The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-02-07

prepared BY The National Geographic
Society, Washington. d. CO.
A IRPLANES have made the north
"A eastern corner Of Brazil the
1 doorway to South America
from the Old World. Repeated
flights have been made In recent years
from Europe and Africa to South
America, and in nearly every case
first news of the successful crossing
has come from Natal, Pernambuco
or Bahia, the three most northeastern
cities of the continent. On the latest
of the transatlantic flights the two
flyers, Major Larre-Borges and Lieu
tenant Challes, were forced to earth
near Natal, not far from the landing
place Of Major Delprete and Captain
Terrain In 1928. Pernambuco was the
first city reached by Commander Fran
cesco de Pinedo in 527; and Bahia
was the port Of arrival for Captains
Jiminez and Iglesias in the spring Of
1929.
Because Of Natal's strategic impor-
lance in transatlantic flying the re-
Gently organized air mail line between
Paris and Buenos Aires has estab-
lished a flying field near the town.
Natal has also figured in Brazilian
maritime plans, and its harbOr is be-
ing improved with view to making
it the first port Of call for steamships
between Europe and ports on the
southeast coast of South America.
Cape ST. Rogue may be considered
the real northeast corner Of South
America. 1t lies approximately 20
miles north of Natal. The intervening
strip Of coast is made up of low sand
dunes, with here and there a village
set among coco palms.
Natal is not directly on the sea but
lies about two miles up the river from
Potenghy, which is also known as the
Rio Grande do Norte. 1t is from this
stream that the state of Rio Grande
do Norte, of which Natal is the capt.
tai, takes it's name. The town was
founded by the Portuguese more than
three and a quarter centuries ago as
a military post In 1858 it was cap
tured by the Dutch and remained in
their possession until 1854. Few traces
of the Dutch occupation remain.
Natal a Frontier City.
Natal is far removed from the CEN
ter of Brazilian activity in the south,
and still has some touches of the
frontier. Southwark, railways along
the coast connect it with Pernambuco;
but only short bit Of trackage ex-
tends toward the interior. For the
movement Of goods to and from the
back country the town still depends
somewhat on picturesque troops Of
pack mules and horses in charge of a
tropeiro and his swarthy, hard-vis-
aged assistants.
Sometimes 100 or more mules and
horses, each laden with big bags Of
cotton or other produce from the In
terror, thread their way through Ma
tails streets, with bells tinkling, and
freight train. On the return trip they
carry bales Of fabrics, food supplies,
and household furnishings.
The muleteers Of Rio Grande do
Norte and the adjoining states must
be rough and ready lot, for the
goods they carry are an irresistible
temptation to bandits in the billy in
terror, and often the drivers must
''shoot their way through" The gradu-
ally extending lines Of steel in the
interior of Brazil are slowly bringing
the existence Of the picturesque tro-
peiro to an end.
Pernambuco, although not so far to
the northeast as Natal, is the eastern
most city Of the Western hemisphere.
The state of Pernambuco and two
other states make up the northeastern
shoulder Of the continent. The CAPT.
tai, Pernambuco, better known to Bra
zilians as Recife, occupies small is
land-Antonio Vas-and a portion Of
the mainland of Brazil, about fifty
miles from the northern border of the
state.
If line were drawn from Pernam-
buco due north it would Just miss the
western extremity Of the Azores and
intersect the latitude of New York
city nearer to Portugal than to New
York. Daker, westernmost city of
Africa, Is only half the distance from
Pernambuco that Liverpool is from
New York. Pernambuco noses into all
direct transportation lanes from Euro
pean and North Atlantic ports that do
business with ports south of Pernam-
buco. Shipping from New York, Bos-
ton, or Baltimore, or Liverpool, or Lis
bon, reaches Rio de Janeiro or Buenos
Aires by passing Pernambuco's har-
Dor.
Pernambuco Is the fourth largest
city In Brazil with a population about
equal to that of Birmingham. Ala.
Many of the people are descendants
of the Dutch and Portuguese, both of
whom once claimed the city and sur
rounding country. Pernambuco owes
much Of its progress to the influence
of these races. who fostered agricul-
ture and commerce.
xiuch Business In Pernambueo.
The old section of Pernambuco
shows its Portuguese origin in the
varicolored plaster-faced buildings
that line some of the narrow cobble-
stone streets In the downtown Sec