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PROVINCE OF MATTO GROSSO, 



charnecas, and gently undulating eminences, often rising to the grandeur of 

 mountain scenery. The greater portion is fertilized by numerous rivers. The 

 prevailing thunder showers of the winter season commence in September and 

 terminate in April. 



Mineralogy. — The same minerals are met with here which are found in 

 the district of Matto Grosso. 



Phytology. — There are a diversity of trees of excellent timber. Amongst 

 % other medicinal plants, is one called espigelia, the herva de cobra, (serpent 



herb) the jarrinha, and various qualities of the real quina, or Jesuits' bark. 



Amongst other fruits of the wood, the quince is well known, the jahuticaha, 

 the amhuzo, the araticumo, the guabiraba, and the goyaba. 



Cotton, sugar, Indian corn, mandioca, rice, and legumes, are objects of 

 agriculture proportioned to the population. 



From no part of this district can the superfluity that is produced be exported 

 with advantage, in consequence of its present tedious and intricate communi- 

 cation with the maritime provinces. 



Zoology. — Large herds of cattle are bred, as well as horses, some mules, 

 hogs, sheep, and a very few goats, which hitherto are deemed useless. 



Rivers.— The most celebrated is the Paraguay, which rises in a plain upon 

 the serra of Pary, otherwise Lage, (a portion of the extensive Paricis,) at the 

 situation of the Sete Lagoas, so called from an assemblage of seven lakes, 

 generally small, a short space intervening between them, and communicating 

 by narrow outlets. A little below the last, this river flows through a swampy 

 country in a northerly direction for a short space, when it winds round by the 

 west and takes a southern course. The first stream which it receives is the 

 Diamantino, (Diamond River,) which comes from a distant source, and brings 

 with it the Corrego Rico, (Rich Channel,) otherwise Rio do Oiro, (Gold River.) 

 The first large river which joins it is the Jauru. Along its eastern margin, 

 and in nearly the whole of this great extent, is a range of elevated lands, which 

 continue twenty-five miles beyond this confluence, and terminate at the point 

 called Escalvada, where both margins begin to be flat, and interspersed with 

 lakes. Seventy miles below the Escalvada point, the western margin begins 

 to be bordered by a serra of the like number of miles in length, but narrow, 

 and broken in various parts to admit of the ingress of the waters of three lakes 

 lying behind it, the outlets of which, thus formed, appear like large rivers, 

 when the Paraguay at its overflowings makes them a part of its expanded 

 channel. The northern portion of this serra is called Insua : the southern, 



