A New Capital for Brazil.

Evening Post, Volume XLVII, Issue 82, 7 April 1894, Page 4

A New Capital for Brazil.

A rooent report from the British Legation *t Rio refers to the scheme for founding a new capital in Brazil. An artiolo of the Constitution provides that a territory to bo selected on the central platoan of Brazil shall form a new Federal district, where the oapital of the Republic Bhall bo built Rio de Janeiro will then become the capital of a new State, to be called Guanabara, after the original Indian name of the Bay of Rio, formed out of the present Federal district. In purauanoe of this article, the Government appointed, in May, 1892, a commission, with Dr. Crnls, director of the Rio Observatory, as President, to explore and demarcate the proposed new district. The commission proceeded by rail as far as Üboraba, in Minas Geraes, and thence on mule back to the State of Goyaz. The spot selected is in the vioinitor of Pyrenopolia, formerly Meia Ponto, ana near the Pyrenees Mountains, on a plateau ibat, may be said to be tho watershed of Brazil. In this region aro tho sources of the Araguaya and Tooanting and i of several largo tributaries of tho Franaisoo i and Parana. The altitude of the plateau : ranges from 2950 ft to 4260 ft, and to show < how httle this part of Brazil is known it is i mentioned that tho highest peak of tho I f'lX'JS 0 ' 1 Moun *»inß, whioh was reputed to i i^^? f - tt V w< !sJ rolln . d by Dr - Cruiß *<» *>c on'y ( 447.f t high. The olimatß is said to be healthy. < f£s tbe _ a I eraßre L^ em ? ar * tnro iB estimated at < 66do«f . Fahr, whioh is rather leas than that i or Mo. Water and building stone, both i granite and limestone, are found in abnn- ( dance. Tho President's Message to Congress i last year urged the removal of the oapital ' provisionally to some plaoo in the interior, i without waiting till the new oapital iB raady i for occupation. In any case there is no 1 doubt that Rio will always remain, from its 1 unrivaljed situation, the most important city i in Brazil, whether it oeages to be tho capital ( or not. i