334 



PARA 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Pari. 



The city of Santa Maria de Belem do Grab Pard, founded by Fran- 

 cisco Caldeira do Castello Branco, in the year 1616, is situated on a 

 low elbow of land at the junction of the river Guama with the river 

 Para, and at a distance of about eighty miles from the sea. 



A ship generally requires three tides, which run with a velocity of 

 about four miles to the hour, to reach the sea from the city. 



Para is not fortified, either by land or water. There is a very small 

 and inefficient fort situated on an island about five miles below the city ; 

 but it is only armed with a few ill-conditioned field-pieces, which do not 

 command the channel. There is also a small battery in the city near 

 the point of junction of the two rivers ; but there are no guns mounted, 

 and its garrison could be easily driven out by musketry from the towers 

 of the cathedral. 



The harbor is a very fine one ; it is made by the long island of Oncas 

 in front, and at two miles distant, with some smaller ones further down 

 the river. There is an abundance of water, and ships of any size may 

 lie within one hundred and fifty yards of the shore. There is a good 

 landing-place for boats and lighters at the custom-house wharf; and at 

 half tide at the stone wharf, some five hundred yards above. 



The corporation was engaged, during my stay, in building a strong 

 stone sea-wall all along in front of the town. This will make a new 

 wide street on the water-front, and prevent smuggling. Formerly, 

 canoes, at high stages of the river, would land cargoes surreptitiously in 

 the very cellars of the warehouses situated on the river. 



The city is divided into the freguezias, or parishes, of Se and Cam- 

 pina. Nine other freguezias are included in the municipio of the capi- 

 tal ; but many of these are leagues distant, and should not geograph- 

 ically be considered as belonging to the city, or their population be 

 numbered in connexion with it. 



The population of the city proper numbered, in 1848, (the last statis- 

 tical account I have, and which I think would differ very little from a 

 census taken at this time,) nine thousand two hundred and eighty-four 

 free persons, and four thousand seven hundred and twenty-six slaves. 



