150 KINDNESS OF FOREIGN MINISTERS. 



crazy. It was the practice of one friend to open his door and let into 

 the patio on Saturday about fifty miserable-looking creatures — men f 

 women, and children — not one of them Indians ; each was served with 

 two loaves of bread by the hands of his little daughters. 



Through the polite interposition of her Britannic Majesty's minister 

 in Sucre, the Brazilian envoy kindly sent me passports to the authorities 

 on my route, and also wrote to the governor of the province of Matto 

 Grosso in my behalf. 



The Extraordinary Minister Plenipotentiary from Brazil had made a 

 short speech ft the President and his cabinet, at a dinner in Sucre, on 

 the navigation of the Amazon river and its tributaries, by which it was 

 understood he had been sent to desire the exclusive right to navigate . 

 the branches of the Madeira flowing through the territory of Bolivia. 

 An enterprising and intelligent gentleman, engaged in the trade of cin- 

 chona bark in Cochabamba, and a friend of President Belzu, answered 

 the Brazilian minister. He said it would be more advantageous to 

 Bolivia to grant that privilege to a company belonging to a nation 

 who would introduce the mechanic arts, machinery, and agricultural 

 implements, into the lowlands and proper tools for mining operations. 

 He was in favor of the navigation being opened to the commercial 

 people of North America. To this the Brazilian minister replied, that 

 the North Americans had already annexed a large territory from 

 Mexico, and he considered such a proposition an invitation for them to 

 come to South America. As he had not been received in an official 

 character by the government of Bolivia, he demanded his passport, and 

 retired from the contest. 



In the opinion of some, it was thought a wise plan to induce the 

 President of Bolivia to declare towns on the branches of the Madeira 

 free ports of entry to the commerce of the world. By others it was 

 considered an impolitic movement, as there might be proved a necessity 

 to land cargoes in the territory of Brazil at certain points of obstruc- 

 tion between the Atlantic and Bolivia, and no affront should be offered 

 the Brazilian government, with whom it was necessary to be upon good 

 terms for the accomplishment of a great commercial enterprise. The 

 merchants of Cochabamba used their influence with the cabinet ministers 

 to discourage any act which might stand in the way of a right to pass 

 down to the ocean through the territory of Brazil, or, in case of natural 

 obstructions — such as falls and rapids — to prevent an amicable arrange- 

 ment for portages on land between these two nations. 



The President has appointed two French ladies schoolmistresses for 

 the public schools supported by the government for the education of 



