The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-07-24

thought of the fascinating lands of th
Orlent-of Palmyra, 1.-The city of th
palms," and Persia and Babylon; of date
bearing palms In the oasis of Africa an
similar varieties shading the ruins OF an
Gent Egypt The words of an old hymn
ran in our minds:
Oh fainting SOUL that readest well this story
longing through pain for deaths benignan
Think not to win heaven OF rest and glory.
II tnou shalt reach It's gates without thy palm
But were our feet actu ally beneath thos
palms that viewed from a ships deck
MAKE the shore appear like an enchantet
isno, we would probably not live to tel
the tale OF the palmer's pilgrimage, for TIL
1unglss are alive with ferocious beasts ant
enormous serpents and poisonous insects
Acting upon the captains advice, W,
arose at daybreak Oh the morning of thu
fourth days voyage in order 10 witness
the approach to Bahia, the
OLDEST CITY IN SOUTH AMERICA,
Brazilis second city in size, though no
N commercial Importance. twas founded
5S3 years ago and was of considerable i'm
pertance before the little French settle
ment thousand miles further south
Vellegagnon. now Rio de Janelro FOUNDED
In 1850, was heard Of For more than two
centuries Bahia was tbs capital of all tue
portuguese possessions in South America
up to the year 1868, when the BRAZILIAN
government transferred its seat TO Rio.
Inc ANCIENT capital was christened San
salvador, but took Its present name from
the magnificent sheet OF water in front of
II which Americas Vespucias discovered
In l0O5 and piously called Bahia de Todos
os Santos, "Bay of all Saints" 1t is SINH
lar to that OF Rio in shape and size and lies
north and south, thirty-seyen miles long,
LN00fV-gAVRn rnliRa Ui1Q and IN nv
erage depth of forty fathoms. But
unlike Rio bay with its exceed
ingly narrow entrance, this has two
openings toward the south, one of them ten
miles wide. And this Is not epvironed by
a wall OF crazy peaks, leaning in all ditec-
tions "out OF plumb" but there is no land
IN sight rising higher than 500 feet.
The bay has also given its name to the
province, which js one of the most import
ant in Brazil, with an area of 200. 900 square
miles, including many towns, villages aud
rich plantations. Bahia oranges are the
pest raised In South America, and its to-
Dacoo Is good enough to be made into
cigars and sold In the United States and In
Europe as genuine "Havsnasp; 1t also pro-
duces enormous quantities of sugar, cotton,
and rice. Some Of the most famous dia-
mond mines in the world are found in
Bahia province. and part of our business
- - ~ " fAoAt bA0Lb, IL pEdCIlC6Dle.
Streaming slowly past the great, palm
covered island of Itaparica, we come to the
tall, round lighthouse directly opposite,
winch marks the southern beginning OF
tue city. AT the foot of the lighthouse
Is q fort, and presently we pass another
and another. Then on an enormous
boulder short distance from shore is the
fourth-a high circular castle, its top com
pletely covered with guns which was built
many years ago by the Dutch aud looks to-
day like 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 situa-
tlon OF the town reminds one of Vslpa-
relso, Tor ali along the shore, from 200 TO
500 feet back from the line of the surf.
rises PERCEPTIONS bluffs, whose average al
titude is $50 feet. The original San Saliva
dor 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 de Praya, four miles
long, lined with shops and warehouses and
public buildings. The growing city gradu-
ally crept up the nights and back into the
country, and now every body lives in the
town above, though transacting business
below.
A CITY OF CHURCHES.
While waiting the coming of the health
and custom officials we have time to count
'he domes aud towers and spires ana
'teeples Of the sixty seven churches which
ire the favorite boast of its 200, 900 inhabi-
ants. We are surprised to see that the
Houses, most OF them solidly built of stone,
ire three, four and five stories high, their
white yellow and pale blue walls rooted
With red tiles and many of them braced up
IN the very brink of the precpice by gigan-
&c stone buttresses. They have green
alousies and are broken out all over with
my balconies, like warts. The great yell
ow trapiches, (ware-houses), that line the
Vater front have iron latticed windows.
md everybodyss roof is Swallowed by
owering palm or fig or mango tree. The |
Id town below and the newer town above
re connected by several steep. rocky !
oads, constructed centuries ago at great |
Expense, and also by bran new passenger
levator.
Landing at the stairs Of the alfandepa |
custom house,. you step at once into the |
ldest portion OF the town and the center
1 Its business activity, and are besieged I
y the darkest darkies that ever were
cen. 1t seems that all Bahia was highly
olored.. Dozens of negroes offer you all /
lanner Of services. They want to carry
GU up the hill in cadiera Contained
hair, for the sedan or palsnouin Is as
ommon here as at Hong Hong or Calcutta.
'ther lmportune you to buy feather flowers
Manufactured By the nuns, hand made
ICE, living snakes and tanned skins of
cad ones, monkeys, parrots, fruits; and
ae instant your luggage is released from
ne alfandega. an ebony Hercules. who
as brought over from Minas in slavery
avs, swings your iron-bound Saratoga on
Up OF his woolly pate as lightly as II it
ere feathers weight and trots with 1t,
rinningly, up the steep street to the hotel
alf mile from the landing.
FANNIE B. WARD.