Brazil and the River Plate in 1868. Hadfield William
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the growing requirements of population in Brazil and the River Plate, and are preparing to convey a number of third-class passengers by their steamers at a cheap rate. By confining their operations to Rio de Janeiro and the River Plate they are enabled to land goods and passengers at Monte Video and Buenos Ayres under 30 days. The importance of this line has been greatly enhanced by the contract entered into with the Belgian Government, under which the steamers are to call at Antwerp on their way out and home, the latter after landing passengers at Falmouth.[1]
This brief reference to the progress of steam navigation to Brazil and the River Plate will show the growth of passenger traffic during the last few years, and sufficiently indicate the great increase of commerce with these countries, not only as regards Great Britain, but also as respects continental ports, which will be more clearly illustrated in later portions of this volume; meantime, as an index to passenger traffic, it is my intention to obtain statistics from the different companies, and to present them in a table which will speak for itself. I may further remark that a steam company has been formed to run from Marseilles to the River Plate, and another between the United States and Brazil, the latter with a subsidy from these two Governments, which cannot fail to be mutually advantageous, and to promote the great object of emigration. Altogether a very large amount of capital is employed in linking this portion of the old world and the new by means of steam navigation. That it will further increase no one can doubt, particularly should the tide of emigration from Europe set in freely towards those countries, as I firmly believe will soon be the case.
And now we are moving along towards St. Vincent—expecting to pass the island of Madeira to-morrow (24th December), five days out from Falmouth, almost entirely under steam, a breeze from the north-west, which favoured us for 24 hours after leaving Falmouth, having gradually headed us. The speed of the vessel under steam only is 9 to 10 knots, but if we catch a good trade wind our progress southward ought to be very rapid. The City of Limerick is an excellent sea boat and all is very comfortable on board. My order of proceeding this time will still be something in the narrative form, as more adapted to the task I have set myself of recording the progress made, and the changes that have taken place since my last short visit to South America in 1853.
December 24th.—Passed close to the westward of Madeira, the island being enveloped in dense masses of black clouds, which poured forth their liquid streams, forming some dozen cascades of all sizes, one being conspicuous, reaching from the very top of the mountain down to the sea. No one would imagine the beauty and fertility of this island to judge from its western aspect, so different from the south-eastern side, which is well cultivated, and presents very pleasing views as you approach in that direction the Bay of Funchal. Madeira has changed very little I believe of late years, nor is it likely to do so with absurd quarantine laws in existence, which prevent vessels calling, and limits the number of visitors. The cultivation of sugar cane succeeded that of the vine, after the destruction of the latter, about the time of my former visit to the island, but to the detriment of its sanatory condition, as the refuse canes were allowed to rot, and impregnated the atmosphere offensively; otherwise, in its former glory of vines and fig trees, the island was a little garden of Hesperides. Now that real Madeira wine has become a scarce commodity connoisseurs praise it extensively, and it is to be hoped a few years will enable the island again to supply a genuine article instead of the spurious trash commonly sold under the name of Madeira wine. The real thing is only to be found in choice old cellars, and no doubt a glass of it is a very great treat.
Christmas Day, 1867.—Spent this day on the “deep blue sea,” with a steady north-east trade blowing, which carries us swiftly along, and, if all goes well, we shall reach St. Vincent on Saturday by daylight, so as to get into the harbour and coal during the night. Nine days from Falmouth will be a very good passage. The weather has become warm, with bright sunny days and starlight nights, the days lengthening as we proceed southward. Certainly the change from an English winter is very sensibly felt, and must exercise a beneficial influence on the human frame. All traces of sea sickness have vanished from those of the passengers who were afflicted with it during the first few days, and they are now on deck, basking in the sunshine, but they will soon require the protection of awnings, as we shall then be within the tropics. Different opinions exist as to the comparative comfort of the paddle-wheel and screw. I prefer the latter, irrespective of its economy, as advantage can be taken of every favouring breeze, and except with the wind right aft, a screw steamer is steadier than a paddle wheel one. Many object to the continual thud of the screw and to the tremulous motion of the ship, but the latter is less felt in screw steamers than formerly, from the application of improved machinery and the placing of the screw well down in the water. On the other hand, the continual plunging of paddle wheels is tiresome, and they keep up a certain amount of spray which is not experienced with the screw. It is quite true that a ship is a thing “you never can be quiet in,” whether propelled merely by sails, by paddle, or by screw—as everyone knows who has had experience, but this does not prevent sleep, or indulgence at times in that dolce far niente which is supposed to belong only to dwellers on land, under the soothing influence of an Italian sky. After all, how much we are indebted to steam, not only for comfort, but for our knowledge of distant countries. I remember several voyages made to Brazil in my early days, when 20 to 30 days were often taken to accomplish what we did yesterday in five days—namely, passing the island of Madeira to gain the north-east trades.
St. Vincent.—Saturday evening, the 28th December, brought us safely into Porto Grande, the great coaling harbour for steamers bound to the South Atlantic, and where as many as twenty steamers a month are now coaled from the coaling establishment of Mr. Miller (also her Majesty's Consul for the Cape Verde Islands), who has at great expense built a high and low level pier, with large coal stores, a number of iron lighters and screw tugs which are employed to tow the coal barges alongside the steamers; in fact, it is impossible for anything to be more complete than the coaling arrangements here, which admit of sending off about 700 tons a day. Three vessels had to be coaled during Sunday, and two got away by night—ourselves, and a French steamer, bound from Marseilles to Brazil and the River Plate, with about 550 emigrants on board, chiefly for the River. We left, to complete her coaling the next day, the splendid new steamer the Sumatra, Captain Brown, belonging to the Pacific and Oriental Company, bound out to India, to take up her station between Bombay and Suez; she is 2,500 tons, and 500 horse power, both built by Denny Brothers, of Dumbarton. She has accommodation of the most luxurious kind for 150 first-class passengers, and is equipped in a most perfect manner. St. Vincent is her only coaling port between England and Bombay, and this was merely a matter of precaution, as she had on board sufficient to take her to India. A Russian screw corvette with a number of training cadets on board was also at anchor in the Bay when we arrived, but she sailed away southward about noon on Sunday. With the increasing demand for steam traffic to the southern hemisphere, the importance of Porto Grande as a coaling station cannot be overrated. We expected to have picked up some news from Brazil and the River Plate, but unfortunately the Royal Mail Company's steamer Seine (overdue a week) had not arrived, and various surmises were raised as to the cause of this unusual delay, which we shall only learn later on. The Brazil and River Plate Service, both by the above company and the French Messageries Imperiales, has been for many years performed with great regularity. Owing to the many steamers calling at St. Vincent, a good supply of fresh meat, fruit, eggs, &c., can now be obtained there, brought from the neighbouring islands, as St. Vincent itself continues as barren of verdure as ever. The town has extended itself somewhat, several new public buildings having been erected, including a Custom House, and some pretty cottages on the hill overlooking the harbour, for the use of Mr. Miller's numerous establishments. For the information of such of my readers as may not be conversant with the Cape Verde Islands, I reprint my remarks upon them contained in my former work already alluded to, as I shall also continue to do in other places, for a similar reason, besides the additional one of diffusing information as to countries with which we are so intimately linked by commercial and political ties. A submarine cable, connecting these Islands with Madeira and Lisbon, would be very useful, and will most probably come in time, as a link in the chain of our communications with South America and the coast of Africa. Its existence would shorten the time of receiving and transmitting news between England and Brazil very considerably, and the evils arising from such an event as the detention or loss of the Seine be greatly mitigated:—
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