# Capítulos de História Colonial/Annotações de John Casper Branner

    CAP. I
    pg. 1
    linha 13
With the exception of the regions about the Bay of Bahia and about Rio and Santos.
    CAP. I
    pg. 1
    linha 15
This is not true in a geologic sense. Branner’s map showing the relief of the ocean’s botton along this coast (The Stone Reefs of Brazil) shows that the old coast line is now far off at sea. The configuration of the region from near Victoria to Santos shows also that there has been a recent depression of the coast and a corresponding invasion by the sea. On the other hand the growth of the coral reef north of Rio shows a slow but constant encroachment of the land upon the sea.
    CAP. I
    pg. 2
    linha 3
The precarious nature of the river bars is due chiefly to the varying volume of the streams and these varying volumes are due to the fluctuating rainfall in the regions where the streams rise. A river like the S. Francisco has water enough at all seasons to keep its mouth open and clean of sand, but the weaker streams have water enough to keep their mouths open only in times, of enchentes. At such times these weaker streams serve as ports and harbours, but when the dry season comes the streams diminish in volume, and the waves of the sea are able to throw the sands back into the stream mouths and to choke them up. Ships entering the mouths of these rivers during the season of the “enchentes”, sweep aside the obstructions thrown across the mouths of the streams by the waves. I have known this to happen at Aracajú.
    CAP. I
    pg. 4
    linha 29
The Serra do Espinhaço is an aged and respectable myth so far as north-eastern Bahia is concerned. The Serra de Jacobina which was formely regarded as a part of the Serra do Espinhaço runs in an almost straight line from Jacobina to Villa Nova or Bomfim.
At this last place the serra bends toward the northwest and becoming gradually lower it disappears entirely just west of the víllage of Jurema — The railway from Bahia to Joazeiro does not cross any serra in the vicinity of Bomfim and even its route does not follow the low valley that runs due north from near Tiririca in the direction of Boa Vista on the Rio S. Francisco. The top of the watershead in the valley has an elevation of 425 meters above sea-level. The highest point on the railway in 683 meters and the elevation of Joazeiro is 372 meters. If one supposes that the railway crosses a serra, it is evidently a very low one, only 311 meters above Joazeiro; while if it croosed the lowest point on the watershead it would only have to pass 53 meters above the levei of Joazeiro.
To the east of this railway toward Paulo Affonso there are various peaks and ridges but they are isolated and have no direct connection with the mountains west and southwest of Bomfim.
    CAP. I
    pg. 5
    linha 32
This is true of the ordinary stages of these streams no doubt but during rainy seasons the “rios Verde, Jacaré and Salitre” carry down enormous floods. Those streams especially the Jacaré and the Salitre are much larger than were formely supposed. The Jacaré has a length of about 400 kilometers and the Salitre of about 300 kilometers not to mention their branches and feeders.
    CAP. I
    pg. 6
    linha 6
Volume — em vez da palavra — força.
    CAP. I
    pg. 8
    linha 2
The elevation of the caatinga region of Bahia the dry atmosphere and the even temperature make this one the most healthful climates in the world.
The studies I have lately made of the geology of the secca region convince me that much relief can be had over a large part of the area by the sinking of ordinary wells and the use of common pumps. There are many planes where water cannot be had in this way, but there are thousands of square kilometers in Bahia where water can be so had in sufficient abundance for domestic uses. The people there are not now acquainted with the methods of well sinking and pumping.