368 The Andes and the Amazons. 



ter is made by one family, a North American, of course. 

 Nearly all the following exports, given in the order of 

 their valnation, come down the Tapajos : Rubber (about 

 7000 arrobas annually), cacao, hides, dried beef, fish, farina, 

 sarsaparilla, tobacco, guarana, copaiba-oil, Brazil-nuts, tal- 

 low, cattle, horses, lumber, lime, and gypsum. Coffee, sug- 

 ar, and rice are imported from below, although hardly any 

 part of the Amazons valley would produce more. Rubber- 

 gathering has not only killed agriculture, but drained the 

 district of 2000 inhabitants. 



Santarera is of interest to the American reader, as it 

 was selected for colonization by emigrants from the South- 

 ern States. Most of the colonists have left, only six fam- 

 ilies remaining ; but these contain nearly all the enterprise 

 and intelligence of the motley party that left Mobile in 

 1867. These have chosen their plantations on the slopes 

 of the hills, six miles south of the city, and are astonishing 

 the Brazilians with the results of their industry. The land 

 is rated at 22 cents an acre ; but practically the colonists 

 enjoy " squatter sovereignty," pre-empting a square mile, 

 and paying no taxes except on exports. They can sell 

 their improvements, but not the land. The soil is black 

 and very fei'tile. It beats South Carolina, yielding with- 

 out cultiu'e thirty bushels of rice per acre. Sugar-cane 

 grows eight feet high, or twice the length of Louisiana 

 cane, and fully as sweet. Sweet potatoes grow naturally; 

 indeed, it is impossible to exterminate the plant. Broom- 

 corn and cotton grow luxuriantly. Indian corn does not 

 mature well ; turnips grow finely, but do not come to seed ; 

 grapes do well (three crops a year), but the ants devour 

 them. The following valuable vegetable products abound 

 at the American settlement : Abio, ata, pine-apple, pikia, 

 papaw, araca, inga, abacati, bread-fruit, orange, banana, co- 

 coa-nut, peacli palm, cnpuassii, cajii, cara (or yam, four or 



