The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-04-07

there has been one lurking in our hotel
bedroom, visible only at intervals, when,
as if animated with an impish desire to
torment strangers, he will dart from some
unknown source and scud across the floor
rolled up in a brown, woody ball large as a
hens egg. The instant his spider ship
appears, we rush frantically to the bell
rope and summon the servants, when a
general hunt is inaugurated; but always
to no purpose, for the wretch puts him
self out of sight like a second harlequin.
The very best advice l can offer to the
uninitiated coming to Brazil is this Never
step out of bed slipperless, in the dark,
nor put a 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
shaken before taken" Never get into bed
without first inspecting the curtains and
looking carefully between the sheets and
under the pillows. Never poke careless
fingers under a table-spread, or rug, or
into any darkened corner, nor rashly walk
into a thicket or clump of flowers. or even
among rank grass. Never take active eX-
ercise in the hottest part of the day, nor
expose yourself to the chilly, poison laden
dews OF night, nor drink water when you
are heated, or ice water at any time. Es-
oh hananas nnI
would so much arsenic. Whenever you
meet an overpowering stencil in the streets
(and that will be at almost every step in
some Localities don't stop to scold about
it, but cover your nose and mouth with
your handkerchief and flee as from pes
tilence-which it really is. Avoid, if you
torn down, OF bit of pavement being taken
up, OF a drain disturbed, for those are the
very places where the deadly germs of
fever lie dormant till disturbed And
don't be frightened out of your senses if,
while being entertained in Brazilian
home, you find a big snake comfortably
asleep in your rocking chair, OF coiled I'M
der your pillow OF feel his Shiny length
drawn slowly across 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 extermi-
mating mice and reaches. | have not vet
learned how to spell his Portuguese name,
h1t | hnva hao,. infr +o
speak, number of times, and live in hour
ly dread of his attempting to cultivate a
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 several of
these so-called "beauties'' to take home
with us, as souvenirs of pleasant (Y visits;
and 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 impossible to
tell ones kind entertainers that we inf
nitelv prefer millions of rats and reaches
" 'iiNlI 4NN'lilS pNlS. IlCIC utSS dl L 1CN
and cats are fewer: but every family las
parrots and monkeys galore, not to men
ton the useful house-Snake as universal
ly and numerously as we foster canary
birds and kittens.
The political caldron is just now quiet in
the Brazilian capital, but all the same it is
SETTLING below the surface and the silence
is ominous. Although General Da Fon-
SEGA, the deposed President whose legal
term has not yet half expired, is just now
seriously i'll, SO that his enemies entertain
cheerful hopes of his demise, it is by no
means certain that he will not regain con-
troll of the administration, for his friends
are surprisingly numerous, considering
the facts of the case General Peixotio the
present occupant of the executive chair, is
a rather fine looking gentleman, in early
middle life-a Portu goose to the back
bone; but evidently he is not enjoying the
greatness that has been thrust upon him.
TO tell the truth the man is scared almost
Aiioo ii'iAso III COIlSUttuU lCllOI VI
assassin's knife OF bullet, or Of another
revolution which may break out at any
moment. Every day or two he changes
his residence, and never goes out without
a strong escort. 1t is said that his bed
room is guarded by double Gordon of
soldiers; but who is there to guard the sol
diers and ensure their faithfuness? Revo-
lutionists have bought them before, and
may again, us in the case of good old Dom
Pedro; whose over throw was not accom-
plished by vox popul for the majority of
the people knew nothing about it until it
was taH arcompl-but by a small mill
tary clique, melted by ungrateful politi-
clans at the Capital, whom the generous
and unsuspecting Emperor had previous
| ly loaded with favors.
FANNIE b. WARD.
The Treaty Ratified.
WASHINGTON, March %. The Behring