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POPULAR SCIENCE 

 MONTHLY. 



FEBRUARY, 1909 



THE NATIONAL EXPOSITION AT EIO DE JANEIRO 



By Professok ROBERT DeC. WARD 



HAEVARD UNIVERSITY 



A MONTH later than the date originally set for its opening, the 

 first National Exposition of Brazil was officially inaugurated on 

 August 11. Patriotic pride in the gratifying evidence which the 

 exhibits give of Brazilian arts and industries, and of Brazilian progress, 

 is the dominant note everywhere. As one of the leading newspapers 

 of Rio has enthusiastically said : 



The one feeling that every one has in his heart is an immense satisfaction, 

 an overwhelming patriotic joy, as he sees this splendid exposition which gives 

 evidence of our national capacity for work, and of our national vitality. 



In his opening address, the president of the exposition commission 

 referred to the important event in the history of Brazil which the 

 exposition commemorates, viz., the opening of the Brazilian ports to the 

 commerce of the world, one hundred years ago (January 28, 1808), and 

 to the desire of the present government to bring together, on this 

 centennial anniversary, the evidence of Brazilian progress in the last 

 one hundred years. There have, it is true, been previous exhibitions, 

 on a small scale, along similar lines. Thus, the Brazilian exhibits 

 which were sent to London in 1862 ; to Vienna in 1873 ; to the Cen- 

 tennial in 1876; to Paris in 1889; to Chicago in 1893, and to St. 

 Louis, were previously collected and open to the public in Rio. But 

 the present exposition is far more representative and more complete 

 than any of these others. Every one of the twenty states of Brazil is 

 here represented, as well as the Federal District of Rio de Janeiro and 

 the territory of Acre, " that precious piece of land recently added to 

 our national demain," as one newspaper characteristically puts it, and 

 goes on to say, " All the cells of our national organism here palpitate 



vol,. LXXIV. — 8 



