William Henry Edwards
Published: 2013-09
Total Pages: 88
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1847 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXII. Want of emigrants and laborers--Inducements to settlers, and disadvantages--Citizenship--Import and export duties and taxes--Want of circulating medium--Embarrassments of government--Capabilities of the Province--Effect of climate on the whites --The blacks--Inducements to the formation of a steamboat company--SeasonsTemperature--Health--Superior advantages to invalids--Farewell to Para--Voyage home. The want of emigrants from other countries, and of an efficient laboring class among its population, are the great obstacles to the permanent welfare of Northern Brazil. It never was the policy of Portugal to encourage emigration excepting from her own territory, and althopgh. by the indomitable enterprise of her sons, she secured to herself the finest Empire in the world, yet for want of other assistance, this Empire is impoverished, and the millions of square miles that should now be teeming with wealth, are entirely unproductive. With the nobler qualities of the old Portuguese, to which popular history has never done justice, was mingled a narrowness of mind, that was natural enough in the subjects of an old and priest-ridden monarchy. The Brazilians have not entirely thrown off this prejudice of their ancestors, and still entertain somewhat of the old jealousy of foreigners, but very naturally, in a newly liberated government, they dislike the Portuguese above all others. Much of the wealth of the country is in the hands of the Portuguese, who, coming over when young, with habits of shrewdness, and economy, almost always accumulate fortunes. The Brazilians are no match for them in these qualities, and therefore hate them most cordially. For the same reason, this feeling is continually excited, although in a lesser degree, ..