PROVINCE OF ST. CATHARINA. 



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its northern margin it receives the waters of a lake, which is about five leagues 

 long, and one broad, extending parallel with the sea-coast as far as the Campos 

 das Lagoinhas, from thence it has another outlet to the sea, by a channel called 

 Arroyo Grande. 



Near the situation denominated the Conventos, there is a serro of rock 

 moderately elevated, and terminating in a platform near the beach, about six 

 leagues distant from the Mambituba. Six miles further, the river Ararangua 

 enters the sea, and is navigable for the space of five leagues to the Tres Portos, 

 where it is one hundred fathoms wide, and deeper than at the bar, having a 

 rapid current from the month of June to September. Three leagues beyond the 

 preceding, the river Urussanga disembogues, being more extensive, and much 

 more rapid when its waters are high ; no vessel can enter its mouth, in conse- 

 quence of the sea breaking with great violence upon a bank which crosses it. 

 Higher up it is wider, and has four fathoms of depth in some places. This 

 river communicates with a large and deep lake, where the boto and other large 

 fish are seen, which come up from the ocean ; it lies northward of the river. 

 Five leagues further is the rock of St. Martha, where the coast changes its 

 direction to the north. Three leagues to the north of the Morro, or rock of 

 St. Martha, is the spacious bay of Laguna, formerly the river Da Lagoa, (of the 

 Lake) which is the mouth of the river Tubarao, and together the outlet of various 

 lakes, prolonged in a ciiain parallel with the ocean, and at no considerable 

 distance from it. This river rises in the serra that bounds this province, and 

 its current is rapid from April to September. Canoes proceed up it a distance 

 of eight or nine leagues to Porto da Guarda; but sumacas do not pass the 

 mouth of the river Capibary, which joins it by the left bank, and is navigable 

 for a space of eight leagues to Pouzo Alto. On the northern margin of the 

 Tubarao is the outlet of the great lake Laguna, which is five leagues long from 

 north to south, near two at the greatest width, and is of sufficient depth for 

 sumacas, as far as its northern extremity. On the southern bank of the Tubarao, 

 in front of the outlet of the Laguna, is that of the lake of St. Martha, which 

 lake is a quarter of a league square. On its southern side the lake Garopaba 

 discharges itself, is about the same size, and one league distant. Into the 

 latter the outlet of the lake Jaguaruna disembogues, which is two leagues 

 further to the southward, and a little larger. The three together afford a passage 

 to large canoes, as far as the river Congonhas, which is not considerable, and 

 empties itself into the western margin of tiie latter lake. They are compre-« 

 hended under the name of the lakes of Camacho, and abound in fish. 



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