1 



66 THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC 



addition of a few canals, the inhabitants of the more remote 

 sections would be enabled to send their produce to the chief 

 markets on the coast In a few years, the Maraiion will become 

 a great highway of commerce, by steam navigation, from the 

 interior of Peru, and even from the shores of the Pacific ocean ; 

 then a large portion of trade, now conducted by the route of 

 Cape Horn, will be directed into this new channel. 



The country is divided into provinces, or captaincies. Along 

 the coast are Guyana, Para, Maranham, Piauhy, Siara, Rio- 

 Grande-do-Norte, Parahyba ; Pernambuco, which includes 

 Alagoas ; Seregipe-d'el-Rey, Bahia, Ilheos, Porto-Seguro, Es- 

 pirito-Santo, Rio-de-Janeiro, San-Paulo, Santa-Catharina (an 

 island near the coast), and Rio-Grande-do-Sul. The interior is 

 included in three great divisions ; Minas-Geraes, Goias, and 

 Matto-Grosso, which are subdivided into comarcas, or depart- 

 ments. These provinces are but imperfectly known ; they 

 abound in mines of gold, silver, and other metals, and precious 

 stones, among which the diamond and topaz are conspicuous. 



The vegetable productions of this vast empire are as abun- 

 dant and valuable as those of any other in the world j not only 

 in medicinal plants, fruits, and dye woods, but in timber suit- 

 able for all the purposes of marine architecture.* 



Rio de Janeiro, or St. Sebastians, is advantageously situated 

 for an extensive commerce. The bay is one of the most safe 

 and capacious in the world, affording every facility for water- 

 ing vessels, and refreshing their crews, after long voyages. 

 It is a rendezvous for men-of-war, and a stopping place for 

 merchant-men of all nations trading to the Pacific. 



Like all the colonies in the New World, Brazil was much 

 restrained in her commerce by the mother country ; but since 

 the immigration of the court to Rio de Janeiro, in 1807, the 

 old restrictions have been removed. About 1810, a treaty was 

 made with England, by which all the ports of Brazil were 

 opened to British vessels and produce, on paying fifteen per 

 cent, on a valuation made by their own consuls. This treaty 



* A line-of-battle ship and a frigate, built at Bahia, were launched and sent 

 to Rio Janeiro in 1833. 



