EXTUK nOURO E MINHO. 



EXTRE RIGS. 



Swrfaet. Three mountain ranges crocs the pnmuee in a direction 

 from north-out to south-wait. The moot northern range, called the 

 Serra de Estrioa, enters the province from Galicia, and extends nearly 

 to the coast It is the loftiest of the three ranges, iU highext summit, 

 Monte Cavarra, baring an elevation of 7880 feet above Ihe sea ; and 

 it occupies nearly the whole of the country between the Hinho and 

 the Lima. The central rang*, called the Serra de Geres, occupies the 

 country between the Lima and the Carado. The third range, called 

 the Sena de Santa Catarina, has a more southern direction than the 

 other two, running parallel to the Tamega and extending its ridges 

 westward towards the sea and southward to the Douro. These three 

 mountain ranges, with their offsets, fill up the greater part of the 

 province, but all of them sink down as they approach the coast, 

 where there is a considerable extent of undulating country. 



Rinrt. The Miuho separates this province from Oalicia on the 

 north [UAUCIA], and the Douro separates it from Beira on the south. 

 [Doi'RO.] The principal rivers of the interior are the Lima, the 

 Gavado, and the Tamega. The Lima is the largest of the rivers. It 

 rises in the mountains of Galicia, and after a course of about 70 miles, 

 generally weatmuth-west, enters the sea below Viana. It is navigable 

 for small craft to about 12 miles from the mouth. The Cuvado rises 

 in Tra* os Monte*, and flowing in a direction mostly parallel to the 

 Lima enters the sea below Barcellos after a course of nbout CO miles : 

 it is not navigable. The Tamega rises near Monterey, in Galicia, and 

 flows generally south-south-west, crossing a part of Tras os Monies, 

 and entering this province at Caves. It forms the boundary between 

 the two provinces of Entre Douro e Miuho and Tras os Monies for 

 about 12 miles, and has afterwards a course of about DO miles to the 

 Douro, which it enters about 30 miles above Oporto ; its total length 

 is about 90 miles : it is not navigable. In the rainy season it rises 

 80 or 40 feet, and the current is exceedingly rapid. A portion of the 

 Serra de Mario, which enters from Tras os Monies, flanks the Tamega 

 on the eastern side. The Nciva, the Grisoner, and the D'Ave (united 

 with the D'Eate) enter the sea. They are all smalL The Souzn, also 

 small, flows into the Douro 10 miles above Oporto. 



Climate and Productions. The climate is very pleasant and 

 wholesome. The breezes from the sea and the mountains cool the air 

 in summer, and the winters are mild. The tops of the mountains 

 are mostly sterile, but the sides are covered with good soil, and well 

 wooded with oaks, chestnuts, and fruit-trees. The valleys ore exceed- 

 ingly fertile, watered by numerous streams, and well cultivated. The 

 principal productions are wine, oil, flax, maize, wheat, barley, oats, 

 and vegetables and fruits of all sorts. Pastures are rather scarce, yet 

 a considerable quantity of cattle and sheep are reared. The principal 

 article of exportation is wine, which is shipped at Oporto. The port- 

 wines indeed are mostly produced in this province. Silk fabrics, 

 linens, bats, porcelain, hardware, and cutlery are made in the towns. 

 Iron and steel are imported. There are fisheries along the coast, 

 which occupy a considerable number of the inhabitants. 



Totem. The city of Oporto is locally in this province, but is 

 politically included in Beira, as the capital of the minor province of 

 Porto. [BEIRA; OPORTO.] 



Braga is the capital of the province of Entre Douro e Minho and 

 of the district of Braga. It is situated on on eminence between the 

 Cavado and the D'Evte, 83 miles N.E. from Oporto. It is a city and 

 the see of an archbishop, who is the primate of Portugal The 

 population is 17,000. It is a very ancient city, and was the Braccara 

 A wjtuta of the Romans. It is surrounded by old walls and defended 

 by a fortress. Ruins of an amphitheatre and an aqueduct existed at 

 the beginning of the present century, but there are now no remains 

 of them. The streets are narrow and irregular. There are two 

 principal squares, and water is supplied from several fountains. The 

 principal building is the cathedral, a stately fabric of perpendicular 

 folhic ; and the archbishop has a palace. About three miles east from 

 the city is a lofty hill commanding a delightful view of the valleys of 

 the Cavado and D'Este, and surmounted by the sanctuary of Jesus do 

 Monte, which is (till resorted to as a place of pilgrimage. Amaraiile, 

 85 miles E.N.E. from Oporto, stands on the western bonk of the 

 Tamega, which is here crossed by a good stone bridge. It is a very 

 ancient town, well built, and contains two churches : population, 4000. 

 BarttUoi, 27 miles N. from Oporto, is pleasantly situated in a plain 

 on the northern bank of the Cavado, which is here crossed by a bridge 

 connecting Baroellos with the suburb of Barcellinhos. Barcellos is 

 inclosed by old walls, and contains a collegiate church and two parish 

 churches: population, 4000. Cnmiiika, 66 miles N. by W. from 

 O|x>rtu, stands on the southern bank of the Minho, near its mouth. 

 It is fortified by an extensive line of crown-works, horn-works, ditch, 

 nnd covered way : population, 8000. The fort of Insoa is constructed 

 on a rock at the entrance of the harbour of Caminba, and forms a 

 cross-fire with the guns of the town. JStpoimde, a small town and 

 htfbour, stand* at the mouth of tl.e Cavado, on the north bonk, 

 10 miles W. from Baroellos. Gttimamit, 25 miles N.E. from Oporto, 

 is situated between the D'Ave and the Arezilla, in a fertile plain at 

 the foot ot Monte Latito. It is an ancient town, surrounded by old 

 walk, and encircled by suburb*. The streets are wide and the houses 

 well buiit It has several good squares, and contains a handsome 

 collegiate church and three parish churches. There are manufactures 

 of hardware, cutlery, and table-linen : population, 6000. Honfao, 



05 miles N. by E. from Oporto, is situated on the southern bank of 

 the Minho. It is an old fortified town, but of no great strength for 

 modern warfare, being commanded by some height* at no great 

 distance : population, 1600. Ponle de Lima, 43 miles N. from 

 Oporto, is a small town, so named from the solid stone bridge of 

 24 arches, mostly of Roman work, which here crosses the Lima. The 

 town stands on the southern bank, 12 miles K.S.K. from Viana. The 

 environs are very beautiful, richly wooded, and bounded by mountains. 

 In the summer and autumn the vines, trained to trellis-work, bang 

 down in festoons, covering a great extent of country, and presenting 

 the appearance of an endless succession of luxuriant arbours. Valatftt 

 do Minho, 65 miles N. from Oporto, is situated on the southern bank 

 of the Minho, opposite to the town of Tuy in Galicia. Yalenca is a 

 small place, but is strongly fortified with eight bastion* and a crown- 

 work, which were put in a state of thorough repair in IS 12, and 

 mounted with 60 pieces of cannon. Fiona, the capital of the district 

 of Viana, 42 miles N. by W. from Oporto, is situated at the mouth of 

 the river Lima, on the northern bank, and has a harbour which admits 

 small vessels not exceeding 200 tons burden. It is defended by the 

 fort of Santiago, a pentagon with five bastions and two ravelin*, next 

 in strength to Valeuca. The town is inclosed by walls with five gates, 

 and bos four suburbs. It has three squares and is tolerably weU 

 built. It contains a collegiate church and two parish churches. 

 The inhabitants carry on an active fishery : population, 8000. Villa 

 do Conde, 15 miles N. by W. from Oporto, stands on the north bank 

 of the D'Ave, near the mouth of the river, and has a small harbour 

 defended by a battery. It has a good coasting and fishing trade : 

 population, 3000. 



ENTRE RIOS, one of the Riverine provinces of the Argentine 

 Confederation, South America, owes iU name to its situation between 

 the rivers Parand and Uruguay. It comprehends however only the 

 southern part of the peninsula formed by those rivers, the northern 

 portion forming the province of Corrientes. The boundary between 

 the provinces is formed by the Rio Guayquirare, which falls into the 

 Parana, and the Mocoreta, which falls into the Uruguay, between 30" 

 and 30 30' S. lat The area is about 32,000 square miles: the 

 population is about 25,000. 



The surface is gently undulating ; it is only broken by hills along 

 the middle portion or interior of the country. This part is covered 

 with forests of low stunted trees. The southern part of the province 

 is low, and especially along the banks of the Parana subject to inun- 

 dations. The northern part is occupied by a low swampy tract, known 

 as the Forest of MonteiL Besides the rivers Parana and Uruguay 

 [ARGENTINE CONFEDERATION], the province is abundantly v 

 by numerous small streams. The soil of Entre Rios is in goni>nil 

 fertile, and covered with luxuriant herbage. The climate is mild and 

 dry. Frost never occurs. Rain seldom falls more than fifty days in 

 the year. The highest range of the thermometer at the town of 

 Parana 1 during the years 1844-47 was 96 in January 1844 ; the lowest, 

 80, occurred in the month of June in 1844 and 1846. (M'Cann.) 

 Cultivation is limited to a comparatively few gpot& The principal 

 grain crops are wheat, barley, and maize. Tobacco and cotton of 

 excellent quality are also raised, but the crops ore precarious in con- 

 sequence of frequent droughts. Great damage is also done to all 

 kinds of crops by the immense swarms of locusts and ants which 

 sometimes devastate on entire district. The forest-trees are chiefly 

 mimosas, iiandubay, block and while espiuello, guebrocbo, and guayiabo, 

 but they ore generally small, though in much request for carpenter's 

 work and firewood. Vast herds of cattle are reared, but heavy losses 

 frequently occur owing to the severe droughts to which the province 

 is so often subject In 1846 so great a drought occurred that tbo 

 grass was everywhere burnt up; and Mr. M'Cann states that the 

 whole of the cattle in the province went off from the feeding grounds 

 in search of food and water : many cstancias (cattle farms) lost from 

 5000 to 60,000 head of cattle, and one farm 150,000. Horses are bred 

 in great numbers. Owing to the long-continued state of anarchy i" 

 the province there are, in the unsettled parte, numerous herds of wild 

 cattle and horses. The rearing of cattle and horses is the chief occu- 

 pation of the inhabitants. Mechanical employments are almost 

 entirely neglected. The geographical position of the province admir- 

 ably adapU it for commercial pursuits ; but owing to the closure of 

 the navigation of the two great rivers, and the disturbed slate in which 

 the country has so long been kept, comparatively little commercial 

 progress has yet been made. Now however that the rivers are declared 

 open to vessels of all nations, under the guarantee of the principal 

 maritime powers, there seems to bo required only internal peace for 

 the rapid development of the great capabilities of the country. The 

 exports are principally of hides, horns, tallow, and jerked beef. 



Like the other provinces of the Argentine Confederation, Entre 

 Rios is a federal state, owning but little dependence upon the central 

 government The government is almost entirely in the bands of a 

 governor, elected for a term of two years. The Congress consists of 

 deputies chosen from the several towns or districts. The revenue is 

 derived chiefly from customs duties. 



Except a few families of Guariui origin the country is almost 

 entirely inhabited by the descendants of Spaniards. In the tu 

 however a few foreigners are settled, mostly Italians, who mainly 

 conduct the river navigation, with some French and Englisb traders. 



