TRAVELb IN BRAZIL. 



69 



generally arrive on the fifth day. The Parana 

 rolls its immense mass of waters slowly and majes- 

 tically along in a broad bed, and is said to be even 

 here half a league across. The navigation on it is 

 agreeable, but dangerous when a high wind arises, 

 by which tremendously high waves are dashed 

 against the shallow boats. The eastern bank is ge- 

 nerally high and the western low, and both are of 

 white sand covered with woods. The latter cease 

 w^hen the travellers leave this main stream and pro- 

 ceed up the Rio Pardo, which descends through an 

 extensive country covered with grass, with great 

 impetuosity and considerable fall, interrupted by 

 two and thirty cataracts. The navigation on this 

 river is extremely difficult, so that it often requires 

 two months to pass the eighty leagues of its course. 

 In the harbour of Sangue-xuga the boats are un- 

 loaded and conveyed on four-wheeled cars drawn 

 by oxen, two miles and a half to the harbour of 

 Camapuao. Here the travellers meet with the first 

 settlement of inhabitants in this wilderness (serfdo), 

 where they may purchase what provisions they 

 want, such as maize, bacon, beans, and dried salt 

 meat. The fazenda of Camapuao lies exactly half 

 way on this fatiguing route, and is often a place of 

 refuge for the crew, who are frequently all attacked 

 with malignant fevers, caused by incessant hard- 

 ships, and the damp foggy climate they have travel- 

 led through. The government has placed a de- 

 tachment of soldiers here, whose business it is to 



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