278 



NOTES ON BRAZIL,. 



valuable dye ; supposing that the discredit into which Brazilian indigo 

 had fallen in England, was owing only to mismanagement. The manu- 

 facturers, in extracting the faecula, instead of using pure lime-water, 

 were accustomed to throw into the vat so large a quantity of lime, in 

 substance, that the fluid could not absorb the whole, and the surplus 

 sunk with the indigo to the bottom, where it hardened, and became a 

 sort of blue lime-stone. In this debased state it was exported ; and as it 

 weighed much more than the unadulterated indigo would, it produced a 

 larger immediate profit to the manufacturer, but ruined the credit of 

 the article. 



About two months after the purchase was made, and when the crop 

 was nearly fit for cutting, we received notice from a man high in office 

 that our project must be abandoned, as the Regent would not allow 

 foreigners to occupy any island on the coast. It was added that, if we 

 wanted land, his Royal Highness would allot to us any unoccupied tract, 

 on the other side of the mountains, which we might select for our 

 purpose. Together with the thanks due to the Prince we stated our 

 particular object, and the persuasion which we entertained that, under 

 proper management, Brazilian indigo might be produced to rival that of 

 the Spanish provinces and the East Indies. We added that, if any 

 benefit arose from the experiment, it would attach to the country, as the 

 island and the crop on it had cost us less than ten pounds, and therefore 

 could be no matter of great personal consideration. Notwithstanding 

 such representations, the great man insisted upon it that the bargain 

 must be annulled ; telling us, however, that we had not gone to work 

 in the proper mode, that application should have been made to him, and 

 he could have found a way to overcome the scruples of the Prince, as 

 the spot in question was not at all times an island, but connected with 

 the main land by a ridge of sand, dry at low water. He went on 

 broadly to intimate, that a douceur to himself might still secure the 

 aecomplishmejit of our wishes. We received his offers of service with 

 such contempt and ridicule that he called in a Major of the Guards to 

 witness the insulting behaviour of the foreigners. 



