^H 



266 



BAYS OF ST. MARCOS AND ST.JOZE. 



of easterly winds, it is next to impossible for a 

 vessel to beat her way out of it. It is therefore 

 necessary that she should go through the narrow 

 channel between the main land and the island 

 of Maranham, a passage of considerable dif- 

 ficulty. * The bay of St. Marcos is spotted with 



* The information which is contained in this note I had 

 from Captain Juan Roman Trivino, of the Spanish ship 

 St. Joze, of 300 tons burden. He received orders to pro- 

 ceed from Rio de Janeiro to Maranham, for the purpose of 

 loading cotton, in the commencement of the year 1815. 

 He arrived off the settlement of Seara, and sent on shore for 

 a pilot to take him to St. Luiz ; he was informed that none 

 resided at Seara, but that he would find one at Jeriquaquara, 

 a high hill between Seara and Parnaiba. On arriving near 

 to this place, he discovered an Indian in a canoe fishing, who 

 came on board, and offered to pilot him to St. Luiz. This 

 was agreed to, and they proceeded ; but from mistaking the 

 two points of land in the manner mentioned above, the Indian 

 took the vessel into the bay of St. Joze, on the 15th March. 

 They kept the lead going, even before they discovered the 

 error into which they had been led, as is the custom with all 

 vessels bound to St. Luiz. The ship was brought to an 

 anchor oft' the village of St. Joze, which is situated upon the 

 N. E. point of the island of Maranham, in eleven fathoms 

 water. Whilst they continued in the mid-channel of the 

 bay, they found from eighteen to twenty fathoms. The 

 depth of water regularly decreases from the centre of the 

 bay towards the land on each side ; but it contains no insu- 

 lated sand- banks. The ship was at anchor off the village of 

 St. Joze two days ; they then proceeded through the chan- 

 nel, which is enclosed on either side by mangroves, and is so 

 narrow in some parts that the yards at times brushed against 

 the branches. The wind was fair, and they sailed through 

 without being obliged to tow or warp the ship. The depth 

 of water varied from five to two and a half fathoms; the bot- 

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