This page provides users of screen-reading software access to all selected excerpts of letters written by Oswaldo Cruz, along with a link to an accessible map.
The port of Rio de Janeiro was the point of departure for both legs of Oswaldo Cruz’s expedition. During the first, in 1905, the scientist traveled to northern and northeastern Brazil, where he ended his trip in Manaus, AM.
The opening letter of this series was written on September 28, 1905, when the ship República was stuck at dock in Botafogo Harbor due to inclement weather. Cruz promised his wife that he would keep a travel diary, and he began it with the following account:
Dear Miloca,
"...After reading a few lines and while I wait for lunch, I decided to begin our correspondence. It is 9 in the morning. An annoying drizzle is falling and the ship is standing still, while beyond the mouth of the bay, the sea rages."
October 2, 1905
Dear Miloca,
We went through the City of Espírito Santo, the former Vila Velha, once capital of the state. . . .I managed to capture some mosquitoes and larvae. Atop Penha hill, at the convent alluded to earlier, I found an individual with an intermittent fever, from whom I succeeded in collecting a number of blood slides.
2:00 in the afternoon of October 5, 1905
My Dear Miloca,
Farther on, the Bahia Minas Railway station (which runs from Caravellas to Theóphilo Ottoni), and at the back of the arm of the sea, resting on the banks of this serene sea, lies Caravellas, a small old town, nearly in ruins, lacking water, sewerage, and hygiene, inhabited by a small population of fishermen. Other than whale fishing, there is no commerce.
2:00 in the afternoon of October 5, 1905
My Dear Miloca,
During the crossing [from Prado to Porto Seguro], we saw a number of whales spraying spouts of water high into the air, leaping and cavorting about or fleeing in fright from the swordfish that mercilessly castigate them with their long, toothed swords. . . .We took all variety of photographs.
. . .We were received by the local Intendant [mayor]. He was putting some cacao seeds to dry and, at our request, gave us some pieces of true pau-brasil, the wood from which our land takes its current name. . . .In the midst of a clearing, a cross stands at the same place where they raised the first cross and where the first mass was celebrated. We took all variety of pictures of it and returned to the ship.
3:00 in the afternoon of October 11, 1905
Dear Miloca,
We crossed the bay and went to Itaparica Island, famed for its mangos and as a spa for healing from beriberi, and there we visited the lazaretto. . .a decrepit, crooked old house, but where Dr. Raymundo de Andrade, with the intent of pleasing me, had ordered the placement of some wire mesh screens, some drums, and other devices related to yellow fever prophylaxis. . . .Alongside the hospital and belonging to it, they are building a small chapel, which I visited; beyond that lies a simple cemetery where the wretched are buried, almost all of them victims of yellow fever.
The city is truly charming. The streets are perfectly aligned and perpendicular to each other, so that the city resembles a chess board. The relatively fine sidewalks and lush trees with full coppices will provide delightful shelter during the dog-days.
3:00 in the afternoon of October 11, 1905
Dear Miloca,
I resume writing you, sailing up the São Francisco in the direction of Penedo and enjoying one of the loveliest displays that has been given us to admire. . . .It is 11 at night: the beautiful moonlight is reflected on the serene waters of the São Francisco.
October 17, 1905 – 4:00 in the afternoone
My dear Miloca,
[In Maceió] the brother of Deputy [Raymundo de Miranda] showed up and had the impudence to ask me: “Doctor, was there any success with that story of killing mosquitoes in Rio?” I said nothing. . . .After dinner, I went to the back of the house with the old woman to look for mosquito larvae, of which I brought back an entire jar.
October 20, 1905
Dear Miloca,
We continued on towards Tamandaré, where we were supposed to visit the lazaretto. . . .We were received by Dr. Samuel Hardman, who promptly led us on an inspection of the buildings. You cannot imagine the world of buildings and what magnificent structures made by Souza Aguiar. I took many photographs.
My dear Miloca,
In the company of Octavio de Freitas, we visited all the places in the city that interested us most. We took a car and visited: the market, the incineration ovens, Mercy hospital, the Vaccine Institute, the Dispensary of the Anti-Tuberculosis League, the Pasteur Institute. . . .After we had lunch, we walked over to visit the port health department. We talked and took note of the measures to be taken.
October 20, 1905
Dear Miloca,
Cabedello is a small hamlet on the right bank of the Parahyba, with an old fortress dating to the times of the Dutch invasion, with a Great Western railway station, Conde d’Eu section, with a bridge where ships dock to load and unload merchandise.
October 20, 1905
Dear Miloca,
[Paraíba is a] small town of 10,000 souls, in disrepair, built on a hillside, with many steep streets. It has trolleys but no running water or sewerage.
October 21, 1905 (São Roque Channel, Rio Grande do Norte)
My dear Miloca,
I was introduced to the engineer Carneiro da Rocha. . .who is in charge of construction of the Penetração Railroad, whose intended purpose is to carry needed aid to people plagued by a drought that has lasted 5 years! . . .We called it a day in the late afternoon. . . .I have preserved some mosquitoes gathered at every port.
October 25, 1905
My dear Miloca,
Areia Branca is a village plagued by a 4-year drought! . . .The sight of these parched regions crisscrossed by scorched-red, dried-up ditches offers a notion of the sordid wretchedness of those who are hungry and thirsty. . .who, 10,000 and 20,000 of them gathering in Macau and Mossoró last year, died in the streets of hunger and thirst. . . .And the ships at anchor in the ports took these poor wretches to areas where there was water, to the verdant valley of Amazonas. But there, black death did appear to them again, in the visage of the dreadful green-eyed mermaid with hair of alga: paludism, which came to crown the annihilation begun by the drought.
November 1, 1905
We bought José de Alencar’s novel “Iracema,” which is the legend of Ceará. We read in one sitting the poetic novel, which, now that we know the ways of Ceará, revealed unknown delights. . . .We went in search, in the vicinity, of the famed lagoon “Porangaba,” where Iracema went to bathe. Afterwards, all the mothers went to bathe their daughters so they would be made beautiful.
November 2, 1905
...Camocim, a small new town, an important port in Ceará, the point of departure for a railway that goes to Ipu by way of Granja and Sobral. Something interesting: it was 5:00 in the morning and all the houses were already open and families were sitting and having their breakfast! What early risers!
November 2, 1905
We cast anchor at 6:30 in the afternoon in front of Amarração. The Parnahyba current was so strong that the ship the República could not conquer it. . . .The wind doubled in strength. Stormy waves rose up at the entrance to the bay, striking the bow of the ship, the current was mighty, and it was right at high tide.
10/30/05
Official
Dr. Ezequiel Dias, Director, Sanitary Service
São Luiz, Maranhão
We should arrive there first thing tomorrow morning. Please forego any possible receptions or expressions of other nature as difficult sailing recent days overly tired us. Looking forward. Salutations from [João] Pedroso.
Gonçalves Cruz – General Director, Public Health.
10/30/05
Dr. Rocha Lima
I kindly request that you send paratyphicas cultures A and B and all typho samples to Dr. Figueiredo Rodrigues and Thomas in Manaus. The cultures, carefully packaged, should be delivered to Niemeyer, who will forward them via commander of ship Lloyd to Dr. Nemésio Quadros, port inspector, who should be advised via telegraph. Sincere congratulations and warm embrace for 24th [Rocha Lima’s birthday], from [João] Pedroso as well.
The port of Manaus was the final stop on the first trip. In Belém, Oswaldo Cruz sent a telegram to the Minister of Internal Affairs:
Urgent Official
11/23/05
Mr. J. J. Seabra – Minister Internal Affairs
Rio
Having completed inspection Northern ports Manaus visit, it is my honor to inform you that today I depart Belém port for Pernambuco and then Rio.
Sincere regards
Gonçalves Cruz
Aboard “República”.
January 19, 1906
My dear Miloquinha,
[In Santos] we visited the city and the Isolation Hospital in the company of several colleagues. I spoke by telephone with [Emilio] Ribas in São Paulo. We took a drive, went to Ouvidor de Santos Street and 15 de Novembro Street and went back onboard, where I also received some visitors.
January 19, 1906
My dear Miloquinha,
I was received here by the Port Inspector, Dr. Coelho Moreira, and by all the officials of Paranaguá, about 20 people. . . .We visited the lazaretto on Cobras Island, the new customs house. . . .I am writing while waiting until it is time for us to attend the ‘première’ that will take place at the local theater, where a review of local events is to be presented.
January 31, 1906
My dear Miloca,
We continued on to São Francisco, Itajahy, Florianópolis, and Rio Grande. We spent hours at these ports and got off when we were received by officials, who occupied all of our time.
January 31, 1906
My dear Miloca,
We reached Rio Grande one day and left straight away in the morning. We visited places a good distance from the city and covered almost all of it.
January 31, 1906
My dear Miloca,
We left Rio Grande and that very same day at 2 in the afternoon we were in Montevideo, where we made haste, continuing that afternoon to Buenos Aires aboard a very comfortable ship, the “Venus”.
January 31, 1906
My dear Miloca,
After a brief tour of the city, we took a train and went on to Rosário, where, after a gruesome, dusty 320-kilometer trip, we boarded the ship we are now on, the “Madrid,” which has been sailing for 5 days and should arrive tomorrow in Asunción, from where I date this letter.
January 31, 1906
My dear Miloca,
I have seen the places where the events of the Paraguayan War were played out, and of which my dear Father. . .always spoke in language imbued with patriotism: Mercedes, Riachuelo, Curuzu, Humayta, and so many other ports where our banner cloaked itself in memorable glories, and upon which I respectfully gazed in patriotic rapture. I have numerous photographs of all these places.
The port of Corumbá was the last stop of the second trip, which began on January 17, 1906. On his way back to Rio de Janeiro, Oswaldo Cruz went through the ports of Asunción and Buenos Aires once again. He wrote his wife the following report about Corumbá:
January 31, 1906
My dear Miloca,
We’ve seen extremely interesting things: a plague of locusts causes terrible devastation, wiping out crops, herds of cattle, woods, trees, alligators, etc.