1831.-] 
RIO DE JANEIRO. 
3^5 
had hitherto held them in confinement, and, spurning farther re- 
straint, forced a passage to the ocean. In the same manner, the 
Blue Ridge of Virginia was evidently rent in twain by the two 
united rivers, whose mingled waters now form the Potomac ; and 
some suppose that the highlands of the Hudson once exhibited 
the same phenomenon. The fragments created by this con 
vulsion of nature at Rio, are supposed to have been thrown into 
the sea, where they still remain, before the entrance of the har- 
bour, in the form of a bar, on which there is never more than ten 
fathoms of water, while, just within it, there is not less than 
eighteen. However this may be, the chasm itself, as it now 
exists, presents a most picturesque appearance, opening as it 
does between two lofty mountains — Signal Hill on the right, the 
Sugarloaf cone on the left. These two remarkable piles of 
almost naked granite, present a striking contrast with the rest of 
the broken ridge, to Avhich they now form abutments, as every 
other prominent part is covered with luxuriant vegetation. 
On extending the view a little farther inland, the frowning bat- 
teries of Santa Cruz castle, With the Brazihan banner floating 
above them, are seen on the right, based on a solid rock of gran- 
ite, thirty feet in height, projecting westwardly from the foot of 
Signal Hill. Opposite to this, on the left, eastwardly of Sugar- 
loaf cone, .another fortress is discovered, of inferior strength; 
while between the two, but nearest to the latter, is a little island, 
strongly fortified, known by the appellation of Fort Lucia, Avhich 
reduces the width of the passage to about three quarters of a 
mile; The Sugarloaf is said to be nearly seven hundred feet in 
height, and every accessible spot on that side the entrance is ocj 
eupied by batteries, lines, and forts, or rather bears the evidence 
of having thus been occupied. 
After passing all these naturally strong-holds, the harbour sud-J 
denly expands, and extends itself into a circular, or rather ellip- 
tical, inland lake, which- is sprinkled over with islands which 
" Stand dress'd in living green ;" 
and surrounded by mountains rising in many ridges behind each 
other, like a vast natural amphitheatre. The tide rises in the 
harbour between four and five feet, and there is always sufficient 
depth of water to float vessels of the largest size.' 
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