The herald., 1893-12-17
A NAVAL OFFICERS WIFE AT RIO,
Glimpse Of the Brazilian War
By an Eye Witness.
The Duties of an American Sailor
Are Exacting.
Interesting Description OF Several Porta
and Their People-How . Bonn
bardment Looks = A Mis-
chievous Torpedo Boat.

written from Brazil by Mrs. 4. B. Un-
derwood, wife of Lieut.. Underwood OF
the U. S. navy, stationed ON the war
ship Newark, now at Rio de Janeiro for
the protection of American interests.
The letters were written to Mr.. W. P.
Hamilton, of this city, Mrs. Under
woods brother, and were just received.
They show the life Of an American naval
officer and his family in particularly
graphic manner, as we'll as the thoughts
OF an American girl upon the strange
life and scenes by which she is sur
rounded.
PERNAMBUco.
/ We are off for Bahia in an hour and
half, and as we have lain here at anchor
/ for more than twenty-iour hours, we are
prepared to be seasick again, and think
we had best write our Rio letters now.
1t is warm every day. even aboard, and
no doubt hot on shore. Some of the
gentlemen went ashore Yesterday and
brought back all the news they could
from Rio. Ii appears that the revolu-
tion is unabated. We are not antici-
patfng any trouble in entering Rio, for
word has been sent the Captain that
there are three English men-oi-war out
side the port who make a business OF
protecting English ships which enter.
1t has been much cooler in the equa-
torial region than it was about the
West Indies. We really have not suf
fered from heat at all. 1t is warmer
here because much nearer the equator
than anywhere else that we shall etop.
BAHIA.M
We have been lahore at last, and
after 20 days at sea | can tell you it was
a treat. We came to anchor in this
lovely bay early this morning, and went
ashore in rowboat. The town is pic
turesque from the bay, as it lies in two
rcas all around the curve, one row close
down to the water, the other higher up
behind it on the cliff.
After landing and taking street-car
ride through the low town. we went
strsight up the face OF rock for so or 80
feet in an enormous elevator, and there
took ride through the high town,
where all the good looking dwelling
are. The sun was very hot, but the
breeze from the sea was delicious, and
the foliage and flowers something to
dream OF. The many varieties of palms,
mhngoes, bread fruit trees, cocoanut
trees, etc., all interested me greatly, as
did also the rollicking black babies with
only one email garment. Also the old
! colored "auntiee," with their crocheted
white shirts as the only upper garment.
/ If | lived in this climate, think I
| should soon want to dress 10 that style.
We went through the market, where we
saw hundreds of beautiful parrots and
many other tropical birds to cell, some
monkeys, and an endless supply of
fruit. To my great disappointment,
though, it is little too late for oranges,
and we saw hardly any. You see this
is April down here, and oh 30 hot al
ready. What must it be in December?
l bought some Brazilian beetles,
tpretty green bugs that make nice pino),
but saw absolutely nothing else to tempt
me.
We went to the best hotel in town and
had u miserable lunch, which had at
least the credit of being cheap. They
could give us no milk for either tea or
coffee. so had some hard Italian bread,
a bottle of lukewarm Appolinaris water
and some butter that almost needed
spoon, ice being an unknown luxury.
And yet Bahia is large and thriving
city, with big port and an immense
business. After all, / believe we North
americans do know more about comfort
than any other nation under the sun.
Rio DE JANEIRo.
We reached here yesterday morning
at day break and saw the sun rise over
/ the glorious bay. Many people think it
moNe beautiful even than the bay OF
NaNss, and having seen both I should
say n was certainly as lovely, and in
more rugged style. The mountains
about it are Of good height and very
picturesque, and there is the same soft
ness to the atmosphere and sky that the
Italian climate produces.
| Our captain did not know what trouble
he might have in entering, and 80 we
came on under slow steam with our
Belgian colors flying and without the
smallest trouble; steamed down be-
tween the two great guarding forts that
one reads of 80 much in connection with
the war, past the dozen or so of foreign
men -of-war (including our beloved New
ark) and past the rebel feet to our an
/ chorage.
| Imagine our surprise, in spite OF our
yellow quarantine flag. to be boarded by
a smiling young officer, one of the rebel
MeIlo's fleet, who said to the captain:
There is no visit, sir; you are at
liberty TO unload. The port belongs to
u.s."
AS this was in French we all under
stood it!
Almost Immediately steam launch
appeared from the Charleston with
young ensign, saying that it was our
guard boat.
He had been sent over, he said, to ask
| ifhe could in any way assist the wives of
two officers OF the Newark. expected by
this steamer.
There was nothing he could do, and
soon afterwards our own boys arrived
and, as you may guess, were warmly
welcomed.
After two houre' visit aboard we
went ashore in the Newark's launch.
our sailors in full uniform, to protect
themselves and us. Nobody goes ashore
from the foreign ships except in uniform
until they get passports.
We saw only the principal business
streets of Rio, but were not at all pleas
antly impressed. No doubt the suburbs
are prettier.
Here / was called hurriedly on deck
to see the bombarding of Nictheroy. q
suburban spot about two miles away
from us, but Of which we commanded q
good view. Admiral Mello is sending
shot and shell as hard "a he can this
morning.
Our husbands can only come to us
between the hours OF 10 to A 80, as the
| o~Io 10 g., - l. a