The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-05

In a land where extravagant quaintness of customs is continually encountered and the exception to the rule finds a strieter ceases to wonder or conjecture. finding it less inconvenient and less irksome to ac- cept unquestioned the anomalies as they arc presented.
 Such a land is Brazil for, though larger in area than the United States, excluding Alaska, it has population less than 20,- o0o,ooO and its people are decidedly prim- ftive in thought, conditions and manners One of its strange features is the ut | ter absence of docks, wharves or land ings at its maritime cities and sea ports Most vessels drop anchor a mile from land and many remain as far off as three miles, sending the passengers ashore by | boat, cart or on backs of negroes and discharging their freight in lighters oi floating vans. Usually the passengers quit the vessel in small boats, but wher half mile from the shore they are transferred to carts, drawn by mules or oxen with the wheels of the vehicle axle deep in water and often they are placed in chairs strapped upon the shoulders of stalwart negro men and thus scarried to land.
 The unloading of live stock Is crude and cruel. The horses are placed in small metal cages and swung over the sides Of the ship, but the cattle are hoisted out by means of a rope passed around their horns. The poor beasts below with pain and draw themselves up like a drowning mouse and I have frequently seen the horns pulled out by the weight of the animal
 Graft is rampant here as in North America and as the freight barges are owned by monopoly, all legislation look ing to the establishing of docks isibought off by the lighter companies. It is a standing joke in Brazil that whenever an frnpecunious member of the legisla- tive body wishes to realize a little cash he soon finds his wish gratifed by in troducing a bill for the construction of a dock or wharf. The proposition never advances beyond the introduction stage.
 The Brazilians ancestors were Portu- guese, who are cousins-german to the Spaniards, and who, like their knsmen, have contracted the habit of never ac- complaining today that which can be de- ferred until the morrow Brazilian pos
 
 tination and one consequently hears at every turn in the youngest republic of South America the characteristic phrase, 'amanha'' Gomorrow).
 Church holidays are innumerable and religiously observed so that laborer rarely works more than two or three days in the week. Tardiness is further enhanced by the crude mechanical meth ods employed. The foundations for houses are rarely built of dressed stone, but are made of boulders of all shapes and sizes pitched into a trench and I have often seen the water used in making mortar poured out of bottles. The Candearia, the great cathedral of the city, was a century in being constructed and no scaf- folding was employed thereat but as the walls ascended dirt was hauled and placed about them forming an inclined plane upon which further material was carried and at the completion of the edi- flee the dirt was carted away.
 Many of the mountain roads are most oddly fashioned. Originally they were overgrown with tall bamboos the tops of which had entertwined with the boughs of the neighboring trees, and in con- structing the highways these bamboos were cut away about seven or eight feet from the ground. leaving the remainder of the plant hanging overhead suspended from the trees. When the wind blows these pendant stalks they strike each other and create a most peculiar sound.
 Ali of the laboring men go barefooted but the women wear a leather slipper with a wooden sole and heel The in- ventor of this sabot was considered as