn9
cate hues nor gentle tints, but everything
is intense. The whole country seems
painted red and yellow, unprotected from
the scorching rays of the sun, because the
palm trees grow too tall to cast q shadow
their round, smooth trunks, like exsgger-
ated telephone poles, towering perhaps 200
feet from the grouLd before the first great
leaf shoots out. Alas 1.-The trail Of the
serpent is over all, in fact as well as figur-
stively. Many Of the gem-like bugs are
fatal IN their sting, aud you never touch "A
leaf or mower without the uncomfortable
consciousness that under it death NAV be
lurking In some guise. And the tarantulasI
We thought that long ago in the hot lands
OF Mexico we had made the acquaintance Of
pretty respectable specimens-so far as size
goes-of
THOSE HAIRY NOMINATIONS:
but none Of them could hold candle to
those that abound in Brazil. Ever since
we came there has been one lurking in our
hotel bed room. visible only at intervals
when, as il animated with an impish desire
to torment strangers, he will dart from
some unknown source and scud across the
floor rolled up in q brown, woolly ball as
large as a hens egg. The instance his
spldershIp appears We rush frantically to
the bell rope and summon the servants.
when general hunt is inaugurated; but
always to no purpose, for the wretch puts
himself out OF sight like a second harlequin.
The very best advice I can offer TO the
uninitiated coming 70 Brazil is this: Never
step out OF bed slpperless, in the dark, nor
put bare foot down by day without first
looking sharp to where it is going, nor don
your hose nor shoes nor any other article
OF clothing without first treating it like q
bottle of medicine" to be well shaken before
taken" Never get into bed without first
the curtains and looking care
fully between the sheets and under the
pillows. Never poke careless fingers un-
der table spread, or rug, or into any dark
ened corner, nor
WALK RAsHLY
into thicket or clump OF flowers, or even
among rank grass. Never take active ex-
ercise in the hottest part Of the day, nor ex-
pose yourself to the chilly, poisou-ladeu
dews of night, nor drink water when you
are heated, or ice water at any time
Eschew bananas and most fruits as you
would so much arsenic. Whenever Won
meet an Overpowering stencil in the streets
and that will be at almost eVerg steD in
some lOcalitieS-dOnit stop TO scold about it.
but cover your nose and mouth with your
handkerchief and flee as from pestilence
which it really is. Avoid, if you can,
any spot where an old wall is being torn
down, or bit OF pavement being taken up,
or drain disturbed, for those are the very
u 10 ilty Of
dormant till disturbed. And don't bs
frightened out of your senses if, while be-
ing entertained in Brazilian hone, YOU
find big snake comfortably asleep in your
rocking chair, or coiled under your pillow,
or feel his Shiny length drawn slowly
Ecross your neck in the night time. 1t is
only the useful and
HARMLESS HOUSE SNAKE,
which people keep as we at the north do
cats, for DISCRIMINATING mice and reaches.
I have not yet learned how to spell his
Portuguese name. but have been introduced
TO him, 80 to speak, q number OF times, and
live in hourly dread of his attempting to
cultivate q closer acquaintance. He is
commonly from about seven TO twelve feet
long, and is dressed in gray, notified with
black. Already we have been offered sew
eral Of these So called beauties to take
home with US, as sOuyiners of pleasant %
visits; ana when we have declined the
honor, without being quite able to disguise
our shuddering horror, have been asked
with surprise: Don't you have rats and
reaches in your country!" And it is i'm
possible to tell ones kind entertainers that
we infinitely prefer millions of rats and
reaches to their fayorite pets. Here dogs
are few and cats are fewer; but every
ia mily bas
PARROTS AND MONKEYS GALORE,
not to mention the useful house snake, as
and numerously as we foster
canary birds and kittens.
no1f%fcol CoIdroo ia met