Chai>. I. C'LIMATK OF PAKA. 35 



distinct province. It formerly constituted a section, 

 capitania, or governorship of the Portuguese colony. 

 Originally it was well peopled by Indians, varying 

 much in social condition according to their tribe, but 

 all exhibiting the same general physical characters, 

 which are those of the American red man, somewhat 

 modified by long residence in an equatorial forest 

 country. Most of the tribes are now extinct or for- 

 gotten, at least those which originally peopled the 

 banks of the main river, their descendants having amal- 

 gamated with the white and negro immigrants : * many 

 stiU exist, however, in their original state on the 

 Upper Amazons and most of the branch rivers. On 

 this account Indians in this province are far more 

 numerous than elsewhere in Brazil, and the Indian 

 element may be said to prevail in the mongrel popu- 

 lation, the negro proportion being much smaller than 

 in South Brazil. 



The city is built on the best available site for a port 

 of entry to the Amazons region, and must in time 

 become a vast emporium ; for the northern shore of the 

 main river, where alone a rival capital could be 

 founded, is much more difficult of access to vessels, 



* The mixed breeds which now form, probably, the greater part of 

 the population, have each a distinguishing name. Mameluco denotes 

 the oflFspring of White with Indian ; Mulatto, that of White with 

 Negro ; Cafuzo, the mixture of the Indian and Negro ; Curiboco, the 

 cross between the Cafuzo and the Indian ; Xibaro, that between the 

 Cafuzo and Negro. These are seldom, however, well-demarcated, and 

 all shades of colour exist ; the names are generally applied only ap- 

 proximatively. The terra Creolo is confined to negroes born in the 

 country. The civilised Indian is called Tapuyo or Caboclo. 



D 2 



