The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-11-09
BEAUTIFUL RIO.
BraziPs Capital One of the Most

Interesting of Modern Cities.
IF You have never visited Rio de
Janeiro you have never yet truly
feasted your eyes. The capital of the
Brazilian republic is the most en-
trancing city of South America, says
the New York World. Not only does
Rio possess perhaps the most magni-
ficent harbor in the world, but 1t may
Justly boast of the most beautiful
natural scepr-y of any seaport town
on either the Atlantic or Pacific
coast. Rio is picturesque, quaint,
superb.
Rio de Janeiro can be compared to
no other city in the world, for it is
unlike any other city. IT'S people are
| different, it's customs are different,
! it's entire character IS different.
The travellers first glimpse of Rio
is never effaced from his memory, for
the grandeur of the scene is impress
sive.
The entrance to the harhor is
through narrow passage less than
one mile in width. On one side
stands a frowning bluff that over
hangs the clear blue waters on the
other is the famous Sugar Loaf noun
tain.
The latter is an enormous mass of
granite, conical 10 shape, and 80
steep that it is related that only one
man has yet reached it's summit
That happy individual is said to have
been an American sailor, who, after
spending three day n the laborious
ascent, succeeded in placing the flag
of his country on its topmost pin
nacle-a height of 1870 feet
The most striking feature of the
harbor is succession of brilliantly
colored forts, red and yellow, with
background of gray rocks AID bright
green foliage.
For a distance of nearly ten miles
along the shore stretches the city of
Rio de Janeiro, with its low and mas
siye houses, white walled and invari
ably topped off with vermillion color
ed roofs.
The streets of Rio are absurdly
narrow, but we'll paved and we'll
lighted. Gas and electric light is
used throughout the entire city and
in most of the surburbs, and a splen
did system OF sewerage has lately
been provided.
The most fashionable street is the
Rue do Onvidor, and it is here that
the sristocratic senoritas take their
early evening strolls. This thorough
fare is no wider than the average
American alleyway, but the best
shops of the city line the streets on
both sides.
The principal business street is the
Rua Primeiro de Marco. 1t is the
widest street in the city, and within |
its precincts can be found the post |
Office, custom house, commercial ex-
change and a number of churches. |
There are over fifty of the latter in
Rio.
La Csndellaria, a huge edifce |
erected during the seventeenth GEN.
fury, Is the most popular of the many
places of worship. Its tall and mas
sive towers make it conspicuous from
all parts of the city. La Gloria is
another church that is particularly
The famous monastery of the Sac |
Beuto is on the outskirts of Rio
proper. 1t is said to be the wealthiest
institution of its kind in the repub-
lie, having large possessions in min
ing properties and valuable land in
terests.
The buildings of Rio, judging from
an architectural point of view, are IN.
The many institutions,
however, are unequalled in other re-
spects in South America.
The hospital of Dom Pedro II. is
famous. 1t is perhaps better known
by the name of La Misericordia.
having been built in 1S41 on ground
owned by the fraternity of that name.
1t has q capacity of 200 patients.
Several smaller hospitals are scat
tered throughout the city.
a magnificent asylum for the in
sane forms an interesting feature of
the city 1t was built in 1S41 with
funds obtained from the sale of titles
of nobility at fixed tariff These
titles are not hereditary.
Rio abounds in scientific and lite
rary institutions. There is the Col
lege Dom Pedro IL; the National
library with over 100000 volumes,
open to the public daily; the Ma
tional museum; the Institute of
History, Geography and Ethnology;
the Lyceum of Arts; the Astrono-
mical and Meteorological Observa-
tory; the Polytechnic Institute, and
the military, naval and normal
schools.
AT Batafogo, q suburb, are the