ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
to protect the safety of the passengers and the valuable 
cargoes which go by that important water route. 
More picturesque than most of the scenery I had so 
far witnessed on the Amazon was the narrow Foro da 
Jararaca. From the lamp-post — it cannot in all honesty 
be called a lighthouse — of Mandy, we made for the other 
lamp-post of Capin; and from this for the third lamp- 
post of Arrozal, navigation being most difficult in that 
part. From there we steered direct for the Farol de 
Cutijuba, a light somewhat more respectable than the 
others at the entrance of the Barra of Para. 
After going through the bay of Coralhina we did not 
follow the great channel that was before us, but skirted 
the island of Concepcao to the left, passing between it 
and Paketta Island. After that island we found our¬ 
selves in the bay of Jappelin, so named after a bird of 
that region, which builds an elongated nest. 
Having passed the Cutijuba Island, and then the 
Taxipa Island on our left, in the early morning we en¬ 
tered between the islands of Arabiranga and Jararakinha. 
The larger vessels generally follow a course outside on 
the east of this island before entering the large bay of 
Mara jo. 
We could plainly see that we were approaching a 
large city, for quantities of little sailing boats were now 
visible on the water. Signs of civilization were begin¬ 
ning to appear on the island of Arabiranga. A brick and 
tile kiln, which supplied Belem (Para) with most of its 
building materials, had been established there. Alongside 
the island could be seen a lot of steamers belonging to 
the Amazon River Company. Beyond was the bay of 
Guajara, with the city and many ocean steamers looming 
in the distance. 
On November eighteenth we steamed into the bay, and 
there stood the city of Belem (Para) before us, while 
the noise of the town began to get louder and louder as 
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