THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRAZIL.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—In the review of Mr. Bryce's " South America," which appeared in the Spectator of October 5th, there is a reference to Brazil, in which it is said : " If this wonderful territory were in the hands of the North American, or the German, or the English race, it would in thirty years have fifty millions of inhabitants." May you not be too cocksure in this matter P To the North of Brazil lies the colony of British Guiana, with an area equal to that of Great Britain, and with bound- less resources. For nearly a century it has formed part of the British Empire, but its population is somewhat less than four souls to the square mile. So far as one can judge from your review it would appear that Mr. Bryce has not thought fit to include British Guiana in his "South America."
Lord Beaconsfield truly observed that Great Britain was a great Asiatic Power as well as a great European Power. Among European nations Great Britain alone is a great American Power, her sovereignty transcending even that of the United States, for she possesses territory not only in North America, but in Central America (British Honduras), and also in South America (British Guiana), not to mention the West Indian Islands lying in the Caribbean Sea, which the late Professor Angelo Heilprin described as the " American Mediterranean," and there are the lonely Falkland Islands to be taken into account.—I am, Sir, &c.,
Previous page
