The Opportune Moment, 1855

January 26th

We arrived in Paris four days late because of cholera and compulsory quarantine in Grenoble. 11 of us died in quarantine: 5 men, 1 woman, and 5 children. We divided up their money without regard to age; for their clothes and other things we drew lots. I got a set of sewing needles and a collapsing telescope.

Paris is a big city, bigger than I’d imagined. Cursio was also surprised. He said: I knew it was the capital, with many people living in it, but I didn’t expect that many. What insanity!

Old man Agottani and Zeffirino Soldi went to the offices of the Society for a New Life, where they handed in a list of settlers and reserved berths on the ship that’s sailing from Le Havre. They brought back a receipt for the settlement supplier and some other documents. Some are in Italian, others in French. As they were coming out of the place, the police stopped them and took down their names.

January 27th

We visited the market, the Palace of Industry, an island in the center of the city, and a cemetery.

January 28th

We took the train to Rouen, where we boarded a ship to Le Havre (the railway stops there). The train passed through Pontoise, Alincourt, Hacqueville, Gaillardbois, from Rouen to Le Havre along a river through La Bouille, Jumièges, and Quillebeuf. Decio asked why I was writing down the names of the cities and towns. I explained that I was keeping a journal. He asked why I hadn’t kept one in Italy. I explained that at first it hadn’t occurred to me, but reading the List of Necessities had given me the idea. Eventually, I said, I would copy the Settlement Regulations and the Settler’s Handbook into it, too, and any other documents, and that way I would have a chronicle of the settlement. He asked me where I’d learned to write and whether I’d gone to school. I said the local priest in Brescia had taught me. He said religion keeps people in darkness and priests bamboozle people. He said he didn’t want any religion except fraternity and free love. He said, write that down. Just wait till the priest sees that, and he laughed.

January 29th

There’s a big port in Le Havre, and a museum with ships in it.

January 30th

We spent the night at an inn. The next day we visited the port and the museum and bought supplies for the settlers from a list worked out by Zeffirino Soldi: tools and utensils, clothing (longsleeve shirts, undershirts, underwear, stockings, socks, three pairs of pants, suspenders, work smocks, hooded raincoat, jacket), footwear (two pair of boots), bedding and other personal items, toothbrush, comb, two razors, mirror, towels (2), razor strop or hone (I bought a hone), pocket knife, eating utensils, knives, needles (didn’t buy), two dozen spools of white thread (bobbins) and two dozen black, knitting needles, inkwell, ink, quills (6), notebook, penknife, dishes, clogs, watering can, chamber pot, brushes for clothes and boots, beard comb (for men), salve, quinine, steamer trunk (not too bulky). For women Zeffirino also recommends three pair of cotton stockings, 4 white and 2 colored panties, 4 summer and 4 winter skirts, 3 three-corner scarves and a dozen shoulder scarves, two aprons, 1 hairbrush, 1 hair clasp, 1 emery board and 1 nail brush, other toiletries and hygiene supplies at personal discretion, but nothing showy.

January 31st

The shopping took up our whole afternoon. We left the goods on the pier and took turns standing watch. I watched from 2 in the morning to 4:15. I was cold and couldn’t sleep.

We left the inn at quarter to 7 in the morning. The streets were icy and Adelina and Argia fell on the slippery pavement. Decio said: It’s as if this nasty weather was trying to tell us there’s no need to regret the world we’re leaving behind. Giacomo said: I don’t regret it! Umberto said: No one does!

The ship is called the Southern Cross. We loaded our things into cutters and the sailors rowed us to the ship. Besides us there were also several dozen Frenchmen and some Austrians coming aboard. An argument broke out over when we would sail. Some said the next day with the incoming tide, but Giacomo pointed out that there were almost no sailors on board and lots of supplies still left on the pier, but the cabin boy explained that they belonged to other ships. Others said we were still waiting for the rest of the settlers, and there would be three or four hundred of us, since there were many courageous and skillful people in Europe just waiting for the right opportunity to build a new world. There are fifty-five of us Italians:

Elisabetta Arrighini

Amilcare Beretti

Egizio Cicali

Cursio Corsi

Marco Agottani

Aldino Agottani (brother)

Tranquillo Agottani (father)

Monica Levi

Luisa Torti

Erasmo Torti (brother)

Carlo Torti (brother)

Adelina Artusi

Virginio Artusi (brother)

Aniceto Artusi (father)

Zeffirino Soldi Vito Ferroni

Lorenzo Cappato

Pietro Varisone

Anna Dolfi

Ezio Ruggera

Argia Fagnoni

(I’ll continue the list tomorrow.)

February 1st

There really aren’t many sailors on board, and when we asked the captain about it, he explained that a man in Le Havre was supposed to supply a full crew, but the recruiters had come and taken away six sailors whose numbers were drawn in the lottery for the army.

Today the Germans who missed yesterday’s boarding rowed up in three big cutters. They clambered up the ropes and one woman fell and split her head on the edge of a cutter. Umberto Verona, who worked at the slaughterhouse in Livorno, examined her, but it was too late. The sailors carried the corpse back to the city with them. One of the German men also wanted to go back, but the rest of them surrounded him and persuaded him not to.

The passage takes about two months. We set sail at a quarter past twelve.

Most of us stayed on board, watching the land fade into the distance until a thin strip was all that was left, but some people got seasick and didn’t last till the end. In fact almost everyone.

Achille Gallina

Pietro Riva

Cattina Dondelli

Mario Carosi

Domenico Codega

Pietro Colli

Paolo Costagli

Francesca Reboa

Achille Dondelli

Carla Mezzadri

Primo Crollanti

Domenico Parodi

Livia Dabrigi

Tristana Renzi

Manfredi Renzi

Cecilia Negri

Amos Vallone

Umberto Verona

(I’ll continue the list tomorrow.)

February 2nd

Below decks there’s almost no lighting at all and vomit everywhere. We’re divided into compartments of nine people each. The tickets say “second-class cabin” but they aren’t really cabins.

February 4nd

Aurelio Gattai

Rina Gattai

Pietro Gavarri

Antonio Massa

Eugenio Grassi

Eugenia Grassi

Carla Gaibi

Decio Boni

Giacomo Zerla

Alessandro Mansueto

Alessandro Mostaca

Giovanni Bossi

Rinaldo Garzino

Adele Servanti

Luigi Silano

Bruno Celli

(The end.)

February 6th

This morning some of the sailors on deck were having an argument and failed to carry out the commands of the first officer quickly enough, so he took a pole from the windlass and began to beat them with it. One he hit so hard that he collapsed to the deck covered in blood. Achille Dondelli, Domenico, and Umberto tried to help the sailor, but the officer drove them back and ordered us to remain in our designated berths.

February 7th

The captain and the first officer are both Americans. The first officer is vicious and cunning, pelting the sailors with whatever comes to hand and kicking them constantly. The shipmaster is Portuguese and speaks a little Italian. The crew is made up of various nationalities and includes three Negroes, whom the officers beat like horses. When they want to speak with the captain, they have to wait by his cabin without knocking until someone else comes along and knocks on his door. The cook is a Negro, too. His name is Samba and his hair is white.

February 9th

The Germans are poorer than us Italians, and most of them have hardly anything of their own. We’re worried that they might try to steal some of our things. Zeffirino suggested that we keep watch at night. But Decio disagreed. He said: We’re sailing towards a world where everything will be shared, including property and women alike. Zeffirino said that for property to be shared, first there has to be some, and if some scoundrels go and steal ours, the only thing we’ll have left to share is s—. And then he said: The women can look out for themselves. Cattina said she wouldn’t sleep with a German even if he begged her on his knees. Umberto said he would be happy to sleep with a German, and Cattina said that was just like him. Zeffirino suggested that only those who agreed with him keep watch, and that he would take the first shift. Fifteen people signed up. But Decio said majority rules and we didn’t leave the Old World behind so we could make the same mistakes and submit to the decrees of self-styled leaders. Zeffirino said he left to find freedom and wouldn’t take orders from anyone. Vito Ferroni said Decio was right, matters affecting everyone should be decided by majority, the settlement regulations said so. Zeffirino said we weren’t in the settlement yet, and once we were, the Germans would be there with us, but until then we had to look out for ourselves. Giacomo suggested we go below decks and see whether anything of ours was missing, and if so we keep watch, and if not we trust the Germans. The suggestion was adopted with a majority of thirty-seven votes. Giacomo and Zeffirino went to the first officer to borrow the key to the storeroom, but he said it was out of the question, they might steal something there.

February 11th

Elisabetta is a year older than me, and after dinner we sit together in a cutter on the starboard side.

February 12th

There are more than 200 passengers on board, mostly German, French, and Italian. The Germans are poor and filthy, and there are more of them than anyone else. Some of the Germans and the French live together, and Mr. Mangin goes above deck to sleep because he can’t stand the filth. There aren’t enough sailors, so the captain has hired on eight of the Germans. There are also two Americans on board, and a lady from Vienna with a female companion who chews tobacco, but they aren’t settlers. There are some other Austrians also, but it’s hard to tell them apart from the Germans, unless they stay in a different part of the ship. There are also a few Austrians who don’t speak German but some other language even the captain doesn’t understand. And there is one Swiss family with three children who stay in the first-class cabins. The captain speaks French and a little bit of German. Some of the Austrians are settlers, but not all. All of them are against the occupation of Piemont, though. One of the Germans told Agottani that the Austrians who don’t speak German speak a dialect from eastern Germany called Slavic. But Decio said it isn’t a dialect but the language spoken by Serbs. There’s also a Belgian man who’s short and fat and his name is Atlant. All of the food has a salty taste, and we each get 1.5 liters of water a day.

February 13th

One of the Germans died. The sailors wrapped his body in canvas and tied a sack of rocks to his feet. Then they laid him on a plank, sprinkled him with dirt, and rolled the corpse into the sea. Almost all the men on board removed their hats, but not all. Manfredi had been wondering why we had rocks on board. One of the sailors said: Now you have your answer.

When the weather is nice we dine on deck with the French. After dinner they sing the Marseillaise or other songs. We sing a song that Paolo wrote. The chorus goes: We’re sailing to where they roast coffee, where they roast coffee, where they boast coffee. Elisabetta has a nice voice.

The Southern Cross is a four-master with no steam engine; the masts and bridges are mostly still made of wood. There are two sails on the first mast and one each on the others.

Some of the Germans are so poor that they’ve begun asking us for the potato peels we’ve been tossing into the sea.

February 15th

Most of us Italians are anarchists, but most of the French are communists and are constantly calling meetings. They argue among themselves more than us Italians or the Germans and the Austrians, but every time an argument breaks out, five minutes later they’re all hugging each other again and singing the Marseillaise. They look down a little on us Italians, since there aren’t very many of us who have been in prison or had entanglements with the police, although Tranquillo Agottani was supposedly with the Carbonari. They call a meeting whenever someone has an argument, almost every day. They call their meetings “assemblies” and invite all the other settlers on the ship, except for the Germans, who don’t understand French, not many people go. Of us Italians the ones who go most often are Decio, Umberto, Giacomo, and Zeffirino. Decio got in an argument with one of the Frenchmen there whose name is Gorand, but they call him African, because he was in Africa and got a Legion of Honour there. Supposedly Gorand said that the nonexistence of marriage and the sharing of women in our settlement was not intended to gratify our desires, but to cultivate a new generation of children who would combine all their parents’ optimal qualities in themselves. Supposedly Umberto said in reply that his optimal quality was that he loves women, and that that was the most important thing for men, otherwise there was no point in establishing a settlement. Gorand said that that was a typical Italian anarchist attitude, at which point Decio inserted himself into the conversation, saying that anarchy was not quite what Gorand imagined it, and that communism was always trying to tell people what to do. Gorand said he had been a communist for eight years and no anarchist was going to tell him what communism was. And he said communism meant love, but not the way Italians and anarchists imagine it. And the first communist was actually Jesus Christ, who was a virgin. Decio said he didn’t know Jesus Christ personally, he had only heard about him in church, but from everything he’d heard, Jesus was a downright fool. Wasn’t he the one who turned the other cheek when somebody hit him? Gorand said that wasn’t the point, they were talking here about love. Then another Frenchman, named Haymard, stepped in, and said Friends, friends, why don’t we leave this for another time?

February 16th

The Madeira mountains appeared on the starboard side today. All day long there were birds flying around us. The weather is calm and getting warmer all the time.

February 17th

We crossed paths with a ship. Everyone was shouting and waving their hats and scarves.

Even among us Italians there are disputes over how things should look in the settlement, and gradually three groups have emerged. One led by Zeffirino, one by Decio, and one by no one really — maybe Giacomo. Zeffirino is the richest one of us, or was, anyway, since soon everything will be shared. He pals around with Gorand a lot, since he was in Africa also, and when he returned home after six years, he enrolled in the school of agronomics and worked at the economic commune in Lazio for three years. He was the one who first spread Older Brother’s ideas in our country and began talking people into moving away to Brazil. But he doesn’t agree with all of Older Brother’s ideas. He says it’s a mistake for the settlement to be open to anyone, since there are hangers-on and ne’er-do-wells in every group of people, and if our settlement is to be the forerunner of a new world, it should only admit truly capable and motivated individuals. Decio says people aren’t born as hangers-on and ne’er-do-wells but become that way through the utter debasement of human labor, and that’s the fault of religion and the capitalist system. Giacomo says religion isn’t in and of itself counter to freedom, it’s possible to believe in a Higher Being and at the same time be a free and full-fledged member of human society. Domenico said a new religion had sprung up in America called the Church of Latter-Day Saints, and that they were establishing settlements and the women were shared, or almost. And that in America they’d found a holy book even older than the Gospels were. Decio replied that everything in America’s always the oldest or the newest or the biggest or the greenest, which is typical for fanatics who think they’ve swallowed Solomon’s dung. And as long as people believe in religious claptrap, they’ll never be free.

February 19th

We entered the Canary Islands. Most of the ships heading for America stop here to replenish their supplies. The captain said that that would needlessly detain us and it was better to wait for the islands of Cape Verde, and besides, the prices were cheaper there. We crossed paths with two ships.

February 20th

Mrs. Crisson, who is often ill, was given an unoccupied cabin in first class. Giacomo and most of the Italians and the French say that it’s normal and correct. But others say it’s a manifestation of individualism and it isn’t normal and correct for these sorts of matters to be decided by the husband alone (Mr. Crisson asked the captain about it). Umberto said it was a typical aristocratic move. Elisabetta said that if Mrs. Crisson was sick all the time, she shouldn’t have come on the trip in the first place.

February 21st

We decided with a majority of 30 votes that participation in meetings would be mandatory for everyone, since matters were discussed there that affected all of us. Zeffirino said it wasn’t good to let the French discuss everything on their own. We sent a delegation to the Germans and the Austrians, who agreed with our decision, even though almost none of them understand French. Tranquillo Agottani said he would translate into German whatever Decio or Zeffirino or Paolo interpreted into Italian for him. Elisabetta said: Why couldn’t Bruno interpret into Italian? Everyone looked at me. We also decided, with a majority of twenty-eight votes, to hold meetings regularly every other evening with the agenda available for participants to look at by 4:00 p.m. at the latest. If there’s nothing important to discuss, the agenda will consist of “Singing and Improvised Entertainment.” Meetings will be held on deck. Zeffirino asked the captain for a waxed sail for meeting-goers to hide under in case of rain.

February 23rd

Today we had our first meeting. Most of the discussion was about food supplies. The oranges, which are beginning to rot, will be distributed to all the settlers equally, even the Germans, who haven’t paid their fees. The sugar will be weighed out and distributed to each as he is owed, but only to those who have turned in their fees. This applies to us Italians, the French, the Austrians, and about a third of the Germans. The motion was submitted by Manfredi, who had noticed some settlers taking advantage of the shared sugar to pour themselves three times more than anyone else.

February 25th

The drinking water is also beginning to spoil. It was agreed to raise the ration of wine per person from 2 dcl to 2.5 dcl. Zeffirino moved that the increase apply only to persons over the age of thirteen, but a group of about twenty Frenchmen, who call themselves Egalitarians, opposed it, so that children will receive the same share as everyone else. Mr. Mangin then moved that volunteers from the ranks of the French hold classes in French for the others, with classes to be held every day before noon on the rear deck. Eight Frenchmen and one Frenchwoman raised their hands to volunteer. We crossed paths with another ship.

February 27th

This morning the mountainous cliffs of the first island of Cape Verde rose up before us. There are ten of them altogether. The captain is heading for the southernmost one, São Tiago. Giacomo read us the encyclopedia entry: a Genoan discovered the island in the fifteenth century. The port we’re heading for is called Tarrafal. We should arrive tomorrow afternoon or evening. Cape Verde belongs to Portugal and trades mainly in salt, sand, and slaves. The shipmaster said we might see some whales. There were no meetings or classes held, as people were eager and agitated.

February 28th

We spent the whole day sailing through the islands. We proposed to the captain that we dump the old drinking water and replace it with a fresh supply, but the captain said that water was very expensive in Cape Verde and if we wanted to replace it, it would cost us more than a week’s worth of food. Vito Ferroni declared that he didn’t see why we hadn’t filled up on fresh water when we were in the Canary Islands, where it was free.

Toward evening we dropped anchor at the mouth of a large gulf. People were looking forward to spending a few hours on dry land tomorrow, but the first officer said we’d paid for passage to Brazil, not a tourist excursion to Cape Verde. Decio, Giacomo, and Haymard went to the captain, but he confirmed the officer’s words, saying these waters were Portuguese territory and we didn’t have permission to leave the ship. But tomorrow morning, he said, local traders would come aboard and we could buy fresh fruit, meat, and bread from them.

March 1st

This morning everyone rushed on deck to wait for the arrival of the Portuguese traders’ boats. There was a village at the south end of the gulf with Negro women and children standing in the surf collecting sand from the water and making it into large piles, which the men then carried away on carts drawn by donkeys and animals that looked like buffalo. Other women stood on shore breaking rocks with hammers. I took out my telescope and inspected the inhabitants. The women were stout, almost naked, tattooed, and not very pretty. Thanks to my telescope, I was the first to see the boats rowing toward us from the harbor.

Cape Verdeans don’t look Portuguese, they have different traits than Europeans do, and most of them are mestizo. They were selling practically everything, fruit, meat, pigs and fowl, all sorts of tools, even wooden dolls and rattles. I bought six coconuts, two dozen oranges, and a big conch shell for Elisabetta.

Nothing much was discussed at the meeting. We agreed that instead of singing and improvised entertainment, which there was plenty of time for during the day when we had nothing to do, the more educated settlers would hold lectures for the others, and when there was no lecture in store, the older and more experienced settlers would talk about their experiences and how they had come to their worldview. The day after tomorrow, as long as there’s nothing more important to deal with, Louis Gabat is going to tell us about the February revolution.

The meeting broke up early and Elisabetta and I went for a stroll on deck. I gave her the conch shell, but nothing came of it.

March 3rd

Louis Gabat comes from the southern Alps, where news of the revolution in Paris had arrived with a two-day delay. The people were happy, he said, and the newspapers wrote that the February revolution was the first step toward the renewal of humanity and the present belonged to the future now. In Digne, where Louis Gabat lived, they held a great celebration for five hundred people. There were two rows of tables with musicians in between and pyramids of rifles and revolutionary banners on either side. The citizens ate and drank and made toasts to the liberation of the world, to the triumph of the people’s rights, to putting an end to the past, to equality, to the freedom of all nations. The local priest toasted to fraternity, saying that Christ had raised up the old age into the new age as a token of love and happiness for the whole world. Both of the local newspapers changed their names, the Alpine Daily to the Socialist Daily and the Alpine Gleaner to the Alpine Republican. But a few months later, the revolutionary élan had faded away and the citizens’ trust was betrayed. The newspapers changed their names back again, the Alpine Daily even going so far as to add the subtitle Fervent friend of the nation and public order. Louis Gabat made up his mind to join the underground movement that was preparing a new revolution to protect what had been won. In June, he and his friends took over the subprefecture in Forcalquier and were making ready to move on Digne when Marseille sent out the National Guard against them. More than fifty of his companions and his best friend perished in the fratricidal battle. Gabat fled to Paris, where he hid for a while, pondering the question of why his countrymen were killing each other and arriving at the conviction that a fraternal bond was not a bond of blood but a moral one. During that same time he also made up his mind to leave Europe and go work and begin a family in some settlement overseas, where politics and tyranny had not yet come of age.

March 4th

At ten-thirty this morning there was a tragic accident. One of the Negroes, while impregnating the stay lines, tumbled into the sea. The captain had a cutter put in, but it leaked from every side and he declared that to send his sailors out in it would mean their certain death. So the sailors pulled the cutter up and watched the Negro struggle in the waves until he drowned. A sadness reigned on board. The only one who showed no sign of mourning for the Negro was the first officer, who was in fact responsible for his death, since he had sent him to work even though he knew that during the night he had had a high fever. Haymard moved that at tomorrow’s meeting we speak about equality among races and the moral unacceptability of slavery and that we extend a special invitation to the two Negro sailors and the cook. The motion was accepted unanimously by those who heard it. Decio moved that we all pitch in for equipment for three people and invite the Negroes to come to the settlement with us and found a new world where it wouldn’t be important what race a person was. Zeffirino said that it was a generous motion, but one on which only the assembly could decide (Zeffirino likes to call the meetings assemblies). And that in his opinion inviting the Negroes to join the settlement was at the very least premature and could threaten the outcome of our moral and ideological investment. He said by no means did he intend to excuse the first officer, but on the other hand it was plain that the Negroes didn’t exactly break their backs at work. Decio declared that he refused to speak to such an idiot and that he firmly hoped the admission of the Negroes into the settlement would be approved tomorrow.

March 5th

Samba the cook was the only one of the Negroes who turned up for the meeting that evening, despite that both of the Negro sailors had the night off. He smiled and clapped the whole time. He knew some of the Germans, so he sat with them, saying Gut, gut, when they made room for him. Haymard began talking about the origin and history of slavery, but after a few sentences Decio interrupted him and said we all knew what slavery was, old or new, the important thing was not words but deeds. And that he had come to the meeting to submit an important motion. Lecoq and another Frenchman said that there was no mention of it on the agenda and it would be nice if everyone respected the common bylaws. But we Italians began to whistle and the Germans joined in with us, though they weren’t exactly sure why, since Agottani hadn’t had time to interpret. In the end Decio was allowed to submit his motion. He said we all had plenty of money (some of the Germans cried Nein, nein!), and even if some had less than others, it wasn’t important, because in a few weeks all of it would be shared anyway, and everyone was welcome to give as much as they saw fit. And he said it would be a great symbol and a triumph of our ideals if we were to admit the scorned and downtrodden Negroes and allow them to become full-fledged members of universal human society. And he sat down. Most people clapped for him, but not everyone. After him Zeffirino got up and said the same thing as yesterday, that it was generous but premature, but he didn’t add anything else. Most people clapped for him too. After him a Frenchman got up and said he had nothing at all against Negroes but if we began to make exceptions before we even reached the settlement, it would end up in anarchy. Decio, Paolo, Amilcare, Lorenzo, Alessandro Mansueto, and a few other Italians began clapping and shouting: Long live anarchy! and others whistled and stomped their feet and for several minutes you couldn’t understand a thing. Until finally Haymard shouted everyone down and said we weren’t here to give everyone a chance to voice their political views, since soon we would all be living as a family. He said personally Decio’s motion appealed to him, and suggested we move to a vote, but first we had to be sure everyone knew what we were voting on. He said the question was: Who is in favor of admitting the three Negroes into our settlement and pitching in for their equipment, and he asked me to interpret it clearly and understandably into Italian and Agottani to interpret it clearly and understandably into German. Decio said he also wanted the part about the ideals to be translated. I said there was no point in translating it into Italian, since we had been discussing it among ourselves since morning, but Haymard declared that it had no validity. When it came time to vote, those in favor raised their hands first, and Haymard announced: 88. Then those opposed raised their hands: 20. And when Haymard counted the raised hands, he said that in view of the presence of a majority of more than half the settlers at the meeting and the outcome of the vote, Deci Boni’s motion was accepted. I, Elisabetta, Amilcare, Cursio, Egizio, Lorenzo, Umberto, Paolo, Giacomo, Domenico, Pietro Gavarri, Eugenio Grassi, both Alessandros, and the rest of the Italians voted in favor; Zeffirino, Cattina, and Rina were opposed. Samba raised his hand both times, but it didn’t matter, since he wasn’t a member of the settlement yet at the time of the vote and didn’t have voting rights.

March 6th

Today Zeffirino, Durrieu, and Gorand requested a special meeting with the agenda The Question of the Validity of Yesterday’s Voting and Some Questions of Democracy. But Lecoq and Desmarie, who record the votes and accept the motions, said that the questions could wait until tomorrow. Zeffirino was testy and dissatisfied, he spent the day writing something and in the evening had a long talk with Gorand and a few of the other Frenchmen.

We entered the equatorial regions. The captain is worried about contagion.

March 8th

Even more people came to yesterday’s meeting than the last one, but not one of the Negroes. Gorand took the floor and declared that the day before yesterday’s vote was invalid, having proceeded in violation of all the rules of democracy and in particular two. For one, Decio’s motion had not been placed on the agenda, which meant people hadn’t had time to form a considered mature opinion of it in advance. For another, the vote had been open, which may be allowable in common everyday matters, but on fundamental questions only a secret ballot will do, or at least that was his opinion. And those whose mouths were full of democracy should before all else submit to its rules. And for a third thing, it was questionable whether everyone had understood what they were voting on, as testified to by the fact that Samba, without having even been asked, had raised his hand both for and against. Some of our German friends, said Gorand, had had no idea the vote was about the Negroes, believing it to be about providing equipment to those who for lack of financial means had not been able to purchase it in Europe. He demanded that the vote be declared invalid and a new one be held, by secret ballot, with the question written out clearly and trilingually. At which Decio stood up and declared that he didn’t see why we were talking about democracy when the issue was helping people in need and that was called brotherhood. And that he was deeply disappointed by some of the settlers’ lack of simple humanity. And for that matter that he didn’t know who would translate it into German, seeing as Agottani didn’t know how to read or write, and he wasn’t the only one. And he didn’t see what difference it made whether the subject of the vote was expressed orally or written on a piece of paper, which plenty of people wouldn’t understand anyway. And that, as far as a secret ballot was concerned, that was in conflict with the ideals of our settlement, where people wouldn’t have to hide anything from each other. And that he for one did not intend to hide the fact that Gorand and those like him should have stayed behind in Europe, squatting atop their sacks of gold until their dying day and holding secret ballots every Friday afternoon on whether they should hide the sacks in the barn or in the well.

March 9th

Decio’s speech caused a great uproar, with everyone clapping and whistling and talking over each other, until Lecoq and Desmarie declared the meeting over and said we would meet again today, by which time the more hotblooded meeting-goers should have cooled off. Lecoq said that he hoped everyone would act like adults and responsible members of the settlement and not resort to invective. This afternoon an announcement was hung on the mainmast that in view of the large number of those who wished to speak this evening, no one would be allowed to speak for longer than five minutes and they would take their turns in alphabetical order. Almost all the settlers came to the meeting, even the children. The first to speak, according to alphabetical order, was Decio. He said that he apologized if he had offended anyone yesterday, but he didn’t understand how some people could be so thickheaded. He said he didn’t know whether our meetings were any use, since instead of solving matters they just complicated them. He said he still considered his motion to admit the Negro sailors and the cook into the settlement a good one, as humanity demanded it. And he said that anyone who didn’t understand could go and hang himself. Most of the Italians and the French began to clap, but the Germans didn’t know what was going on, since Agottani wasn’t able to translate fast enough and they couldn’t have heard him anyway. Lecoq rang the bell he had borrowed from the shipmaster, to restore peace and quiet. Everyone quieted down and Agottani began to translate, but then suddenly stopped short and said he didn’t know how to say go and hang himself in German. One Frenchman suggested Gehen in dee shvameh, but Agottani said that that meant something else. Several people shouted that it wasn’t a question of coming up with the exact expression but capturing the meaning as a whole. Decio said he could formulate his thought differently, and anyone who didn’t understand could kiss his ass. Lecoq rang the bell and said that Decio Boni no longer had the floor. Decio said that he wasn’t finished and still had at least a good three minutes. And that he’d like to know whose floor it was. Umberto began shouting Viva l’Italia! and the Italians began clapping. Some of the French joined in with us, sweeping in the Germans, who began clapping and chanting Viva l’Italia! along with Umberto. And the accordionist began to play the Marseillaise and the French began to sing and the Italians were crying Vive la France! with the Germans repeating it after them. Decio was shouting Liberté, égalité, fraternité! Anyone who doesn’t understand, go fuck yourself! Lecoq stopped ringing the bell and Zeffirino, Gorand, and about ten other Frenchmen stood up and walked out. The accordionist began to play another song, about a country where there would be no kings or presidents and everything would be shared, and then it went: No commerce will be allowed, except for casks of wine of course, for wine is something I adore, the color red gives me my strength. The chorus went: Wine? Divine! My strength flows from the blood of wine! and when the French sang the chorus, they would bend their left arm at the elbow and slap it with their right hand and the ladies would grin and giggle. When they were through, they sang Paolo’s song about coffee, and after us the Germans sang some long, sad song. Then the accordionist launched into various tunes and Cursio ran for his violin and people began stomping their feet and dancing in place and some clasped hands and danced together. I squeezed through the crowd to Elisabetta and we danced together for at least a half hour. We were sweating like horses.

March 10th

Today Lecoq and Desmarie submitted their resignations and declared that for the time being public assemblies were cancelled. They proposed the election of a five-member presidium that would work out the rules by which the assembly and the voting would be governed next time. Sébastien Durrieu would accept candidacies for membership of the presidium for a period of three days. Elections would be held March 17th and 18th.

One of the Frenchmen came to ask if I could translate a letter into Italian, which he wanted to give to Adelina, and if I could teach him a few sentences. His name is Jean-Loup. He wanted to know how to say: Where are you from? I’m from Annecy, which is near Italy. Do you have a boyfriend? And: Now we are all, so to speak, in the same boat. He asked if that also had a figurative meaning in Italian.

We are nearing the equator! The thermometer reads 40°. Flying fish leap from the waves. They fly about 50 meters and then drop back into the water. There are fish three or four meters long swimming behind the ship. Some say they’re sharks, but other people disagree and say that they are dolphins.

March 11th

Mrs. Crisson passed away. Mr. Crisson wept and was inconsolable.

It’s strange how people’s fates collide. Before we left, the only person I really knew was Amilcare, and Cursio and Egizio remotely. And Zeffirino, who published French for Everyone in serial form and wrote articles for Friend of Humanity. I used to copy them and give them to Amilcare to read. Where did all these people come from? How could people in Germany have found out about the Older Brother project? I asked Agottani about it, he said he hadn’t a clue.

Most of the Italians are from Milan and the vicinity, but not all. Agottani is from Naples, but then lived in the north. Apart from a few exceptions, none of them knew each other.

The most organized are the French. A good half of them hail from Savoy and have known each other for some time. The others are from Paris. They used to organize strikes and marches. Some of them have been in prison.

The French who call themselves Egalitarians use a different calendar. Jean-Loup explained to me that according to this calendar, the new year begins in September and the months have different names: Wine-maker, Fog-maker, Frost-maker, Snow-maker, Rain-maker, Wind-maker, Sprout-maker, Blossom-maker, Meadow-maker, Crop-maker, Heat-maker, and Fruit-maker. Today is the 20th of Wind-maker.

Some of us tried to talk Decio into running for the presidium, but Decio said that he wants nothing to do with communists like Zeffirino and Gorand, that communism yokes man with the burden of all that isn’t allowed. He said he had nothing against discipline, but discipline has to be the fruit of freedom. He said he was for anarchy and socialism, because anarchy guarantees freedom and socialism a dignified life, and you can’t separate the two. Giacomo said that communism and anarchy aren’t always completely at odds, it depends on what you can adapt from communism and what you can’t, and that he shouldn’t be so strict. And that the most important thing is unity, without that we can achieve nothing.

We sailed across the equator and entered the South Seas. The captain had a pig slaughtered, and anyone who has money can buy a piece. The Germans sent a delegation to the Italians and the French, because some of them are completely out of supplies. They’re asking us to show solidarity and give them some of our food. The voyage should last another two or three weeks.

March 12th

I wrote a letter to my mother, actually to Padre Francisco in Brescia, who will deliver it and read it to her. In it I wrote about Decio, Elisabetta, the nations of Europe, human races, and flying fish. It’s my third letter since the day I left Brescia. I’ll send it as soon as we land in Rio de Janeiro.

In the end, Zeffirino was the only one to submit his name for the presidium. He tried to persuade Gorand to do it, but Gorand refused.

March 13th

Lecoq, Desmarie, and Durrieu issued a joint proclamation saying that due to a lack of candidates, elections to the presidium would be postponed and anyone interested could still sign up today or tomorrow. If no one signs up, the five oldest settlers will be appointed to the presidium.

This afternoon we spotted a raft in the waves. It was built out of two ten-or twelve-meter-long beams and some transom beams. The captain thinks the raft came from a ship that caught fire. The castaways were probably washed away by the waves. This evening the captain called the crew and passengers together to read us the list of anti-fire measures and warned us to pay more attention to them. He also asked the passengers to fill the empty casks of drinking water with seawater. The crew isn’t large enough to be able to do the job, two more sailors are sick.

The Germans had a child, a baby girl. Her name is Hoffnung.

March 14th

This morning we filled the casks, Italians, French, Germans, both Americans, and the five Slavs, who aren’t Serbs, as Decio thought, but Hungarians. We made a chain and handed pails down the line. Some of the Germans are so lazy that after a few pails they walk away to rest and smoke a pipe and send their wives and daughters to take their place.

Lecoq, Desmarie, and Durrieu made an announcement that candidates could still sign up tomorrow.

Samba scalded his hand.

March 15th

This afternoon an argument broke out between the shipmaster and a group of Germans who wanted to build a fire in the hold so they could heat their food. Finally the shipmaster called in the captain, and he threatened to tie up the Germans.

Lecoq, Desmarie, and Durrieu issued a proclamation saying that if no one had signed up by noontime tomorrow, they would ask every settler over the age of forty to come and tell them their date of birth.

March 16th

About a half hour before noon, all the Egalitarians came to Durrieu and announced their candidacy for the presidium. There are twenty-two of them, with Zeffirino that makes twenty-three candidates. Zeffirino spent all afternoon circulating among the Italians, trying to persuade us to vote for him, since otherwise the whole presidium will be French. He even went to Decio, but Decio said that for him the deciding factor wasn’t whether the person was Italian or French, but whether he had brains in his head or mush. Elisabetta said she was going to vote for Zeffirino. Gorand and the other Frenchmen said they weren’t going to vote at all.

Hoffnung has nothing to drink, her mother Katharina has no milk, she’s weak and thin. From our shared supplies we set aside the last dates, potatoes, and smoked meat, but she throws everything up right away. Finally, the first officer, who also serves as ship doctor, went below decks to see her, but he barely looked at her, he didn’t even raise her eyelids. He just shrugged his shoulders and said there was no remedy for undernourishment, and recommended that she spend as much time as possible on deck in the fresh air. Luigi and Amilcare, along with two of the Germans, took apart one of the bulkheads, asked for a piece of canvas from the shipmaster and made a stretcher out of it. Katharina has two other children as well, both little girls, one three, the other five. Her husband, Helmuth, is a tanner by trade.

March 17th

Zeffirino called off his candidacy in the end. Only thirty-five people turned out for the elections. The Egalitarians called a meeting for tomorrow. During the night a storm broke out, the masts creaked and the lights at the top of the masts went out. In the morning there were dead birds floating in the waves. The Germans tried to scoop them up, but didn’t have much luck.

March 18th

Elisabetta goes to French class every day and knows several sentences now: My name is Elisabetta, I speak a little French, French is the most beautiful language in the world, and Men are born and remain free and have equal rights. In the evening we go over the sentences together and I correct her and teach her new ones. She mixes up the genders, and so far she speaks only in the present tense: Yesterday I eat potatoes, When I’m little, I have more long hair, and so on.

March 19th

Fewer people came to the meeting than usual. Zeffirino and Gorand didn’t come. Fifteen or twenty of the French were missing, and even more of the Germans. There were more Italians than anyone else. The Slavs came for the first time, after beginning to speak German all of a sudden out of nowhere when they were helping us fill the casks. The names of the Egalitarians elected were Allegret (Jean and Roland), Penot, Roche, and Dumas. They’re all young and wear their hair long, a little like aristocrats and some of the anarchists. Jean and Roland are twins.

Dumas took the floor and declared that the reason he and his friends had stood for the presidium was to salvage what could still be salvaged. He said that the journey was nearing its end and that it would be a good idea to clarify some matters before we embarked on the second leg of the voyage. That some of the settlers, as had come to light in recent days, didn’t wish to continue in the journey to Fraternitas and intended to settle in Rio de Janeiro or to depart for Argentina or the United States. And that it would be a good idea to question each of the settlers individually and clarify who stood where. Once we knew who didn’t wish to continue on the journey, we would set aside their supplies and the sum to which they were entitled from the shared treasury. The rest of us, on the other hand, would surrender our private funds and belongings to joint administration before we landed, so that it would be clear whom we could actually count on. He and his friends had drawn up a pledge of honor, which each of us had to sign before setting out on the overland journey. Those who didn’t know how to write could authorize someone else to sign on their behalf. All matters would be decided by public vote without regard to whether or not the question had been placed on the agenda in advance. In the case of a tie, the vote would be decided by lots. All settlers aged thirteen years and above were allowed to vote, the votes of those under thirteen would be cast by their parents or, assuming they could speak, an individual chosen by the young settlers. Further they proposed that participation in meetings from now on be truly obligatory, so that no one could say they didn’t know what we had agreed on. If someone missed a meeting and didn’t have a serious reason (illness), the next day he would get nothing to eat. The second time he would be put in isolation from the collective for twenty-four hours, the third time he would be expelled from the settlement.

Dumas said that assuming we agreed to the proposals, tomorrow he and his friends would put together a new list of settlers and then in the evening they would read the pledge of honor. Anyone not present or not wishing to sign would be crossed off the list. At which point we would proceed to the apportioning of shared property. The following day, meaning the day after tomorrow, we would know finally who was in and who was out and could move ahead with settling more important matters.

He said that if this proposal failed to meet with the agreement of those present, he didn’t know what else he could offer our collective, and this evening he would hand in a resignation on behalf of himself and his friends. And he concluded: Long live the free settlement Fraternitas, long live brotherhood among nations, I thank you all.

Dumas’s speech lasted a long time, since I had to translate everything into Italian, followed by Agottani translating into German. When we were finished, there was a moment of silence and no one said a word. Finally Desmarie spoke up to say that he personally found the Egalitarians’ proposals inspiring, albeit with the proviso that they be valid only until such time as we had reached the settlement, at which point the Regulations proposed by Older Brother would take full effect and any eventual alterations or modifications would have to be consulted with him in advance. With that Decio said that he didn’t wish to get ahead of events, but to consult everything with Older Brother was unrealistic, seeing as he had visited the settlement only once so far, and to write him in Europe and wait for an answer about everything was not really possible. We were the ones who were going to live in the settlement, after all, and we needed to be able to agree among ourselves. To which Dumas said that this discussion was truly premature, the point was to impose some sort of order on the collective now, not in a month from now. Decio declared that he didn’t like the way the food had been handled, that denying people food was undignified. Dumas said that of course it could be discussed, but not for too long, since otherwise, as usual, they wouldn’t get anywhere. Domenico suggested that in that case they be expelled straightaway but first they get something to eat. Argia asked whether a woman having her period would be considered an illness. Dumas said they hadn’t considered it in such detail, but it could be addressed on a case-by-case basis. One of the Germans spoke up to say that his wife suffered periods of madness. Dumas said that he didn’t see what that had to do with it. The German replied he thought that’s what the Italian lady had said. Argia said that she was no lady. Agottani said that the German hadn’t said any such thing, he didn’t say dame, but frau, which just meant any woman in general, but he, Agottani, had translated it as signora. Argia said that just because she was no lady didn’t mean she was just any woman in general. And that she had asked her question on behalf of all the women, including the Germans. Dumas said that he had already answered Argia, and Umberto said that women should stay at home when they had their period, everyone was better off that way, not only them. The German said he hadn’t meant to offend the Italian frau, and Cattina said that was a typical male remark. The German said he didn’t see what was so typically male about it, and Umberto told him not to worry. Cattina said she didn’t mean him, she meant Umberto, and Umberto said, What did I tell you, and laughed out loud. By that time I had stopped translating, so Dumas asked what they were talking about and what was so funny, he could use a laugh himself. I said there had been a misunderstanding which led to a comical outcome. Dumas said, Oh I see, but he looked disgruntled, and Roland Allegret said that once everyone had had their fill of laughing, maybe we could get back to more important matters.

Decio declared that the idea of going around to everyone, refunding money to those who had changed their minds and creating a joint treasury for the rest seemed fine to him, but he was opposed to signing a pledge of honor and especially to sanctions for those who missed a meeting. If someone missed a meeting they lost their vote and that was it. Dumas replied that, unfortunately, experience had shown that when someone missed a meeting it didn’t mean they didn’t still want a say in everything come the next day. And how was Decio supposed to tell the difference between people who had a serious reason for missing a meeting and people who just didn’t feel like it? Giacomo suggested that anyone who missed a meeting, whatever the reason might be, could delegate their vote to someone else. Dumas said in theory that seemed reasonable, but it would cause all sorts of confusion and the question was whether there hadn’t been enough confusion already. He said he thought a little discipline wouldn’t hurt, but on the other hand of course he didn’t want to force anything through without the consent of the majority, and we should move to a vote. Everyone looked around, but it seemed no one much cared to vote. Roland Allegret said that maybe it would be better if we took the Egalitarians’ motions one at a time instead of all at once, and who was in favor of that. Most people raised their hands. With that one of the Slavs stood up and said that he and his companions did not wish to shirk their obligation to vote but they did not understand what was this settlement we were talking about, and could we explain to them what Fraternitas is. He and his companions had suffered the chains of Austria and Hungary and had decided to go to Brazil in search of gold, which they would then send back to their friends who remained, so they could break their chains, and they needed money for revolvers and a free press. He and his companions were in favor of freedom for all nations and opposed to tyranny. People were clapping and shouting Bravo! Bravo! but Dumas looked even more disgruntled than before. One of the Austrians said that he was ashamed to be an Austrian, for his country had brought whole nations under its yoke, including Hungary, but it wouldn’t be long before all people would be free. Umberto said that no one could be blamed for where they were born, and Vito Ferroni said that borders were an invention of capital and the bourgeoisie. Roland Allegret said that he welcomed our Slavic guests, but unfortunately they could not take part in the vote, since that was a right reserved for settlers. But after the meeting he would be glad to explain everything to them, and if they wanted to become settlers, surely no one would have any objection to that. To which Decio said, What ever happened to admitting the Negroes? Roland Allegret said we would deal with that the day after tomorrow, once we clarified the issues that had been raised by his friend Dumas, and the Slavic fellow asked whether there were Negroes in our settlement and why. Decio declared that he had nothing against admitting the Slavs, but the Negroes were here first. Jean Allegret asked whether Decio was sure that the Negroes even wanted to be admitted to the settlement. Haymard said that he had tried to talk with them about it, but the Negroes spoke only English. He asked whether anyone knew English, but no one volunteered. Decio said we could ask the captain to convey our invitation to the Negroes, but Haymard declared that that would be against the captain’s interests, since if nothing else he was still going to need the Negroes to load the ship for the passage back to Europe. Decio said that in that case we should turn to our two American passengers for help, but Haymard said he had tried that, but the Americans only spoke English, just like the Negroes.

March 20th

The meeting dragged on into the night, but in the end we managed to pass most of the items. Penot, one of the Egalitarians, who supposedly used to be a clerk in a law office, kept a record of the voting:

Present: about 130 (children included).

Drawing up of new list of settlers:

For: 87, against: 8, abstained: about 40.

Passed.

Surrender of private funds to shared treasury:

For: 55, against: 42, abstained: 30 to 40.

Passed.

Drafting of pledge of honor and signing of same:

For: 65, against: 32, abstained: about 40.

Passed.

Voting age 13 and over:

For: 54, against: 31, abstained: about 50.

Passed.

Vote by chosen delegates for those under 13:

For: 41, against: 54, abstained: 30 to 40.

Drawing of lots in case of tie:

For: 91, against: 2, abstained: less than 40.

Passed.

Option to vote on questions not stated on agenda:

For: 64, against: 14, abstained: 50 to 60.

Passed.

Sanction for unexcused absence from assembly:

For: 86, against: 30, abstained: 10 to 20.

Passed.

Sanction for first absence — denial of food for 24 hours:

For: 45, against: 78, abstained: about 10.

Expulsion from collective for 24 hours:

For: 60, against: 68, abstained: 5 to 7.

Reprimand:

For: 96, against: 7, abstained: about 30.

Passed.

Sanction for second absence — expulsion from collective for 24 hours:

For: 62, against: 66, abstained: 5 to 7.

Second reprimand:

For: 83, against: 18, abstained: 30 to 40.

Passed.

Sanction for third absence — expulsion from collective for 24 hours:

For: 55, against: 66, abstained: about 10.

Third reprimand:

For: 52, against: 66, abstained: 15 to 20.

Expulsion from settlement:

For: 81, against: 22, abstained: about 30.

Passed.

Considered as sound reason for absence — illness or serious injury:

For: 88, against: 2, abstained: 30 to 40.

Passed.

Minor injury or sudden fatigue:

For: 65, against: 35, abstained: 30 to 40.

Passed.

Menstruation:

For: 62, against: 3, abstained: about 70.

Passed.

I spent all day polling the settlers with Dumas, the Allegret brothers, and Agottani. The meeting was postponed. Mr. Crisson loaned me a book his wife wrote. It was published in Paris, but had been banned and wasn’t allowed to be sold.

March 21st

Twenty Frenchmen and thirteen Germans intend to settle elsewhere. On the other hand, all the Italians with the exception of Domenico Parodi want to continue the journey to Fraternitas. Domenico has become close with one of the German families and wants to go to the United States with them. There are now 141 settlers altogether. The Slavs have asked for a day to think it over. They explained to us that they aren’t Hungarians but Slovaks; Hungarians aren’t Slavs, they said, but occupiers. According to them, the Slovaks settled the territory first, along with the other Slavs, who have the oldest language in the world, apart from perhaps the Jewish one, which is why they are called Slavs, from the word slovo, meaning “word.” And it won’t be long before the Slavs break the chains of Austria and Hungary, and the Slavic tongue will sound throughout Europe, in Paris and Berlin, under palace ceilings and in destitute garret flats.

We’re nearing Brazil! According to the captain we should be coming within view of it tomorrow or maybe even today. Then less than a week of sailing along the coast awaits us until we reach Rio de Janeiro.

March 22nd

The Brazilian coast lies off our starboard bow, the cape of São Roque. We’re heading south. The captain had a pig slaughtered. But he doesn’t want to drop anchor, even though the water’s almost impossible to swallow, you have to hold your nose and drink it down as quickly as possible.

I told Decio what the Slavs said, it made him angry. He said that, next to religion, patriotism is the greatest pack of nonsense there is. Both lead to the manipulation of human emotions, he said, to unfreedom and intolerance.

March 23rd

Katharina is still throwing up most of her food.

March 24th

The pledge of honor is still not done. The Egalitarians are trying to revise it so that as many people as possible will sign it. Decio announced right from the outset that he wouldn’t sign, because all pledges of honor are the first step toward the loss of personal freedom and the exercise of personal discretion. And he appealed to every true anarchist not to sign either. A lot of Italians agree with him, including some who originally voted in favor of it.

I think it will be signed all the same. People are tired of meetings and debating regulations, they’re both impatient and glad that the voyage is coming to an end. Everyone walks the deck all day, squirting water at one another, singing and joking.

March 25th

We the people without a name, free of the hatred and malice due to which others acquire a name, we the people without ill will…In times of suffering we have suffered, in times of worry we have worried, in times of torment we have been tormented with humiliation, fear, and uncertainty. We have seen many wicked things around us and we are exhausted, drained; we have become innumerable. Those who scorn us have acquired dominion over us; we have bowed down before them, hoping for compassion; but those who scorn us have shown no compassion. We turned to our rulers, asking them to put an end to our suffering and torment, but our rulers did not want to listen, instead helping those who robbed and devoured us, and caused us to be diminished. We had but two choices left: to kill the rulers and become rulers, to acquire a name and torment others, or to flee and take shelter among the nameless. Here we are among our own.

March 26th

Giacomo said that Slav is not from the word slovo, meaning “word,” but from the old Italian word sclavo, meaning “slave.”

March 27th

I actually know very little about anarchy: that a man must remain free at all costs, that he should refuse to be conscripted into the army, and that marriage is neither necessary nor needed and free love is more dignified for man and woman alike. And that there is actually no such thing as authority, it’s only a convention. But I still don’t quite understand what freedom of man is. Or how to achieve that freedom. Decio said even the anarchists aren’t of one mind about it. Some say that anarchy is an intellectual movement while others say that it’s mainly a movement of action. And still others say that it isn’t a movement at all, but an individual stance. Some think that it’s possible to change society in such a way that more and more people adopt an anarchist stance and achieve freedom of thought and thereby form their own opinions of society, politics, religion, and so forth, and that that will lead to the breakdown of traditional society and the creation of a new one in which free people respect other free people. But others believe that that won’t happen by itself, that one has to incite chaos and anarchy and the breakdown of institutions, and only then will those who aren’t anarchists recognize that another world is possible and see that the government serves only to satiate the pathological ambition of fools who compensate for their own lack of individual freedom by depriving others of it, because those who out of cowardice or timidity have no authority over themselves seek to have it over their fellow citizens. He (Decio) said he didn’t believe that one had to commit assassinations and provoke chaos, that it was enough for people to cease to be afraid and they would insist on their rights. And that really the best thing would be if all the anarchists and those who sympathized with them would establish settlements all over the world where there was no authority and people could develop in harmony and freedom, because everyone’s opinion would be respected, and people who lived in countries where there are governments would simply cease obeying them.

But if every opinion is equally valid, how do you decide? Even for the idea that it’s the majority who decides, there had to be someone, some scholar or philosopher, who came to that conclusion, and whoever came to that conclusion first was at that moment the only one who thought so. And I’ve noticed another thing, too: people who think they’re free never agree on anything, while people who don’t, almost always agree on everything.

And how can I tell whether I’m free? If I refuse to be conscripted into the army and kill people who’ve done nothing to me, that still doesn’t mean I’m free. Poor people have no reason to kill other poor people, that stands to reason, it even says so in the Bible. But Decio says that religion is the very thing that laid the foundations of the unfreedom which people live in today. He also says that it will be a long time before people cease to believe in religion, and that there are only a handful of people today who don’t believe in God. But that would mean most people, or at least most unfree people, are wrong. But how can a person say he’s free if he can’t persuade somebody else that he could be free as well?

March 28th

Yes, one morning we discovered that people were biting and eating and hating one another, and they had been all along. Let us not be people, we said to ourselves, let us be trees, let us be the shadow of branches, let us be worms. Let us be naked, let us found an empire of the naked, let us be transparent and without fear.

March 29th

We dropped anchor in view of the port after noon. Tomorrow we set foot on Brazilian soil. Paolo wrote a song called “Brazil.” We will never return to Europe again. The sea here is brighter than in Italy.

March 30th

The landing took place amid terrible confusion. To begin with, people wanted the crates of tools they had brought with them out of the storage, but the first officer turned them away, saying that was what the Negroes were for. Then, when we stepped on shore, the Brazilian police stopped us, divided us into two groups, men in one and women and children in the other, confiscated our things, and took us into a plankboard hangar where we all had to strip naked and give them the clothes we had on. We tread in place there naked as worms for three or four hours before they returned them. They stank of disinfectant, and each piece of clothing had a round blue stamp on it saying Controle higiênico, porte Rio de Janeiro. They did the same thing with the clothes we had in our bags. My telescope was stolen. For the next two nights we’re going to sleep at the Ilha das Flores inn; the French, the Austrians, and a group of Germans at the Hospedaria dos Imigrantes; and the rest of the Germans in the convent. The coast is thick with peddlers and porters shouting in Portuguese and French: Hotel Imperial! Cleanest sheets in Rio! Pipes! Tobacco! Onions! Castor oil! Brazil has four million citizens and two millon Negro slaves. Nobody knows how many Indians there are. The day after tomorrow we will be transported by boat to Paranaguá, where we will transfer to a train to Curitiba. There we will supposedly get official permission to settle in the district. It’s a pity about the telescope, I could have used it to observe the landscape and the animals. The trip from Curitiba is less than a hundred kilometers, which we should be able to cover by stagecoach in three days.

March 31st

Aniceto read us a letter that his cousin sent him for New Year’s from the Fraternitas in Rio. It said: “Free settlement Fraternitas January 2nd. Everything is coming along beautifully. The water is outstanding. We haven’t come across any wild animals yet, except for a monkey, which a hunter friend of mine shot. To eat we have birds, rice, beans, and polenta. We have to buy bread, but as soon as we have a moment free, we’re going to build an oven.”

Zeffirino organized a march through the city, with about seventy people in it, men, women, and children, marching in columns of three with tools on their shoulders. They marched down the main street all the way to the emperor’s palace, singing songs about labor. In front of the palace Zeffirino delivered an impassioned speech in which he said the settlers were freedom lovers who had escaped the prison of civilization in order to return dignity to human labor and install a government of liberation of man in Brazil. Afterwards, at the inn, he passed around a copy of the speech. Decio made some caustic remarks, asking what a government of liberation of man was and whether Zeffirino intended to install it himself.

I asked Giacomo what he thought about freedom and how soon it could be installed. He said he thought it could be installed once science had revealed the laws of nature. Once we knew the laws of nature, there would be no need for others, which are always in conflict with nature’s because they don’t derive from the true needs of man. Then, he said, the problem of freedom would be solved. No one could claim any more that hierarchy, political administration, or leadership were necessary for life in society. All those things are despotic, being forced on men by other men and not by nature. Man submits to natural laws and that’s all there is to it.

April 1st

Yesterday (evening) in the Hospedaria dos Imigrantes was the last meeting of our settler’s group. The Egalitarians submitted a list of those who wish to continue the journey, but some people announced that they had changed their minds and asked for their money back.