Indiana Republican, Volume 2, Number 79, Madison, Jefferson County, 13 June 1818 — Page 1

"where liberty dwells, there is my Country."

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MADISON, (INDIANA) -SATURDAY, JUNE 13, -ifci8.

No.

79-

PUBLISHED BY ()IN LODGE,

EVERY SATURDAY.

CONDITION

..n.'lPkX WrlMV

r ArW dollars per annum,

:'.v0 dollars and fifty Hot

1.1. rrnrife

Mjrs "f lt('f Paiduntil th

r will be a year.

i ri" '' , ' ,,,',.,? until

;r;fi ''f"'"-"

ponsmcfor aether years

'linn.

; noterceedinpatq'tfire.

'evftf,l three, times for Foo, and f the Z ; Jrtinn desired, are not ' -ir j. tinned at the

:!jLivcrtiser,vntil ordered

r ,

Letters to the Editor must-

I paid.

Mrs from Sattb America.

(U THE vilIj. iT. v- -.friends have favored us with

eral letters, received in this

tinitv from genuciucu Pi

tied to the Congress frigate.

k r them in the same suc

tion as they were received. Buenos Ayres, March 3.

tlo writers that I have read,

conveyed to U3 any thing correct idea of the country

k Brazilian coast. In ap-

Ww? closely the mouth of

harbor of Rio de Janeiro,

hiu which, at the distance of

3 or 4 miles, is found a city : populous than Philadelphia,) a habitation is to be seen ;

jtne country presents as wild pcuitiyated an appearance as it

jn the day of its discovery.

ountatns terminating in cones ccpt the course of the clouds, e the eye in every direction,

nting views more grand and rcsque than can well be im-

F. We enter through a ow strait of only a mile wide,

spacious harbor on the west of which situated in two

O'.vvallevs. and skirtin? ma-

chills, stands the modern ca-

i Brazil. The churches,

PntS. ami nthpr hnil rimers all

p'ttly bursting upon the view,

ttie rude surrounding sceneappear like enchantment. The

f tness of our stay, the heat of

minute, and my attention to cr objects, prevented me from

!Ut I susnect it will rank in

lcsand even in splendor with ny in Europe. The streets ge-

;i''y Possess the. mmmon fault

trvi narrow, lint thev

o --, J payed with stone : the houses built of the same materials, arc rarelv less than two stories

J"ght. There arc some spa-

cious squares, & the public buildings appear to great advantage. "The mountains, their composition and productions, were objects of far greater interest to me, than the city with all its wealth, its splendor and its royalty. But even these mountains I had not a sufficient opportunity of attending to with success:' they are rudely heaped together in such a manner as to leave but narrow ravines between them. These ravines, winding in various directions, often containing delightful brooks of water, and studded with neat habitations, gardens, orchards and grass plats, have a most singular and delightful appearance. The internal composition of these romantic mountains is primitive granite. The detached masses of rock scattered around their bases & elsewhere have a gneiss-like appearance with numerous veins of impure micaceousi.j)r. It is remarkable that many of these elevated masses of rock contain on their surfaces little or no vegetable mould, or any thing that we should denominate soil, and yet

are richly adorned with plants to the very summits. In some places a partial, and in others a total decomposition of the rock has taken place, affording sufficient nourishment for a luxuriant vegetation. The Sugar Loaf; a conical mountain of 900 feet in height, and almost perpendicular, stajids on the south side ol the mouth of the harbor of Rio. clothed with ever

green frutescent plants, and even Its steep and inaccessible sides are ornamented with a species of Bromelia (pine apple) h other plants. Similiarly situated on the soilness rock, near the base ' of another mountain, up which I scfampled at the risk of breaking ;my neck, I found a beautiful species or trutesent Cleome, along with several splendid species of Melastoma, uc. &c. But the most extensive and interesting excursion I had was to a mountain about three miles distant from the city in a southeast, erly direction. This mountain is said to be upwards of 2000 feet high, and is called from the peculiar form of its summit, as pre sented to mariners in approaching the coast, the "Parrot's head. I ascended this mountain by a circuitous path about 700 feet. 1 roin this place, a road has been cut round to its southern side, between which, and another mountain, or rather, deep excavation jn the same mountain, rushes down in a natural channel of granite, the stream of pure and excellent water which supplies tne capital. Here the famous Aqueduct commences, which I traced through all its windings into the city. It is constructed of granite. Taking into view the distance,

and its winding along the sides of the rocky mountains, which in some places are perpendicular, it is a stupendous work ; but it fails at last to answer the great object for which it was intended, being only partially ditributed in fountains through the city. It was completed in the year I748 as appeared by an inscription on a pillar of granite placed at its source. " But it is time to bid adieu to the capital of Brazil, and to the mountains that surround it. I mentioned in a former letter that I had no political news worth detailing nor did I see much to attach me to the climate, the government or the people of that extraordinary country. The event of proclaiming a king, the first who was ever proclaimed on the American shores, I was witness to. The sight of his majesty thus exalted with the royal family of Braganza, all glittering in gold, and sparkling with diamonds, while it cMcited the reve. rence of the gaping multitude, had very a different effect upon

Were I to hazard a conjec-

me.

ture. from the little it has been

in my power to learn since I have reached this southern department of the American continent, it would be, that the throne of this newly created monarch stands on a tottering foundation. "We sailed from Rio -Janeiro on the 2d ult. and after delightful run of 10 days entered the Rio de la Plata. On the 30th we anchored oif the small Island of Hons, which gave me an opportunity to explore it, while the commissioners and officers of the Congress amused themselves in murdering seals, the only inhabitants found here. The next day we anchored off Monte Video, which is pleasantly situated on an elevated peninsula, formed by two bays, on the north side of the river, about 120 miles from its mouth, and the same distance from Buenos Ayres. " After remaining five days at Monte Video, ancl considering it unsafe on account' of the navigation to ascend the river with the Congress, the commissioners, capt. Sinclair, &c. came up in a Buenos Ayrean brig, and safely reached the most distant port of our destination on the 28th ult. I am not yet of course, prepared to say much about this country j but I will say, that I already feel myself more at home than I did at Rio de Janeiro. I do feel myself among a people more like ourselves. At Rio, I could take no interest in any thing but the peaceable productions of nature here the people interest ine, and I have involuntary caught a little of their enthusiasm. Different and strange as they are in their

language & habits from our countrymen compared with thjose of the above named royal city, there is a vast difference. The sullen gloom of despotism has at least been banished from the countenances of these people, arid I do hope, and more firmly believe than I ever did, that they willuU timately succeed in establishing their independence upon a republican basis. " Notwithstanding their inferiority to us, I can safely sa"y that there is as much difference between the political state of those born in this country and in Old Spain, as there was between the English and Anglo-Americans at the commencement of the revolution. They know more of our institutions than I had imagined they read, think and observe, and hence we are received by them as brethren But they have doubtless much yet to learn, and I fear much to suffer, befoe they arrive at the enjoyment of that state of political tranquility and security which we so fortumtery possess. That they have icatly improved within the last ten or fifteen years no one can i.oy and this affords the best evidence that

they will continue to improve, until they reach the summit of political perfection, which I cannot but flatter myself, the whole American continent are destined to obtain. How desirabre is such an event in the present state of the old world ! It would be pleasing to pursue this subject farther, and to advance reasons for the opinions stated above, f which to some, I suppose would appear extravagant,) but I have not leisure. " Jjuer.cs Ayres, March 2. " Affer passing through every variety of climate, I arrived, safe and well, at this place a few days tine 1 Here ve enjoy pure air, and" line fruit. I think tlie grapes delicious; and we have peaches, apples, &c. in the highest perfection. " One may buy an excellent beautiful horse well broken, for five or six dollars ; for the very best they do not ask more than fifteen or sixteen. They are uncommonly handsome, and are cf the Andalusian breed. c The average crop of wheat, here, is about sixty bushels for one sown though in very favorable seasons they get more ; and the worst, never less than twenty-five or thirty bushels. This information I have from Mr. S , vvh has erected a very large wind mill (for they have no other kind) in this place for grinding wheat or corn. The soil is too rich for potatoes, which are very dear, and are now selling at five dollars pec bushel. Fuel is also very high. " The city occupies the sme ground as Philadelphia j the put,

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