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below the mouth of the Gaiba, and opposite this mountainous bank 

 of the Paraguay, is the mouth of the St. Lourenpo, formerly called 

 Porrudos. Twenty-six leagues above this the river Cuiaba enters its 

 western bank in lat. 17° 20', and long. 57° 5' : these two rivers are 

 of great extent ; that of Lourenpo has its sources in lat. 15°, forty 

 leagues east of the town of Cuiaba, receiving (besides the branches 

 crossed by the road from Goiaz) other great streams on its east side, 

 such as the Paraiba or Piquiri, which receives the Jaquari and the 

 Itiquira, all of moderate size, and navigable. The Itiquira has been 

 navigated to its heads, from whence the canoes were dragged over- 

 land to the Sucuriu, which falls into the Parana four leagues below 

 the mouth of the river Tiete on the opposite side. The rivers Iti- 

 quira and Sucuriu were found to have fewer and smaller falls than 

 the Taquari, and the land-passage is much shorter and more conve- 

 nient than that of the Camapuao, so that this navigation is prefer- 

 able to that by the two last-mentioned rivers : it is attended by only 

 two obstacles, — many Indians, and a want of provisions. 

 • The navigation to the town of Cuiaba by the river of that name, 

 from its above-mentioned confluence, is short and easy : in the first 

 ten leagues, after passing the two small islands of Ariacuni and Ta- 

 rumas, occurs a large plantation of bananas, formed on an embank- 

 ment on the east side of the river. Three leagues above this place 

 the Guacho-uassu enters the Cuiaba by its east bank, and on the 

 same side, seven leagues farther, the Guacho-mirim. From this 

 point the river winds in a north-north-east direction, eleven leagues 

 to the island of Pirahim, and from thence makes a large bend to 

 the east, receiving numerous streams, and passes the town of Cuiaba, 

 which is situated a mile to the eastward of it. This town is ninety- 

 six leagues to the east of Villa Bella, and the same distance from the 

 confluence of its river with the Paraguay. It is large, and, together 

 with its dependencies, may at present contain 30,000 souls. It is 

 well provided with meat, fish, fruits, and all sorts of vegetables, at a 

 much cheaper rate than at the sea-ports. The country is well 



