238 



AMAZONIA AND LA PLATA. 



3,500 square miles in extent. The Lagoa dos Patos, as it is called, owes its name, 

 not to the patos, or " ducks," frequenting its water, but to the Patos Indians, 

 who defended its shores from the European invaders. 



Farther south stretches another basin, the Lagoa Mirim,* or " Little Lagoon,'* 



Kg. 103. — Lagoa Mieim. 

 Scale 1 ; 2,300,000. 



West or tjreenwich 



0to5 



Fathoms. 



Depths. 



5 to 10 

 Fathoms. 



10 to 25 

 Fathoms. 



25 Fathoms 

 and upwards. 



30 Miles. 



which has been so called only in a relative sense as compared with the somewhat 

 larger northern basin. It stretches north-east and south-west for a distance of 

 no less than 125 miles between Rio Grande and Uruguay. 



* Mirim means "little," not in Portuguese, but in the Guarani language. 



