24 chapters
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24 chapters
EXPLANATORY PREFACE.
EXPLANATORY PREFACE.
Steam Requirements of Anglo South American commerce anterior to 1850.—How supplied then.—Inadequacy of Means to the General End, and to Lancastrian Ends in particular.—Subsequent Supply.—Liverpool still left out.—Chartered Liberty to help itself, and the consequences thereof.—Paddle Pioneer of the Ocean Fleet to the Plate.—Dates and Distances in a new Line.—What may be done by putting on the Screw for Three Months.—Fifteen Thousand Miles of Steaming, with the Author’s Notes thereon, and Suggesti
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INTRODUCTION.
INTRODUCTION.
Cursory Retrospect of South American Discoveries.—Their difficulties then, how to be estimated at present.—Their interest to this age as compared with ancient conquests.—Cruelties of the early invaders.—Retributive visitations.—Columbus and his cotemporaries.—Cortez and the conquest of Mexico.—Subsequent position of the country.—Santa Anna, his antecedents and prospects.—Pizarro in Peru, and his Lieutenant, Almagro, in Chili.—Condition of those Republics since and now: their past gold and presen
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CHAPTER I. OUTWARD BOUND.—LIVERPOOL TO LISBON.
CHAPTER I. OUTWARD BOUND.—LIVERPOOL TO LISBON.
The Argentina on her maiden voyage.—Capacity and capability of the river boat at sea.—From the Mersey to the Tagus in four days.—Lisbon and its Laureats, Vathek and Childe Harold.—Lord Carnarvon on Mafra and its marble halls.—Monasticism and Monarchy.—Aspect and Attributes of the Lusitanian Capital and its Vicinage.—Portuguese Millers and the Grinding process among the Grain Growers.—A ‘bold peasantry, their country’s pride,’ the same everywhere.—Native memorabilia of the earthquake, and Anglo r
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CHAPTER II. LISBON TO MADEIRA.
CHAPTER II. LISBON TO MADEIRA.
Two more days’ pleasant Paddling on the Ocean.—Approach to Madeira.—Charming aspect of the Island.—Unique boats and benevolent boatmen.—Pastoral progression in bucolic barouches extraordinary.—Personal appearance of the inhabitants.—Atmospheric attractions of Madeira, and absence of all natural annoyances.—The Vine-Blight and its consequences, present and prospective, on the people at home and the consumption of their wine abroad.—Funchal, and its urban and suburban et ceteras.—Romance and reali
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CHAPTER III. MADEIRA TO CAPE VERDS, WITH A GLANCE AT THE CANARIES.
CHAPTER III. MADEIRA TO CAPE VERDS, WITH A GLANCE AT THE CANARIES.
Oceanic Sailing again.—Halcyon weather, and modern steaming to the Fortunatæ Insulæ of the Ancients.—A stave on the saffron-coloured singing birds.—Touching Teneriffe, and Miltonic parallel to the Arch-Enemy.—Approach to Porto Grande, and what we found there, especially its extensive accommodation for steamers.—Deficiency of water the one draw-back.—Something concerning Ethiopic Serenaders under the Line.—Promethean Promontary extraordinary.—A memento of mortality midway in the world.—Portuguese
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CHAPTER IV. CAPE ST. VINCENT TO PERNAMBUCO.—A WORD ON THE CLIMATE OF THE BRAZILS.
CHAPTER IV. CAPE ST. VINCENT TO PERNAMBUCO.—A WORD ON THE CLIMATE OF THE BRAZILS.
Progress from Porto Grande to Pernambuco.—Steam triumphs against adverse wind.—Further Superiority of Screw over Sail.—The Argentina in a South-Wester.— Apropos of Malaria, and something sanitary about Brazil.—The yellow fever: whence it comes, and what has become of it?—Quarrels about Quarantine.—Brazil in advance of the old country in these matters. Leaving Porto Grande, we shaped our rapid course southwards, to the Brazils, across the wide expanse of ocean lying between the two continents, an
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CHAPTER V. EMPIRE OF BRAZIL.
CHAPTER V. EMPIRE OF BRAZIL.
Rather prefatory and not very particular, though somewhat personal.—Books on Brazil should be in Mediam Viam for the present route, avoiding the Scylla of extreme succinctness and the Charybdis of needless diffuseness.—Object of the Author to attain the golden medium.—With what success, gentle reader, say?—Discovery of the country by the Portuguese. Their subsequent disputes with, and final expulsion of the Dutch.—Extent and Population; variety of soil and produce.—Difficulty of communication be
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CHAPTER VI. PERNAMBUCO.
CHAPTER VI. PERNAMBUCO.
‘That Strain Again!’—‘It hath a dying fall.’—‘Auld Lang Syne, or ’tis thirty years ago.’—Aspect of Pernambuco from the Sea.—Tripartite division of the City, Recife, St. Antonio, and Boa Vista.—Note on the old town of Olinda and its new namesake, the late steamer No. 2 of this A 1 line.—March of improvement by land and sea, in respect to ships and city.—Such Brazilian progress a lesson for West Indians.—Frugality and personal activity on the one hand, prodigality and vicarial mismanagement on the
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CHAPTER VII. ALAGOAS AND SEREGIPE.
CHAPTER VII. ALAGOAS AND SEREGIPE.
Area, Products, and Population of Alagoas.—Maceio, the principal Seaport.—Rivers navigable only by boats, except the San Francisco.—Cataract on the same, at the famous Falls of Affonso; a new sight for Used Up travellers in search of the picturesque in the tropics.—Primitive condition of the Province of Seregipe, and prospects of rapid improvement through Railways. The adjoining province to Pernambuco is that of Alagoas , so called from lakes situated a short distance from the coast, and where t
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STRAY NOTES ON BAHIA.
STRAY NOTES ON BAHIA.
One of the most singular appearances the upper city has to a stranger is its apparent desertion. There were, until very lately, only about a dozen wheeled vehicles in the place, but the march of intellect has been here, and now there are omnibuses plying to the Victoria. All burdens are carried on the head, from an orange, a candle, or a bottle, to a barrel of fish. The larger kinds, such as pipes of wine, are slung between poles, whilst logs of wood are carried upon the shoulders of twenty or t
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COMMERCE OF BRAZIL.
COMMERCE OF BRAZIL.
1839 and 1844.—Average annual value of imports and exports, 13 millions sterling. 1845 and 1849.—Average annual value was 16 millions sterling, or an increase of 3 millions. In this latter period the average yearly number of vessels employed was showing an average increase over the former period of 1839 to 1844 of Of the above figures, the imports averaged in value, During the same period, the proportions of foreign and coasting trade were: Of the aforesaid total imports and exports, And in the
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ADMIRAL GRENFELL.
ADMIRAL GRENFELL.
ADMIRAL GRENFELL, CONSUL GENERAL FOR BRAZIL Vice-Admiral John Pascol Grenfell, of the Imperial Brazilian Navy, is son of the late Mr. J. Granville Grenfell, of the city of London, and was born at Battersea, in 1800. At eleven years of age, he embarked in the maritime service of the Honourable East India Company, and made several voyages to India in the capacity of midshipman and mate in the Company’s ships. In the year 1819, he left the Company’s service, and joined the naval service of the Repu
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THE REGION OF THE AMAZON.
THE REGION OF THE AMAZON.
Each year we open upon new prospects in an increasing ratio, and among those which now present themselves as calculated to develope fresh fields for adventure and for an extension of traffic, are the navigation, just consummated, of 1,200 miles of the River Murray, and the expedition that is commencing to explore the Amazon.— Times’ Commercial Retrospect of 1853....
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CHAPTER X. THE AMAZON.
CHAPTER X. THE AMAZON.
Sources of the Marañon.—Rapids and cataracts.—Embouchures of the Amazon.—Its volume, compared with the Ganges and the Brahmapootra.—Its discovery by Pinzon.—Expedition of Orellana.—Gold-seeking expedition of Pedro de Orsua.—Settlement of Pará, and discovery of the Rio Negro.—The Missions of the Jesuits, and their expulsion.—Discovery of the communication between the Amazon and the Orinoco.—Revolution of 1835.—Pará: its streets and public buildings.—Explorations of M. Castelnau and Lieutenant Her
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ON BRAZIL: ITS CLIMATE AND PEOPLE.
ON BRAZIL: ITS CLIMATE AND PEOPLE.
BY ROBERT DUNDAS, M.D., PHYSICIAN TO THE NORTHERN HOSPITAL, LIVERPOOL; FORMERLY SURGEON TO HER MAJESTY’S 60TH REGIMENT; AND FOR TWENTY-THREE YEARS MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BRITISH HOSPITAL, BAHIA. Climate of Brazil.—Its salubrity.—Proofs of, causes of, objections to.—Northern, southern, and central provinces.—Equability of temperature.—Heat.—Humidity.—Rain.—Winds.—Electricity.—Hail.—Ice.—Tropical heat and light.—Influence on Europeans.—In health and in disease.—Acclimatization.—Increase of
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RIO DE LA PLATA.
RIO DE LA PLATA.
SIR WM. GORE OUSELEY, K.C.B.—LATE HER MAJESTY’S MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY TO THE STATES OF LA PLATA, AND FORMERLY CHARGE D’AFFAIRES AT THE COURT OF BRAZIL. Note to the Portrait. —The sketch in the preceding page is copied from an early likeness, but can hardly be considered an accurate one now. In a book of this nature, which owes much of whatever attractiveness it may possess to his permission to avail of the pictorial and literary memoranda of his prolonged sojourn in South America, and especia
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CHAPTER XI. MONTE VIDEO.
CHAPTER XI. MONTE VIDEO.
Biographical memoranda on the late British minister to the Plate.—First impressions of the Uruguayan capital unfavourable.—The New Custom House.—An instance of enterprise without prudence.—Commercial advantages of Monte Video.—Prosperity obtained at the expense of Buenos Ayres.—Revisal of the Buenos Ayrean tariff.—Alluvial deposits of the Rio Plata.—Gas from mares’ grease.—Traces of a siege.—Unprofitable ploughing by Oribe’s projectiles.—Condition of the streets.—The Horses of La Plata, and the
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CHAPTER XII. BUENOS AYRES.
CHAPTER XII. BUENOS AYRES.
Departure from Monte Video.—Moonlight on the La Plata.—Deficiency of landing accommodation at Buenos Ayres.—Streets and buildings of the Argentine capital.—The climate and the people.—Prohibition of the slave trade.—General Whitelock, the Calle de Defensa, and Colonel Thompson.—Expedition against Monte Video.—Palermo, the country residence of General Rosas.—Characters of the dictator and his successor, Urquiza.—Donna Manueleta.—Argentine confederation.—Government of General Rosas.—War on the Pla
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SIX DAYS WITH GENERAL URQUIZA.
SIX DAYS WITH GENERAL URQUIZA.
I arrived at the General’s residence, which is eighteen leagues from the village of Gualeguachú, on the left bank of the river of that name; and, to my surprise, about that magnificent country house, where I expected to find a military encampment, full of officers, soldiers, and men in the service of the renowned champion of Entre-Rios, a profound silence reigned, interrupted only by the blows of the axe of a rustic, who was working upon some trees. I alighted, and entered the house. At the door
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CHAPTER XIII. UP THE PARANA.
CHAPTER XIII. UP THE PARANA.
Preparations for an experimental trip up the Parana.—Captain Sullivan’s descent of the river at a terrific pace.—Island of Martin Garcia.—Note on the confluents of the Rio Plata.—A Scotch experimental philosopher in Corrientes.—Alluvial deposits at the delta of the Parana.—Signs of progress in the interior.—An American pioneer of civilization.—The steamer aground, and fired upon.—Moonlight on the river and the woods.—Geographical note on the Parana and the Rio Plata.—Obligado and San Nicolas.—Mr
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CHAPTER XIV. PARAGUAY.
CHAPTER XIV. PARAGUAY.
Sources of information.—General Pacheco.—Inaccuracies of Sir Woodbine Parish.—Navigability of the Parana by large vessels.—Decrees of the government of Paraguay on the treatment of foreigners.—Decrees relative to inventions and improvements.—Mr. Drabble’s commercial mission, and its results.—Cultivation of cotton.—Drawbacks to its extension.—Scarcity of labour.—Provisions of the treaty between Great Britain and Paraguay.—The commercial resources of the country little known in this.—Navigability
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SIR CHARLES HOTHAM, K.C.B.
SIR CHARLES HOTHAM, K.C.B.
This distinguished officer, now Governor of the Australian Colony of Victoria, comes of an ancient ancestry, many members of whom attained eminence in that special branch of the public service in which he himself has acquired such deserved repute. Indeed, there are few families that have for so long a time, and for such a continuance, given so many servants to the state. As early as the reign of Edward II., we find that John de Hotham, great grandson of the first of the name, who settled at the
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CHAPTER XV. HOMEWARD BOUND.
CHAPTER XV. HOMEWARD BOUND.
Departure from Buenos Ayres.—Arrival at Monte Video.—Guano deposits of Patagonia.—Bahia Blanca.—Eligibility of the district for an overland route to Chili.—Chilian grant for direct steam communication with England.—Accessions to steam navigation on the Brazilian coast.—Opening of the Amazon.—Departure from Monte Video.—Rough wind and heavy sea.—Aspect of Raza under various lights and shades.—Hotel accommodation of Rio Janeiro.—A wet day at Bahia.—Consular memoranda on Venezuela, Bolivia, and Equ
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THE FALKLAND ISLANDS.
THE FALKLAND ISLANDS.
The Falklands recommended by the Colonial Land Emigration Commissioners, as a place of Re-fit, Naval Station, and Convict Settlement.—The Corporation of the Falkland Islands Company.—How it could assist Her Majesty’s Government in forming a Convict Settlement.—Proposal to demonstrate the superior eligibility of this Colony for a Convict Settlement.—Climate healthy.—Fresh Water abundant.—Cost of Transport less than that to other Colonies.—Safe Custody and Classification.—Geographical position and
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