PROVINCE OF GOYAZ. 



247 



The width of the Tucantines, at the passage from this arraial to that of Car- 

 mo, which is distant thirty-five miles to the east, is three hundred and seventy- 

 four fathoms at the period of its greatest diminution, and more than five hun- 

 dred when its bed is full. Porto Real is the name of this passage. 



The aldeia of Mantanca is ten miles to the north of Pontal, near the origin 

 of a small river, which after a course of twelve miles enters the Tucantines. 

 It is yet insignificant, in consequence of the invasions of the Indians, but it 

 abounds with fish, game, and fruits. The salubrity of the cHmate, the fertility 

 of the soil, the abundance of water, the extensive neighbouring woods, and 

 the gold which is known to exist in the district, ought long ago to have pro- 

 duced an accumulating population, a great augmentation of the existing 

 villages, and many other improvements; in which case its inhabitants would, ere 

 this, have reduced or put to flight the hostile Indians, and, besides, would 

 have been carrying on a great commercial intercourse with the merchants of 

 Gram Para. None of the comarcas of this province hold so advantageous a 

 situation for commerce. 



In the angle of the confluence of the Araguaya with the Tucantines, there 

 is a prezidio, or military detachment, to register the canoes which navigate by 

 both rivers to the city of Para. This is the place where the before-mentioned 

 decree of 1809 ordered the town of St. Joam das Duas Barras to be founded, 

 for the head of the comarca of that name. It is said, however, that this pro- 

 ject, so well conceived, was not effected, in consequence of the reefs with 

 which this situation is encompassed, and which impeded the access of canoes. 

 This probably was the reason of two places being founded, one upon each 

 river, higher up. 



In the year 1775 were reduced the two savage nations of Carajas and 

 Javahes, who possessed the island of St. Anna, or Bannanal. The first were 

 established in six aldeias, and the other in three, nearly the whole with names 

 of places in Portugal; namely, Angeja and Seabra, both for the Carajas, near 

 the southern extremity of the island ; the first near the eastern arm, and the 

 other near the western ; Cunha, for the Javahes, thirty-five miles to the north 

 of Angeja, and some distance from the river ; Annadia, for the Carajas, twenty- 

 eight miles to the north of Seabra, and near the river ; St. Pedro, for the same, 

 and eighteen miles to the north-east of Cunha, near the margin of the river ; 

 Ponte de Lima, for the Javahes, in the centre of the island ; Lavradio, fifty miles 

 to the north of Annadia ; Lamacaes, forty to the north ; both for the Carajas, in 

 the vicinity of the river ; and Mello, for the Javahes, some distance from the 



