326 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



complaining bitterly, I hastened onward with him, and on my return 

 found that the other urchins had beaten the animal to pieces, and thus 

 avenged their companion and robbed us of a part of our supper; for 

 in eating we had acquired some conformity to the habits of the country. 

 Besides Porcupines, there are here many Land-Crabs, and Dogs of a 

 small species, which devour them. We saw also the skin of a Boa 

 Constrictor, about twelve feet long and nine inches broad; in the 

 inhabited parts of Brazil these formidable reptiles are generally discovered 

 and destroyed before they attain a larger size. 



In pursuit of our principal object to ascend the River St. Joan, 

 we hired a canoa. It was about thirty feet long, only two broad and two 

 deep ; its appearance did not please us, but we found it safe and commo- 

 dious. The sources of this river are in the mountains of Canudos, at 

 the foot of which the waters are said to spread into a beautiful lake, seven 

 miles long and three broad ; from the Eastern side of which it issues a 

 large and navigable stream. It is reported to run forty miles, but it is 

 very tortuous, and its origin cannot, T think, be more than twenty from 

 the sea. We turned into another stream after having sailed on it nearly 

 twenty-eight miles ; at which spot it is about four hundred yards Avide, 

 with low, muddy banks, and, according to our reckoning, not more than 

 fifteen miles, in a right line, from the place of embarkation. It is suffi- 

 ciently deep, through its whole course, for vessels of seventy tons burden, 

 and in a distant age, when the bar shall be cleared, and the country 

 improved, will become a commercial mediuiji of great consequence. 



The river into which we passed, is called the flio Dourado, a name 

 here given to different streams ; in most of the cases indicative of vain 

 expectations, rather than realities. It might easily be made navigable 

 for seven miles from its junction with the St. Joan, but we advanced 

 only four, and here our men were constrained to lay by their paddles, and 

 by great labour, taking hold of the long weeds with their hands, to force 

 a passage through them. The stream was in this place about forty yards 

 wide, and eighteen feet deep, the water much discoloured, and its banks 

 soft and thickly wooded. 



