PROVINCE OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL. 



117 



The Castilhos Grandes is a hill near to the point of the same name, and 

 crowned with stones, that appear Hke towers. 



The Pao d'Assucar (Sugar- Loaf ) is upon the shore four or five leagues to the 

 west of Maldonado, and the hill of St. Luzia a little to the east of the river 

 of the same name. The Serra dos Tappes, which is of very small elevation, 

 runs parallel with the lake of Patos at a distance of from four to seven leagues, 

 being fifteen leagues long from north to south, and five broad. That of Herval 

 is further to the north, behind the Tappes. 



The extensive chains of small hills, without trees, and forming pasturage for 

 flocks of cattle, are called cochilhas. 



The before-mentioned Pao d'Assucar is at the southern extremity of the 

 chain called the Great Cochilha, which extends itself to the north as far as the 

 source of the river Arica. In many parts, its elevation is imperceptible, 

 appearing like a plain, and from both sides other mountains branch oflf, as do 

 some rivers which have their origin in it. The hills ranging to the west of it 

 are not well known ; the largest on the east are the Herval, the Piratinim, approxi- 

 mating the rivers of the same names, and the Babiragua, in the vicinity of the 

 Camacuan. The highest points of the hills and cochilhas, and destitute of vege- 

 tation, are called serros, their summits serving on occasions of war for watch- 

 towers, which are numerous, and some of them are seen from others at a dis- 

 tance of twenty leagues. 



Rivers. — The numerous streams of this province almost all issue by two 

 channels, viz. the Rio Grande de St. Pedro, which empties itself about the 

 middle of the eastern coast, and the Rio Uruguay, which runs into the Para- 

 guay. The Great Cochilha divides the tributary streams of those two rivers. 

 The Uruguay originates in the lower parts of the mountains which stretch along 

 the ocean, and runs for a considerable distance under the name of Pellotas to 

 the westward, between margins principally of pointed and massy rocks, 

 gathering in its course the rivers Caveiras, Caroas, Chorros, and the Correntes, 

 which issue either from the skirts or the vicinity of the same cordillera, and 

 water the most southern portion of the province of St. Paulo, designated by the 

 name of Campos da Vaccaria. It here takes the name with which it terminates, 

 and, already assuming the appearance of a large river, bends its course towards 

 the south-west, still accumulating by other streams. In latitude 29|°, it receives 

 the considerable river Ibicui by the left, afterwards the Mirinay by the right, then 

 flowing southward, and ultimately the Negro by its eastern margin; has many 

 windings and islands, and affords navigation for large boats to the first great 



