ise, and suffered the captain to take his
hand and pat it; after which he began to examine the stranger's dress
with much curiosity. Seeing that their chief was friendly to the white
man, the other savages hurried him to the camp-fire, where he soon
stripped off his wet clothes and ate the food which they put before him.
Thus Diego Carreo was spared.
"Next day, the Indians lined the beach and collected the stores of the
wrecked vessel. While thus employed, Carreo shot a gull with his
musket; which so astonished the natives that they regarded him with fear
and respect, amounting almost to veneration. A considerable quantity of
powder and shot was saved from the wreck, so that the captain was
enabled to keep his ascendency over the ignorant natives; and at length
he became a man of great importance in the tribe, and married the
daughter of the chief. He went by the name of _Caramuru_,--`The man of
fire.' This man founded the city of Bahia.
"The coasts of Brazil began soon after this to be settled in various
places by the Portuguese; who, however, were much annoyed by the
Spaniards, who claimed a share in the rich prize. The Dutch and English
also formed settlements; but the Portuguese still retained possession of
the country, and continued to prosper. Meanwhile Diego Caramuru, `the
man of fire,' had a son who in course of time became a prosperous
settler; and as his sons grew up he trained them to become cultivators
of the soil and traders in the valuable products of the New World. He
took a piece of ground, far removed from the spot where his father had
been cast ashore, and a short distance in the interior of the country.
Here the eldest sons of the family dwelt laboured, and died, for many
generations.
"In the year 1808 Portugal was invaded by Napoleon Buonaparte, and the
sovereign of that kingdom, John the Sixth, fled to Brazil, accompanied
by his court and a large body of emigrants. The king was warmly
received by the Brazilians, and immediately set about improving the
condition of the country. He threw open its ports to all nations; freed
the land from all marks of colonial dependence; established newspapers;
made the press free, and did everything to promote education and
industry. But although much was done, the good was greatly hindered,
especially in the inland districts, by the vice, ignorance, and
stupidity of many of the Roman Catholic priests, who totally neglected
their duties,--which, inde
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