534 



Mantiqueira, if not by a transversal ridge, at 

 least by a mountainous territory. According 

 to ancient systematic ideas on the rising of 

 mountains, in proportion as we advance into a 

 country, it was supposed that a central Cordil- 

 lera existed in the Capitania of Mato Grosso, 

 much loftier than that of Villarica or do Espin- 

 hago ; but we now know (and this is confirmed 

 by climateric circumstances) that there exists 

 no continued c&ain, properly speaking, to the 

 westward of Rio San Francisco, on the frontiers 

 of Minas Geraes and Goyaz. We find only a 

 groupe of mountains of which the culminant 

 points are the Serras da Canastra (south-west 

 of Paracatu) and da Marcella (lat. 18i° and 

 19*10°), and further north, the Pyrineos stretch- 

 ing from east to west (lat. 16° 10' between Vil- 

 laboa and Mejaponte). Mr. Esch wege has 

 named the groupe of mountains of Goyaz the 

 Serra dos Vertentes, because it divides the 

 waters between the southern tributary streams 

 of the Rio Grande or Parana, and the northern 

 tributary streams of Rio Tucantines. It runs 

 towards the south beyond the Rio Grande (Pa- 

 rana), and approaches in 23° latitude, by the 

 Serra do Franca, the Espinhaco. It attains 

 only 300 to 400 toises of height, with the ex- 

 ception of some summits N. W. of Paracatu, 

 and is consequently much lower than the chain 

 of Villarica. 



