The River Araguaya, or Grande.

The eastern boundary of the capitania of Matto Grosso, separating it from that of Goyaz, is the river Grande, two hundred leagues from Villa Bella. This river, known in the state of Pará, by the name of Araguaya only, which is conferred on it by the numerous nations inhabiting its banks, has its remotest source in lat. 19°, and running north and south, intersected at various points by the meridian of 52° 30′, flows in lat. 6° into the Tocantines, wherein it loses its name; and both, thus united in one ample stream, continue their course for three hundred and seventy leagues, and fall into the southern estuary of the mighty river Amazons in lat 1° 40′ between the two celebrated bays of Marapata and Limseiro, opposite to the great island of Joannes, or Murajo, and twenty leagues west of the city of Pará. The river das Mortes, which rises far to the west of the Rio Grande, and forms its highest western branch, running for a considerable space to the east, and afterwards to the north, with an entire course of 150 leagues, till it enters the Araguaya in lat. 12°, is entirely within the capitania of Matto Grosso.

The river Araguaya is peopled by many tribes of warlike savages; it abounds in all the productions peculiar to the state of Pará, and affords an uninterrupted navigation from the city of that name, and by the river, with the centre of Brazil and the capitania of Matto Grosso. The same is practicable by the river das Mortes, and other western branches which enter the Rio Grande below. These branches, no doubt, contain unexplored mines; for there is no physical reason why gold should be found in the rivers that enter the Araguaya on the eastern side, (where, besides Villa Boa, are situated several villages belonging to the capitania of Goyaz), and not likewise in the branches on the opposite side. It is positively known that the river das Mortes is auriferous, and hence it is fair to conclude that the smaller streams which flow into it are much more so, for the nearer the source the greater is the quantity of gold found. The mines of one of its western branches were abandoned, not from the absence or scarcity of the precious metal, but because, being remote from the road, and in the midst of a swamp peopled by savages, the few settlers could not get conveniently supplied with arms, implements, and other articles.

In some of these mines gold above twenty-three carats has been found, but the greater part is only of seventeen, and of a green color, being combined with a large portion of silver.

The River Chingu,

the clearest, and one of the largest and most copious branches of the Amazons, which it enters on the south side, after a course of three hundred leagues, in lat. 1° 42′, and long. 53°, seventy leagues west of the city of Pará, in a direct line, but one hundred of navigation, is confined in a great part of its course to the capitania of Matto Grosso.

Its remote sources supply, not only the lands in which rise also the branches and rivers forming to the east and north the upper part of the river Cuiaba, but also that large space north of the river das Mortes, intersected by the great road from Goyaz, extending as far as the river Porrudos. There is a tradition among the guides of the Sutãos[72] of Pirá and the Indians established on the banks of the Chingu, that, after mounting the first large falls of this river, much gold was found in it, of which the Jesuits, those great explorers, obtained a large quantity. It is probable that the now unknown Minas dos Martirios, famous as the first discovery made by Barto. Bueno, and of which I have heard repeated mention in S. Paulo, exist only on some of the many branches that form the river Chingu. For this enterprising man, after having discovered those mines, returned to S. Paulo in order to engage negroes, and provide implements for extracting those treasures, which to this day continue to elude the searches of others, retraced his course; but passing by the mines of Cuiaba, which had been just discovered and were found wonderfully productive, he was there deserted by the greatest part of his followers. Fearing that he should lose the rest also, he turned eastward, and, in his anxiety to avoid the mines of Cuiaba, got still farther from those of dos Martirios, until he lost himself in the immense wastes, wherein he wandered many months, and at length accidentally found the mines of Goyaz, which his father had before seen. These, like all the rest, proved very productive at the beginning.

This rich and new discovery soon diverted the attention of adventurers from the preceding; and the route to the Minas dos Martirios, together with their positive situation, have long been lost in a vague tradition of their existence. As the place was explored without the assistance of a compass, or any of the means necessary for defining its geographical position, there could not but prevail much doubt and uncertainty respecting it. Now there is no such discovery on the river Tocantines, which comprehends the whole capitania of Goyaz: the first account places it near a river, which indeed runs into the Amazons, like the Tocantines, but which was sought for passing near the upper branches, and west of the river Cuiaba, a situation in which the river Chingu alone is found; other explorers place it on the Araguaya, which renders it useless to look there, for it is more than two hundred leagues north-west of the place sought. This is substantiated by a fact of later date, which is as follows:—A grandson of Barto. Bueno, under the direction of an ancient journal of this discovery, describing the route to it, descended by the river das Mortes, and entered some extensive plains on its western bank, on which he travelled westward for some days, when he arrived at a plain covered with white Mangaba trees, which were designated in the journal. From this place they had a sight of some detached high mountains between the north and west, three of which were of the figure specified, and indicated the situation of the Minas dos Martirios. An unexpected attack of the Indians, in which the chief and many others of the adventurers were killed, dispersed the party, and frustrated the object at the moment when it appeared to be already attained.

The river abounds in various products: cocoa is in plenty; there are some spices, and various indigenous fruits.

The River Tapajos