A JOURNEY IN BRAZIL. 
Mariano Procopio Ferreira Lage, a native of the province 
of Minas Geraes. This province is said to be remarkable 
for the great energy and intelligence of its inhabitants, 
as compared with those of the adjoining provinces. Per- 
haps this may be owing to its cooler climate, most of its 
towns lying among the highlands of the Serras, and en- 
joying a fresher, more stimulating air than those nearer 
the sea-coast. Before undertaking the building of this 
road, Senhor Lage travelled both in Europe and America 
with the purpose of learning all the modern improvements 
in works of a similar character. The result bears testimony 
to the energy and patience with which he has carried out 
his project.* Twelve years ago the only means of going 
into the interior from Petropolis was through narrow, 
dangerous, broken mule-tracks, and a journey of a hundred 
miles involved a difficult ride of three or four days. Now 
one travels from Petropolis to Juiz de Fora between sunrise 
and sunset over a post-road equal to any in the world, 
changing mules every ten or twelve miles at pretty little 
stations, built somewhat in the style of Swiss chalets, 
each one of which is a settlement for the German colonists 
who have been induced to come out as workmen on the 
road. This emigration in itself is a great advantage to 
the country ; wherever these little German villages occur, 
nestled down among the hills, there are the neat vege- 
table and flower gardens, the tidy houses, the general 
aspect of thrift and comfort, so characteristic of the better 
classes of the German peasantry. Nominally no slaves are 
* A commemorative tablet, set in the rocks on the dividing line between 
the provinces of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Geraes, recording the speech 
of the Emperor on the occasion of the opening of the road, testifies the 
appreciation in which this undertaking was held by the government of Brazil. 
