Ch.III. south AMERICA. 331 



the mod fertile and pleafantparcofthe Brazils. Over the 

 bar there is room enough, and depth of water fufficieuc 

 for the whole navy of England toridein fafety. Aboui;4 

 leagues above the mouth, this river divides itfelf into 

 four large branches, one running N. N. W. called 

 Rio Fundo ; another N. W. navigable for any vefTel 

 that can get over the bar, up as far as the towns of 

 St. Lucia and St. Euftatia, from the latter of which 

 it takes its name ^ a third called Rio de Pao Grand, 

 or Great-Timber river, which runs W. N. W. The 

 main branch, which runs W. S. W. is alfo navigable 

 as far as the town of Badia, about twenty leagues from 

 the mouth. On the banks of thefe branches there are 

 many fine plantations, and fmall villages, which fend 

 great quantities of fugar, tobacco, and mandioc to 

 Bahia, or Pernambuco, as the wind permits, which, 

 on this coafl: blows N. E. from OQober to May, and 

 the reft of the year S. E, 



This river runs into the fea through four channels, 

 formed by three fmall fandy iflands, lying in the 

 mouth of it. The three fouthernmoft channels are 

 very fhallow, and have not above fix or feven feet on 

 them at high water, nor above two or three feet at 

 low water. 



The above-mentioned bar is fand, and often 

 fhifts efpecially after the land floods, which are 

 very great about December, when there are twelve 

 or fourteen feet water on that part of the bar 

 over which the northernmoft channel direds its 

 courfe. As foon as you have pafled the bar, there is 

 feven or eight fathom water, and at the diftance of a 

 quarter of a mile from it twenty or thirty fathom. 

 The wind on this coaft always blowing from the E. 

 the furge and current running to the W. and moft of 

 the rivers difemboguing into the fea to the E, are the 

 chief caufe of the many bars on the coaft of South- 

 America : for wherever the two oppofite currents 

 deftToy each other, there ^ bar is formedj which is 



nearer 



