Upon inquiring the price of the brick I was told that for the smaller size, nine inches by three inches, the cost was twenty-five dollars per thousand; for the larger, twelve inches by four inches, thirty dollars per thousand; and for flooring brick ten inches square, fifty dollars per thousand. The last-named is a broad, square, thin tile brick with a figure impressed upon it, which is decorative in fitting up the basement of houses or paving fancy walks in a yard or open court. It is not very likely that the above prices will encourage the builders of houses to change from their old style of mud walls; and really if some of our people, who know how to manufacture brick upon an economical scale, would come here and enter largely into the business, it must prove very profitable to them, while it would be a great advantage to those erecting houses in Santos.
The compressing machines are of English make, under the patent of Clayton & Co., and are worked by hand. The steam-engine for working up the mortar is from the works of Maler & Co., located at Rio de Janeiro.
There is a canal connecting the factory with the bay which greatly facilitates transportation. A tank or well in the yard under shelter affords a supply of water for mixing the mortar, while there is a fountain of pure and cool water coming from the mountain side through a pipe into a large marble receiver in the open air.
Captain Buhlaw arrived in the city to-day from Cananea, and represents the lands of superior quality, while the transportation by water is available on all sides of the territory. He states that the soil is dark and the trees are large, without much undergrowth of shrubbery.
Tuesday, December 12, 1865.
Upon the arrival of the Santa Maria from Rio de Janeiro I went aboard with Captain Balbi, who invited me to take a seat in his boat, and found Mr. Bennaton there with instructions from the Minister of Agriculture to accompany us on our tour from São Paulo across the country. He stated that he could go now, and might not be able to accompany us if we delayed to make the trip to Cananea by water. I asked him if he thought it would be practicable to reach the country lying upon the tributaries of the Ribeira de Ignape and belonging to Cananea by going across from São Paulo upon mules; when he gave it as his opinion that we could make the trip, and said that he would advise us to adopt that course.
As this concurred with the view I had when the telegram was sent to Senor Street at São Paulo, and the boat upon which we expected to proceed might be still further delayed, I advised Dr. Shaw and Major Meriwether that it would be better to pursue the course above indicated. It was accordingly arranged that Mr. Bennaton would go on to São Paulo to-day and that we should go to-morrow, it being understood with Senor Street that we would meet him at Xiririca, on the Ribeira de Ignape, so that he might assist us in the examination of the country. As Senor Street had already gone to the trouble to arrange for our visit by steamer, he was not satisfied that we should abandon that plan, but with the advice of Mr. Bennaton in favor of the other course, it was adopted.
Our baggage was sent by the transportation wagon of the diligence line forthwith, and we were notified that seats would be provided for us on a train of cars going out this afternoon to Moije station, where the cars stop for the night.
Mr. Henderson, the gentlemanly superintendent, gave us a pass over the road free of charge, and we were informed that the same would be extended on returning. We found a number of officials connected with the road on the train with us; also my friend, Mr. D. H. Sampson, and the Rev. A. G. Simonton, brother-in-law of Rev. A. L. Blackford.
After a ride of twelve miles we stopped at a public house kept by a German, who gave us an excellent dinner, with all the varieties of drinks usual in the city hotels.