( 292 ) 



CHAP. XVIII. 



Geographical Description of the Capitania of Matto Grosso. 



J^ESPECTING this extensive portion of Brazil, I had an oppor- 

 tunity of gaining considerable information, being intimately ac- 

 quainted with the commanding officer of the military force stationed 

 there, Colonel Martinez, an engineer of extraordinary merit, who 

 had made four journeys to Matto Grosso, and had resided there 

 some years. He was kind enough to give me a description of his 

 route from St. Paul's to the capital of that province, and promised 

 me a chart of the navigable rivers and roads from thence to Para, 

 which had been formed by officers of his party, together with docu- 

 ments in illustration of it. But he being hastily called away on a 

 particular service, was prevented from executing his promise, and I 

 could only profit by the verbal description which he repeatedly gave 

 me. This description, as proceeding from a person of such un- 

 doubted veracity, it was my intention to give to the public ; but, 

 after my return to England, I was agreeably surprised to find a MS., 

 nearly corresponding with it, in the hands of that eminent geogra- 

 pher, Mr. Arrowsmith, who has liberally permitted me to make use 

 of it. To his excellent map, compiled according to the latest MS. 

 charts communicated from Brazil, I beg leave to refer the reader for 

 an accurate delineation of the particular locaUties here detailed. 



This extensive capitania is separated from the neighbouring terri- 

 tory belonging to Spain by the intervening channels of the rivers 

 Paraguay, Madeira, Mamore, and Guapor6, which form abroad and 

 natural trench around it of five hundred leagues in circuit, by means : 



