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founded the city of Xere^, which the Paulistas destroyed. Ten 

 leagues above this place, in the mountains that form the upper part 

 of the Embotetieu, there is a tradition that there are rich mines 

 which were discovered fifty years ago. One league below the mouth 

 of the Mondego there are two high insulated mounts fronting each 

 other on the Paraguay : at the extremity of the southern declivity of 

 the mount on the west side, near the bank of the river, is the garri- 

 son of New Coimbra, founded in 1775 ; it is the last and souther- 

 most Portugueze establishment on the great Paraguay. Eleven 

 leagues to the south of Coimbra, on the west side of the Paraguay, 

 is the mouth of Bahia Negra, a large sheet of water of six leagues 

 in extent, being five leagues long from north to south : it receives 

 the waters of the wide-flooded plains and lands to the south and 

 west of the mountains of Albuquerque. At this bay the Portu- 

 gueze possessions on both banks of the Paraguay terminate. From 

 thence the river continues to lat. 21^, where, on its west bank, is 

 situated a hill known to the Portugueze by the name of Miguel Jos6, ^ 

 crowned with a Spanish fort with four pieces of artillery, called 

 Bourbon. Three leagues above this the little river Guirino falls into 

 the Paraguay on the east side. Nine leagues to the south of the 

 above fort, and in lat. 21° 22', are other mountains on both sides the 

 Paraguay, which command this river ; for the eastern side is sur- 

 mounted with a lofty chain extending to the interior of the country, 

 near which is the sugar-loaf mount ; the opposite side is equally 

 mountainous, but not so high or extensive ; and in the middle of the 

 river there is a high rocky island, which, with the mountainous banks 

 on each side, forms two channels of about a musket-shot across. 

 This, in case of war between the neighbouring nations, would be a 

 post of the highest importance, as it forms a natural barrier, which 

 would require little fortification to render it an effectual obstacle to 

 invasion. Here terminate those extensive inundations, to which both 

 banks of the Paraguay are subject : they commence at the mouth of 

 the Jauru, and to this point cover an extent of 100 leagues from 



