340 THE LOWER AMAZONS. Chap. VIL 



who flocked to Barra on the estabhshment of the new 

 government, seemed to care about the cultivation of 

 the soil and the raising of food, although these would 

 have been most profitable speculations. The class of 

 Portuguese who emigrate to Brazil seem to pi'efer petty 

 trading to the honourable pursuit of agriculture. If the 

 English are a nation of shopkeepers, what are we to 

 say of the Portuguese ? I counted in Barra, one store 

 for eveiy five dwelling-houses. These stores, or tavernas, 

 have often not more than fifty pounds' Avorth of goods 

 for their whole slock, and the Portuguese owners, big 

 lusty fellows, stand all day behind their dirty counters 

 for the sake of selling a few coppers' worth of liquors, 

 or small wares. These men all give the same excuse 

 for not applying themselves to agriculture, namely, that 

 no hands can be obtained to work on the soil. Nothing 

 can be done with Indians ; indeed, they are fast leav- 

 ing the neighbourhood altogether, and the importation 

 of negro slaves, in the present praiseworthy temper 

 of the Brazilian mind, is out of the question. The 

 problem, how to obtain a labouring class for a new 

 and tropical country, without slavery, has to be solved 

 before this glorious region can become what its delight- 

 ful climate and exuberant fertility fit it for — the abode 

 of a numerous, civilised, and happy people. 



I found at Barra my companion, Mr. Wallace, who, 

 sinceour joint Tocantins expedition, had been exploring, 

 partly with his brother, lately arrived from England, the 

 north-eastern coast of Marajo, the river Capim (a branch 

 of the Guama, near Para), Monte Alegre, and Santarem. 



