CHAPTER V - CARIPÍ AND THE BAY OF MARAJÓ

Summary

That part of the Pará river which lies in front of the city, as I have already explained, forms a narrow channel; being separated from the main waters of the estuary by a cluster of islands. This channel is about two miles broad, and constitutes part of the minor estuary of Goajará, into which the three rivers Guamá, Mojú, and Acará discharge their waters. The main channel of the Pará lies 10 miles away from the city, directly across the river; at that point, after getting clear of the islands, a great expanse of water is beheld, 10 to 12 miles in width ; the opposite shore—the island of Marajó—being visible only in clear weather as a line of tree-tops dotting the horizon. A little further upwards, that is, to the south-west, the mainland on the right or eastern shore appears, this is called Carnapijó ; it is rocky, covered with the never-ending forest, and the coast, which is fringed with broad sandy beaches, describes a gentle curve inwards. The broad reach of the Pará in front of this coast is called the Bahia, or Bay of Marajó. The coast and the interior of the land are peopled by civilised Indians and mamelucos, with a mixture of free negroes and mulattos. They are poor, for the waters are not abundant in fish, and they are dependent for a livelihood solely on their small plantations, and the scanty supply of game found in the woods.