22 RESlBE.fCr AMI! 



ritories. "Embracing the whole latitude of the Southern torrid and ten 

 degrees of the Southern temperate zone, and stretching its longitude 

 from Cape St. Augustine, the easternmost point of the Continent across 

 the mountains of its own interior to the very feet of the Andes, its soil 

 and its climate offer an asylum to almost every valuable plant," The 

 author describes the scenery as magnificent, and the climate salubrious 

 and free from all tlie earthquakes to which other portions of South 

 America are subject. The physical attractions of Brazil have led to 

 most of the researches with which the public have been made acquaint- 

 ed, yet prior to the publication of these volumes, comparatively little 

 was known relative to this vast empire. Although the country was vis- 

 ited by Prince Maximilian, Spix, Martius, Langsdorff and others, whose 

 scientific investigations have been given to the world, still our sources 

 of information have been meagre and limited. This is the first Ameri- 

 can work on Brazil that has been issued from the press. Even the Eng- 

 lish volumes on this subject are of recent publication; nor is there any 

 one, the writer of which possessed opportunities for extensive observa- 

 tions. Southey's quartos are only to be found in large libraries and per- 

 haps seldom or never read, and the continuation by Arraitage is still less 

 familiar to the community. 



Mr. Kidder's object in visiting Brazil, was to introduce the gospel to 

 the natives, and the success of his mission is most encouraging. He is 

 the only Protestant clergyman that ever proclaimed the glad tidings of 

 redemption on the banks of the Amazon ; and yet he assures us there is 

 no country which presents so few obstacles to the introduction of the 

 christian religion — offers so many facilities for evangelical labor; and is 

 so well calculated to awake the zeal of the American church. 



A few extracts will give our readers some idea of the style of the 

 author : — 



Our author furnishes an interesting account of the manufacture of 

 the Mandioc flour (farinJia de mandloca.) This vegetable being the 

 principal farinaceous production of Brazil, is worthy of special notice. 

 Its peculiarity is the union of a deadly poison with highly nutritious 

 qualities. It is indigenous to Brazil and was known to the Indians long 

 before the discovery of the country. Southey remarks : "If Ceres de- 

 serves a place in the mythology of Greece, far more might the deifica- 

 tion of that person have been expected who instructed his fellows in 

 the use of the Mandioc." It seems strange how savages should have 

 discovered that from the root a wholesome food might be prepared. — 

 Their mode of preparing it v/as by scraping it to a fine pulp witii oys- 

 ter shells or with an instrument made of small sharp stones set in a 



