German Colonists in Brazil. 165 



Nassau, Darmstadt, Ingelheim, Bingen, the Palatinate and 

 Switzerland, as the emigrants, in fond commemoration of 

 their native homes, call their small settlements, which run 

 some distance through the mountain valleys. The German 

 origin of these settlements displays itself distinctly in the 

 cleanliness and neatness of their log cahins, the afiPability of 

 the people, the heartiness of their greeting, the fair hair, 

 curly heads, and beautiful blue eyes of the children, as well 

 as the lanfT^ua^e and music which is now and then heard. 



Petropolis is, however, not an agricultural colony in the 

 real sense of the word, the majority of the 2500 Germans 

 settled there obtainincr a livelihood as artizans and labourers. 

 The Government has done much to promote the growth of the 

 colony, by making roads, and establishing schools. Still 

 the people never become agriculturists, on account of the 

 sterility of the soil ; but as the road to the province of Minas 

 Geraes runs through the place, the settlement will always 

 retain some importance. For the cargoes of coffee which are 

 conveyed by mules from the interior to the harbour, Petropolis 

 is the last station, and will remain so for a long time yet, for 

 the large outlay required renders it unlikely that the projected 

 railway will soon be completed. 



■J; Several attempts have been made to establish similar 

 German colonies in various provinces of the empire, but, un- 

 fortunately, with as yet even less success than in the Serra da 

 Estrella. However, the activity of the Brazilian emigration 

 agents has much increased in different German ports ; for 



