Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-23
BRAZILIAN SOCIAL LIFE,
Why Naval Omcers Hold Rio Janesro
and PetrOp0lis I'm Pleased Remem-

Why Naval Omcers Hold Rio Janefrs
and Petropohs I'm Pleased Remem.
brance.
From the New Yof1 Sun
United States naval officers were much In
eerested In the recent rumor that Rio ia
nero was threatened with bombardment by
the rebellious Brazilian fleet. Some nun
oreos OF American naval officers know Rio
Janelro as well as they know New York or
Boston. They call the place Familiarity
mo. as does everybody else who sails
southward of the line. Nobody calls 1t by
its ruu name of Sac Sebastiao do Rio ia
nero. which may be translated Saint Sc
bastian OF the January river. The harbor.
winch was mistaken for the mouth of a
river. was discovered on one New Years
cay hence the Janeiro as we'll as the Rio.
The city has ssort Of interest for Ameri-
cans because its harbor resembles in several
broad features that OF New York. 1t is a
long. deep. almost land-locked salt water
lake. with a seaward entrance rather less
than mile wide and bold shores famous
for their beauty: 1t has a Governor
Island to complete the resemblance to New
YORK harbor: Now. bombardment Of this
pleasant harbor would destroy a good many
things of which the American naval officer
mas pleasant memories, for Rio, though a
town OF narrow, dirty streets, is extremely
gay. 1t has summer temperature the year
round, ana when the fashionable world il
within the city the place is one of much So
cial interest. Nobody has fully explained
why you may do at Rio a great many
things that you would not do In New York
or scarcely even In Paris. II you happen to
go with your wife to a fashionable restsu-
rant In Rio you may chance to see there
some man, perhaps half dozen men. whom
you both know, in company with the gayesi
imaginable ladies. whom II were quite i'm
possible that your wife should know. That
would hardly happen in restaurant OF
New York. and should IT happen in Par
isian restaurant YOU would be discrectly
pllnd TO the presence of your acQuaint-
ances. and your wife would perhaps be con-
ventonaily shocked. In Rio, however. s-ou
would bow and smile at those wicked men,
and even your wife would not altogether ig-
more them. Were you alone perhaps you
would be presented to the ladies, and chat
with the whole party in the presence Of all
that is respectable In Rio.
But IL Rio is gay and unconventional as
tried by North American notions Petropolis
Is even gayer and less conventional. Pc.
tropolis is the charming summer capital to
which in yellow fever season everybody a,
Rio. save a few hundred thousand Door
devils with iivings to earn, retreats for
fresh air and safety. Petropolis Is not far
from Rio. but Il is high above the city
and as your railway train climbs to thai
suburban paradise city and harbor and
blue sea beyond lie spread out seemingly
at the feet Of the traveller. When there
was an empire in Brazil and an emperor
resident at Petropolis that mountain city
was a most Interesting place. Dom Pedro
walked unattended through the cool shady
streets and talked to whom he would
Sometimes he was seen beneath a tree
gossiping with group of summer resi-
dents, while the brook that watered the
shady thorougnfare puzzled at the imperta
feet.
Dom Pedro being a tolerant and good
natured monarch thought no I'll Of the ga,
doings at Petropolis He never stopped e
inquire whether this or that pretty villa
was tenanted by man and wife or by folk
bearing a less conventional relation. II,
admired the gay ladies that drove or walk
ed about his summer capital, and made NJ
awkward inquiries as to their conduct
Everybody followed the ways of the coun
try, and whatever the state of things a.
Rio. and no matter how many deaths By
yellow fever were reported per day from tn,
seaport below. there were music and laugh
ter and wine in Petropolis. There wer,
cockfghts and horse races as well. and
most engaging little games Of chance. all ~
open and respectable that one almost for
got that there was such a thing as tn,
decalogue. Many OF these things go on un
de- the republic. and naval officers repor
that Petropolis. even without an emperor
Is delightfully."- wicked.