Chai>. I. THE TARA river. 3 



although sailing sometimes at a distance of eight or 

 nine miles from the eastern bank, the opposite shore 

 was at no time visible. Indeed, the Para river is 36 

 miles in breadth at its month ; and at the city of Para, 

 nearly 70 miles from the sea, it is 20 miles wide ; 

 but at that point a series of islands commences which 

 contracts the river view in front of the city. 



It will be well to explain here that the Para river 

 is not, strictly speaking, one of the mouths of the 

 Amazons. It is made to appear so on many of the maps 

 in common use, because the channels which connect it 

 with the main river are there given much broader 

 than they are in reality, conveying the impression that 

 a large body of water finds an outlet from the main 

 river into the Para. It is doubtful, however, if there be 

 any considerable stream of water flowing constantly 

 downward through these channels. The whole of the 

 district traversed by them consists of a complex group 

 of low islands formed of river deposit, between which is 

 an intricate net-work of deep and narrow channels. 

 The land probably lies somewhat lower here than it 

 does on the sea coast, and the tides meet about the 

 middle of the channels ; but the ebb and flow are so 

 complicated that it is difficult to ascertain whether there 

 is a constant line of current in one direction. A flow 

 down one of the channels is in some cases diverted into 

 an ebb through other ramifications. In travelling from 

 the Para to the main Amazons, I have always followed 

 the most easterly channel, and there the flow of the 

 tide always causes a strong upward current ; it is said 

 that this is not so perceptible in other channels, and 



B 2 



