320 Mr. W, A. Forbes on Eleven Weeks 



for about 70 miles in a S.S.W. direction towards the river 

 from which it derives its name. From its terminus at Una 

 (or Palmares) another line of about the same length is now 

 in progress, continuing it on to Garanhuns, which is situated 

 about halfway in a straight line between Recife and the 

 Paulo Affonso. It was originally intended to have continued 

 the line to the river above the falls near Boa Vista, and so 

 to have brought down all the traffic of the upper part of the 

 S. -Francisco river to the port of Hecife. This, however, has 

 proved too expensive for the government, and the '' Prolonga- 

 mento,''' as it is called, is now destined to stop at Garanhuns. 

 There is therefore but little chance at present of the Recife 

 and S. -Francisco railway ceasing to be a misnomer. A line, 

 however, has been made and opened from the river above 

 the falls near Tacaratu to Piranhas, situated below them, so 

 that the traffic that was to have come to Recife now goes 

 down to Penedo and Maceio at the mouth of the river. 



The line of railway after leaving Cabo passes through a 

 country similar to that which I have described as commencing 

 there. The cultivation of sugar is general, and it is only on 

 the tops of the hills, which are more or less rounded, lium- 

 mocky, and low, the highest being perhaps 700-800 feet in 

 height, that any extent of the virgin forest is left. In some 

 places along the line patches of quite open country may be 

 seen, which are covered with grass, without trees or under- 

 growth, and in general character a good deal resemble our 

 south downs. I at first thought they were natural, but 

 afterwards found out that they were inclosed spaces, used for 

 horses and cattle. The grazing has evidently prevented 

 them from becoming covered with a thick growth of capoeira, 

 which always covers the hills where these have been cleared 

 for sugar and afterwards allowed to lie fallow for a time. 

 The destruction of the forests is still going on, as new 

 ground is continually cleared by burning and cutting away 

 the undergrowth for more sugar, so that in a few years 

 there will, if this goes on, be little trace of the old forests 

 left. 



At Palmares the railway ceases, and henceforward all travel- 



