CHAPTER VIIL 



JOURNEY FROM THE RIO DOCE TO CARAVELLAS, TO THE RIVER 

 ALCOBACA, AND BACK TO MORRO d'aRARA ON THE MUCURI. 



Quartel deJuparanan da Praija — River and Barra of St. Matthew — Mucuri 

 — Villa Vigoza — Caravcllas — Ponte do Gent io, on the river Alcobaga — 

 Stay there. 



After we had passed the night with our friends at the Quartel de 

 Regencia, we with much trouble conveyed our mules the next morn- 

 ing over the river in the great boat. We then followed ourselves, 

 rode in the afternoon, accompanied by the two gentlemen from Lin- 

 hares, two leagues along the dreary sandy coast, and arrived at the 

 Quartel de Monserra, or Juparanan da Praya, where seven soldiers 

 are stationed. Near this Quartel is a long narrow lagoa^ which is 

 called Lagoa de Juparanan da Praya, to distinguish it from the much 

 more considerable lake near Linhares. At the time of high water 

 this lagoa has at this part of the coast a communication with the sea 

 by a broad channel, which must be passed in boats ; but it was now 

 dry, and our loaded mules crossed it without wetting their feet. The 

 station lies on the sandy beach close to the sea; just behind it the narrow 

 lagoa expands, and beyond are thick forests, in which we could dis- 

 tinguish a great number of wild cocoa-palms. The soldiers have made 

 in the neighbourhood some plantations, where they cultivate mandi- 



