200 Para. [Oct., 



PARA. 



Is a Portuguese town, situated near the mouth of the Amazon, 

 upon a low and level country, and but a few feet above high wa- 

 ter. The people are native born Brazilians and Portuguese, who 

 are always polite and accommodating, and generally well educat- 

 ed; the lower classes are more or less a mixed race, among which 

 are Moorish Jews, who obtain a livelihood by trafficking with the 

 small trades of the river, and by adulterating produce, and by 

 various make shifts, in w-hich the people of that nation are expert. 

 The arts of civilization in Para, are not so far advanced as in the 

 United States and England. The mechanics, who are generally 

 Portuguese carry on their trades without the aid of labor saving 

 machinery; the cabinet maker, for instance, saws out his boards 

 with the pit saw, but industry makes some amends for want of 

 enterprise. 



The fruits are abundant, and belong to those kinds which are 

 indigenous to the tropics, as plantain, banana, pine apples, cocoa, 

 etc. But the principal fact which we wish to notice is the health- 

 fulness of the climate, which would not be expected, considering 

 that it is within the tropic, and upon a low level country, and in 

 the midst of an exuberant vegetation. The equality of climate 

 however, renders the place comparatively healthy, epidemics are 

 unknown, and the average period of life is equal to that of New 

 York. A climate like that of Para is peculiarly inviting to those 

 persons who are suffering from pulmonary disease. The annexed 

 observations on the thermometer, for three .successive months, 

 prove a remarkably narrow range; the extremes amounting only 

 to 10 degrees of Fah. The extreme heat of the north seems to 

 be unknown. 



The passage to Para is but a trifle greater than that to some of 

 the West India Islands, and the expense of living much less. 

 Experience too, speaks in favor of Para for the residence of in- 

 valids. We are indebted for the above remarks, and the Ther- 

 mometrical observations, to our friend Mr. W. H. Edwaids, the 

 author of a popular book of travels up the Amazon, and which we 

 have had the pleasure of noticing in one of our former numbers. 



