535 



Further on, west of the meridian of Villaboa, 

 there are only ridges and a series of monticules 

 which, on a length of 12°, form the threshold or 

 division of water (lat. 13° — 17°), between the 

 Araguay and the Paranaiba (a tributary stream 

 of the Parana), between the Rio Topayos, and the 

 Paraguay, between the Guapore and the Agua- 

 pehy. The Serra of S. Martha (long. 151°) is 

 somewhat lofty, but geographers, or rather 

 the drawers of maps, have preserved the habit 

 of singularly exaggerating the height of the 

 Serras or Campos Parecis, on the north of the 

 towns of Cuyaba and Villabella (lat. 13° — 14°, 

 long. 58° — 62°). These Campos, which have 

 taken their name from that of a tribe of wild 

 Indians *, are vast barren table-lands, entirely 

 destitute of vegetation, and in which the 

 sources -f- of the tributary streams of three 



* Patriota, 1813, No. 1> p. 48 ] No. 6, p. 40, 51. The 

 western part of these Campos is called Urucumanacua, be- 

 tween the Secury and the Camarare, two tributary streams 

 of the Rio Topaj'os. 



f The neighbouring tributary streams of the Topayos are 

 the Jurucna, and the Camarare j those of Madeira, the Ale- 

 gre, the Guapore, and the Sarare 5 those of Paraguay, the 

 Aguapehy, the Jauru, and the Sipotobu. Villabella, of which 

 the position may one day become important for the inland 

 trade between the Amazon and the Rio de la Plata, is placed 

 (lat. 15° 0', long. 62<> 18') on the right bank of the Guapore 

 or Itenes, a little above the confluence of the Sarare. On 

 the south of Santa Barbara, the Aguapehy (a tributary stream 



