M IN AS— SAO F BAN CI SCO RIVER 99 



the " Paulo Afifonso " falls check all progress of ships. This forms 

 the Lower Sao Francisco and is situated between Alagoas and Sergipe. 

 During the dry season navigation is very difficult, as there are many 

 shallow parts ; the draught of ships must not be more than 1 -SOmm. 

 There are also some places with hidden rocks and fast currents. 



A large number of tributaries of the Sao Francisco are also navi- 

 gable but regularly established navigation exists only on the Paeacatu 

 CoRRENTES and Rio Grande, with its secondary tributary Rio Preto. 



The lack of more frequent and regular navigation is seriously felt 

 and it was proved by a Commission that for want of transportation 

 facilities large quantities of produce were rotting on the quays. In 

 some instances consignments had to lie in the open for six months 

 or more. 



Those who desire to become more acquainted with the great 

 possibilities of this river, are advised to study a large volume issued 

 in 1860 by an engineer, M. Enrique Guilherme Fernando Hahlfeld — 

 who made the first detailed survey of the river from 1852 to 1854. 

 This book, which has become rather rare, contains a number of maps 

 and can probably only be obtained through Government offices in 

 Rio de Janeiro ; it is still the standard work on the Sao Francisco. 

 A short and highly interesting description of the river, crops, minerals, 

 etc., is found in a pamphlet by M. Alfredo dos Anjos, called " Rio 

 S. Francisco " and published in 1918 by " Estabelecimento Graphico 

 F. Forgonovo," 91, Rua do Lavradio, Rio de Janeiro. 



We travelled for eleven days on this flat-bottomed steamer 

 stopping wherever anything of interest was to be seen or whenever 

 our wood fuel had to be replenished. In the upper reaches near 



The steamer of the " Companhia Industria e Viaq;ao de Pirapora," 

 on which the Miosion travelled 



