Euclides and the Baron - The Scramble for the Amazon and the Lost Paradise of Euclides da Cunha - page 178

scribed the attempt to activate this bit of patronage as being like navigating the circles
of Dante's Hell. As he mounted each landing, the lost souls of unemployed engineers
howled, glared and gnashed their teeth. While he had a pleasant meeting with Müller,
nothing was forthcoming from it. 29
Questions of demarcations and of limits constituted the keystone of Rio Branco's in-
ternational policy.Demarcation positions, though,were still structured bypatronage and
required the continuous hints, the asides, the words to the well connected. Da Cunha
felt that José Veríssimo, among the founders of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, as an
Amazonian, was most able to understand and appreciate his passions and insights about
theregion.Euclides'sintrospective letters tohimarewherethelongingthattookholdof
his tropical writing finds its most earnest expression:
For me, best to continue on to Mato Grosso, or to Acre or to the upper Juruá or to the two farthest
banks of the Mahu River: these are admirable ways to enlarge my life, to make it at least useful and
perhaps even brilliant. I know I can do a lot. After the latest diplomatic efforts, these outposts are
todaylikethestateofAmazonasbeforeTavaresBastos,andifIhaven'thisadmirablevision,Iatleast
share the same passion to reveal the marvels of our country. If, by some chance, the organization of
these (boundary) commissions is delayed, I could proceed by myself—with the idea of describing the
physical aspects and natural resources of these areas. . . . I don't think it would be that difficult. . . .
The simple name of Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira (forgive me for my self-aggrandizing and auda-
cious parallels) is an esteemed example, one that has existed for more than a hundred years. Besides
this, if foreign countries can constantly send scientists to Brazil, how absurd would it be to assign the
same task to a Brazilian?
Veríssimo:I'mevermoreeagertomovethisforward:WhatbetterservicecouldIoffertothecoun-
try? Besides this, I don't want Europe, the boulevards, the glories of position: I yearn for the back-
lands, the rough track, and the hard and sad life of the pioneer. 30
Veríssimo, and some of his other friends from the Institute of Geography and History
and the Academy of Letters began efforts to move da Cunha into fertile artistic terrain
and to help him out economically. Veríssimo had a venerable friendship with the chief
ofstaffoftheBaronofRioBranco,Domício daGama.DaGamawasanintimate ofRio
Branco: he had been with him on various legations and had been his confidant in earli-
er demarcation intrigues and successes, like Missiones. This trusted colleague of Rio
Branco would become ambassador to Peru (a highly strategic position of utmost interest
to da Cunha and to Rio Branco during later negotiations on Peru's Amazon) and later to
the United States. This chain of acquaintance proved providential: da Cunha was posted
tothePurúsboundarycommission. While Veríssimo thoughtthat thetaskwasrather be-
lowdaCunha'stalents,heandhiscompanionsallfeltthatthatsuchavoyagewouldlead
to another book, as Canudos had inspired Os Sertões .
Da Cunha and the Baron