The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-17

az that moment possessed. The bOatmen
have the best of it every time, being in
league with one another, especially when
their victims have aoteI as passengers gel
orally do, and stayed on shore until the very
last minute before the ship is to sail. The
common price, each way, is 1000 refs,
though two passengers are often carried on
the one fare. The law requires all boats to
be numbered and registered, as are all the
public vehicles and CarregadOres (porters)
in the city, and it is well u make note Of
these in case OF any Misunderstanding shall
arise.
While we fingered on the massive stone
dock that lines the water front Of Rio, we
noticed curious steam yacht close by,
painted white. with open galleries and IA
strange flag flying. We wondered with
languid interest what il could be, but did
not inquire, there being none but Portu-
guese speaking people at hand.
DANGER IN AN UNUSUAL FORM.
Presently an ambulance drove down to it,
and litter, with a sick man on it, was
hauled out by some uniformed persons and
put on board. Everybody fell back with a
most surprising show of respect, EVERY
body but ourselves, we wanted TO see what
was going on), utter silence fell for a mo-
ment upon the noisy throng, and l thought
within myself that had never seen wharf,
loafers display so little intrusive curiosity
w as it some member Of the royal family
some noble but invalid relative of the late
Dom Pedro going out for an airing in his
private YACHT just then the purser. look
ing somewhat pale, came hurrying up.
"For heavens sake, he cried, "why didn't
you get out OF the way when that thing
came byl
What thingN we innocently askel
why the hospital yacht, to be- sure,
loaded down to the guards with smallpox
aud yellow fever"
The first place on shore that foreigner
generally seeks is the establishment of some
money changer, in order to convert his
American gold or English sovereigns, or the
coin of the last country be visited into the
circulating medium" Of Brazil. And very
much astonished will he be when the
changer hands over a huge pile of metal
copper brass. iron and nickel, that looks
like old pewter plates, stove lids and the
pondeTous brass tags that landlords some
times attach to door keys to prevent them
from being carried Off In the pockets of
their patrons.
FEW DOLLARS ARE A BIG LOAD.
A very few American dollars, exchange
added. when converted into the currency of
this country, requires a cart, rather than u
pocket book, in which to take 1t away.
Brazil still adheres to the old Portuguese
system Of financial enumeration, in which
1t takes 900 refs to make what we call 80
cents, the word ''reiS" being TIE plural of
real. When refs are al par 100 of them are
worth about 5 cents American money
What hard time Of it Brazilian book
keepers must have Of it, with the long lines
OF figures which represent the ordinary
commercial transactions Of a banking or
mercantile house. For example, a real, the
unit OF the monetary system, is written
OSOOl and is equal to the value of one TWEEN
tieth CT the United States cent There is
no such coin In circulation, the smallest be-
ing 10 reis- There is a copper coin of 40
refs, and nickle coin OF 100 refs, and another
OF 200 reis. Next comes the paper money
in notes of 1000, called milreis. There are
2 milreis, 5, 10, 20, 30, so and 100, to a max
imum Of 500 milreis, numerically expressed
this way-500S00O. Then there Is an i'm
aginary denomination named q couto,
which means 100 0mllreis. and Is expressed
on paper I:O00$. The par value OF the pa
per miireis is equal to about 81 cents Ameri-
can money, but OF course it varies with the
times. On the day of the revolution, Nov.
ID, 1889, 1t was at par, and has never been
since. A while ago 10 was down to II cents,
and to-day is up to 20 cents.
FINANCIAL FIGURES THAT STAGGER ONE.
A copper coin of the old monarchy worth
half cent still circulates largely in North
ern Brazil, which Is At only to use in driv-
ing nails, or for paper weights, being alto
gether too heavy TO carry in any pocket
Though they lay around ever so carelessly
nobody ever steals them, being too burden
some to get away with. On inquiring tue
price Of living at an hotel, you are at first
amazed to find that 1t is so many milrels
per diem, and are absolutely staggered when
the laundry bill is presented IN SIX figures.
Fancy a full proportional bank note
worth scents 1t takes eight of these hun
dred milreis bills to pay for a horse car ride
out to the botanical gardens aud back. In
course OF that rather long drive you Will
observe that the conductors pockets and
the breast Of his coat bulge out more and
more with these bank notes till by the time
he is oppressed with 81 80 he looks like a
carelessly stuffed scarecrow.
One of the bills closely resembles tho
"Rreenbackn that is 80 dear to our souls, and
has engraved upon its back, sides, margin
and four corners the satisfying figures 500.
The possession OF a few of these makes one
feel like a bloated bondholder-until he
learns from sad experience how little they
will buy.
DOM PEDRo's FACE IS EVERYWHERE.
This Brazilian greenback bears the words
"Quinhentes Refs ImDerie de Brazil" and
an excellent likeness Of poor Dom Pedro, as
does nearly all the paper money of the
country, though even the bilious looking
flag. all green mold and yellow fever color,
with its cross Of the Order of Christ and the
sphere of the old Portuguese explorers, has
changed somewhat since the monarchy was
murdered.
Speaking Of these deceptive bills reminds
me Of a story that is told of late Unite
States consul to Bahia, Brazil, which is
worth repeating. AS the departing consul
stepped aboard the steamer he handed to
his "tenderfoot" successor one Of those
tempting looking 800" bills.
Take it, take it," be said. with sympa-
thetic feeling, when the o.ner would have
rejected so much protfered wealth. Set
tie with my creditors, il leave any be-
hind, and never mind about the change.
just treat the boys in my name whenever
they call and keep my memory green"
IL happened that a lot Of "the boys"
dropped in that afternoon, and the joke cost
the new consul the value of pocketful Of
those bills, they being worth at the time
exactly % cents each.
So far as | am aware there Is but one cur
rencY in the world more iDfinitesimal than
that Of Brazil and that is the antediluvian
small shells called cowries, which circulate
as money in Africa and India-a cowrie be-
ing equal to about one-fftieth Of an Ameri-
can cent
Walter Bridges, Athens, Tenn, writes:
"For six years l had been afflicted with
running sores and an enlargement Of the
bone in my leg. / tried everything | heard
of without any permanent benefit until