er settlements consisted merely of a distillery of
"fire-water" (_aguardente_), or, if the city were modern and up-to-date,
of a brewery, the only two profitable industries in those regions.

Batataes--according to Brazilian statistics--was stated to
"_deve ter_"--"it should have perhaps" some 5,000 inhabitants. The zone
around it was said to be suitable for coffee growing; in fact, the
municipality possessed much machinery for the preparation of coffee.

At 7.50 p.m. punctually--as she was due--the engine steamed into the
Franca station, where the train was to halt for the night. The passenger
traffic was not yet sufficiently extensive on that line to allow trains
to travel continuously during the twenty-four hours. Passenger trains ran
only in the daytime.

I was treated with the greatest consideration while travelling on the
Mogyana. Not only was the Administration saloon car, containing a
comfortable bedroom, placed at my disposal, but telegrams had been sent
all along the line with orders to supply me with anything I required. At
Franca, much to my surprise, I found an imposing dinner of sixteen
courses waiting for me in the station hotel--with repeated apologies that
they were distressed they could not produce more, as the telegram
announcing my arrival had been received late. On no account whatever was
I allowed--as I wished--to pay for anything. I was rather interested to
watch in the station restaurant the wonderful mixture of people who had
assembled: priests, monks, railway porters, commercial travellers--some
black, some white, some a combination of the two--all sitting together in
a jovial manner sipping coffee or devouring a meal.

The city of Franca itself, 2 kil. away from the station, 617 kil. from
the sea at Santos, 528 kil. from Sao Paulo, was in the most remote
northerly corner of the State of Sao Paulo, and had a population of 9,000
people or thereabout. The electric light had been installed in the town,
and there was a theatre. Much difficulty was experienced in obtaining
sufficient water for the needs of the population. In the municipality
there existed a number of machines for use in the rice and the coffee
culture, as well as two steam saws, a butter, and a sugar factory.

There were several trails--so-called roads--branching off from this town
and leading to Borda de Matta, Garimpo das Canoas, Potrocinio do
Sapucahy, S. Jose da Bella Vista, etc.

The climate was healthy and delightful. Whi