The Story of Ida Pfeiffer | Page 7

now roused into a condition of maniacal fury; he gnashed his teeth
like a wild beast, and brandished his knife, while uttering fearful threats.
The issue of the contest would probably have been disastrous, but for
the opportune arrival of assistance. Hearing the tramp of horses' hoofs
upon the road, the negro desisted from his attack, and sprang into the

forest. A couple of horsemen turning the corner of the road, our
travellers hurried to meet them; and having told their tale, which,
indeed, their wounds told eloquently enough, they leaped from their
horses, and entered the wood in pursuit. A couple of negroes soon
afterwards coming up, the villain was captured, securely pinioned, and,
as he would not walk, severely beaten, until, as most of the blows fell
upon his head, Madame Ida Pfeiffer feared that the wretch's skull
would be broken. Nothing, however, would induce him to walk, and
the negroes were compelled to carry him bodily, to the nearest house.
The colony of Petropolis proved to be situated in the depth of a virgin
forest, at an elevation of 2500 feet above the sea-level. At the time of
Madame Pfeiffer's visit it was about fourteen months old, having been
founded for the special purpose of providing the capital with fruits and
vegetables which, in tropical climates, will thrive only in very elevated
situations. It was, of course, in a very rudimentary condition, the mere
embryo of a town; but the country around it was very picturesque.
* * * * *
Madame Pfeiffer's second excursion was into the interior; and it opened
up to her a variety of interesting scenes,--as, for instance, a manioc-
fazenda, or plantation. The manioc plant, it appears, throws off stalks
from four to six feet in height, with a number of large leaves at their
upper extremities. The valuable portion of the plant is its bulbous root,
which frequently weighs two or three pounds, and supplies the place of
corn throughout the Brazils. It is washed, peeled, and held against the
rough edge of a mill-stone, until it is completely ground into flour. This
flour is collected in a basket, steeped thoroughly in water, and
afterwards pressed quite dry by means of a press. Lastly, it is scattered
upon large iron plates, and slowly dried over a gentle fire. At this stage
it resembles a very coarse kind of flour, and is eaten in two
ways;--either mixed with hot water, until it forms a kind of porridge; or
baked in the form of coarse flour, which is handed round at table in
little baskets.
She also saw a coffee plantation. The coffee-trees stand in rows upon
tolerably steep hillocks. Their height ranges from six feet to twelve;

and they begin to bear sometimes as early as the second, but in no case
later than the third year. They are productive for at least ten years. The
leaf is long and slightly serrated, and the flower white; while the fruit
hangs down like a cluster of grapes, and resembles a large cherry,
which varies from green to red, then to brown, and almost black. While
red, the outer shell is soft; but eventually it becomes perfectly hard,
until it may be compared to a wooden capsule. Blossoms and ripe fruit
are found on the same tree at the same time; so that a crop may be
gathered at almost any season of the year. After the berries are plucked,
they are spread out in spacious areas enclosed by a wall about twelve
feet high, with small drains to carry off the rain-water. Here the coffee
is allowed to dry in the heat of the sun, and it is then shaken into large
stone mortars, where it is lightly pounded with wooden hammers, set in
motion by water power. The whole mass falls into wooden boxes
attached to a long table, at which sit the negro workers, who separate
the coffee from the husk, and put it into flat copper pans. In these it is
carefully and skilfully turned about over a slow fire, until desiccation is
complete. On the whole, says Madame Ida Pfeiffer, the preparation of
the coffee is not laborious, and the harvest much more easily gathered
than one of corn. The negro, while plucking the coffee, stands erect,
and the tree protects him from the heat of the sun. His only danger is
from poisonous snakes, and a sting from one of these is a very rare
occurrence.
Another novelty which much impressed our traveller was the sight of
the frequent burning forests. These are set on fire in order to clear the
ground for cultivation. In most cases she viewed the tremendous
spectacle from a distance; but one day she realized it in all its details, as
her road lay between