264 



FORTS AND BARRACKS. 



stone; so that the smaller streets leading from 

 the town into the country, some of which are 

 not paved, are full of gullies, through which the 

 water runs in the rainy season. These streets 

 are formed of houses consisting only of the 

 ground floor, and having thatched roofs ; the 

 windows are without glass, and the dwellings 

 have a most mean and shabby appearance. The 

 city contains a custom-house and treasury ; the 

 former is small, but was quite large enough for 

 the business of the place, until lately. 



The harbour is formed by a creek in the 

 island, and is to be entered from the Bay of 

 St. Marcos. The channel is of sufficient deptli 

 for common-sized merchant ships ; but is very 

 narrow, and not to be entered without a pilot. 

 Opposite to the town the water is shallow at the 

 ebb. It is worthy of remark, that the tide rises 

 gradually more and more along the coast of 

 Brazil, from south to north. Thus at Rio de 

 Janeiro the rise is said to be trifling; at Per- 

 nambuco it is from five to six feet ; at Itamaraca, 

 eight feet; and at Maranham, it is eighteen 

 feet. The forts of Maranham are all of them 

 said to be in bad order. I heard one person 

 observe, half in earnest, that he did not suppose 

 each fort contained more than four guns which 

 were in a fit state to be fired. I did not see that 

 of St. Marcos, which is situated at the entrance 

 of the bay ; but it is reported to be in the same 



