284 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



something of geography, and can tell on a map the names of 

 countries, their chief towns, rivers, etc. 



I will now give a few examples of the daily-occurring libera- 

 tion of slaves.* "The President (of the province) of Rio de 

 Janeiro has assigned the quotas of the Emancipation Fund under 

 the last distribution to the various municipalities of the province. 

 The total amount assigned is 370,000 milreis, and the total slave 

 population is stated to be 263,339. The municipality credited 

 with the smallest number of slaves (584) is that of Petropolis." 

 " Three slaves were recently liberated at Monte Verde, Goyaz, 

 through the Emancipation Fund, at a total cost of ^2970, towards 

 which the slaves contributed a total of K1052 from their private 

 savings. Entre Rios freed one slave for ^1000, the slave con- 

 tributing ^350. Of the hundred odd slaves who assisted in 

 repressing a revolt in the House of Detention on December 14, 

 the Government has secured the liberation of about eighty, partly 

 ■by purchase and partly by private gift." f The Provinciano, news- 

 paper of Parahyba do Sul, gives the following list of those who 

 have emancipated all their slaves : — 



" Dona Anna S. Jose, 16 slaves liberated, and a farm given to them for their 

 own use. 



Dona Maria de Caula, 16 slaves liberated, with the condition of serving five 

 years on the works of the Casa de Caridade. 



Condessa do Rio Novo, 200 slaves liberated by will, and the Cant^allo Planta- 

 tion given them for a home. 



Jos^ Eunes Baganha, Portuguese, died in Lisbon, left $100,000 for the 

 liberation of his old slaves. 



Barao de Simao Dias, 163 slaves liberated, who remain established on his 

 plantation as labourers. 



Barao de Santo Antonio, 168 slaves liberated by will, and two plantations 

 given them for their own use. " 



In Dr. Vianna's letter, from which I have quoted, he denies 

 the right of applying the Emancipation Fund to the slaves who 

 should be free ; the theory is without a flaw, but it would probably 

 prove impossible to be carried out. The advocates of immediat^s 

 abolition should consider that (i) as it would be impossible to 

 ascertain who should be free and who is legally still a slave, (2) as 

 the question of the compulsory labour of freed blacks is very 

 * Rio News, January 15, 1884. f Hid, January 24, 1884. 



