Through this assistance they were able to carry on. They rented the island and kept the business going until 1881. In the following year the company of Lage Bros. was formed, and they came over to Vianna, their former quarry, and started operations. That was thirty years ago. At first the island was used as a coal depot and bonded warehouse, and although some changes were made, it was not until after the declaration of the republic that things began to move. The constitution of the United States of Brazil, in Article 13 of the first title, enacts that “the rights of legislation on the part of the Union and of the States in regard to railways and the navigation of inland waters shall be regulated by Federal enactment” and that “the coastwise trade shall be carried on in national bottoms only.” Lage Bros, entered into negotiations with Lamport and Holt, who at that time had a fleet of coastal steamers running in the Brazils, and purchased their steamers. A company was formed, which began navigating on a small scale. They started with four steamers, and when the revolution broke out in 1893 their fleet had increased to eighteen, two of which were express steamers, which ran between Rio and Rio Grande de Sul (Port Alegre), making the journey in forty-eight hours. The new line was hardly established when the political upheaval in 1893 disturbed all the commercial activities of the new republic. The first President, General Deodoro, was driven from power, and great unrest [Illustration: AN OLD CHURCH NEAR RIO.] prevailed in Rio. The next President, Floriano Peixoto, was in his turn intrigued against, and the navy fell into the hands of the rebels, and poor Rio had to endure the ignominy of a six months’ intermittent bombardment. The Government, in order to prevent fresh sources of strength falling into the hands of the rebels, ordered one of the Lage express steamers, which was then lying in dry dock, to be burnt, and purchased the other for transport purposes. During this trying time the island of Vianna was not left unmolested by the rebel navy. They had been accustomed to go to Vianna for repairs, and they knew how well the warehouses upon it were stocked with stores and provisions for the coastal service. They were not long in taking possession of it, and were well set up with all they required to keep them going. The greatest difficulty the revolutionaries had to contend against was the dearth of fresh water. They were fortunate in getting possession of the water-boats, and with [Illustration: THE SHORE, SANTA CRUZ.]