302 



distant* from the mouth of the Rio Negro : but 

 the facility of navigation on the Amazon, which 

 runs like an immense canal in one direction 

 from west to east, has enabled the Portugueze 

 population to extend itself rapidly along the 

 river. The banks of the Lower Maragnon, from 

 Vistoza as far as Serpa, as well as those of the 

 Rio Negro from Fort da Bara to San Jose da 

 Marabitannas, are embellished by rich cultiva- 

 tion, and by a great number of large villager 

 and towns. 



These local considerations are combined with 

 others, that pertain to the moral disposition of 

 the nations. The north-west coast of America 

 furnishes to this day no other stable settlements 

 but Russian and Spanish colonies. Before the 

 inhabitants of the United States in their pro- 

 gressive movement from east to west could reach 

 the shore between the latitude of 41° and 50° 

 that long separated the Spanish monks and the 

 Siberian hunters-f, the latter had established 

 themsel ves south of the river Colum bia. Thus 

 in NewCalifornia the missionaries of Saint Fran- 

 cis, men estimable for their morals, and their 



* One hundred and fifty leagues in a straight line. 

 + The hunters connected with military posts, and depend- 

 ant on the Russian Company, the principal proprietors of 

 which live at Irkoutsk. In 1804 the little fortress fcrcpostj 

 at the bay of Jakutal was still six hundred leagues distant 

 from the most northern Mexican possessions. 



