NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



339 



After rowing six hours longer, we reached the Porto dos Saveiros, 

 so named from the vessels, from ten to forty tons burden, which ascend 

 thus far, to take in the cargoes brought hither in canoas. It lies at the 

 foot of considerable hiUs, one of which I climbed, and from its summit 

 overlooked plains twelve miles long, and six or seven broad, and a river 

 which we had ascended thus far, writhing among them like a snake. 

 Here we followed the common custom, and exchanged our launch for a 

 canea, in which we reached the bridge of Maranbaya, after a toilsome 

 progress of other six hours. At this place the river is about twenty 

 feet wide ; while at the Convent and at Porto dos Saveiros, it is thrice 

 that width, and at its mouth full two hundred yards. The course of this 

 stream might be greatly relieved by making only very short canals, at 

 places where its curves approach each other ; but it is alledged, probably 

 with reason, that, if it flowed in a right line, no vessel would be able to 

 stem the current, and its upper part would become so shallow as not to 

 admit even a canoa to float. Embankments and locks, the natural 

 remedies of such defective navigations, are not yet known in the country, 

 and ages must elapse before they can be introduced. In this prolific 

 climate, so much is done every year in the conversion of marshes into 

 solid grovmd, that it will be long ere a scarcity of land puts the inhabitants 

 upon any scientific contrivances, to improve its rivers. 



Having descended the stream again, we approached the Ilha do 

 Governador, and landed at the point of Tupiacanga, a place where the 

 water is beautifully clear over a sandy bottom, but so shallow as to be 

 fit only for vessels of a very small draught. To the East beyond 

 the point lies the spacious Bay of Soledo, where the water is certainly 

 deeper, but the coast is so destitute of inhabitants as to render such an 

 advantage useless. Indeed all this part of the island is composed of sand, 

 producing little but stunted brush-wood of the hardier kinds ; and so dry 

 that we found it difficult even to replenish our Barrel. Stretching across 

 to the mouth of the Inhomerim, we fell in again with the bank of mud, 

 and were compelled to grope our way over it as well as we could ; not 



u u 2 



