CHAPTER X. 



PARAHYBA BASIN. 

 Si'ATE or Rio de Janeiro and Neutral Territory. 



HE State in which is situated the capital of Brazil, forms a land of 

 transition between the tropical and temperate zones. At Cape 

 Frio, the direction of the coast-line, which had a general southern 

 trend below Cape S. Roque, changes abruptly to the west, and after 

 describing a rejjular curve resumes its normal course from north to 

 south with some points to the west. The southern tropic passes just south of the 

 State of Rio de Janeiro, and thus coincides with the trend of the seaboard at this 

 point. 



On the other hand the Rio Paruhyba, which rises on the plateaux of S. Paulo, 

 at the same divide where the upper affluents of the Parana have their source, flows 

 north-east in a deep trough forming a natural boundary to the triangular space 

 comprising the State of Rio. On its upper slopes this river valley belongs to the 

 temperate plateaux, and in its lower course to the tropical zone. 



Since the early days of the discovery, the famous bay of Ptio de Janeiro has 

 pliyed a conspicuous part in the history of the New World. After the heroic 

 ages, when French and Portuguese contended for the possession of Nictheroy, the 

 surrounding region has been explored in every direction, and hundreds of 

 observers have contributed to our knowledge of the land in all its aspects. Never- 

 theless, it still lacks large scale maps possessing even approximate accuracy. 

 Excellent charts, however, will soon be available at least for the city and the 

 surrounding neutral municipality, the triangulation of which is now completed. 

 Rio is the most densely peopled district in Brazil, having a population of nearly 

 2,000,000 to an area of 27,000 square miles. 



Physicai, Features. 



The mountain barrier enclosing the Parahyba valley on the north-west would 

 form the most natural frontier of the State ; but the political parting-line, instead 



