UNFORTUNATE BAHIA

Taranaki Daily News, 11 May 1935, Page 13 (Supplement)

UNFORTUNATE BAHIA

BRAZIL’S FORMER CAPITAL

(By

H.E.C.)

“Not unlike Wellington, only larger and steeper,” was the description given of Bahia, Brazil, by an ex-sailor who knew the port a few years ago. Bahia has been much in prominence in this week’s news owing to the devastating storms that have afflicted the city in the past few days. It lies about midway between the huge “shoulder” Brazil sticks out into the Atlantic and the better known harbour of Rio de Janeiro that is Sydney’s rival for beauty of approach. ■ : .. The city lies in a fold of an inner coast-line sheltered from, the ocean by a peninsula about 25 miles long on a bay about 20 miles wide, and its history stretches back to the earliest settlement of Brazil by Europeans. Not so very many years ago it was a roadstead port. To-day reclamation has enabled wharves to reach deeper water, there is a Government dockyard, and shipbuilding is one of the industries of the city. At first the settlement was on the low levels near the sea, but as population increased the city has sjreali up over the hills, some parts of it being steep enough to warrant lifts as a means of getting, from the lower to the higher levels. Bahia is quite modem in many respects, with trams, electric light, and many fine residences. There are gullies and' folds in the hills which might act as reservoirs in tropical rainfalls, with the appalling effect upon the lower parts of the city that have been described in the cables of the past few days. /•

It has been said that the British Empire grew up without any plan. Bahia, and the European control of Brazil was due, to some extent at all events, to an error in a sailor’s calculations. The discovery of that huge country w,as the aftermath of the finding by that great Portuguese mariner, Vasco da Gama, of the route to India via the Cape. Vasco reported his discovery in .1498 and two years later a fleet was despatched from Portugal to exploit the wonderful Indies of ! which such glowing accounts had been given. The expedition was in charge of Pedro Alvares Cabral, and he obtained from da Gama the sailing directions for the long voyage. To' avoid the calms off the coast of Africa Cabral bore so far to the westward as to sight what is now the Republic of Brazil He went ashore, claimed the new land for Portugal, and named it the “Island of the Cross.” That name was abandoned in favour of “Brazil” after the valuable dye-wood of that name was found to be abundant.

Cabral was not the first European to sight Brazil. A Spanish adventurer had done so in 1499, but the Portugese claim to sovereignty made in April 1500 was not disputed by Spain, and a year later another expedition was despatched from Lisbon to explore the new territory. It did little but name various points and rivers seen along the coast, and after its return little interest was shown in Brazil for 25 years, Portugal being engaged in that period in establishing herself in India. Rumours of wealth obtained in Brazil reached • French adventurers. They ignored the shadowy Portugese authority, shipped- cargoes of Brazil, wood, were prepared ■to fight any who interfered with them, and on more than one occasion rifled Portugese vessels of their cargoes. , ■ Complaints reached Lisbon, and with the dwindling success in establishing Portugese settlements in India the King of Portugal decided to exploit his South American possession. In 1532 he made ■grants of land in Brazil to certain of his aristocracy. They were to establish strongholds and rule their districts much as the feudal barons had ruled in Europe, one of their duties being, to keep invaders and Indians in check. The experiment was not a success, only a few of the “barons” showing the necessary skill and determination for pioneer colonisation. In 1549 Thome de Souza, a nobleman who had gained experience in colonial administration in India, was made Governor-General of Brazil. The “barons” that remained had to surrender their rights to rule, but were, allowed to retain estates not required by the Crown. It was de Souza who founded the city of Bahia, and 50 years after its establishment in 1549 the population included 2000 .Europeans.

Six years after de Souza had founded Bahia the French tried to establish themselves in Brazil, and seized the harbour that is now Rio de Janeiro. The settlement was not a success, the Frenchmen were driven out by the Portugese and although a century and a-half later France made another attempt, the Portugese sovereignty was maintained. , ' From 1580 to 1640 Portugal was united with Spain, and Brazil became part of the Spanish oversea empire. The Dutch, who had become independent of Spanish rule, sent an expedition to Brazil organised by the Dutch East India Company, a company that combined exploration with trading, and under whose orders Tasman made his visit to New Zealand. The leader of the Brazil expedition was a prince of the House of Orange. He captured Pernambuco, in northern Brazil, and set about consolidating the district, of which it was the centre. The Prince worked for reconciliation with Portugal, granted religious toleration and partial self government in the settlement, which appeared likely to be successful.

The company, however, desired profits, and the Prince, disappointed at the way in which his administration i was criticised, resigned after 14 years service. Within a similar period the Dutch effort had failed completely and was never renewed.

The discovery of gold and diamonds brought many Europeans to Brazil towards the end of the 17th century. Within the next hundred years £50,0Q0, 000 worth of gold was obtained, revenues were buoyant and Bahia, as the capital, made steady progress. In 1800, - however, the capital was shifted to Rio. de Janeiro and although Bahia was to bo the first colonial city to entertain a ■ King of Portugal the new capital soon outstripped the old. It was in Bahia that the Regent, who was afterwards King John VI, stayed on his Arrival ■ in Brazil, where he sought refuge from Napoleon’s intention to seize Portugal in 1807. The Portugese Government could see no hope in resistance, so removed the seat of government to Brazil, the only occasion upon which a colony became the seat of the government of its own mother country. King John introduced several reforms, and his rule of Brazil brought about a considerable development in which Bahia shared. One of the principal reforms, was that of opening the ports to trade with other countries instead of keeping shipping a Portugese monopoly. Fifteen years after King John’s arrival in Bahia the independence of Brazil was proclaimed, with the King’s son Pedro as first Emperor. Subsequently

the republican 1 form of government was chosen and still .obtains. To-day Bahia is on the main air route from North America to Argentina. • The whirr of the aeroplane takes the place of the noise of the “screeching birds" of which the pioneers wrote to their friends. Cargoes from Bahia are more matter-of-fact than they were when •/ shipmaster never knew whether; * , French or British privateer might 6r' . . might not attempt to seize his cargo. There are no “dye-woc I" forests near Bahia now. Perhaps that is why the storms of the past week have been ao disastrous! " ‘ . ■A'' ' ■