93 



BRAZIL. 



BRAZIL. 



94 



which ceases about 25 miles lower down, at a point called Esca- 

 Ivada (16 40' N. lat.), where both margins of the river begin to be 

 Hat and low and interspersed with lakes. The low country extends 

 1 1> a great distance on both sides of the river ; and of the lakes 

 some are of considerable extent, especially three called Oberaba, 

 Gahyba, and Mandiore, which lie on the right bank, and are from 

 10 to 15 miles in diameter. They are separated from the river by 

 rocky cliffs, but united to it by narrow channels which divide the 

 cliffs. In about 21 20' S. lat. a chain of small mountains on both 

 aides come close on the Paraguay, by which its waters are contracted, 

 ami How with great rapidity in two channels, separated by a rocky 

 island of considerable length. This place which is called Fecho doa 

 Morros (the Barricade of Mountains), terminates the swampy and low 

 margin of the river. At the end of the rainy season, when the rains 

 are very abundant, and the Paraguay cannot carry them off by its 

 narrow channels at the Fecho dos Morros, the whole of the low 

 ground is laid under water, and forms a lake called Xarayes, nearly 

 700 miles in length and from 70 to 150 miles in width, covering a 

 surface about as large as Lake Superior in Canada. In September 

 however the waters are entirely carried off, and the whole surface is 

 again laid dry. A considerable portion of the inundated land is 

 covered with a kind of wild rice, on which innumerable flocks of 

 water-fowl, especially of geese, feed. During its course through this 

 low plain the Paraguay is joined on the left by two considerable 

 tributaries, the Kio de S. LoureuO and the Tacoary. The S. 

 Lourenco, which rises to the east of the upper branches of the 

 Paraguay, is not inferior in length to the principal river, and runs 

 in a south-western direction upwards of 400 miles, receiving about 

 100 miles from its mouth the Cujuba, which flows about 300 miles. 

 Both rivers are navigated to a considerable extent. The Tacoary, 

 whose whole course does not probably exceed 300 miles, rises with 

 its numerous branches in the mountains east of the plain ; and though 

 its navigation is rendered difficult by numerous waterfalls, it facilitates 

 the communication of the internal provinces of Brazil. At the 

 Fecho dos Morros the Paraguay leaves Brazil and enters the republic 

 of Paraguay. 



The table-land of the Parana, which extends on the east of the 

 lowland of the Paraguay, is everywhere surrounded by mountain 

 ranges. To the west is the chain which divides the affluents of the 

 Parana from those of the Paraguay, to the north the Serra dos 

 Vertentes, to the east the Serra da Mantigueira and the Serra Cubatao, 

 and to the south a range which (about 26 S. lat.) detaches itself 

 from the Serra Cubatao and extends wust along the Iguaasu to the 

 Salto da Vittoria. Only in the comparatively short space between 

 tliU Sulto of the Iguassd and the Sete Quedas of the Parana the 

 region is open towards the republic of Paraguay, from which it u 

 separated by the Parana. 



The table-land of the Parana is very uneven along its north-east 

 and north border, where the offsets of the Serra da Mantigueira, 

 Serra de Canastra, Serra de Marcella, and Serra dos Pyrineos extend 

 many miles ; but the remainder is a plain, presenting extensive levels, 

 interrupted at great distances by hills of very gentle ascent and 

 small elevation. The eastern and higher portion of the table-land 

 is 2000 feet and upwards above the level of the sea. Trees occur 

 only on the declivities of the mountain ranges and in the lower 

 tracts along the course of the rivers : the forests cover probably less 

 than one-third of the surface. The plains are overgrown by a coarse 

 but nourishing grass, here and there intersected by low bushes and 

 a few small isolated trees. They serve as pasture for the innumerable 

 herds of cattle, horses, and mules, which constitute the riches of 

 this portion of Brazil. Agriculture is principally limited to the 

 culture of mandioc, maize, and different kinds of beans ; rice is 

 grown in some places, and the sugar-cane on the lowlands along the 

 rivers. Pine-apples, as well as the fruits of Europe and the vine, 

 thrive very well. Among the fruit-trees peculiar to this region is 

 the jabuticaba (Myrtiu caulijlora, Mart.), whose fruit gives a palatable 

 wine. In the south district wheat and ttax are grown with success. 

 The variation in the temperature is greater than in those parts which 

 lie near the equator; but neither the heat nor the cold is ever 

 excessive. In the winter (from May to October) hoar-frost is only 

 frequent near the mountains, and never occurs in the plains. The 

 average heat is between 60 and 70, and even in the summer it 

 rarely rises above 80. The rain begins in the eastern districts in 

 October or November and lasts to April ; it is most abundant in 

 January, and then always accompanied by fog during the morning. 



These abundant rains which last sometimes for days and even 

 weeks without cessation feed a number of large rivers, which traverse 

 the table-land from east to west, having most of them their sources 

 in the ranges, which divide it from the shores : they all unite their 

 waters with those of the Parand. The farthest branches of that 

 I urge river rue in the mountainous country, where the Serra da 

 Mantigueira unites with the Serra da Canastra. The most distant 

 branch is the Kio Grande, which, rising where the Serra da Manti- 

 gueira turns to the north, at first flows north and then north-west for 

 a considerable space ; afterwards it turns to the west and continue.! 

 some hundred miles in that direction, declining somewhat to the 

 onti towards its junction with the Paruahyba. In this course it 

 rcoives on tha left bank throe considerable tributaries, the Sapucahy, 



the Pardo, and the Mogi, each of which descends through the plains 

 from the south, and runs upwards of 200 miles. At the confluence 

 with the Parnahyba the Rio Grande has already had a course of 

 upwards of 500 miles, and then its name is changed into that of 

 Parani. The Parnahyba rises in the Serra dos Pyrineos, receives in 

 its course the Corumbd, and joins the Rio Grande after a course of 

 upwards of 350 miles. Many miles below this confluence the Parana 

 forms a considerable cataract, called Urubu Punga, and lower down 

 it receives the Tiete, which rises at no great distance from the shores 

 of the Atlantic in the western declivity of the Serra de Cubatao, 

 and traverses nearly the middle of the plains. Ita navigation is 

 rendered very difficult by numerous rapids and waterfalls. Between 

 the Urubu Pnnga and the Sete Quedas the Parana 1 receives two other 

 large tributaries, the Pardo on the right, and the Paramiapamena on 

 the left, both running about 300 miles. In this tract the Parani 

 forms many large islands, of which the largest are the Ilha Oomprida 

 (Long Island), upwards of 20 miles in length, and the Ilha Grande, 

 which is not much less than 70 miles in length and of considerable 

 width. The Ilha Grande terminates 4 miles above the Sete Quedas 

 (Seven Falls). Below the southern extremity of the Ilha Grande the 

 Parana is nearly 4 miles wide, but at the falls ths bed of the river 

 is contracted to about 50 fathoms. The immense volume of the 

 river is then divided into seven channels, formed by six small inlands 

 of rock, and precipitated down the ledges with a current of inde- 

 scribable fury and awful noise. This cataract impedes all communi- 

 cation by water between the table-land and the countries below it. 

 To the south of the Sete Quedas, the Paraud continuing to the south 

 still receives a large tributary, the Iguassu or Iguaca, which rises 

 about 70 miles from the coast, and traversing a mountainous country 

 forms at a short distance from its mouth the great cataract called 

 Salto da Vittoria, and joins the Parand after a course of nearly 

 300 miles. After this junction the river still runs south, then turns 

 to the west, and unites with the Paraguay after a course of above 

 1000 miles. Ita further course is described under ARGENTINE CON- 

 FEDERATION. 



To the south of the table-land of the Parand extends a smaller one 

 of a similar description on both sides of the Upper Uruguay, which 

 is called Campos da Vacaria (Cattle-Field), being destitute of trees 

 and covered with fine grass, which renders it favourable to the rearing 

 of cattle. The river Uruguay, which rises in the mountains near the 

 coast, traverses it in all its extent, flowing west-north-west and west 

 till it enters the plain of the Missiones. 



The southern extremity of Brazil, which extends south-west of the 

 Campos da Vacaria, contains two plains, one lying on the north-west 

 along the river Uruguay, and the other on the south-east, extending 

 for about 200 miles along the sea-shore, with an average width of 

 about 60 miles. They are divided by a high ground of great breadth 

 but of inconsiderable elevation, which is called Serra dos Tappes. 

 The surface of the high ground extends in spacious and nearly level 

 plains, here and there interrupted by small hills. This upper part is 

 entirely without trees and covered only by coarse grass and bushes ; 

 but on the declivities and in the valleys formed by the offsets of the 

 high ground many fine trees occur. The valleys are also the only 

 places in which there is any agriculture, and this is nearly confined 

 to the raising of wheat and maize. 



To the north-west of this high ground extends along the banks of 

 the Uruguay the plain of the Missiones, which received its name 

 from the seven missions established here by the Jesuits. 



The soil of the plain along the sea-shores is sandy towards the 

 coast with a substratum of clay, and produces grass but no trees. 

 Farther inland the soil is better, but the country is still without trees. 

 The most remarkable of the numerous lakes on this coast is the 

 Lagoa dos Patos (lake of the Ducks), which extends 150 miles 

 in length from south-west to north-east, and 35 miles at its 

 greatest width, so that it there occupies about half of the plain. It 

 has sufficient depth for vessels of a middling size, but some very 

 dangerous shoals. The water is salt in the southern part. It is the 

 recipient of almost all the currents that traverse the plain, and receives 

 about 12 miles from its northern extremity the lacuhy, a winding 

 river, which rises on the southern extremity of the Campos da 

 Vacaria, and drains a country adapted to agriculture. At the southern 

 extremity the lake of Patos receives the Kio de S. Gon9alo, which is 

 properly only the outlet of the lake Mirim. The southern part of the 

 lakes Mirim and Mangueira belongs to URUGUAY. The lake of 

 Patos discharges its waters into the sea by the Rio Grande de 

 S. Pedro, which flows about 10 miles almost north and south, and is 

 nearly 3 miles in width. The mouth of this river is full of shoals, 

 which are the more dangerous as they are subject to be frequently 

 changed by the tides. 



This part of Brazil, extending between 28 and 33, enjoys a 

 temperate climate like that of Spain or Italy ; the air is pure and 

 healthy. In the valleys and on the plain frost very rarely occurs : 

 on the high ground it is annually felt for one or two months ; but as 

 very little snow falls, the cattle find pasture all the year round. From 

 May to October the rains are abundant. 



The low country between the shores of the Atlantic and the first 

 mountain range, from the Morro de S. Marta on the south to Cape 

 S. Antonio, near Bahia, on the north, extends in some places 120 



