The Republican journal., 1892-10-20
Among the Brazilians


HRISTO
special correspondence Of The journal. I
PARA, Brazil, Sept. 3, 1892. A Wis
tcr to Brazil is apt to be seriously start
ed on the day of his arrival 10y the violent
-ngng of bells, as if the whole city were
n lire. He soon learns, however, that
he noisy demonstration does not indicate
general contlagation, as might well be
opposed, but is only the call to regular
services of the church. or to those of some
special tiesta-the ''sweet bells tangled
Hit of tone by boys hired for the purpose,
Atm with might and main, according to
astructiops. They begin it at the first
eep of dawning and keep it up at fire.
uent intervals throughout the dav. till
lr into the night; and on Saint 5 DAYS.
uch are almost as many as the days in
yc wear, there is little cessation of the
au splitting racket. But one gets used
it in time, as to most things in this
eary world. and even comes to miss the
accustomed din, with a vague sense of
>pmething gone which should be nigh, "
Yhen returned to his own uuieter country
t)ne of the things that traveller III Bra
U cannot get used to- with any degree
satisfaction is the surprising frequency
Il festivals. which Inconvenience him at
}cTN turn: for none OF the laboring classes
,ill work ON Saint $ day ii they can pos
bly, help it, and only those who are in
,bt to their employers can be legally
umpelled to do so, 1t is the rule to close
Government offices on all those days so
hat no business of an official character
an be transacted Ships cannot get their
learance papers, and if you want to en-
ark, there is no office open at which to
buy youl ticket, nobody to wise your pass
port-not even a money changer to CON
,ert your Brazilian coin into the currency
i the country to which you are going, or
cargador to transport your luggage.
In most respects the festivals of all the
saints are alike, universally announced on
he preceding day by a discharge of fire
works at noon and the ringing of bells in
he evening. During the fiesta, also,
whether it continues one day or a week,
acessant bell-ringing and discharge of
ocketS is kept up. The Brazilians appear
~ be excessively fond of pyrotechnics
4 You give a wee brown skinned toddlera
Nedio, instead of investing il in candy or
.neWing gum as Northern urchin would
To- he PUSHES to the nearest shop and buys
roTpcdoes OF fire crackers; and men are
hut children Of larger growth, whether
found in this country or another. The
sending up of rockets is made The most
prominent feature Of religious celebra-
Tiens under the belief that prayers may be
bus carried to heaven Whether the idea
VAS handed down from their Indian fire
"olshiping ancestors. OF was borrowed
irom the Chinese 81 Turks. cannot tell
you; but it certainly prevails throughout
Npanish--America, from Mexico to Cape
Horn, including the islands OF the sea: and
particularly indulged in by the poorest
asses, who can leas> afford to burn up
heir scanty earnings, Strange to say the
taNorite spots for letting off these religious
Nrotechncs art the cemeteries and church
ups, and funerals. All >oui's day and
hasten especially demand them. The
missiles are constructed so as To explode
I! Oh mp in the air. with cracking sound.
liter which they descend in beautiful
wieaths OF white smoke if i'll the day time.
u like meteoric showers in the darkness.
4 looks very odd to us to see predictions
ot OF fireworks let off from the cathedral
n the glaring noon-d day sunshine but
here it is matter of nearly every day oc-
Hrence, | am told that at least 50 900 is
annually expended in Para alone for fire
works and wax,-the latter substance be
nc consumed i'll the incredible number of
andles, which are kept burning on the
affairs before the shrines and around the
nbulied dead.
Not only large sums Of money but
treat care and taste are bestowed upon
he adornment of the churches for these
llestas. Sometimes rows of blazing tapers
are arranged i'll front of the affairs from
floor to roof, to look like huge pyramids
OF semi-cones of light; sometimes in a
of arches, with lettered texts:
and anon the whole interior is lined with
What appears to be solid walls or curtains
Jt fame All the candles are made from
vegetables and bees wax imported from
The coast OF Africa for this express pul-
pose, and highly pertumed. No animal
nils are ever used in the poorest churches
If Brazil; that which supplies the lamps
being made from the olive OF palm-nut.
Natural flowers enter largely into the dec
and the floors are Strcwn with
sweet scented leaves
All the important church tiestas are adj
Vcrtised beforehand i'll the daily papers.
The following is a fair sample of what
may be found any day i'll the Journals of
Para: The Brotherhood of the Divine
Holy Ghost will hold the feast of the Holy
Ghost on the 31st. inst. with all possible
>plendor. Devout persons are invited to
attend, to give greater pOmp to this act