The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-28

At "a wv ShCdl tuAlulASS OhtIC With
roofs of corrugated iron and divided up into
stalls by a lattice work OF iron bars. The
floor is of tiles. and each of the meat stalls
has a white marble counter Beef is sold
for from 6 to S cents a pound and other
meats are exceedigiy cheap. There are
ducks and geese and queer chickens. The
Forteleza fowls have neither hair nor
feathers on their necks and heads, and their
skin there is blood red. The ears of the
chickens are strangely like those of human
beings. They look like buttons fastening
the head together. The lack Of feathers
gives the chickens a sort OF d~ecollete air, so
much so, indeed, that it seems positively in
decent. IL / were a Ceara chicken I should
certainly wear a collar or a bit Of lace
around my neck.
Speaking OF lace, this is one of Ceara's
specialties. 1t is sold in the market by
both colored women and whites. The women
make it themselves. Some of it is very fine
and cheap. 1t is sold by the yard, in lace
handkerchiefS and also in yokes for
chemises. Every woman down here wears
a chemise cut low at the neck, with about
six inches of lace set in at both the front
and back, and running from shoulder to
shoulder. In order that I may not be sup
posed to be prying into the forbidden mys-
teries of the toilet, l would say that the
common woman of the markets and else
where often wears nothing but a chemise,
which falls from the neck 10 the feet. and
that any one who walks the street cannot
help seeing how such garments are cut,
both in front and behind. He cannot help
admiring at the same time the beautiful
cobwebby meshes of white showing against
the velvety black, mahogany brown or
golden yellow hides of the damsels.
Another thing Ceara is noted for is fits
parrots. The Ceara parrots are said to be
among the best takers of the world. Some
OF them can swear In three languages, and
nearly all can whistle and sing. They are
smaller than the Mexican and African par
rots, but are of a beautiful green and blue,
with a dash of red on their wings and
necks. 1 bought two of them the other
day. 1 paid $4,000 for them. Don't be
frightened at the figures. That is the way
you write 1t in Brazil. 1t is only 5000 reis,
and 1000 reis is Is cents of our money, so
that my parrots cost me a little more than
50 in gold. i doubt not 1 will be glad to pay
more than that TO get rid of them before I
have carried them the six or eight thou
sand miles L have yet to travel before / get
home.
The man who sold me the parrots said
they would farle. Earle means talk, but If
they can talk at all they speak Portuguese,
and they will not teach my children to use
vulgar language as so many American par
rots do. They will only be dangerous when
1 have Portuguese callers.
A WICKED WASHINGTON BIRD.
And this reminds me Of a parrot which
was brought from here to Washington and
domesticated there in the family of one of
our most pious society women One day the
| Brazilian minister and his wife happened to
call. The parrot was in the parlor and it
| entertained them while they waited for the
pious lady Of the house.
When the madam came in she found the
minister lying on the sofa rolling over and
over with laughter, while his wife had her
hands to her ears. The parrot, whose Ian
guage had not troubled the good lady be-
cause she did not understand Portuguese,
was really uttering the most vile and indie
cent expressions you can imagine. 1t was
so vile that the Brazilian minister's wife
begged the madam to dispose of the pariot
at once, for it was not fit to keep in the
family.
There are few carts or wagons in this
part Of the world. Goods are carried about
on the backs of horses and donkeys. Lum-
" Ia tlapP1o " tLO " III q AOlCC d1l4
thus dragged through the streets. Fire
wood is carried into town upon horses.
Two wooden hooks made Of forked limbs
are fastened on each side of the horse to
a pack saddle, and on these hooks a half
load of cord wood is so balanced that 1T will
not fall off. Often the man rides the horse,
sitting on his back between the piles of
sticks, and sometimes hanging his feet
down about the neck. All sorts of burdens
are carried On the head. You see women
walking along balancing pumpkins upon
their heads. This morning 1 noticed a boy
thus carrying a two-bushel bag of flour.
AS he passed by me he suddenly stopped at
a fence and without lowering or touching
his burden lifted up his right leg to a
board about two feet from the ground and
thus standing searched industriously, I
judge, for a flea or something else that
was biting him. 1t was probably something
else, for feas don't count here.
WONDERFUL PALMS.
Among the most interesting things In this
region are the palms. Just before coming
to Ceara our boat stopped at a little town
at the mouth of the Parahyba river.
Parahyba is a state just south of this, the
most of which is low and tropical. This
town. Cabadello. is it's port, being connected
viii the SdpItdl CITY, faTalyDa, which Is
ten miles inland by railroad. The Parahyba
river is lined with cocoanut trees. There
are thousands of them, some filled with
nuts as big as your head. In my ride to
the capital of the state 1 passed through
about ten miles Of such palms all loaded
with nuts.
The town of Cabadello is built Of palm
wood. 1t Is a collection Of huts matched
with palm leaves. The huts have no win
dcws and no doors in our sense of the
word. There are merely holes in the walls,
and those which take the place of windows
have shutters of woven palm leaves tied
on by strings. The doors are made Of palm
leaves. They are merely screens of woven
leaves which are moved away during the
day.
This region is the home of the carnauba
palm, one of the most remarkable trees 10
be found anywhere. Nearly every bit of it
Is. valuable Its roots when made into a
tea will clear your blood like sarsapariIla.
Its stem can be used for joists, rafters and
building material, or it can be ground up
for making paper or cloth.
The palmetto Of the carnauba is eaten as
a vegetable. From it wine and vinegar are
rsade, and there is taken out OF 1t a saccha-
rine substance as we'll as a sago, which is
very nutritious. In times of famine this
W farms a rra mart AC @A& f@~l - -