The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

S. FKANCISCO BASiy. 157
the Rio Verde. But tlie largest affluent is the Rio Grande, which joins the
main stream at the point where it begins to bend round to the north-east.
Through its Rio Preto tributary, its Sapuo sub-tributarj% a lake with double
discharge, and the Rio Somno, the Rio Grande oflers a continuous waterway
from the S. Francisco to the Tocantins, and consequently to the Amazons. The
engineer Moraes has proposed to construct a canal to divert the Rio Preto into
one of the upper afflu-
ents of the Parnahyba,
and thus contribute to
relieve the distress of
the inhabitants of Ceara
during periods of long
drought.
Below the Rio Grande
the S. Francisco has
still to descend 1,300
feet before reaching the
sea. AVhere it begins
to be deflected abruptly
eastwards, its level is
lowered through a series
of dangerous steps,
forming the upper
stages of the great Paulo
Affonso Falls, justly re-
garded as the " wonder
of Brazil." Above the
falls the stream whirls
along amid a labyrinth
of islands, reefs, and
isolated rocks, so close
together that at low
water a plucky jumper
might leaj) from step-
ping stone to stepping
stone right across the
current, although even
then it discharges over
Pig. 60.
—
Pattlo Apfonso Falls.
Scale 1 : 37.000.
38° 20- West or breenwicln SS")?'
.1,100 Yards.
^;.,,-..>-^
35,000 cubic feet per second. During the floods its volume is increased probably
fivefold, for at this point the S. Francisco, already within 60 miles of the sea,
has received all its great affluents.
As it draws near the falls the stream ramifies into several channels between
three elongated islands and some neighbouring islets, all formed of a compact
mass of gneiss. At the lower extremity of the group, the channels, which varying