BRAZIL. 



BRAZIL. 



course is to the north, with numerous windings ; it joins the Rio 

 Amazonas at Porto de Moz, where it is about 4 miles wide. 



The Rio Tapajot is formed by the confluence of two considerable 

 rivers, the luruena and the Rio dos Arinos. The luruena rises near 

 the parting of the Serra dos Paricis, and the Serra Agoapehy, near 

 14 S. lat. It runs for upwards of 200 miles due north, and then 

 inclines to the east to meet the Rio dos Arinos. The number of its 

 affluents is very great, and at the confluence the luruena is the larger 

 river. The Rio dos Arinos rises farther to the east, near the sources 

 of the Paraguay, and runs first north-east and then north to the 

 junction with the Rio Preto, which is the only branch of the river at 

 present navigated. After this junction the Rio dos Arinos flows 

 north-west, nearly to its confluence with the luruena, about 90 

 S. lat. Hence the united river is called Tapajos, and flows north-east 

 forming two cataracts, the Cachoeiras de S. Joao da Barra and de 

 S. Carlos. At the latter the course of the river is changed, and flows 

 hence to the north-north-east. The largest of its cataracts, called 

 Salto Grande, occurs at about 7 30', and is said to be 30 feet in per- 

 pendicular height. Between 5 and 6 is another fall called Cachoeira 

 de Maranhao, which likewise interrupts the navigation. The remain- 

 der of its course is through the low country along the Rio Amazonas. 

 This river is joined by numerous tributaries, especially from the 

 right. It falls into the Amazouas near Santarem, where it is about 

 4 miles wide. 



On thf banks of the luruena, and west to the north branch of the 

 Serra Paricis, stretches a sandy desert called Campos dos Paricis, the 

 extent of which has not been ascertained. The surface is formed by 

 long-backed ridges of sandy hills, parallel to one another, and divided 

 by longitudinal valleys. The soil consists of sand so loose that beasts 

 of burden can hardly proceed ; and it is nearly destitute of vegetation, 

 except where springs issue from the ground. 



The table-land of Brazil is separated from the Andes of Bolivia by 

 a large and extensive plain upwards of 1 200 feet in height, and traversed 

 by those streams which by their junction form the Rio Madeira. A 

 Hiiiall portion only of this plain belongs to Brazil the country 

 extending along the west declivity of the north branch of the Serra 

 Paricis on both banks of the Rio Guapore'. A few scattered hills 

 rise on the plain to a moderate elevation, and are separated by 

 extensive level tracts, mostly covered with high forest-trees, and here 

 and there intersected by a few barren districts without trees and 

 with little vegetation. 



The Rio Guapore, called also Itenez, rises (14 30' S. lat.) in the 

 Serra dos Paricis, about 100 miles north-east of Matto Grosso, and at 

 first runs south parallel to the Rio Jaunt, a tributary of the Paraguay. 

 It then turns west and receives the waters of the Rio Alegre, a small 

 but navigable tributary. In 1773 an unsuccessful attempt was made 

 to unite this river by a canal with the Rio Agoapehy, which falls into 

 the Jauri. At the junction with this river the Quapord turns to the 

 north-north-west, and then to the west, where it is joined on the 

 right by the large Rio Paraguay and the still larger Ubahy. At the 

 confluence with the latter it turns north, and uniting itself to the 

 Mamore' loses its name. The Guapore' runs more than 400 miles, 

 and having only a few rapids and no cataracts is a navigable river. 



The Rio Madeira is formed by the junction of the Rio Beni with 

 the Mamord (in 10 22' S. lat.), which takes place about 100 miles 

 below the confluence of the Mamord with the Guapore' (in 11" 55' 

 S. lat). [BOLIVIA.] The Madeira runs in a north-east direction, with 

 numerous windings, and falls into the Amazonas in 3 24' S. lat., about 

 70 miles below Villa de Borba, after a course of upwards of 600 miles. 

 After the junction of the Mamore' and Beni, it is 900 fathoms wide, 

 and in its course in general preserves this width, with a considerable 

 depth ; its course however is interrupted by numerous cataracts. 

 Below the union of the two principal rivers thirteen cataracts or rapids 

 occur ; and above it, in the Mamore', five. They begin in 10 37' with 

 the Cachoeira da Bananeira, and terminate at 8 48', with the 

 Cachoeira de S. Antonio. 



The north part of Brazil comprehends the greater portion of the 

 plain of the Rio das Amazonas, one of the most extensive on the 

 globe. This plain has been sufficiently described under AMAZON AS. It 

 Ties along both sides of that majestic river, from its wide mouth, near 

 50 W. long., to the confluence of the Ucayale, near 72 W. long., and 

 consequently extends in this direction about 1500 miles. Elevations 

 deserving the name of hills are rare, but the surface consists of a con- 

 tinual succession of extremely slight undulations, and to this pecu- 

 liarity of ite surface, joined to ita tropical climate, it seems principally 

 to owe the inconceivable luxuriance of its vegetation. 



The tracts which skirt the banks of the river are generally low, and 

 overflowed when the river rises. In many places the inundations are 

 extended much farther inland by the channels which, in the dry 

 season, bring down the water from the numerous lakes. But during 

 tin baadMOB these channels carry the water from the rivers to the 

 lakes, and the low country in their vicinity is covered with water. All 

 the tracts ihus inundated are overgrown by an uninterrupted forest 

 of trees of different size and species, with various bushes and under- 

 wood between them, anil all these plants are tied together by numerous 

 creepers, so that they form a vegetable wall, through which it is im- 

 poiwil :ite. The water-courses are the only roads which 



i HIM wildurmw. That portion of the plain which, is not 



OEOO. DIV. VOT.. It. 



subject to inundations is likewise covered with interminable forests, 

 but the trees are of more equal size, and without underwood, though 

 here also the creepers are numerous. Occasionally some tracts of 

 moderate extent occur, which are without trees, and covered with 

 rich grass, intermingled with a few low bushes. Nothing however 

 characterises this plain more strikingly than the incredible abundance 

 of water. Brooks and ponds are of rare occurrence, for they enlarge 

 immediately into rivers and lakes ; and these rivers and lakes form 

 along the banks of the larger rivers an interminable watery maze. 

 This abundance of water, the softness of the soil, and the compara- 

 tively small inequalities of the surface, have made some phenomena 

 common here which are rare in other countries. Such are the 

 natural canals by which two rivers are united. Between the Madeira 

 and the Rio Purus, its next western neighbour, two such natural water 

 communications exist, at least 120 miles distant from one another. 

 Others occur between other rivers. These natural canals unite also 

 different river systems, as the Cassiquiare between the Orinoco and 

 Rio Negro, and the canal of Cabuqueria farther west, which, according 

 to the information of the natives, unites the Uaupd or Uaupes, the 

 principal branch of the Rio Negro, to the Guaviare, a tributary of 

 the Orinoco. To the same peculiarities it is mainly to be attributed 

 that many of the rivers, especially those running from the north to the 

 Amazonas, send detached branches to the principal river, 100 miles and 

 upwards before they entirely unite with it. 



As to the rivers which drain this plain, we have already noticed the 

 Tocantins, Xingu, Tapajos, and Madeira. To the west of the last, 

 and nearly parallel to it, flow some considerable rivers : the PuruB, 

 the Coary, the Teffd, the lurua, the lutahy, and the Hyabary or Yavary. 

 These rivers, which run from 600 to 800 miles, have not been explored, 

 and the country through which they flow is nearly unknown ; but 

 according to the information of the Indians it does not seem that 

 they are interrupted by cataracts. The rivers which drain the plain 

 on the north of the Rio Amazonas belong partly to the republic 

 of Ecuador, as the Pastaza, the Tigre, the Nape, and Putumayo or 

 lea, and partly to Brazil, as the Yupurd or Yapura and the Rio Negro. 

 About 100 miles from the mouth of the Yupuni begins the canal of 

 AvatiparaniS, which lies from north-east to south-west, and joins the 

 Rio Amazonas nearly 200 miles above the mouth of the Yupuni. In 

 this canal the water flows from December to June north-east from the 

 Rio Amazonas to the Yupurd, and from June to August south-west 

 from the Yupursi to the Rio Amazonas. The large island formed by 

 this canal and the rivers is traversed by other canals, which are subject 

 to a similar change of current. The Rio Negro originates in a swampy 

 country about 2 30' N. lat., and 70 30' W. long., and runs first 

 north-east and afterwards south-east about 200 miles, when it is 

 joined by the canal of Cassiquiare, which comes with a rather rapid 

 course from the Orinoco. Hence it runs with numerous windings 

 nearly due south till it is joined from the west by the Rio Uaupe' or 

 Uaupes, which rises in one of the eastern branches of the Andes, 

 and flows in a generally eastern direction for nearly 500 miles before 

 its junction with the Rio Negro near th equator, between 67 and 

 68 W. long. From this junction the Rio Negro flows first east and 

 then south-east, presenting in this part of its course rather the appear- 

 ance of a succession of lakes united by comparatively narrow channels 

 than that of a river. It sometimes enlarges to 12, 15, or even 2P 

 miles hi width, and sometimes narrows to a mile or a mile and a half; 

 its current is generally very slow and not disturbed by rapids. Above 

 200 miles from its mouth it is joined by the Rio Branco, whose 

 principal branch, called Uraricoera, originates in the Serra Parime, at 

 no great distance from some of the branches of the Orinoco, and flows 

 east till it joins another considerable branch, the Tacutu, which rises 

 near the sources of the Rupunuri, a tributary of the Essequibo, and 

 flows a considerable distance north parallel to the Rupunuri. The 

 Tacutu afterwards turns south by a bold bend and joins the Urari- 

 coera. Both branches have probably a course of more than 200 miles 

 before their junction. The united river called Rio Branco, runs 

 about 400 miles in a south direction, and has only a few rapids ; 

 cataracts however occur in the Tacutu. About 50 miles below the 

 mouth of the Rio Branco, a canal branches off from the Rio Negro 

 called Carapuhuany, which lies in a south-west and south direction, 

 and passing through the Lake of Cudaya. sends its waters to the Rio 

 Amazonas by the Cudaya canal, about 100 miles above the principal 

 mouth of the Rio Negro. The whole course of this river may be 

 from 1200 to 1400 miles. 



No large rivers traverse the north plain east of the Rio Negro. The 

 Oriximina, or Rio das Trombetas, and Gurupatuba are the most con- 

 siderable. The great plain of the Rio das Amazonas, which even on 

 its extreme borders hardly anywhere exceeds the elevation of 600 or 

 700 feet above the sea, and extends on both sides of the equator, 

 differs in climate considerably from other tropical countries. The dry 

 and rainy seasons are here not so distinctly marked as in Asia or 

 Africa-; nearly every day exhibits both. The nights are cloudless, 

 but between nine and ten o'clock clouds begin to appear on the 

 horizon, and in the afternoon rain falls, frequently in torrents 

 accompanied by thunder and lightning and sometimes by fierce hurri- 

 canes. The rains however are less regular and abundant from August 

 to October. They increase during the month of November and are 

 accompanied with more violent thunder-storms ; the rains generally 



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