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of which, and by upwards of thirty rivers that empty themselves into 

 it, a communication is opened through many and distant points with 

 the interior of Brazil. This capitania, from its geographical position, 

 has ever been considered as the grand outwork of Brazil, not only 

 because it covers the interior divisions of this vast portion of the new 

 continent, which is the cradle of its greatest rivers, branching in in- 

 numerable channels, and enriched with great and untouched trea- 

 sures ; but also because, by this extensive channel, the Portugueze 

 are enabled to penetrate to the establishments of Spain in Peru. 



The River Araguaya, or Grande. 



The eastern boundary of the capitania of Matto Grosso, sepa- 

 rating it from that of Goiaz, is the river Grande, two hundred 

 leagues from Villa Bella. This river, known in the state of Pard by 

 the name of Araguaya only, which is conferred on it by the nume- 

 rous nations inhabiting its banks, has its remotest source in lat. 19*^? 

 and running north and south, intersected at various points by the 

 meridian of 52° 30', flows in lat. 6° into the Tocan tines, wherein it 

 loses its name ; and both, thus united in one ample stream, continue 

 their course for three hundred and seventy leagues, and fall into the 

 southern estuary of the mighty river Amazons in lat. 1° 40' between 

 the two celebrated bays of Marapata and Limseiro, opposite to the 

 great island of Joannes, or Murajo, and twenty leagues west of the 

 city of Par4. — The river Das Mortes, which rises far to the west of 

 the Rio Grande, and forms its highest western branch, running for a 

 considerable space to the east, and afterwards north, with an entire 

 course of one hundred and fifty leagues, till it enters the Araguaya 

 in lat. 12*^, is entirely within the capitania of Matto Grosso. 



The river Araguaya is peopled by many tribes of warlike sa- 

 vages; it abounds in all the productions peculiar to the state of 

 Para, and affords an uninterrupted navigation from the city of 

 that name, and by the river, with the centre of Brazil and the ca- 

 pitania of Matto Grosso. The same is practicable by the river Das 



