Correspondence during the Armada Revolt (1891, 1893, 1894)
Correspondence during the Armada Revolt (1891, 1893, 1894)
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In the mid-1890s, a French immigrant couple recounted the difficulties of living in the capital, Rio de Janeiro, which was ravaged by yellow fever and the Armada Revolt.
- Four handwritten letters from Xavier and Marthe, two French immigrants to an aunt.
- Four sheets, twelve pages.
- In French.
- +/- 12 cm x 18 cm (folded cards).
- Between 1891 and 1894, Rio de Janeiro.
- Excellent condition of conservation.
- Single set.
Here we have four letters sent by Xavier and Marthe, a couple of French immigrants in Brazil, to an aunt in Paris. They arrived in Brazil in 1891 to try to make their fortune in the construction industry, first in Caxambu and then in Rio de Janeiro. Unfortunately, they had to face both yellow fever and the Armada Revolt.
The Armada Revolt, which occurred in Rio de Janeiro between 1891 and 1894, was an armed action by the Brazilian Navy, which bombarded the capital Rio de Janeiro with warships. The opponents were monarchists, dissatisfied with the presidency of Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca, who was considered one of those responsible for a serious political and economic crisis.
Rio de Janeiro, April 20, 1891
Dear aunt, I tell you that Martha arrived in Rio on April 8th. I went to Rio de Janeiro, where it was unbearably hot. So I stayed only three days in Rio de Janeiro with Martha, because it is also very dangerous for Europeans who are not used to it, especially when yellow fever reappeared. (...) But the air is very good here. We always eat at the hotel because I do not know exactly how long we will stay in Caxambu (...).
Rio de Janeiro, February 1, 1893
I believe that this year again the Americas will not give good business, there is nothing stable, all businesses and three quarters of the banks are in a state of collapse (...). I hope it will be better soon, but we are not so sure. There is no shortage of work, but it is difficult because the prices of materials increase day by day, which makes it difficult to prepare quotations.
Rio de Janeiro, October 29, 1893
(...) we are in revolution, which does not help at all. God knows when they will finish. We are under siege again for a month, we cannot have great hopes, all work is stopped.
I sued the client I built it for, but he just got murdered (...).
If I could, I would have gone to another province called Amazonas. The trip is a bit long, about twenty days by boat, but I would leave without any problem. Unfortunately, I cannot leave before the complete end of the revolution.
You see, when I made the little cross above, a bombardment began, something that repeats itself every day. And if you knew where we live, we are on the front line, we dominate the entire city and I promise it is really beautiful (...).
If only we knew the day this revolution would end, but we have been there for two months without a decision. I think that at the same time these noises of killings will end, work will resume because the bombings destroyed many buildings, which will require a lot of reconstruction work.
Dear aunt, you see that in every country in the world there are problems, and in Brazil too, which is the most beautiful country in the world. We would never have an idea of what these countries are like before we see them. And I certainly do not regret having come, even if I have the misfortune of not making a fortune, but the magnitude of this nature is a wealth that can only be found in Brazil.
Martha often talks about you, she wants you to come and admire this rich country, especially from our home, where we admire the entire sea, but we see this bombing, sometimes with fear because we see all the shots.
Rio de Janeiro, February 2, 1894
(...) I'm sorry I didn't answer you sooner, but Marthe is so sick with yellow fever. Today is the seventh day and if she gets well, she will be saved. You see we have every possible misfortune. I only have 17 thousand réis. We are reduced to starting over, but in an absolutely primitive way. I have a new company, but what I miss are the raw materials and the money.
We had one of those misfortunes that we rarely see. I was ill three or four times, not as it should be. After being in charge of a small fortune, I lost it so quickly, it would have been enough to drive one mad. (...)
Your coming would be a great pleasure for us, but I do not believe that this project can be carried out immediately because this revolution is more terrible. So I think they would not let you disembark. It would also be the greatest imprudent, because yellow fever is terrible this year and we have only cured 9% of the patients, so you can see how devastating it is. Martha is better, I hope to save her.
I don't talk about the revolution anymore because they control the cards. We have nothing to do with politics, so it's better not to talk about it. We are still in a state of war. Business is very difficult. I have a building to do, but at the moment materials are so scarce that I am afraid to start. Please get information in Paris because I would like to leave here to go to a healthier country and earn money.
Correspondence from anonymous people also tells our story, sometimes in a very relevant way. This is the case here.
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