offenders, and re-established the peace of the province; afterwards, by a special commission from the Viceroy, he resigned the goverment to, 24. Don Martin Joseph de Echaure, captain of dragoons: he remained here till 1755. 25. Don Rafael de la Moneda. 26. Don Marcos Larrazabal.

27. Don Pedro Melo, of Portugal; lieutenant colonel of dragoons of the regiment of Sagunto: he governed from 1777 to 1795.

28. Don Joaquin de Alós, formerly captain of the infantry regiment of Aragon and Corregidor of Quispicanchi in Peru: nominated in 1785.

PARAGUAY, a river which gives its name to the former province, and was first navigated by Sebastian Gabota, a Venetian, in 1526 it rises in the great lake of Los Lareyes or Laraye, in lat. 24° 18's. and runs from n. to s. as far as the river Corrientes, and from thence s. w. to the city of Asuncion. Here it again takes its course to the s. to unite itself with the rivers Paraná and Virmejo, in lat. 27° 41's. On the w. near its banks, dwell the nations of the Guaicurus and Abipones Indians, and on the e. the Guaranies, Tobatines and Payaguas. This river is joined by the Tibaquira, Lañabe, Upacay or Pirayú, Xexuy, Pilcomayo, Confuso, Guarumbare, Yuguy, Mboeri, Verde, Corrientes, and others of less size. The Portuguese of the colony of Sacrament, used to pass from the Paraná to this river to get to the river Icipotiva or Yauri, by which they went to Matogroso, which is near the shore of the Itenes, w of the mines of Cuyaba. This river has many islands, abounds in excellent fish, and its shores are covered with lofty trees, which form extremely thick woods, in which dwell a multitude of rare birds and animals.

[The fine river Paraguay (observes Mr. Mawe, the traveller) has its remote springs to the w. of the heads of the Arinas, in lat. 13° and after a s. course of 600 leagues, enters the ocean under the appellation of the Rio de la Plata. The heads of the Paraguay are 270 miles n. e. from Villa Bella, and 164 miles n. from Cuiaba, and divided into many branches, and already forming complete rivers; which, as they run s. successively unite, and form the channel of this immense river, which is immediately navigable. To the w. a short distance from the main source of the Paraguay is that of the Sypotuba, which disembogues on its w. bank, in lat. 15° 50′ after a course of 60 leagues. In the upper part of this river, and near its w. branch, called the Jurubanba, was formerly a gold mine, which was worked with considerable profit; but the supe

rior advantages derived from others subsequently explored in Matto Grosso and Cuiba, caused it to be abandoned, and its site is not now known with certainty. The little river Cabaral, also auriferous, enters the Paraguay on the w. side three leagues below the mouth of the Sypotuba. On the banks of the latter lives a nation of Indians, called Barbados, from the distinction peculiar to themselves, among all the Indian nations, of having large beards.

The Boriras Araviras inhabit the banks of the Cabaral: they are a mixture of two different nations, who in the year 1797 sent four chiefs of their tribe, accompanied by their mother, to Villa Bella, in order to solicit the friendship of the Portuguese. The nation called Pararioné lives in their neighbourhood, close by the Sypotuba. A league below the mouth of the Cabaral, on the e. bank of the Paraguay, is Villa Maria, a small and useful establishment, founded in 1778. Seven leagues s. of Villa Maria, and on the w. bank of the Paraguay, the river Jauru disembogues into it in lat. 16° 24'. This river is remarkable for the boundary-mark erected at its mouth in 1754, as well as for being entirely Portuguese, together with lands on its s. bank, and bordering on the Spanish possessions. It rises in the plains of the Parexis in lat. 13° 54', and long. 58° 14', and running s. to lat. 15° 43′, the situation of the Register of the same name, it there turns to the s. e. for 60 miles, till, by an entire course it reaches its junction with the Paraguay. There are salt-water-pits, which in part have supplied Matto Grosso ever since its foundation with salt they are in the interior of the country, seven leagues from the Register, and extend to a place called Salina de Almeida, from the name of the person who first employed himself in these works.

These salt-pits are situate along the margins of broad marshy bottoms, in which are found fish of the same kind with those in the Paraguay. The Salina de Almeida is not far distant from the bank of the Jauru, and the great quantity of saline liquid found in it continues three leagues further to the s. where a junction is formed with another from the w. called Pitas, w. of which are high and dry plains, where are found numerous large circles, formed by a species of palm called Carandas. These plains terminate nine leagues w. of the Salina de Almeida, in a large pool of marsh, called Paopique, which runs to the s.

The confluence of the Jauru with the Paraguay is a point of much importance: it guards and covers the great road between Villa Bella Cuia-]

[that navigate it. These Serras terminate two leagues to the s. in those of the Dourados, immediately below which there is a channel on the w. side of the Paraguay, which, piercing between the two high detached mounts, called Cheines, leads to the lake Mendiuri, six leagues long, and the largest on the Paraguay.

From the Dourados, the Paraguay runs s. to the Serras of Albuquerque, where it touches directly on the n. point, on which is situated a town of that name. These Serras form a compact square of 10 leagues, and contain much calcareous stone; the land is considered the best on either side the Paraguay, from the river downwards, and only equalled by that on the w. margins of the lakes Mandiuri and Gaiba. From Albuquerque the Paraguay, turns to the s. w. It skirts its Serras, which terminate at the end of six leagues higher up in the Serra do Rabicho, opposite which, on the n. bank of the river, is situated the lower s. mouth of the Paraguay-mirim. This is an arm of the Paraguay, which, terminating here, forms an island 14 leagues in length from n. to s.; it is the usual channel for canoes in times of inundation. From the mouth of the Paraguay-mirim the river takes a s. direction to the mouth of the Taquari, navigated annually by flotillas of canoes and other craft, which come from St. Paul's to Cuiaba, and even as far as the Register of Jauru, when their destination happens to be Villa Bella.

As this navigation is an object of great importance, from its connecting two distinct districts, the following compendious description of the rout pursued in it may not prove uninteresting. It is abstracted from the diary of a man of science, who performed the journey a few years ago, in the month of October, when the Paraguay begins to retire to its own channel. The description may commence at the Taquari, as the voyage from thence to Cuiaba and the Jauru has already been detailed. The largest of the many mouths of the Taquari in the Paraguay is in lat. 19° 12', and long. 54° 5′. In the first ten leagues of navigation,the channel of the river is lost, as it crosses some large plains, covered with water to the depth of several feet. This is contiguous to Taquari, a place where the river is much confined.

From this place it is 20 leagues to the restingplace of Allegre, in lat. 18° 12', and this space contains, on both banks of the Taquari, many entrances into the paths, which lead in time of the floods to various distant places on the Paraguay, Porrudos, and Cuiaba. From this restingplace there are 30 leagues of navigation, on the

course of the river e. to the fall of Barra, where it is impeded and unnavigable above a mile, though a part of it may be passed in a half-loaded and part in empty canoes. At the head of this fall the river Cochim enters the Taquari, and the navigation here quits the latter for the Cochim. At its mouth it is 20 fathoms broad, and a league upwards receives on its s. bank the Taquari-mirim, a river nearly as broad as itself. A little above this confluence is situated its first fall, which is called Da Ilha, and may be passed in empty canoes. A league above is the fall of Giquitaya, passed with half cargoes, and a league and a quarter farther, that of the Choradeira, the current of which is very rapid. Beyond this is the fall of Avanhandava-uassu, where the cargoes are carried over land for half a mile, and the canoes are conducted through a difficult channel of three fathoms, at the end of which they are pushed over the rocks in order to pass the head or cataract. Half a league above is the fall Do Jauru, so called from a river of that name, which enters the Cochim above it, on the n. side. From this confluence upwards there occurs seven falls in the course of five leagues and a half, in the midst of which distauce the river cuts and is enchannelled in a mountain, through which it runs smoothly, although scarcely five fathoms broad, and receives on its s. side the stream of the Paredão, which is said to be auriferous. Half a league above the last of the seven falls before-mentioned are three successive ones, called Tres Irmãos, and at an equal distance above them, that of Das Furnas, which is passed laboriously with canoes unloaded. From this place the navigation continues on the Cochim through a succession of falls, until that river is joined by the Camapuão, eight yards in breadth at its mouth. From this point to its junction with the Taquari, the course of the Cochim is 30 leagues.

The river Camapuão, along which the navigation is continued, becomes narrower on passing some rivulets that flow into it, and so shallow, as to be in general scarcely two feet deep, and the canoes are rather dragged than navigated along its sandy bed. After two leagues of this labour, they quit the Camapuão-uassu, leaving it on the right hand, choked with fallen trees, &c. and enter into the Camapuão-mirim, up which they proceed one league, when they reach the fazenda, or estate of the same name. This is an important establishment, belonging to the Portuguese, in the centre of those vast and desert regions that interverne between the great rivers Paraguay and Parana, 90 leagues s. s. w. in a direct line]

[from the town of Cuiaba. The place seems very proper for a Register, to prevent the smuggling of gold in this route, and to fix the duties on goods passing to Cuiaba and Motta Grosso. The canoes and cargoes are transported from the Fazenda de Camapuão by land about a mile to the river Sanguixuga, the principal source of the Rio Pardo. From the end of the land passages the navigation continues down the Sanguixuga, and, in the interval of three leagues, they pass four falls to the Rio Vermelho (so called from the colour of its waters), which enters the Pardo. Half a league from the mouth of the Vermelho the Pardo has the fall of the Pedras de Amolar, and a league below receives on its s. side the river Claro, from which, after proceeding two leagues of level stream, there occur nine falls in the space of two leagues more. The passage of them occupies 12 or 14 days in going up the river, though only one returning. Below the last of these, called the Bangue, the river Sucuriu enters the Pardo on its s. side. Three leagues below the mouth of the Sucuriu, is the cataract of Curare, about eight yards high, to avoid which the canoes are hauled over-land through a passage of 100 yards. From this cataract, in the space of 10 leagues, there occur 10 falls, which occupy 15 or 20 days, in ascending the river, though only one in descending. The breadth of the Rio Pardo in this part is 22 fathoms. Two leagues below the last of these falls is a deep inlet of 390 fathoms; half a league lower the canoes are hauled over a space of land of 150 yards. Half a league further is the fall of Sirga Negra ; one league further, that of Sirga Matto; and a little more than a league from thence, the great cataract, or Salto da Cajuru, ten yards in height, to avoid which, the canoes are hauled through a narrow channel here formed by the river. At a distance equal to the preceding is the Cajurumirim, and immediately after is found the fall of Da Ilha, the thirty-third and last on this river. Six leagues below this fall, the Rio Pardo receives on its n. side the river Orelha da Anta, (so called from abounding with ants); and four leagues lower down, on the same side, the Orelha da Ouça, from the mouth of which, after 11 leagues of navigation, is found the junction which the river Anhandery-uassu makes from the s. with the Pardo, which, from the passage of Camapuão to this point, completes a s. e. course of 45 leagues in extent. The Anhandery and the Pardo from their confluence, run 16 leagues of navigation w. in one channel, and disembogue in the w. bank of the Parana in lat. about 21°. The

velocity of the current of the Rio Pardo is very irregular; it may be navigated downward in five or six days, but cannot be ascended in less than 20 or 30, and that by hauling, for the force of the the stream in some places is too great for oars.

The river Parana is of great breadth and weight of water, and is navigated against its current up to the mouth of the Tieté. In the first three leagues occurs the island of Manuel Homem. mem. Five leagues above this island the Rio Verde falls into the Parana, by a mouth of 42 fathoms, on its w. bank, and at an equal distance above, on the opposite e. side, the river Aguapehy enters, by a mouth apparently above 20 yards wide. Eight leagues above this river, and on the w. side of the Parana, the large river Sucuriu has its mouth, at least 53 fathoms wide, and, after four leagues of navigation further, on the Parana, is found the mouth of the large and interesting river, the Tieté. The distance between the rivers Tieté and Pardo, according to the windings of the Parana, may be estimated at thirty-five leagues; the direction n. inclining to the e. Passing up the Tieté, in the first three leagues is found the great Salto de Itapura (a great cascade), to avoid which the canoes are dragged 60 fathoms over land. A league above is the difficult fall of Itapura-mirim; another league upwards are the three falls, called Tres Irmaos, and little more than that distance onward, that of Itapuru, half a league long; two leagues further is the fall of U-aicurituba-mirim, and in the upper part of it the small river Sucury enters the Tieté upon its n. bank. One league above it is the fall of Utupiba, a quarter of a league in length. The same distance above is the fall of Araracangua-uassu, which is passed with unloaded canoes. Five leagues above this is found the Araracangua-mirim; one league further, the Arassatuba, and at the same distance, the U-aicurituba, from which, in the space of nine leagues, occur seven falls. Three and a half leagues above the last of them is that of the Escaramunca, so called from the abrupt windings of the river among a thousand rocks and stoppages. Two leagues above this is the large fall of Avanhandava, where the canoes are unloaded, and their cargoes carried half a mile over land, and the canoes hauled the greatest part of the way, to avoid a cataract 16 yards perpendicular. A league and a half above this is the fall of Avanhandava-mirim, and very near it, that of the Campo, from which there are 14 leagues of clear navigation to those of the Camboyu-voca, and next to the Tambau-mirim and Uassu, both]

1

[within the compass of two leagues. One league further is the fall of Tambitiririca; three leagues from thence, the U-amicanga, and a little more than two leagues upwards, the Jacuripipira enters the Tieté, on the n. side, and has a mouth 15 fathoms broad. A league and a half above this is the Jacuripipira-mirim, six leagues from whence is the fall of Congouha, a league in length. For the space of eight leagues from this there are six falls, of which the last is Banharem. From this it is three leagues and a half to the mouth of the Paraniaba, 38 fathoms broad: it enters the Tieté on the n.; and the latter river from this point immediately narrows itself to 40 fathoms wide. From the mouth of the Paraniaba there is a navigation of four leagues to the small fall of Ilha, and 14 leagues more, with frequent windings, to that of Itahy, near a populous village, called Jundahy. Six leagues from this is the fall of Pedrenegoa, which is a quarter of a league long; and half a league above it, the river Sorecaba, which comes from the town of the same name, in lat. 23° 35', empties itself on the s. into the Tieté. Near this town are several mountains, called Guaraceaba, some of which abound with rich oxide of iron, which, on smelting, has proved very good. Upon them grows fine timber for machinery, and wood of every size fit for reducing into carbon. Numerous streams flow from them, which may be employed to great advantage, and their base is washed by the river Campanhes, near the Capivara, both of which empty themselves into the Tieté at a short distance. From the river Sorecaba it is only six leagues to Porto Felix, where all the embarkation is now made to Matto Grosso from St. Paul's, the distance being about 23 leagues from that city. Through this conveyance, salt, iron, ammunition, clothing for the troops, &c. are sent annually by government. Trading parties frequently arrive at St. Paul's from Cuiaba in the month of February, and return in April or May. Resuming our account of the Paraguay, it is to be observed that the Embotetieu enters that river five leagues below the mouth of the Taquari, and on the same side. It is now called Mondego, and was formerly navigated by the traders from St. Paul's, who entered by the Anhandery-uassu, the s. branch of the Pardo. On the n. bank of the Mondego, 20 leagues above its mouth, the Spaniards founded the city of Xerez, which the Paulistas destroyed. Ten leagues above this place, in the mountains that form the upper part of the Embotetieu, there is a tradition that there are rich mines which were discovered

50 years ago. One league below the mouth of the Mondego there are two high insulated mounts, fronting each other on the Paraguay: at the extremity of the s. declivity of the mount on the w. side, near the bank of the river, is the garrison of New Coimbra, founded in 1775; it is the last and southermost Portuguese establishment on the great Paraguay. Eleven leagues to the s. of Coimbra, on the w. side of the Paraguay, is the mouth of Bahia Negra, a large sheet of water of six leagues in extent, being five leagues long from n. to s.: it receives the waters of the wideflooded plains and lands to the s. and w. of the mountains of Albuquerque. At this bay the Portuguese possessions on both banks of the Paraguay terminate. From thence the river continues to lat. 21°, where, on its w. bank, is situated a hill known to the Portuguese by the name of Miguel José, crowned with a Spansih fort with four pieces of artillery, called Bourbon. Three leagues above this the little river Guirino falls into the Paraguay on the e. side. Nine leagues to the s. of the above fort, and in lat. 21° 22′, are other mountains on both sides the Paraguay, which command this river; for the e. side is surmounted with a lofty chain, extending to the interior of the country, near which is the sugarloaf mount; the opposite side is equally mountainous, but not so high or extensive; and in the middle of the river there is a high rocky island, which, with the mountainous banks on each side, forms two channels of about a musketshot across. This, in case of war between the neighbouring nations, would be a post of the highest importance, as it forms a natural barrier, which would require little fortification to render it an effectual obstacle to invasion. Here terminate those extensive inundations, to which both banks of the Paraguay are subject: they commence at the mouth of the Jauru, and to this point cover an extent of 100 leagues from n. to s. and 40 in breadth at their highest floods, forming an apparent lake, which geographers of former days, as well as some moderns, have termed the Xarayes. This inundation confounds the channel of the great Paraguay with those of its various confluents, in such a manner that, from 20 to 30 leagues above their regular mouths, it is possible, in time of the floods, to navigate across from one to the other, always in deep water, without ever seeing or approaching the banks of the Paraguay. During this wonderful inundation, the high mountains and elevated land which it incloses appear like so many superb islands, and the lower grounds form a labyrinth of lakes,]