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GAZETTEER OF THE WORLD,

OR DICTIONARY OF GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE.

BRAZIL,

A magnificent empire comprehending the eastern and a large part of the central portion of the South American continent, from the parallel of 5° N, to that of 33° S. The name Brazil-which was for a long time restricted to a narrow though long extended portion of the American coast extending from the mouth of the Amazon nearly to that of the La Plata-is now used to designate all the Portuguese possessions in this quarter of the globe, comprehending the tract between the sea and the mountains, originally denominated Brazil,-the greater part of the interior country, formerly called Amazonia, and the extensive territory to the N of the Maranon, called Portuguese Guayana. When first discovered by Cabral it was denominated by him Tierra del Santa Cruz, or the Land of the Holy Cross.' But this appellation was soon superseded by its present name, derived from braza, a valuable species of wood with which this country abounds.

Boundaries. B. is bounded on the N by New Granada, Venezuela, and British, Dutch, and French Guayana; on the NE and SE by the Atlantic; on the S and SW by the Banda Oriental and Buenos Ayres; and on the W by Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. The maritime boundary of the Brazilian empire is the Atlantic, from the mouth of the Oyapock, or Wiapoco, in about 4° N lat., to the mouth of the Chui, or Chuy, in S lat. 33° 50′,-a space of 38 degrees of a great circle, or 2,280 geog. m., equal to 2,620 British miles. But if the windings of the coast be included, the extent of the coast line is not less than 3,670 British miles, namely, from the mouth of the Oyapock to Cape St. Roque, in a SE direction, 1,260 miles; and from the above capewhich is the most eastern point of South Americato the river Chuy, 2,410 miles a SW direction.

By the peace of Amiens the French obtained a large portion of Portuguese Guayana: the Arauri, in 1° 30° N lat., being made the limit. By a subsequent treaty, the limit of French Guayana was extended to the Carapana, a tributary of the Amazon, and Fort Macapa; but these acquisitions of the French on the side of Guayana were restored to their former possessors by the treaty of Paris, in 1814; and the Oyapock, as formerly, remains the boundary between French and Portuguese Guayana. It is a difficult matter clearly to designate the B. boundary on the side of Guayana and the Colombian republics, so little is known of the frontier regions on that side. The natural boundaries in this quarter seem

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BRAZIL.

to run along the Serra Araray and Serra Pacaraima. In Faden's four sheet map of South America, abridged from the large eight sheet map of Arcy de la Rochette, in 1818, the Portuguese boundary on the N commences at the mouth of the Oyapock, and runs up that stream as far as 3° N lat., and from thence due W to a point on the Maroni river, which runs NW along the S frontier of Dutch Guayana, till it strikes the Essequibo below its confluence with the Rupuwini. From this point it runs up the Essequibo to nigh its source in 3° N lat.; thence due W to a point on the Rupuwini, whence it runs S, up that stream, half-way to its source; it then runs SW to a point on the Rio Branco or Parima, in 1° 30′ N lat., a little to the SE of the point whence it issues from the lake of Parima. Running down the Parima, in a SW direction, to 0° 30′ N lat., it turns due W till it strikes the Rio Negro, up which stream it runs as far as San Carlos, in 0° 58′ N lat.; thence it runs due W to 68° 30′ W long.; thence due S to the junction of the Maranon and Yavari in 4° S lat. and 68° 30′ W long., passing the rivers Orelludos, Yupura, and Putumayo, in its course to the Maranon; and thence up the eastern side of the Yavari, in a SSW direction, to 9° 30' S lat.; so that, from 0° 58' N lat. to this point, the boundary is nearly due S. From this point, on the Yavari, the demarcation line runs straight E to the Madeira, passing in its course the Yutay, Yurba, Tefe, Coari, and Purus rivers, successively. Thence it runs up the E side of the Madeira to its confluence with the Mamore, in 11° 54′ 46′′ S lat.; thence up the Itenas or Guapore, to some distance above the fort of the prince of Beira, in a SE direction; thence SE, in a waving direction, but keeping always at some distance to the SW of the Guapore, till it passes the source of the Sarare, a left-hand branch of the Guapore. From thence the line runs SSE till it strikes the Paraguay at Nova Coimbra, in 19° 55′ S lat.; thence alongst the W side of the Paraguay; thence SE to the Parana, in 23° 30′ S lat.; thence down the Parana to its junction with the Iguazu; thence SE to the junction of the Uruguay and Pepiri Guazu. From thence, according to Rear-Admiral Grenfell, it follows the Uruguay to the mouth of the Quarain, ascends it, follows the Sierra de St. Anna to the sources of the Jaguaron, descends it to the Lake Merim, follows the southern and western shore of the lake to the mouth of the St. Miguel, then crosses the country to the Chuy, and follows it to the Atlantic. Although by the treaty of 1777, the colony of St. Sacrament was ceded to Spain, yet Brazil was enlarged on the NW by an addition of territory contiguous to Matto-Grosso.-The extent of the

independent Portuguese possessions from E to W varies greatly in different places; on the N frontier, from Cabo del Norte to the upper course and most northern bend of the Rio Negro, it is upwards of 1,200 British miles; the greatest breadth occurs between the parallels of 5° and 10° S; from Cape St. Roque to Sapatinga above the mouth of the Yavari, it is 2,360 British miles. But towards the S, its extent from E to W is gradually contracted within much narrower limits by the mutual approach of the E and W coasts of the continent, and by the frontier-line of the independent states of Bolivia, Paraguay, and Buenos Ayres.

Divisions.] According to Major Schæffer, of the Royal Brazilian guards, who published an account of B. in January 1825, the Brazilian empire at that period was divided into 19 provinces, which, with their names, extent, and population as at that date, he has given in the following table:

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The above table, though important in itself, no longer accurately represents the geographical distribution of B. The prov. of Rio Negro, which contained the whole of Portuguese Guayana, no longer exists. Cisplatina, which lay between the province of Del Rey and the NE bank of the Rio de la Plata, containing the long-contested settlement of St. Sacrament, and the towns of Monte Video and Maldonado, was indeed seized by the Portuguese in their contest with the independent government of Buenos Ayres, but was reclaimed by the Buenos Ayreans, and no longer forms part of Brazil. Balbi estimates the surface of B. at 3,084,000 sq. m. including Cisplatina, and the pop. at 5,000,000; so that his estimate exceeds even that of Schaffer by 545,000 sq. m. -a prodigious difference! In the later English edition of M. Brun's and Balbi's System of Geography, the surface of B. is estimated at 2,500,000 sq. m. Berghaus estimates it at 144,555 German or 3,070,590 English sq. m. The Weimar Almanach estimates the area at 129,295 German or 2,745,967 English sq. m. The following table exhibits the present administrative divisions of B., and the pop. as given in the Weimar Almanach for 1844:

Comarcas.

SAlto-Amazonas, Cameta, Bragança, Grão-Pará, Macapá,
and Santarein or Tapajoz.

Alcantara, Aldeas-Altas, Brejo, Ilha-do-Maranhão, and
Pastos-Bons.

Oeiras, Marvão, Parnahiba, and Pernagua.

Aracati, Campo-Maior-de-Quixeramobim, Crato, Fortaleza, Ico, and Sobral.

10,523

226,245

2 Rio Negro,

9,600

206,400

3. Maranham,

3,211

69,026

4. Piauhy,

2,856

61,404

5. Siara or Ceará,

3,311

71,187

Pop. 143,073 48,357 182,986 46,296 272,713

6. Rio-Grande-do-Norte,

1,572

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Natal and Assú.

120,000

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6. PARAHIBA-DO-NORTE,

14. SANTA-CATHARINA,
15. RIO-GRANDE-DO-SUL,

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Brejo-d'-Aréa, Parahiba, and Pombal.

Bonito, Brejo, Cabo, Flores, Goyanna, Limoeira, Naza-
reth, Recife, Rio-Formoso, and Santo-Antão.
Alagoas, Atalaia, Maçayo, and Penedo.

Estancia, Laranjeiras, Santo - Amaro, São - Christavão,
and Villanova-de-Santo-Antonio.

(Bahia, Barra-do-Rio-Grande, Cachoeira, Caravellas, Il-
héos, Itapicurú, Jacobina, Nazareth, Porto - Seguro,
Rio-de-Contas, Santa-Sé, Santo-Amaro, and Valença.
Itapé-Mirim, São-Matheos, and Victoria.
(Angra - dos - Reis, Cabo-Frio, Campos - dos - Goitacazes,
Cantagallo, Itaborahi, Nitherohi, Rezende, and Vas-

souras.

São Paulo, Itú, and Paranagua-e-Curitiba.
Santa-Catharina-do-Norte, and Santa-Catharina-do-Sul.
Missões, Piratinim, Porto-Alegre, Rio-Grande, and Rio-
Pardo.

Barbacena, Ouro-Preto, Patrocinio, Rio-das-Mortes, Rio-
das-Velhas, Rio-Grande, Rio-Jequitinhonha, Rio-Pa-
racatú, Rio-Parahibana, Rio-Parana, Rio-Paricicaba,
Rio-de-São-Francisco, Rio-Sapucahi, and Serro.
Cavalcante, Goyáz, Palma, and Santa-Cruz.
Cuyaba, and Mato-Grosso.

country, with the exception of the sertão or tableland,-and of the plains of Rio Grande, which consist of undulated meadows,-is, generally speaking, one vast forest; but in the centre is the vast plain of General physical features.] Viewed from the sea, Campos Parecis, extending E and W for several hunthe B. coast, excepting from Ceará to Bahia, which dred miles, and covered with a soil of light earth and is low and sandy, rising with a gentle slope inwards, sand, which in its continual shifting and undulation appears rough, mountainous, and unequal; but on a resembles the agitated waves of the ocean; mules nearer approach, no prospect can be more picturesque sink into it, and make their way with great diffiand agreeable than that which it presents; its emi-culty; its only vegetation consists of a stunted spenences are seen covered with magnificent woods, and its valleys with eternal groves. The interior of the

cies of herbage with small leaves round and pointed like a lancet. Towards the centre, this immense

sandy plain rises up into mountainous chains, which are generally considered as the highest in B., and are extended over a space of more than 600 miles. It is from this elevated belt that all those rivers proceed, which finally pour their waters into the Amazon on the N, and the Rio de la Plata on the S. The country on both sides of the Amazon consists of vast plains, extending in opposite directions, from the B. mountains on the S, and those of Guayana on the N, to the great river of the country. The S, E, and central prov. of B. are hilly in surface, and elevated; the N and W provinces are characterized by extensive alluvial plains.

Geognosy.] From the account of Eschwege, it appears that this country is composed of rocks of the primitive, transition, secondary, and alluvial classes. The primitive rocks he divides into two classes; under the first, he includes granite, syenite, trap, gneiss, mica-slate, and limestone; under the second, clayslate, quartz-rock, and quartzy mica-slate, chloriteslate, talc-slate, potstone, and slaty quartzose micaceous iron-ore. No gold occurs in the first set of primitive rocks; nor, with the exception of a great deposit of magnetic iron-ore in the province of San Paulo, any other metalliferous minerals. A bed of quartz with gold occurs in the quartz-rock, and quartzy mica-slate. This bed, which varies from an inch to 6 ft. in thickness, is composed of quartz and schorl; veins of quartz with gold also traverse this rock; and these veins, besides gold, contain ironpyrites, arsenical pyrites, and antimony. The beautiful yellow Brazilian topazes occur, in nests and small veins enveloped in lithomarge, in the chlorite and talc-slates subordinate to the clay-slate; and the rare euclase, large and beautiful crystals of iron-glance, with crystallized tale, rock-crystals with adhering topazes, topaz-crystals with included rock-crystals, and kyanite, increase the interest of these mineral repositories. Beautiful red-lead spar, or chromate of lead, occurs in the potstone; and beds of ironglance, upwards of 1,000 ft. thick, present themselves in some places. The transition rocks are clay-slate, common flinty slate, greywacke, greywacke-slate, and compact limestone. The sandstone named quadersandstein, often highly impregnated with iron, seems to be a predominating secondary rock: hematitic brown iron-ore abounds in it. The Jura limestone, which occurs in abundance, contains fossil fishes, flint, echinites, and rocks of the salt formation. The alluvial rocks in B. are of two descriptions: one kind occurs principally on the ridges of mountains and upon their sides,-the other in the bottoms of valleys. The alluvium of the first kind, named in the country tapanhoaeanga, is composed of fragments of iron-mica and magnetic iron-stone, connected together by means of red or brown iron-ochre; it is often rich in gold, and contains beds of brown iron-ore, and large nests of wavellite. The alluvial substances of the second class occur principally in valleys, and are of two principal varieties; the one, which is compact, is a conglomerate of quartz cemented by means of brown and red iron-ore, and which sometimes contains gold, and also diamonds; the other composed of sand, gravel, and clay, and known under the name cascalho, often affords gold and diamonds.

Mountains. The mountains of B. form several independent chains, intersecting the country in various directions, but most numerous and of greatest alt. and extent to the N of the parallel of Rio Janeiro, and E of the meridian of 55°.-A nearly continuous mountain-range appears to form the N frontiers of B., from the sources of the Rio Napo on the W, to the Oyapock on the E. This chain bears the name of Unturin on the S borders of Venezuela; its central portion is the Serra Pacaraima, which appears to be connected with the Serra Acaray, and the Serra de Tumucuraque, forming the extreme S frontier of Guayana. All the rivers of Venezuela and Guayana have their sources to the N of this mountain-system; while the Rio Negro, and all the inferior tributaries flowing into the 1. bank of the Amazon from the confluence of that river to its mouth, descend from its S versant:-A range of mountains, the mean height of which is about 3.200 ft., extends from Cape San Roque to the parallel of 30° S, at a varying distance of from 20 m. to 150 m. from the coast. This chain first assumes a prominent character in the neighbourhood of Bahia; its culminating point is the Morro dos Canudos, alt. 4,476 ft. The S part of this chain is called the Serra dos Orgãos; the N part, the Serra do Mar. The Sertao or table-land of B. commences immediately within this range, and extends from E to W over the whole country, with an average alt. of 2,600 ft. It sinks gradually towards the W into the low marshy plains which border the Paraguay and Madeira.-A ridge commencing in the Serra do Mar, extends in a NNE direction, under the name of the Serra Mantequiera, and branches off at the Itacollumi, alt. 5,750 ft., into two ranges, one of which runs on the E, and the other on the W side of the Rio Francisco, forming the limits of the basin of that river. The E branch may be regarded as prolonged in the Serra Tiuba between the 15th and 10th parallels; while the W branch bifurcates under the 11th parallel, in the Rivers.] B. is watered by a profusion of great Serra Piauha and Serra dos Irmaōs which form the rivers. The chief of these is the mighty and majesE side of the basin of the Paranahyba, and the Serra tic Maranon or Amazon. On the side of Guayana, Mangabeiros, which forms the W side of the basin of the Amazon is a Brazilian river for 1,200 m. direct that river. The Serra de los Vertentes stretches distance from Cape North to the mouth of the Yaacross the table-land of B., between the parallels of puro; on the S side, from Belem to Sapatinga, a dis12° and 16° S, and the meridians of 52° and 59°. tance of 1,600 m. direct, it flows through the BraziOn the N and E sides of this chain the great rivers lian territory. The immense tributary streams which Töpajos, Araguay, and Tocantins, have their sources; on both sides fall into the Amazon, and intersect the and the basin of each of these rivers is defined by ex-interior of B. in every direction, when opened up by tensive mountain-chains shooting out from the central nucleus of the Serra de los Vertentes. Of these chains the Cordillera Grande, separating the basin of the Araguay from that of the Tocantins, is probably the most extensive. From the S side of the Serra de los Vertentes descend the head-streams of the Paraguay, and the Parana, whose basins are separated by the Serra Amambahi, which may be regarded as a prolongation to the S of the Cordillera Grande. -In the W regions of B., the affinents of the three rivers the Topajos, Madeira, and Paraguay, are separated by an undulating ridge from the sandy plateau of the Campos Parecis, already noticed.

steam-navigation, will give to a great part of the interior of B. all the advantages of a maritime shore. The lower part of the Rio Negro, and the whole course of its great affluent the Parana, belong to B.; also all the streams which join the Amazon, on the 1. bank, from the mouth of the Rio Negro downwards. On the r. or S bank of the Amazon, the Yatay, the Tefe, the lower part of the Purus, the Madeira from about the parallel of 10° N, and its affluent the Guapore, and the whole water-system of the Topayos, Xingu, and Tocantins, belong to B. Proceeding southwards along the coast, from the mouth of the Para, or estuary of the Tocantins, we have the Gu

rupy, the Maracassame, the Turiassu, the Maranham, | gust, and continue, with short intervals, until Septhe Parnahyba, the Camucim, the Jajuaribe, the tember. During the hot months, there is almost Capibaribe, the Unna, the great Rio San Francisco, constant dry weather; and under the influence of the the Peruaguassu, the Rio Contas, the Ilheos, the Rio-dry and parching blasts, vegetation languishes, and Grande-do-Belmonte, the Rio Doce, the Parahyba, on the higher and more exposed parts appears burnt and a multitude of minor streams, and affluents, flow-up and withered. In the northern provinces of ing into the Atlantic. To the S of the parallel of 20° Ceara, Pernambuco, and neighbourhood, sometimes S. the rivers of B. mostly belong to the water-system no rain falls for two or three years together, when of the Parana, which is wholly a B. river to within 1° the consequences are most disastrous. A famine enof the Stropu; and throughout a large portion of the sues; cattle die of thirst; and the wretched inhabiremainder of its course, form the common boundary tants rush to the sea-coast, dying in hundreds by the of B. and Paraguay. The headstreams of the Para- way. The sea-breeze, which ushers in the rainy seaguay, descending from the Serra Parecis, likewise son, refreshes the atmosphere, and reanimates vegebelong to B.; and the tributary stream of the Cuiaba, tation. The SE trade-winds sweep the whole coast, or Cuyaba, a large river, almost equal in size to the and arrive tolerably cooled down by their passage Paraguay, which it joins in 17° 57' S. The sources from the burning coast of Africa on the opposite side of the Paraguay approach within a few miles of those of the Atlantic. This tendency to E winds receives, of the Xingu and Araguaya; and in many places, however, very regular modifications from the sun's owing to the configuration of the ground, the tribu- | progress in the ecliptic: a monsoon setting down the tary rivers of the Amazon and the La Plata seem as coast from September to April, and in the contrary if their respective head-streams inosculated. direction the other half of the year. The heaviness of the rains can only be imagined by those who have been in such latitudes. [Caldcleugh.]

Lakes.] The lakes of B. are not numerous in proportion to the extent of country; and many of them are of a periodical character, existing only during the rainy season. The lake of Xarayes in the plain of the Paraguay covers some thousands of sq. m. in the wet season; but almost entirely disappears during the dry season. No lake of any extent occurs in the great table-land. They are most numerous in the S extremity of B. in the prov. of Rio-Grande-do-Sul.

Vegetation.] The interior of B., with the exception of the Campos Parecis, and table-land already mentioned, forms a vast and impenetrable forest, the trees of which are closely interwoven with brushwood, and with innumerable shrubs and creeping plants, which cling round them to their summits, and being generally adorned with the most beautiful flowers, give a peculiarly rich appearance to the scenery. These plants, after encircling the tree to the top, frequently grow downwards, and taking root in the ground remount anew; so that the whole forest becomes laced together, and is rendered quite impenetrable. Luccock describes the various tints of a B. forest as extending from a light yellow-green, to one bordering on blue; and these mingled again with red, brown, and a gradation of deeper shades almost to

Climate.] In such an extensive region as B., both the climate and soil must necessarily vary greatly according to the locality. The climate may, however, be generally characterised as mild and regular. In the vicinity of the Amazon, and in the northern parts, great tropical heats prevail; but these are tempered by the excessive humidity of the atmosphere, and the copious dews. The great alluvial plains in the NW and W, being inundated for several months in the year, are exceedingly unhealthy. The follow-black.-The forests of B. abound in varieties of useing is a summary of therm. observations made in the capital and the four northern cities of B.:

Rio,

Bahia,

Average
Mean temp. Max. Min.
73° 30' 80° 67°
80°
86° 74°
86° 70°
86° 76°
93° 75°

S lat. 22° 0' W long. 42° 50′

13°

38°32′

35° 1'

80°

44° 16'
48° 28'

81°
84°

Pernambuco,
Maranham,
Para,

8° 6' 2° 31′ 1° 21'

ful and ornamental wood. One species, called the sippipira, resembles the teak of India. The peroba, oraubu, and louro, resemble the oak and the larch. The vinhatico, amarello venatico,' yields large broad planks for flooring and cabinet-work, like mahogany. There are, besides, many lighter species of wood, similar to fir, besides logwood, mahogany, and an infinity of ornamental and dyeing woods. Of the palmIn the southern parts, the climate is more mild and tree, nearly a hundred species are known and detemperate, and frequently even cold, Fahrenheit's scribed as natives of B.; and amongst them that celetherm. sometimes falling below 40°. This takes brated species, the long serrated lancet-formed leaves place, especially in ascending towards the sources of which are composed of innumerable fibres, which of the great rivers, where the elevation of the ground rival silk in strength and fineness; and are used for modifies the temperature; and within the lofty plains fishing-lines, and sometimes converted into bridles. which spread out into the interior, fertile valleys oc- The B. cocoa-tree is thicker and more elevated than cur which are both salubrious and temperate, and in that found in the West Indies. The B. myrtle is which all the fruits of Europe grow to maturity, along distinguished by the shining of its bark. The ibiriwith the native productions of America. Of this cli-pitanga, or Brazil-wood tree-called in Pernambuco, mate are the inland provinces of Minas-Geraes, Villa-the pao da rainha or 'Queen's wood,' on account of Rica, San-Paulo, Goyaz, and Mato Grosso. The its being a government monopoly-is now more rarely mean temp. of the central table-land of B. is from 8° to be seen on the coast, owing to the improvident to 10° lower than that of the low districts on the manner in which it has been cut down. It grows coast. The W wind, passing over vast marshy forests, chiefly in the northern provinces. It is not a lofty is frequently found to be unhealthy in the interior parts. tree at a short distance from the ground, innumerThese unhealthy blasts, however, are corrected by able branches spring forth in every direction, in a the influence of the atmospheric plants which abound straggling, irregular manner; the leaves are small in the woods, and which fill the air with a fragrance and not luxuriant; the wood is very hard and heavy, perceived at several leagues from shore when the takes a high polish, and sinks in water; the only vawind blows from the land. Over all B., December, luable portion of it is the heart, as the outward coat January, and February, are the hottest months; of wood has not any peculiarity. The name of this June, July, and August, the coolest.. The rains com- wood is derived from brasas or brazas, a glowing mence in March, and continue until May, with inter- fire,' or 'coal;' its botanical name is Caesalpinia Bravals. During part of June and July a cessation of siletto. The leaves are pinnated; the flowers are wet weather frequently takes place, and is called re- white, and papilionaceous, growing in a pyramidal ronica, the short summer. The rains resume in Au- spike. One species has flowers variegated with red.

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nearly preserved in the word caoutchone. At Pará it is now generally called borracha. On the slightest incision the gum exudes, having at first the appearance of thick yellow cream. The trees are generally tapped in the morning, and about a gill of the fluid is collected from one incision in the course of the day. It is caught in small cups of clay, moulded for the purpose with the hand. These are emptied, when full, into a jar. No sooner is this gum collected, than it is ready for immediate use. Forms of various kinds, representing shoes, bottles, toys, &c., are in readiness, made of clay. When shoes are manufactured, it is a matter of economy to have wooden lasts. These are first coated with clay, so as to be easily withdrawn. A handle is affixed to the last for the convenience of working. The fluid is poured over the form, and a thin coating immediately adheres to the clay. The next movement is to expose the gum to the action of smoke. The substance ignited for this purpose is the fruit of the wassou palm. This fumigation serves the double purpose of drying the gum, and of giving it a darker colour. When one coating is sufficiently hardened, another is added, and smoked in turn. Thus any thickness can be produced. It is seldom that a shoe receives more than a dozen coats. The work, when formed, is exposed to the sun. For a day or two it remains soft enough to receive permanent impressions. During this time the shoes are figured according to the fancy of the operatives, by the use of a style or pointed stick. They retain their yellowish colour for some time after the lasts are taken out and they are considered ready for market. Several other trees, most of them belonging to the tribe euphorbiaciæ, produce a similar gum, but none of them is likely to enter into competition with the India rubber tree of Pará. Another tree, not uncommon in the province, called the massaranduba, yields in profusion a white secretion, which so resembles milk that it is much prized for an aliment. It forms when coagulated a species of plaster, which is deemed valuable. The Brazil nut,

"Almost every one of these sovereigns of the forest," says Von Spix, "is distinguished, in the total effect of the picture, from its neighbour. While the silkcotton tree (Bombax pentandrum), partly armed with strong thorns, begins at a considerable height from the ground to spread out its thick arms, and its digitated leaves are grouped in light and airy masses, the luxuriant lecythis and the Brazilian anda shoot out at a less height many branches profusely covered with leaves, which unite to form a verdant arcade. The jaracanda (rose-wood tree) attracts the eye by the lightness of its double-feathered leaves: the large gold-coloured flower of this tree and the ipe (Bignonia chrysantha), dazzle by their splendour, contrasted with the dark green of the foliage. The spondias (S. myrobalanus), arches its pennated leaves into light oblong forms. A very peculiar and most striking effect in the picture is produced by the trumpet-tree (Secropia peltata) among the other lofty forms of the forest: the smooth ash-grey stems rise slightly bending to a considerable height, and spread out at the top into verticillate branches, which have at the extremities large tufts of deeply lobated white leaves. The flowering cæsalpina; the airy laurel; the lofty geoffrea; the soap-trees with their shining leaves; the slender Barbadoes cedar; the ormosia with its pennated leaves; the tapia or garlic pear-tree, so called from the strong smell of its bark; the maina; and a thousand not yet described trees are mingled confusedly together, forming groups agreeably contrasted by the diversity of their forms and tints. Here and there, the dark crown of a Chilian fir (Araucaria imbricata), among the lighter green, appears like a stranger amid the natives of the tropics; while the towering stems of the palms with their waving crowns are an incomparable ornament of the forests, the beauty and majesty of which no language can describe. If the eye turns to the more humble and lower which clothe the ground with a rich verdure, it is delighted with the splendour and gay variety of the flowers. The purple blossoms of the rhexia; profuse clusters of the melastoma, myrtles,Castanha do Maranham,' or Maranham chestnut, and the eugenia; the delicate foliage of many rubiaces and ardisiæ, their pretty flowers blended with the singularly formed leaves of the theoprasta; the concocarpus; the reed-like dwarf palms; the brilliant spadix of the costus; the ragged hedges of the maranta, from which a squamous fern rises; the magnificent stiftia, thorny solana, large flowering gardenias and coutereas, enlivened with garlands of mikonia and bignonia; the far-spreading shoots of the mellifluous paullinias, delechampias, and the bauhinea with its strangely lobated leaves; strings of the leafless milky lianes (bind-weed), which descend from the highest summits of the trees, or closely twine round the strongest trunks, and gradually kill them; lastly, those parasitical plants by which old trees are invested with the garment of youth, the grotesque species of the pothos, and the arum, the superb flowers of the orchidea, the bromelias which catch the rain water, the tillandsia, hanging down like Lichen pulmonarius, and a multiplicity of strangely formed ferns: all these admirable productions combine to form a scene which alternately fills the European naturalist with delight and astonishment." Among the products peculiar to the Amazonian forests is the caoutchouc tree, Siphonia elastica, which grows in general to the height of 40 or 50 ft. without branches; then branching, runs up 15 ft. higher, with a thick and glossy foliage. The leaf is about six inches long, thin, and shaped like that of a peach tree. The juice of the caoutchouc is sometimes used as milk, and the Negroes and Indians who work with it, are said to he fond of drinking it. The aboriginal name of this substance was cahuchu, the pronunciation of which is

which grows upon the lofty branches of a giant tree, bertholletia excelsa, is only produced in the neighbourhood of the Amazon river, in the forests of which it grows spontaneously in great abundance. It would, however, be impossible to enumerate all the products of this wonderful region. Amongst the products general over the empire are vanilla, sarsaparilla, ipecacuanha, copal, cinnamon, cloves, tamarinds, and cinchoria. The most useful fruit cultivated in B. is the banana, which forms a principal part of the food of the Indians, and in its season of the free black population, whose locations, in the low, warm, thickly wooded spots, are favourable to the culture of this plant. The fruit is from 10 to 12 inches in length, and about 2 in diam. Several varieties of the orange, which comes to perfection in most of the provinces of Brazil, are cultivated. The pine-apple is abundant; but the necessity of cutting this fruit the moment gives out its odour, as it is then immediately attacked by the ants, is prejudicial to its flavour. The maracuja, or fruit of the passion-flower, is highly esteemed. The mango is uncertain in its produce. Among other fruits known are the fruta do conde or custard-apple, the guava, the cashew, the jamba or rose-apple, melons, and melonçias or water melons.

Agricultural productions.] As no country is blessed with a more genial clime than B., so no country exceeds it in natural fertility. Its vast extent, its diversified surface, and its varied soil, enable it to produce all the fruits of tropical climates, and perhaps in favourable situations some kinds of European grain. In no country perhaps would agriculture yield equal returns to the industrious cultivator, but unhappily,

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