Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-05-08
How l LOST MY HAIR.
A NIGHT OF HORROR IN A
BRAZILIAN FOREST.
The Thrilling Story Of a Young
Confederate (by the Way an
Edgefield Boy Who Went
to Brazil After the War
to Escape Reconstruct
ton.
The Charleston Sunday News.

unrest and dissatisfaction with a
love of adventure and a desire for
investigation. l sailed to Brazil
to find better home if possible
and escape Reconstruction. We
touched at Para, on the Amazon,
Bahia, Pernambuco, and Rio Jan
eiro. After spending some time
there I decided to 90 up the coast
in company with about thirty per-
sons, also from the South, to form
settlement on: the Rio Doce
(Swect River) in the Province of
Espirito Santo, (the Holy Ghost,)
where I met with this adventure.
The proposed site for the settle
menss was about forty miles from
the mouth of the river, which was
too shallow for steamers; dugouts
and RATS navigated it, but with no
regularity. There was only the
thread of trail, used but seld I'm
by the few Indians who lived at
the rivers mouth. At 3 p. m. we
disembarked on the beach just in
side the bar, men, women and chill
dren, with general collection of
household effects, machinery used
by people settling new country,
blacksmith tools, mills, wagons,
etc. We had a. very imperfect
knowledge of the language, (Por-
tuguese, and the few Indians re-
fused to understand our questions
or to help US in any way to oom-
municate with the place up the
river. We had little to eat and no
protection flom the tropical sun,
and were exposed to the sea if a
storm should arise.
Seeing the dangers Of the situa-
tior Though but 19 years old) |
spoke to the leaders of the party
as to the Importance of sending
some one for help. No one would
consent to 20 through the forest,
knowing absolutely nothing of the
trail or its dangers. ] offered to
60 with anyone, but none would
agree to accompany me. The next
day | concluded to 60 alone, be-
lieving l could go through in a
day. | went to the only Indian
hut near by. Signs and my inn
perfect Portuguese made him un-
derstand my wish. He tb"n went
with me to AN almost imperceptj-
bic trail leading into the forest
and made me understand that was
the way, and it was ten leagues.
The next morning as soon as |
could see | took Il small piece Of
dried beef and a little farina. |
was soon swallowed up in the
grandest tropical forest the mag
inaticn ever pictured. The suns
RAYS never reach the earth; the
superb forest trees, reaching to a
great height with branches inter-
laced, were covered with parasite
vines, reaching downward, when
they touched the earth to take
root growing up again, the whole
intervening space being filled with
palms, cactus and ferns Of every
conceivable shape, color, and va
riety.
The novelty, the impressive SOL
itude, the wonderful variety of
color, gave me at first sensation
of greatest pleasure and gratified
delight. but soon the dangers of
my task began to appear. The
trail was becoming more and more
indistinct, sometimes almost i'm
perceptible; but l would not go
back. AS the day wore on I be-
came somewhat discouraged. No
living thing was visible, only the
swish of a great snake or the i'll
quisitive gaze of a monkey peep
ing through the leaves, nor could
I tell where J. was going or when |
would get there. The path in
many places was obstructed by
fallen trees. I would have to
crawl through on my hands and
knees to keep right. The tail was
often made invisible by overlap
ping ferns and dwarf palms, when
/ only felt it with my feet, some
times with my hands. About noon
I saw through an opening in the
forest the sparkling river shining
in the sun. Xenophon's pleasure
at sight of the sea could not have
been greater than mine, as l then
knew I was on the right trail.
Going to the waters edge l ak
iously looked up and down the
river to see if possibly any human
habitation was in sight. Nothing
met my gaze but the rich green
growing to the waters's edge, an
alligator basking on a sand bar
and lazy armadillo sleeping on
a log. Eating my frugal lunch [
hopefully resumed my now weary
way.
About p. m. I heard a shower
falling on the tree tops above my
head, but none fell on me for half
an hour, when, falling from leaf
to leaf, the smaller growth be-
came wet. [ was soon drenched,
and to add 10 my discomfort l saw
no sign of any human life. Night
was now approaching, when what
did | hear but the familiar crow
ing of a cock in some distant farm
yard. I stop and with bated breath
earnestly listen for it 10 be re-