Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

“ He strolled toward the sunny slope where the vines were tended by Joachim, the black who took care of the garden and helped about the house. Joachim's mother had nursed Affonzo's mother in the days when there were black slaves in Brazil, and he was devoted to the whole family. He was just like a faithful black dog watching the place, and was especially fond of the children. He could cook and bake, wait on the Senhor, tend the garden or the horses, and could always be trusted to take care of little Lola who was his great friend. ”

“ The sky was clear and bright, already rose-tinted with the rays of the setting sun, low in the heavens.
"You must not go yet," said Vicente. "Ground too wet, trees wet, bad for white people. You must wait."
"But I must find my father," persisted Affonzo, who, though he was a brave boy, began to be somewhat frightened. But Vicente knew the danger of the steaming forest with its snakes, mosquitoes and insects swarming after the storm. "Not safe to go now," he said, and Joachim, who was quite comfortable where he was, said, "Little master must sleep here and go home in the morning." ”

“ The house is still three miles away."
"How does the coffee grow, Uncle Hilario?" asked Maria.
"Do you see the cluster of green pods on the trees, my dear? Well, seeds are within the pods, and when they are ripened must be dried, roasted and ground before they are ready for your coffee-pot. Later in the season the fruit turns bright red in colour, and makes a vivid contrast to the foliage of the trees, which is green the year around."
"Are the trees planted, or do they grow wild like our rubber trees?" asked Affonzo.
"They are planted in rows and sometimes grow as high as twenty-five feet. ”

“ Crossing a long bridge, they saw magnificent gardens with brilliant flowering plants, and the fine fruit-market where they purchased the luscious Pernambuco abacoxi the finest-flavoured pineapple in the world.
"It is a very fine city," said Affonzo as they returned to the steamer.
"But not as handsome as Para," said Lola. "That's the prettiest city in all Brazil," and her father laughed. ”

“ Above the melon vines grew one of the tallest of the banana trees, and the fruit seemed to Affonzo to be finer at that particular time than he had ever seen it. He was very hungry and felt he must have one of those bananas at once. Ordinarily he would have climbed the tree like a little monkey and helped himself, but his mother had excused him from his siesta on condition that he be quiet, and though he looked longingly at the fruit he did not start to climb. ”

“ A TROPICAL STORM
"What fortunes could be made in these forests," said the Senhor Dias to his brother, "if people with capital only knew of the riches stored here. Mahogany, satinwood, rosewood and many other kinds of trees grow here in the greatest abundance, and were there railroads and ships to transport them, Brazil would be one of the richest countries in the world."
"We should try to develop our own land," said his brother, and the two men entered into a long conversation as to the wonderful forests of the country, to which Affonzo listened with interest. ”

“ Does the Senhor wish to see it cooked?"
"Yes, I want Affonzo to see it all, as I know he will be interested," said Senhor Dias, and they all followed the Indian to a little hut, such as the one in which they had slept the night before.
"Let us eat first," said the Senhor. "Our walk has given us all appetites."
So Vicente built a fire and roasted a lagarto [4] which he had killed on the way through the forest. The delicate white flesh tasted delicious to Affonzo, and so did the bananas and oranges and black coffee, which Vicente made thick and strong as it is liked in Brazil. ”

“ Through it flows the greatest river of the world, the Amazon, whose banks are covered with rich tropical vegetation, most beautiful to behold. Its forests are full of birds of brilliant plumage and strange animals, while the Indians, who were once the only people here, are not yet all civilized.
The Little Brazilian Cousins are nearly all descended from the Portuguese who came to this land, and made it their own, before it finally became a republic like the United States. They built many great cities, and have cultivated the [viii] country so that now it is becoming rich and powerful. ”

“ It is a lonely and dangerous life, the climate is unhealthful, the swampy lands of the river valley [35] where the rubber trees grow are low and malarious, and the syringuero has often to wade knee deep in mud, and work all day in wet clothing.
The Indians are trustworthy workers and many of them earn a good living. Old Vicente had worked there so long that he would not have known how to act anywhere else, but he was glad to have company on his lonely rounds. So he smiled at Affonzo as the boy skipped along, gathering one gorgeous flower after another, as merry as the sunshine after the rain. ”

“ Won't you take me to see the rubber gathered to-day?"
"Not to-day, but to-morrow, perhaps, for your uncle wishes to make the rounds and you may go with him."
"Thank you, that will be delightful," said Affonzo.
Their path led through the forest where long racemes of tropic moss hung down and waved in the breeze, while fern and vines grew in a tangle across the narrow path. Often the undergrowth was so thick, that Joachim had to go before the party and cut it away with his tracado. [1]
[14]
"You must keep silent now," said the Senhor.
"We shall frighten the game away if we talk. Ah!" ”

“ The people thought that the United States had progressed more rapidly and was more prosperous than Brazil and they did not see why their own land should not be as great or greater than any other American country. Brazil was the only South American country which was not a republic. I think the chief reason, however, was that the heir to the throne was not at all liked, and the Brazilians were afraid that he would not be as wise a ruler as Dom Pedro had been. Even those who most wanted a republic were sorry to have the old emperor expelled, and many of them cried bitterly when he went away. ”

“ All the time his heart was hot within him and he thought to himself, 'How my soul grieves to see this waste of the beautiful, shining dust!' Then an evil spirit tempted him and he did not wash off all the gold. ”

“ Most of the streets of the city have no curbing, and the children had to be careful lest they be run down by passing carriages.
Their uncle decided first to take them to the famous Botanical Gardens and as they entered the main gateway, they saw the avenue of fine royal palms.
"The avenue is almost half a mile long," said the Senhor. "And the trees are a hundred feet high."
"Aren't they fine," said Affonzo. "They are the tallest palms I ever saw."
"They meet together at the top and form a regular archway the whole length of the walk," said Martim.
"What is that very high mountain?" asked Lola. ”

“ The city of Para is one of the most important places in Brazil. From it are sent out into the world all the produce of the wonderful valley of the Amazon,—woods, rubber and fruits. Its markets are busy spots of industry, and its harbour teems with shipping.
The mother of the Senhor Dias lived in a [48] handsome house on the edge of the town. Since the death of her husband she had lived with her only unmarried son, the Uncle Prudente of whom the children were so fond. She received the travellers warmly. Her son Martim's wife was very dear to her, his children her idols, especially Affonzo. ”

“ Senhor Dias was a rubber exporter. From his plantation near Para went out huge balls of the rubber, solid, tough and brown. It is very interesting to watch the process of obtaining this from the milk-white sap of the rubber trees.
"Well, Vicente, shall we start now," said the Senhor when they had breakfasted.
"When the Senhor is ready," said Vicente.
The Indian lived by himself all the year around in his little hut. All along the Amazon these cabins may be found, hidden in the woods, and in each one dwells only a single Indian. ”

“ Children are far better for not being noticed. Affonzo gets along better with his cousin because he has Lola to quarrel with; Martim grows selfish from being too much alone." She sighed and her husband's face clouded as he thought of the children they had lost.
"We will keep Maria with us if the father is willing, as long as she is in Brazil." ”

“ Vicente soon finished cooking his rubber, and put up the utensils before following Affonzo and the two men down the path to the river.
"Vicente is a good Indian, isn't he?" said Affonzo.
"One of the best I have ever known," said his father. "He has worked for us for years and has always been honest and reliable. It is strange that he should be so hospitable and [40] friendly, for his ancestors and ours were always at war. When your grandfather was a young man there was always fear of the natives, and at one time there was an Indian uprising in which many Portuguese were killed. ”

“ It is a fortune for a family to have a cocoa plantation, for the trees produce from fifty to eighty years, and need little attention after the first year or two. They are very easy to raise. After planting, the weeds are kept away from the trees, and during the first year, banana plants are grown between the rows to shade the young trees. The fourth year the first crop is gathered and the trees produce two hundred clusters of fruit with thirty [64] or forty nuts each. People net about sixty thousand dollars a year from a plantation of fifty thousand trees. ”

“ When the little animals saw that they were perceived, they tried to conceal themselves behind the huge leaves of [15] the tree, and the Senhor's shot showed no result beyond an increased chattering.
"It seems a shame to kill such cunning little creatures," said Affonzo, but his father said,
"We hunt for food, not for mere sport, my son. Monkeys make an excellent dinner, and you will be glad enough to eat after we have tramped all morning through the heat."
"Master will not hit the monkeys," said Joachim. ”

“ Maria kissed her and smiled, while Aunt Luiza said, "Come, children, it is very late; dinner is waiting and then all you little folk must get to bed early so you will be ready for to-morrow. There are ever so many things for you to see."
Early next day the four cousins set out for a morning's sight-seeing, accompanied by their Uncle Hilario. The Senhor Lopez was one of those rare men who are really fond of children, and he enjoyed their society. ”

“ Negro servants in Brazil who have been in a family for years are always much beloved, and Affonzo was devoted to the old negro. Joachim didn't say much, but smiled at the boy as he took the dead body of the snake outside, and prepared to take off its beautiful skin. ”

“ Your Uncle Juan, who went to study medicine in Philadelphia, married there a beautiful [55] North American lady, and has a little daughter the age of Affonzo. She is named Maria and she had the great misfortune to lose her mother a few months ago. She grieves terribly and her father is bringing her to Brazil in the hope that among his people she will grow well and strong again. They will reach Rio de Janeiro in a short time, and we want to be there to see them. ”

“ So he crouched among the leaves and was still as a mouse while the two gentlemen came directly under the banana tree and stopped to talk.
"This is the American melon," said the Senhor. "It will be ripe in another week. There are others ripening but this is the finest. If it is good I shall keep all the seeds and have a large crop next year. If Juan comes, I shall ask him to bring me the seeds of various kinds, for there is nothing like variety in a garden. In our hot climate these should do well and they are very agreeable when properly cooled. ”

“ What do you think!" she cried as she ran up to them. "The loveliest thing has happened."
[106]
"What?" cried all the children at once, but Lola was too out of breath to answer.
"Uncle Hilario is certainly a darling!" she said at last. "He has prepared the loveliest treat for us! He says that to-morrow we all start for the Falls of Iguazu, and Maria, your father has come and—" but she had no chance to finish her sentence, for Martim shouted, "The Falls of Iguazu! Hurrah!" and ran off to the house, while Maria with a squeal of "Daddy!" pelted after him as fast as she could go. ”

“ The coffee in those sacks is ready to go to Sao Paulo, and thence to Santos to be shipped to North America. Our coffee goes to every part of the world, for the coffee of the Fazenda Esperança is considered especially good.
"Now you have followed the coffee berry from the tree to the market and I hope you will try to remember all about it, for the coffee industry is one of the greatest in the country."
"It's ever so interesting, uncle," said Maria. ”

“ The Dutch surrendered in 1654 and Brazil became a Portuguese colony."
"Then I suppose everything was peaceful," said Affonzo, but his father laughed and said,
"There has not been much peace in Brazil since the Portuguese first discovered it. After the foreigners left, the Indians remained unconquered, and the Portuguese sent many expeditions against the natives in the interior. Many adventurers went on these expeditions, and they were called Bandierantes. [9] They treated the Indians cruelly and enslaved many, although the Pope had forbidden making slaves of the Indians. ”

“ I hope you little folk will have a nice time and I am not going to issue a lot of commands to spoil your pleasure. Only one thing is forbidden; you [115] must never go away from camp without one of the servants unless you are with one of us grown people. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," they all said, and he added,
"I am sure I can trust you. The forest is full of all manner of animals and creeping things, and it would be very easy to lose your way, so that we could never find you again. ”