156 



PROVINCE OF ST. CATHARINA. 



by canoes for a space of five leagues ; the Upitanga, which joins it by the right 

 margin, and is only navigable for six miles; the Itapicu Mirim, that comes from 

 the north-west and admits of navigation for about fifteen miles ; the Jaragua, which 

 flows from the south-west, and appears capable of allowing small vessels to 

 proceed as far as a situation about four leagues above its mouth ; and the Bra90, 

 which descends from the north-west, and admits of canoes for the space of six 

 miles. All these rivers run by winding courses among mountains and uncul- 

 tivated territories, thickly wooded, demonstrating the natural fertility of the 

 soil. The Itapicu is supposed to be the river of Dragons, which the discoverers 

 placed to the south of the river St. Francisco in this district. 



Five miles to the north of Itapicu is the island of St. Francisco, six leagues 

 long, and in the form of a bow, the right line of which is nearest the 

 coast ; the channel which separates it from the continent is improperly called 

 the river of St. Francisco. The southern entrance is denominated Aracary, is 

 two hundred fathoms wide, has only depth for large boats, and on its outside 

 are the three islands of Remedies and two of Tamboretes. The northern bar, 

 called Babitonga, is fifteen hundred fathoms wide and deep enough for 

 large sumacas* At the end of the sixteenth century it was not known that 

 the land between the bar of Aracary and Babitonga was an island ; they were 

 thought to be two mighty rivers, the southern called the St. Francisco and the 

 northern the Alagado. The channel, or the pretended river St. Francisco, of 

 a semicircular form, enlarges considerably from both mouths to the middle, 

 where it is three miles wide, and contains a cluster of more than twenty islands. 

 A great number of rivers empty themselves here. The nearest to the bar of 

 Aracary is the Piraque, having a course of five leagues, five fathoms in width 

 at the mouth, and affords navigation to canoes for three miles; next to it is the 

 Pinheiros, still smaller ; then the Paraty, which is thirty fathoms wide at the bar, 

 two and a half in depth, and navigable for about a league. The little river Areas, 

 narrow and deep, is navigable for two miles. The great river Areas, up which 

 canoes proceed with the tide for some distance. The river Parannagua, whose 

 origin approximates to that of the Pirango, an arm of the Itapicu : coasting ves- 

 sels proceed up it a short way, large boats about two miles, and canoes nearly five 

 miles. Next follow the Sagua^u; the two Erirys; the Cubatao Grande, twenty 

 fathoms wide, three deep, and navigable for ten leagues to the high rock of 

 Tromba ; the Antonio Felis ; the Ribeyrao ; the Bigua^u ; the Pyrabyreba ; 



* Sumacas are from ten to nearly two hundred tons burden. 



