The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1899-06-22
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water, is in reality the south mouth of
the Amazon, and is separated from that
river only by the island of Marajo. The
city of Para, for which port the vessel
had been cleared, is situated on the
south bank of the river by that name,
and about 100 miles from the Atlantic.
The captain had little difficulty in sail
ing the vessel up to the city, where the
formalities of the port were observed,
including the payment of the duties on
the cargo. Para, the greatest rubber
emporium in the world, afforded ample
opportunity for studying the rubber
trade. The Privateers were not slow to
seize this opportunity. They here
learned that but two grades of rubber
are known in the Para trade. First
grade rubber is the milk like juice of
the rubber tree, which has been system
atically smoke dried. Second grade
rubber is obtained from the same
source, but had dried upon the tree, as
it escaped and trickled down from the
cups that collect the sap, inserted be-
meath the tap or incision in the bark.
Samples of both these grades were
easily obtained.
The city of Para is, in it's main feat
ures, like any other city of Latin
America. Indeed many of its charac-
teristics might, without change, have
been imported from Oporto or Barcel-
ona. Para has population of about
100000, composed principally of Portu-
gese or natives, but with large pro-
portion also, of Spaniards, Negroes and
Indians. There are few Americans,
English, French and Germans here,
who are chiefly interested in the rubber
trade. Over so tons of pure rubber are
shipped from this port each day of the
year. Wherever one may go, in the city
OF. Para, the odor of smoked rubber is
always present, and when he leaves the
city, the odor still clings to his cloth
ing. Yellow fever, as in all tropical
South American ports, is here present
the year round. It never becomes
epidemic, but as you wander through
the narrow, ill kept and foul smelling
streets, you can't but wonder how the
people exist, surrounded as they are by
all the elements that are essential to
the propagation of disease. The houses
in the city are usually of one and two
stories, except in the business portion
of the town, where they aspire to three
and occasionally four stories. The
residences of the majority of the popu-
lation are built of sort of concrete,
composed of small stones and morton.
The outside walls are painted white
most frequently, but many are in light
blue or green, while all cling to the
lighter shades. The roofs are con-
structed of the conventional red tile.
Portuguese is the language of the state
and its people, as Brazil was at one
time a Portuguese colony, before she
separated from the mother country and
became an empire, with her own en-
peror on the throne. Brazil is now
republic, at least in name, though she
still retains many of the features of
monarchy.
The stay of the Privateers in Para
was extended beyond their pleasure, by
reason of the reluctance of the authori-
ties to clear the vessel for Manaos, on
the Rio Negros, tributary of the
Amazon entering about 1000 miles
above Para. A jealousy exists between
the cities of Para and Manaos. Each
is engaged in the rubber trade and
each strives for the advantage over
the other. Jim, as the diplomat of the
party, was called into requisition, and
by some cunning move, known only to
himself and Capt. Marsh, the Flying
Spray was cleared. ICoNOCLAsT.