THE CITY OF FRANCA 
perceived here and there, but there was no other sign of 
life upon the immense, silent, green undulations of 
symmetric curves, not unlike enormous waves of the sea. 
Farther north upon the Mogyana line, land seemed 
to diminish in price considerably. Its quality was not so 
good, especially for coffee plantations. At Ratataes, for 
instance, 548 kilometres by rail from the coast, prices were 
cheaper. Good land for cultivation could be obtained at 
200 milreis, and campos at 25 milreis an alqueire. 
Such low prices were general north of Riberao Preto, 
although naturally they are likely to increase as the 
country is slowly opened up with new roads and railroads. 
Away from the railway the price of land was much lower. 
One thing that particularly struck the traveller 
straying in those parts was the poverty of all the minor 
towns and villages. The industrial development of the 
larger settlements consisted merely of a distillery of 
“fire-water” (aguardente ), or, if the city were modern 
and up-to-date, of a brewery, the only two profitable 
industries in those regions. 
Ratateas, according to Rrazilian statistics, was stated 
to “ deve ter ” (“it should have perhaps”) some five 
thousand inhabitants. The zone around it was said to be 
suitable for coffee growing; in fact, the municipality 
possessed much machinery for the preparation of coffee. 
At 7.50 p.m. punctually — as she was due — the 
engine steamed into the Franca station, where the train 
was to halt for the night. The passenger traffic was not 
yet sufficiently extensive on that line to allow trains 
to travel continuously during the twenty-four hours. 
Passenger trains ran only in the daytime. 
I was treated with the greatest consideration while 
travelling on the Mogyana. Not only was the Admin¬ 
istration saloon car, containing a comfortable bedroom, 
placed at my disposal, but telegrams had been sent all 
along the line with orders to supply me with anything I 
39 
