São Francisco Valley; in short, to ascertain, if possible, whether their waters could not be canalized so as to afford irrigation. We have equally in Ceará and Rio Grande do Sul little dams to make small reservoirs on small streams. There are owners of ranches of four or five leagues of land, and who have a natural supply of water only at one extreme end of the pasture or campo, and so, not to make the cattle travel different times in the day a distance of two, three, or more leagues, to drink, they make little ponds by dams. An uncle of mine, living near the Jaguaro River, had one of these in which he also had excellent fish, but the drought of one year caused it to dry up."

The average temperature at Pará is 80°. The summer temperature at Rio de Janeiro is about 75°, and the winter temperature 65°. The prevailing winds are from the east, and always secure to the country, as a whole, an abundance of earth-fattening rain.

CHAPTER VIII.

AMERICAN-BRAZILIAN RELATIONS.

LIKE the Americans, the Brazilians take more interest in what occurs in Europe than in any other part of the outside world. They concern themselves very little about what takes place in the United States. If a great disaster happens, like the burning of the Brooklyn Theatre, or a President is assassinated, they may possibly get the tidings of such a catastrophe by telegraph in the course of two or three days. Our presidential elections are important, and the result of a State election like that in the State of Maine on the 8th of September, two months before the presidential election, would be regarded by everybody posted in American affairs as indicative of the greater contest in November, and, of course, would be promptly cabled to the London newspapers; but no news whatever about that election came to Brazil. A leading journal publishes a tolerably fair letter from a New York correspondent once about every two months; but the same journal prints seventy-five letters from Europe to one that it prints from the United States.

The London daily journals of March 9, 1885, and of some preceding dates, arrived at Rio de Janeiro March 27th. As usual, their telegraphic columns were filled

with news from all the principal countries, and the “Jornal do Commercio" of Rio de Janeiro on the following morning, as is its custom, had a column filled with a synopsis of news from different countries, especially from European countries. These London papers contained unusually important news from the United States-the inauguration of the new President, Mr. Cleveland, his inaugural address in full, the names of his Cabinet ministers; the appointment of General Grant as general on the retired list of the army; also, the announcement of General Grant's alarming illness and probability of his early decease. American news is first received at Rio through the London daily newspapers, and all these facts made an unusual amount of news to come by one mail. Now, would it be thought that the synopsis of news in the Rio paper from the London journals contained no reference whatever to the United States-not a word about the inauguration of the new President, or of the dangerous illness of General and ex-President Grant? Yet such was the case. No allusion was made to anything that had occurred in the United States. Nor had any of this news from the United States been published in any of the Rio journals. This is according to the usual custom; and I think it shows very clearly that the Brazilians take little note or interest of what transpires in the North American republic.

I make no complaint about this; I merely state the facts. Probably it is natural that the Brazilians should have their minds more constantly fixed on Europe than upon the "Grand Republic," as they speak of our country when they wish to be very polite, though their newspapers frequently style the Americans "Yankees." Anyhow it is well for our Mr. Spread-Eagle to know that the

whole of mankind does not always have its admiring gaze fixed on our country. Still, I think there is in the deep current of Brazilian sentiment and thought a feeling of respect and regard for the United States. I am led to this conclusion for various reasons. It is certain that the Brazilians recognize America's inventive and literary genius. They know Longfellow at least, and they know that the telegraph, the sewing-machine, and the Atlantic cable started on their mighty errands from our shores. They unite with people everywhere in revering such American characters as Washington, Franklin, and Lincoln. In common with most other countries they have had proofs of the traditional moderation and justice of the American Government in its dealings with foreign countries. As straws show which way the wind blows, I would mention that I once attended in Rio de Janeiro a sleight-of-hand entertainment in the principal theatre, where there was an audience of about two thousand persons. One of the tricks of the performer was to draw out of a bottle the flags, one by one, of different nations, each being saluted with more or less applause. The Brazilian flag, of course, received the most favor, and quite a hearty round of applause greeted the Stars and Stripes. It seemed to me the American flag was next in favor to the Brazilian, and I remember to have experienced a feeling of delighted surprise at the incident. The Americans are

Brazil's best customers, and, on grounds of interest, the Brazilians ought to be very friendly to the United States. It is a fact, however, that during our civil war Brazilian sympathy, unlike that of Russia, was with the South.

Steamships like the Oregon, which lately made the passage from Queenstown to New York in six days and ten hours, would make the voyage from New York to

Rio de Janeiro in eleven days and a half, whereas those now running occupy twice that time. Such a line would give our country a prestige in South America which she now greatly lacks. It would revolutionize trade in favor of Americans. With the new railroad development that is taking place, and the large immigration from Europe to the four countries of the Argentine Republic, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil, there will necessarily be an increase of the foreign trade of those countries, and an enterprising and seasonable step on the part of Americans is indispensable if they would have a large share of it. At present twenty steamships a month from leading European ports arrive at Rio de Janeiro to one steamship that arrives there from the United States! Increased means of transportation from the United States to Brazil would greatly help American trade. At the same time, we must bear in mind that our export trade is mainly dependent on the goodness and cheapness of our commodities.

The Americans import from Brazil, and mostly from Rio, over three hundred million pounds of coffee a year, some of which, probably, is afterward sold as Java. It costs, delivered in New York, including the Brazilian export tax, ten cents a pound. Its transportation from Rio to New York-five thousand miles-is remarkably cheap, yet profitable to the carrier, being only forty cents a bag, or less than a third of a cent per pound. Why is it carried so cheaply? Because there are so many British and other foreign steamships in South American waters. They go from Europe with goods for Brazil and the River Plate, and need return-cargoes. About two of these steamers leave Rio every week for New York, and go thence to Liverpool. Americans save two million dollars