POSTSCRIPT.
This volume has already been enlarged beyond the intended number of pages. In closing it, I would very briefly state that the experiment in naval discipline, with which the cruise of the Congress was commenced, previously to the abolition of the lash by law, was carried out with marked and satisfactory success. This is mainly to be attributed to the unwearied efforts, and the indefatigable devotion to duty, of the officers most interested—equally from motives of philanthropy towards the sailor, and a jealous regard for the honor of the navy—in the result. This is especially true, in regard to Mr. Turner the first lieutenant. During the last eighteen months of the cruise, good order, activity in duty, quickness and skill in the military exercises and naval evolutions of a man-of-war, and a general spirit of contentment were characteristic of the crew, in an extraordinary degree. The frigate entered the port of New York under the happiest auspices; and the conduct of the men at the time the manner in which they left her, and their deportment afterwards, were such as to challenge the admiration of those most familiar with such scenes. Intelligence which from time to time has since reached me, in regard to individuals of their number, has been most gratifying; while there has not been wanting proof, in the cases of some, of the highest results of the preaching of the Gospel, in a life of professed and consistent piety.
In regard to the countries to which so much of the precedingrecord refers, little of material importance has occurred since it was closed. Thirteen of the States of the Plata, bordering on the rivers Parana and Paraguay and their tributaries, have become consolidated under a constitutional government, to the Presidency of which General Urquiza is elevated. Buenos Ayres has pertinaciously refused to enter into this union; and left to pursue her own course, has fallen into a state of anarchy, to which there appears at present to be little prospect of a speedy termination. The same is the case with the Republic of Uruguay.
The condition and prospects of the Empire of Brazil are in wide contrast with these republics of the South. Political quietude and order pervade her widespread dominions, and a striking proof is presented by the stability of her government and her consequent prosperity, of the advantage she possesses in a well-balanced constitutional monarchy. Till the half-civilized people of South America become more enlightened, intellectually and morally, and better instructed in the true principles and right exercise of republicanism, a fixed and hereditary Executive in government is the only safeguard against the evils to which the struggles, among ambitious and unscrupulous military aspirants, constantly give rise.
The few years past have witnessed extraordinary progress in the material wealth, prosperity, and power of this Empire; a progress attributable to the stability of her government; to the necessities of commerce; and to the advancing and controlling civilization of the times. The greatly increased demand for her principal staple, coffee, as well as for many of her other important products—India-rubber, sugar, cotton, tobacco, dye-woods, and minerals—has led to a wise, liberal, and widespread system of internal improvements and inland and ocean steam navigation, for the development of the varied and vast physical resources of the empire. Don Pedro II. has imbibed and obeyed the spirit of the times as fully, during the few years of his actual reign, and advanced the material and social prosperity of his country as safely and rapidly, as any ruler living.
The importance to the United States of the trade of Brazil will hardly be credited by those not particularly informed on the subject. We derive from that empire a large number of articles of commerce indispensable to us; and send to it many of the most staple and valuable products of our agriculture and manufactures. We receive from Brazil our largest supply of coffee, India-rubber, hides, cocoa for chocolate, sarsaparilla, and other articles; and in exchange supply her with nearly all her bread-stuffs—with beef, pork, lard, and butter; with corn, cotton fabrics, the implements of agriculture and the arts, with machinery, and the manufactures of iron and wood. This trade amounts to nearly nineteen millions of dollars annually; the balance against the United States being six millions paid in cash. It is believed by those best informed on the subject, that the establishment of a regular line of mail steamers to Brazil, with a suitable subsidy from the government for postal service, would be the means of doubling the amount of trade in the course of five years; and by the increased demand for our productions arising from the facility of communication and correspondence, would equalize the exchange, if not turn the balance in our favor. It is a reproach to us, that for the want of direct communication by steam, our correspondence, both commercial and diplomatic, with Eastern South America, is carried by English mail steamers, by the way of England, a distance of near eight thousand miles. From the same cause the disbursements of our government to its public agents there, are made only at a heavy percentage. To place the salary of nine thousand dollars in the hands of a chargé d’affaires at Rio, costs the government at home usually one thousand dollars, and the naval disbursements on that station are made at a corresponding loss.
Aware of the vast public and commercial interests to us as a nation of this matter, it is with great satisfaction I have learned that an association of capitalists of the city of New York, bearing the name of the “North and South American Steamship Company,” has brought the subject before Congressin a memorial for aid, in consideration of mail service, in the establishment of a line of steamers between New York and Para. It is proposed to intersect the several European lines running to Brazil at the Island of St. Thomas, and to form a junction at Para, with the Brazilian mail and passage steamers which now regularly coast the empire a distance of four thousand miles, from the mouth of the Amazon to the Rio La Plata. Dr. Rainey, one of the gentlemen engaged in this enterprise, has by personal research informed himself fully of the practicability, under the suitable patronage of the government, of making this initiatory line of steam communication with Brazil and with the Plata, through the intervention of the Imperial lines, of incalculable value to the commerce and general interest of the United States. The committee to whom the memorial was referred, have reported unanimously in favor of granting the subsidy solicited; and there is reason to hope, that by the early action of Congress on the report, an abiding channel of friendship, commerce, and reciprocal good, will be opened directly between the United States andBrazil and La Plata.
THE END.
THE END.
THE END.
Transcriber’s note:
Transcriber’s note:
Transcriber’s note:
Variations in hyphenation have been retained.
Formatting of the table of contents has been regularised.
All instances of ‘Dona’ changed to ‘Doña.’
All instances of ‘Guacho’ changed to ‘Gaucho.’
All instances of ‘unitarian’ changed to ‘Unitarian.’
All instances of ‘cortege’ changed to ‘cortège.’
All instances of ‘fuschia’ changed to ‘fuchsia.’
Second frontispiece, ‘CATETTE’ changed to ‘CATETE,’ “O. CATETE New York G. P. Putnam & Co.”
Page v, ‘acomplished’ changed to ‘accomplished,’ “easily accomplished. In attempting”
Page ix, ‘Miseracordia’ changed to ‘Misericordia,’ “Hospital of the Misericordia”
Page x, ‘locomotion’ changed to ‘Locomotion,’ “Disinclination to Locomotion”
Page xi, ‘Senor’ changed to ‘Señor,’ “Señor de L——”
Page 10, ‘physcically’ changed to ‘physically,’ “The crew, physically, are”
Page 15, double quotes changed to single quotes around ‘All hands, Ahoy!’
Page 18, ‘trivialty’ changed to ‘triviality,’ “of the triviality of the alleged”
Page 38, ‘cabalero’ changed to ‘caballero,’ “Here a caballero admirably”
Page 48, full stop inserted after ‘Lieut,’ “beautiful, that Lieut. R——, the officer”
Page 52, ‘Farenheit’ changed to ‘Fahrenheit,’ “with the mercury by Fahrenheit”
Page 66, em-dash inserted before ‘The,’ “September 10th.—The first”
Page 66, full stop inserted after ‘Lieut,’ “Captain McIntosh and Lieut. T——”
Page 67, ‘Portugese’ changed to ‘Portuguese,’ “the old-fashioned Portuguese Calesa”
Page 84, ‘Vilegagnon’ changed to ‘Villegagnon,’ “grant to Villegagnon two vessels”
Page 102, ‘moluscæ’ changed to ‘molluscæ,’ “are molluscæ with long feelers”
Page 109, double quote inserted after ‘majesties,’ “presentation to their majesties.””
Page 117, ‘tho’ changed to ‘the,’ “party left the ship for”
Page 121, ‘it’ changed to ‘if,’ “appears, as if there really”
Page 122, ‘Catètè’ changed to ‘Catete,’ “Hill, Flamengo, Catètè, Larangieras”
Page 134, ‘hibiscus’ changed to ‘hybiscus,’ “the double scarlet hybiscus”
Page 144, full stop changed to comma after ‘lake,’ “glassy as a lake, one vast”
Page 150, ‘entree’ changed to ‘entrée,’ “to the entrée; and at night”
Page 151, ‘quarelling’ changed to ‘quarrelling,’ “no intoxication, no quarrelling, no”
Page 153, ‘epaulets’ changed to ‘epaulettes,’ “officer in epaulettes and chapeau”
Page 155, ‘recolhiemento’ changed to ‘recolhimento,’ “recolhimento, or female orphan asylum”
Page 170, ‘cabilda’ changed to ‘cabildo,’ “cabildo, or town hall and”
Page 176, ‘Alemeda’ changed to ‘Alameda,’ “from the Alameda, or public”
Page 177, ‘Alemeda’ changed to ‘Alameda,’ “through the Alameda fronting”
Page 181, ‘chirepas’ changed to ‘chiripas,’ “and petticoat-like chiripas were”
Page 208, double quote inserted after ‘world,’ “for ever in this world.””
Page 218, ‘azalia’ changed to ‘azalea,’ “branch of an azalea”
Page 222, ‘Cateté’ changed to ‘Catete,’ “open street of the Catete”
Page 233, ‘abreviated’ changed to ‘abbreviated,’ “and much abbreviated, we”
Page 251, ‘marquee’ changed to ‘marqueé,’ “we perceived the marqueé of the”
Page 255, full stop inserted after ‘Lieut,’ “encampment. Lieut. T—— and I”
Page 268, full stop inserted after ‘trial,’ “a severe trial. Every officer”
Page 269, double quote inserted before ‘All,’ “or “All hands wash hammocks!””
Page 269, ‘ancle’ changed to ‘ankle,’ “wade ankle-deep, in search”
Page 273, ‘ommnibus’ changed to ‘omnibus,’ “if the omnibus suddenly starts”
Page 282, ‘constrution’ changed to ‘construction,’ “but to material and construction”
Page 300, ‘commited’ changed to ‘committed,’ “has been committed. This examination”
Page 300, full stop inserted after ‘us,’ “as with us. One custom”
Page 307, colon inserted after ‘prisoner,’ “made prisoner: a foreboding shadow”
Page 314, ‘musquitos’ changed to ‘mosquitoes,’ “oppressive heat, fleas, and mosquitoes”
Page 330, full stop inserted after ‘principle,’ “moral principle. Rosas did not”
Page 336, ‘peacable’ changed to ‘peaceable,’ “a quiet and peaceable life”
Page 337, ‘carred’ changed to ‘carried,’ “stray line carried away”
Page 342, comma changed to full stop after ‘José,’ “of San José. He is a kind”
Page 349, ‘Josè’ changed to ‘José,’ “from the bay at San José”
Page 355, ‘cabellero’ changed to ‘caballero,’ “sat her horse à la caballero”
Page 363, ‘caléche’ changed to ‘caleche,’ “The carriage was a caleche”
Page 377, ‘civilty’ changed to ‘civility,’ “the civility of the supper-party”
Page 388, ‘Ayrians’ changed to ‘Ayreans,’ “the Portenos or Buenos Ayreans”
Page 397, full stop inserted after ‘inst,’ “to this port on the 13th inst.”
Page 399, ‘epedemic’ changed to ‘epidemic,’ “raged for months as an epidemic”
Page 414, ‘wellbroken’ changed to ‘well-broken,’ “is full-blooded and well-broken”
Page 419, ‘diferent’ changed to ‘different,’ “appointed by the different”
Page 423, ‘reslts’ changed to ‘results,’ “the fatal results. This morning”
Page 426, ‘Uraguay’ changed to ‘Uruguay,’ “the Republic of Uruguay”