August i, i883.J 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
89 
THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY IN 
BRAZIL. 
BRAZIL CEASING TO HAVE SLAVES GREAT REJOICINGS — 
THE OPINION OF AN OLD CEYLON PLANTER ON THE 
OUTCOME. 
E10, 22nd May 1888. 
Dear Sir, — Kio de Janeiro has been in deliriums for 
the last fortnight. The Government introduced in 
the Chamber of Deputies a law for tfte total extinction 
of slavery in Brazil without any condition whatever. 
In the short space of six days the measure passed 
through the two houses. The Senate sat on Sunday 
the 13th for the third reading, and the same day the 
Princess Regent signed the approval, and from 
3 p.m. on the 13th of May 1888, Brazil ceased to 
have slaves. 
From the very moment of the signing of the law 
rejoicings commenced, and for a whole week it con- 
tinued. The streets were crowded each night, so 
that tramway and wheel trallic were entirely stopped, 
public institutions hail their processions and feasts, 
schools and colleges had their displays, public work 
were stopped, indeed, for a whole week the city looked 
but for the beautiful illuminations and street 
decorations as if the good, order-loving inhabitants 
were taking leave of the serious part of existence and 
determined ungovernable on hilarity and uncontrol- 
able excitement. 
Sunday, the 20th, just a week after the passing 
of the law, saw a finish to the festivities, and on 
that day the newspaper press look as their special 
day. The decorations, processions, fireworks, and the 
displays from balconies were all very beautiful. 
I mentioned in my former correspondence that 
probably by the month of May, liberty would be 
declared on condition of three years' service : the 
most sanguine never expected unconditional liberty. 
Here is the text of the law No. 3,353 of 13th May 
1888:— 
Art. 1,— From the date of this law slavery in 
Brazil is declared extinct. 
Art. 2.— Dispositions to the contrary aro revoked. 
Owing to the festivities by the press, and to mark 
in an especial manner the occasion, only orie news- 
paper out of the many of various languages was 
published on the Monday, and this was contributed 
(0 by all the other journals with very few exceptions. 
I send you a copy, and you will notice Portuguese, 
Spanish, Italian, French, and English articles from 
the papers of these respective nationalities. 
The towns are rejoicing, but I cannot say much 
for the interior and country districts. Accounts from 
the interior are various : some say that the ex-sluves 
have left the estates ; others that they ceased work- 
ing, were refused food, and, after feeling hungry, 
went to work again on promise of being treated as 
free men ; others say it made no diiTerence. I am 
inclined to think there is truth in nil these reports. 
My belief is that they will all return to work again 
nnd on the old plantations. Farmers who were in debt 
will be ruined, mortgagees will lind securities of 
little value, and many national banks will lose 
money, but the produce of the country will not be 
loBEcned, as much coffee will be picked and more 
ngaroape will be planted as before. Tho towns- 
people in the interior will now have the valuo of 
the exclaves' labour passing through their hands 
for the free labourer will spend his wages in the 
interior. Formerly one may sny only the value of 
hi- clothes and medicines was all that was spent 
on him, food was always grown on the farm: over 
and ubovo this either went towards pajing inter- 
i t on borrowed money or to luxurious living of 
tin- landlords in the largo towns. 
Tho country will bo in every way better. Somo 
people predict increase of crime, 1 do not autici- 
12 
pate this through emancipation. Tho African is 
not naturally criminally lmlined, and is lei b to bo 
dreaded that the European element from the South 
of Europe. Let us in the language of Lord BaJ i- 
bury's telegram to the Brazilian Guvtrnui' nt give 
our warm congratulations for tho passage of a law 
of such importance for the progress and pro=»erity of 
Brazil. A. SCOTT BLACKLAW. 
" CURIOSITIES OF THE LOCAL TEA 
MARKET." 
Dear Sir, — Can anyone explain the following V 
— A break of 2,000 lb. of two grades, pekoe and 
pekoe souchong, was bulked, re-fired, packed, sol- 
dered and nailed down on the same day. Both 
grades were packed in chests of the same wood, 
same size, nude at the same time and leaded 
with lead out of the same box. Both grades were 
dispatched ou the same day in the same cat 
A sample was taken from the bulk of each grade 
and sent down to Colombo for valuation, the result 
being the pekoe was valued at fifty-four (54) cents 
and the pekoe souchong at forty-two (42) cents. 
All tho tea was offered for sale the same day in 
the local market, the pekoe souchong fetched 42 
(the price it was valued at) and only 41 cent.: wfl 
bid for the pekoe, one cent less for the pekoe than 
the pekoe souchong. PUZZLED. 
HOW TO REMEDY CEYLON POOR TEAS 
BETWEEN APRIL AND JULY. 
Central Province, 2nd July 1888. 
Dear Sir, — With reference to the many com- 
plaints about the poor quality of our teas sold in 
London between April and July, I venture to give 
the following as the probable cause : — 
It is a well-known fact that the first flushes: 
after pruning result in a bad tea — dull as regards 
fermentation and wanting in strength and body in 
the cup— owing to the leaf being thin and watery 
through the vigor of the growth preventing the 
sap being properly elaborated. Now is it not possible 
that the April hot mornings and showery after- 
noons following upon the long drought of January- 
March would have exactly the same effect on the 
vigorous growth of flush which takes place at that 
time ? The only possible remedy would be to 
allow these flushes to run to say 1 or 5 leaves 
instead ol to 3, but this on the other hand would 
check future Hushes for a few rounds — Yours faith - 
fully K. M. K. 
TEA SHIPMENTS : LOSS IN WEIGHT. 
Nuwara Eliya. 3rd July 1888. 
Dear Sir, — Below I send you memo of a ship- 
ment of T'.i half-chf sts tea lately sent to London, 
and shall be glad if you can let me know if others 
are victimized to the same extent in the shape of 
loss in weight : — 
Memo. 
Tea as despatched from the estate 3, (>35 lb. 
,, as sold in London .. . .3,18.">„ 
Loss .. .. 1601b. (or 
fully 1 per cent !) which nt nn average of say 
lO.Jd pel lb. di lis 3d I This is actually 
moro than the fnight, which only amounted t<> 
Jtti (is oft. 
OI course I know 1 lb. draft per chost is 
allowed, but that would only come to 7'.' lb. — Yours, 
TOMMAGUNG. 
