Year: 1868

The following interesting letter, which
we find in the Greenville ADVOCATE, is
from the pen of Gen. A. T. Hawthorne,
formerly of Alabama. The character of
Gen. Hawthorne is voucher enough for
the honesty and sincerity of his opinions.
Whether or not they are premature, or
too highly colored by migrate rial enthu'
siasm, we are unable to say. The letter
was private one, written to friend in
Greenville:


CITY OF BAHIA, January %, 1868.


Since left Rio de Janeiro, /
have travelled over five thousand miles
in search of home. On the Correntes,
one of the tributaries of the San Fran
CISCO / found country that is an earthly
Paradise but it had as well be in the
centre of Africa as where it is. 1t is @
thousand miles from the sea; with q
great river like the Mississippi, it is true,
running past it, but then that river has
near its mouth second edition of Mag
ara Falls, over which nothing can pass
and live, The country suited me ex-
actly, but its remoteness from the sea,
the difficulty of getting there, and
the impossibility of getting anything
away from there, determined me to
look farther. And 1 am glad did,
for l have at last found country
where l sincerely believe our peo-
pie may prosper and be happy. have
found home for myself and as many
more as may choose to come. If you
will take the map of Brazil, and look in
the southern portion of the Province of
Bahia, you will see two rivers the Je-
quitinhonha or Belmont, and tho Pardo,
that empty into the Atlantic, at 40 great
distance from each other. have spent
the last four weeks in examining the
lands upon those two rivers, both OF
which are fne navigable strea ms. l
have selected lands upon the Belmont
river, about eighty miles from its mouth,
and | am perfectly delighted with my
choice. shall buy about 5000 &C res for
the benefit of myself and my immediate
The Government proposes to build
comfortable house and clear six acres of
land for every family that will come and
occupy it, giving them five or six years
credit in which to pay for the improve
meRts; and it proposes to commence this
work Immediately, provided some one
will become responsible to the Govern
ment that families will come and occupy
these places when prepared. This, l
propose to do, to the number of ten or
fifteen families, and the Government is
very willing to trust me, The great diff
Guilty with our people in coming to this
country is, that unless they have money to
buy improved places, they have to 60 into
the woods, and without houses or farms,
begin de moro, and the consequence is
that great numbers are discouraged.
This difficulty | propose to obviate by
building houses, clearing and planting
some land, before the emigrant arrives,
so that when he lands, he will find COM
Portable house to shelter him, and q
growing crop that will feed him. And in
order that this may be certainly done
and well done, l shall remain here my
self and superintend the whole matter.
am going to Rio de Janeiro tomorrow,
where shall make final and complete
arrangements with the Government
shall ask the Government to set aside
and reserve all the public lands lying be-
tween the Belmont aud the Pardo, from
the sea shore to the boundary line ot
Minas Geraes, for the exclusive benefit
of our people. Nearly every acre OF It
now belongs to the Government and If
this course is adopted, here is q magnif-
cent tract of country, forty miles wide
and more than one hundred in length,
upon which our people may settle with
out molestation from any one, and with
out being the victims of spectators and
sharpers. In ssme of the American
Colonies of this country, lands have al
ready gone up to fifteen dollars per acre.
If the Government will listen to me, all
this matter will be remedied and pre-
vented on the Belmont and the Pardo. j
intend to ask of the Government many
other concessions and favors for our peo-
pie, of which / will inform you in due
season.


suppose you would like to know what
sort of a place l have selected for our
future home. will try TO tell you; The
lands / have selected front. upon the
Belmont river six miles, and run back
| from the river two miles. From the
rivers edge the lssa gradually rises
until il reaches an elevation Of st least
two hundred feet, when Il stretches away
for miles and miles, one vast elevated
nlain covered with the tallest, the
strairhtest and the most magnificent
timber that ever saw. Some Of this