80 



AMAZONIA AND LA PLATA. 



reduced; Ceara was occiipied in 1(310, and in 1010 the Portuguese had reached 

 the Amazonian seaport of Para. 



They had at the same time to defend themselves against foreign rivals eager to 

 contend for a share in the vast Brazilian domain. In 1507 they recovered Rio de 

 Janeiro Bay from the French, and here was founded the city which later became 

 the capital of the whole region. In 1015 the French were also expelled from the 

 island of Maranhao, east of the Amazons estuary ; but the Dutch, after capturing 



Fig. 26. — Old Political Divisions and Feontiees of Beazil. 

 Scale 1 : 52,0CO,O00. 



Territories contested between Brazil and 



ri 



Urufjuay (Biinda Fiance. England. Colombia. Argentina. Negro 



Oriental) Republic, 



(formerly Cis-Platina) . 



. 1,250 Miles. 



Salvador, held their ground for thirty years (1024 — 54) on the whole of the sea- 

 board between the Bio S. Francisco and the Bio Grande do Norte, making Per- 

 nambuco their capital, and even reducing Ceara and Maranhao. Portugal being 

 powerless to recover the lost territory, the natives themselves — wliites, Indians, 

 and blacks — rose against the Dutcli, and after nine years of incessant warfare 

 drove them from Pernambuco. Peace followed in 1601, after which Brazil 

 remained exempt from any serious foreign invasion down to the present day. Bio 



