336 



IGARAPE MIRIM. 



There are large mud flats near the mouth of this river, which are en- 

 closed with small stakes driven in the mud close together, for the purpose 

 of taking fish when the tide is out. A great many small fish — about 

 the size of a herring — called mapara, are taken and salted for the food 

 of the slaves and tapuios. The fishermen, in ludicrously small canoes, 

 gathered around us, admiring our birds and asking many strange ques- 

 tions. 



This river is about two hundred and fifty yards wide, and has a general 

 depth of thirty-six feet. Its banks are lined with plantations of cane, 

 sugar-mills, and potteries. Nearly all the rum and the pots for putting 

 up the turtle-oil that are used on the river, are made in this district. 

 The owners of these establishments are nearly all away at this time 

 celebrating holy-week in Sta. Ana, or other neighboring villages. 



The establishments are left in charge of domestics; and we saw no 

 signs of activity or prosperity among them. Most of them have neat 

 little chapels belonging to them. 



The river Sta. Ana empties into the Anapui. We anchored at its 

 mouth to wait for the flood-tide. Our pilot, who always sleeps on the 

 arched covering over the stern of the boat, rolled overboard in the 

 night. The tide was fortunately nearly done, and the old man swam 

 well, or he would have been lost. 



The village of Sta. Ana is eight miles from the mouth of the river, 

 and two hundred and fifty miles below Breves. It is the centre of the 

 rum and molasses trade of the district. It is a small, neat looking 

 village of about five hundred inhabitants; but the country around is 

 very thickly settled ; and thus the official account states the population 

 of the tov,n of Igarape Mirim (which I take to be this Sta. Ana) at 

 three thousand one hundred free persons, with two 'hundred and eighty- 

 one slaves. 



The river opposite the town is one hundred yards wide, and has a 

 depth of thirty feet. Just above the village we entered the mouth of 

 a creek called Igarape Mirim. This creek has an average width of 

 thirty yards, and depth, at this season, of fifteen feet. 



Six miles of navigation on this creek brought us to a canal which 

 connects the Sta. Ana with the river Moju. 



The canal is about a mile long, and has six feet of depth at this 

 season. It seems, at present, in good condition, and large enough to 

 give passage to a vessel of fifty tons. 



We found the Moju a fine stream, of about four hundred yards in 

 width, and forty-five feet deep opposite the entrance of the canal. The 



