458 



PROVINCE OF PARA. 



channels into the fourth, the whole flowing with immense profundity and greater 

 rapidity by this strait between the extremity of the reef and the river's left bank 

 The canoes are dragged over land, with much difficulty and labour, nearly half 

 a mile. 



Five miles lower is the fall of St. Antonio, which the river passes by three 

 currents, formed by two small stony islands. This is the first which interrupts 

 the navigation of the canoes proceeding upwards, and is situated in the lati- 

 tude of 8° 48'. 



Three months is generally consumed by the navigators of this river in ad- 

 vancing up from this fall to that of Guajirurairim in the Guapore. 



From the fall of St. Antonio to the embouchure of the Madeira there are 

 more than thirty islands, from three to ten miles in length, almost all of them 

 covered with superb timber ; those of a smaller size are much more numerous, 

 the largest is called Minas, which is ten miles long and three in width, and is 

 sixty miles below the mouth of the river Marmellos. 



The waters of Rio Negro and the Madeira increase the width of the Maran- 

 ham to nearly four miles, and when there are parallel islands it is at some 

 places eight, and at others much more. 



About two hundred miles in a direct line, or three hundred by the course of 

 the river, below the Madeira, is the mouth of the large river Tapajos ; and two 

 hundred miles further to the east that of the river Xingu, equal if not superior 

 to the preceding ; both coming from the district of Cuiaba, and neither with 

 less than eight hundred miles of course. 



At the confluence of the latter the Amazons inclines to the north-east for the 

 distance of one hundred and forty miles, augmenting sensibly in width as it 

 approaches the equator, where it discharges itself into the ocean by a mouth of 

 from twenty-five to thirty miles. 



Eighty miles below the mouth of the Xingu there is a channel called Tagy- 

 puru, in certain parts very narrow, and running towards the south-east as far 

 as the mouth of the river Annapu, where it becomes upwards of fifteen miles 

 in width, with many islands, and flows to the east until it enters the river 

 Tucantins, which comes from the centre of the province of Goyaz, and at this 

 part inclines to the north-east, increasing considerably in width, and entering 

 the ocean by an embouchure equal to that of the Amazons, with this difference, 

 that for some leagues up it is impregnated with salt water, whilst the other 

 carries its volume of pure waters many leagues into the sea, perfectly fresh, 



