_Boundaries--Colonization--Productions--Mountains--
Mineralogy--Phytology--Zoology--Rivers, Lakes, and
Ports--Towns, Parishes, &c.--Agricultural
Establishments--Population--Islands--Delightful Climate._
This province, which is a dismemberment of that of St. Paulo,
subsequent to the latter receiving the addition of a part of St.
Amaro and of St. Vincente, comprehends the island which gives it the
name, and a territory of sixty leagues from north to south on the
neighbouring continent, reckoning from the Sahy, which separates it
from St. Paulo on the north, to the Mampituba, which divides it from
the province of Rio Grande on the south; on the west it has the same
provinces, the heads of the cordillera, running parallel with the sea,
constituting a boundary on that side. Its greatest width does not
exceed twenty leagues, occupying the Beira-Mar, or sea-coast, of the
greatest portion of the ci-devant capitania of St. Amaro; and lying
between 25° 50′, and 29° 20′ south latitude.
A period of one hundred and twenty years elapsed without the donatories
establishing any colonists in the island of St. Catharina, which, for
some time had the name of Isle of Patos. King John IV. gave it, in the
year 1654, to Francisco Dias Velho, who was assassinated by an English
pirate at the time the establishment began. In consequence of this
disaster, the island long remained in its primitive state. Eventually,
various colonists from the Azores were established in it, at the cost
of the crown.
The climate is delightfully temperate and salubrious, with the
exception of certain marshy situations. The face of the country is
mountainous, watered by numerous rivers, and overspread with woods. The
soil is fertile and well adapted to the culture of mandioca, Indian
corn, rice, sugar, coffee, flax, and vegetables. Wheat and barley are
likewise grown in some districts. All the hortulans of the south of
Europe prosper here, particularly onions.
MOUNTAINS.--Camberella, which is upon the southern entrance of
the port of the capital, is the highest mountain seen from Santo to
the _Torres_[18] or Towers. The mountain of Bahul is a land-mark
for navigators.
MINERALOGY.--Calcareous stones, granite, _pedras d’amolar_, or
whetstone. It is said there are indications of gold and other metals.
PHYTOLOGY.--The oak tree is here more diversified than in the mother
country, and excellent for building. The sassafras, cedar, _loiro_,
_pau d’arco_, and those called _guarabu_ and _grapecique_, are trees
of precious wood, well adapted for cabinet work; likewise the tree
denominated here _pau d’oleo_, having the grain close and nicely
waved. The Brazilian pine is numerous in various districts. There are
a diversity of medicinal plants; likewise the plant that nurtures the
cochineal, which has been fully described by many writers. It is an
insect, and feeds upon the leaves of the _opuncia_; its size is so
diminutive at first, that it scarcely can be seen, but it soon moves
and fixes upon a part of the plant, from which it does not remove, and
becomes gradually covered with a white skin, so that the body, which is
scarlet, is no longer seen. In three months it arrives at maturity, and
is not larger than a small pea; there are various modes of cultivating
it, and great care is required to keep off other insects which destroy
it. This is an article of considerable commerce and might be cultivated
to a great extent in the Brazil.
ZOOLOGY.--Cattle do not abound in consequence of the mountainous nature
of the country. Amongst other wild quadrupeds, are well known the
deer, the _tamandua_, the monkey, the boar, the _ounce_, the _anta_,
the _paca_, and the _quaty_. Amongst numerous species of birds are
remarked the parrot, the macuco partridge, the _rola_, or turtle, the
_guara_, and various sorts of the humming bird called _colibri_, or
_beija-flor_. The lakes abound with wild ducks and geese. An infinite
variety of beautiful butterflies are seen in this province, to delight
the eye, and engage the research of the naturalist. The air appears
filled with floating flowers.
RIVERS, LAKES, AND PORTS.--The first are generally of a short
extent. About three miles north-north-east of the Towers is the mouth
of the Mampituba, about one hundred fathoms wide, which was called for
some time the Martim Affonso. It is not more than seven leagues long,
being formed of various streams that descend from the cordillera; its
current is violent, but sumacas, or smacks, ascend with the tide twelve
miles to the port of Forquilhas. By its northern margin it receives
the waters of a lake, which is about five leagues long, and one
broad, extending parallel with the sea-coast as far as the Campos das
Lagoinhas, from thence it has another outlet to the sea, by a channel
called Arroyo Grande.
Near the situation denominated the Conventos, there is a serro of rock
moderately elevated, and terminating in a platform near the beach,
about six leagues distant from the Mambituba. Six miles further, the
river Ararangua enters the sea, and is navigable for the space of five
leagues to the Tres Portos, where it is one hundred fathoms wide, and
deeper than at the bar, having a rapid current from the month of June
to September. Three leagues beyond the preceding, the river Urussanga
disembogues, being more extensive, and much more rapid when its waters
are high; no vessel can enter its mouth, in consequence of the sea
breaking with great violence upon a bank which crosses it. Higher
up it is wider, and has four fathoms of depth in some places. This
river communicates with a large and deep lake, where the _boto_
and other large fish are seen, which come up from the ocean; it lies
northward of the river. Five leagues further is the rock of St. Martha,
where the coast changes its direction to the north. Three leagues to
the north of the Morro, or rock of St. Martha, is the spacious bay
of Laguna, formerly the river Da Lagoa, (of the Lake) which is the
mouth of the river Tubarao, and together the outlet of various lakes,
prolonged in a chain parallel with the ocean, and at no considerable
distance from it. This river rises in the serra that bounds this
province, and its current is rapid from April to September. Canoes
proceed up it a distance of eight or nine leagues to Porto da Guarda;
but _sumacas_ do not pass the mouth of the river Capibary, which
joins it by the left bank, and is navigable for a space of eight
leagues to Pouzo Alto. On the northern margin of the Tubarao is the
outlet of the great lake Laguna, which is five leagues long from north
to south, near two at the greatest width, and is of sufficient depth
for sumacas, as far as its northern extremity. On the southern bank
of the Tubarao, in front of the outlet of the Laguna, is that of the
lake of St. Martha, which lake is a quarter of a league square. On its
southern side the lake Garopaba discharges itself, is about the same
size, and one league distant. Into the latter the outlet of the lake
Jaguaruna disembogues, which is two leagues further to the southward,
and a little larger. The three together afford a passage to large
canoes, as far as the river Congonhas, which is not considerable, and
empties itself into the western margin of the latter lake. They are
comprehended under the name of the lakes of Camacho, and abound in
fish.
On the western side of the Laguna, and near its northern extremity, the
river Una discharges itself, and affords navigation to canoes for some
leagues, as far as the rock of St. Joam. An arm of this river extends a
league and a half to the north, is deep, and terminates in a morass.
In front of the embouchure of the Laguna is the small island of Lobos.
Four leagues to the north is the point and port of the Embituba, and
two farther is the mouth of the river Piraquera, which is the outlet of
the lake of the same name, otherwise Encantada, four miles long and one
wide.
Continuing onward, the river Embahu is met with, which at its mouth is
only eight fathoms wide, but it gradually increases to more than eighty
fathoms; canoes can proceed up during a day’s voyage.
Two miles farther to the north is the point of Pinheira, which is
followed by the gulf of the same name, being the southern entrance to
the channel of the island of St. Catharina; its southern extremity is a
league to the north of the said point.
Near six miles to the north of Point Pinheira, the Massambu
disembogues, being thirty fathoms wide, and of considerable depth, but
of short extent: Rio Dom Rodrigo was its first designation. After it
follows a small bay, called Brito, and a little farther is the entrance
of the river Cubatao, sixty fathoms wide, up which larger canoes
proceed during two days’ voyage. In the proximity of this river there
are various fountains of hot water, having different degrees of heat:
the most distant one, situated five leagues up the river, possesses one
hundred and two degrees.
After passing various small rivers, the river Maruhy is met with, as
large as the preceding one, and navigable to the place denominated
Guarda. Near this river is the bay of St. Joze. A little to the north
is a straight, which divides the channel into two almost equal parts;
and a little farther is the entrance of the river Biguassu, fifty
fathoms in width, and up which canoes proceed for many leagues. The
first discoverers called it the river of Patos, in consequence of its
constituting a limit between the Indians of that name, who extended
themselves as far as the St. Pedro, and the Carijos to the north as far
as Cannanea.
The large bay of St. Miguel follows; afterwards, the point of Armacao;
and, farther on, that of Ganchos, which lies east and west of the
extremity of the island of St. Catharina, and is to the southward of
the spacious bay of Tejucas, at the farther end of which the river
of the same name discharges itself, being fifty fathoms wide, and
affording two days’ navigation. The surrounding country of the bay of
Tejucas is a morass or marshy plain in the winter, when its passage is
attended with great labour and inconvenience.
To the north of the preceding is the bay of Guaroupas, open to the
north-east, not so large, but sufficiently sheltered and capacious for
the reception of a squadron of ships; the river Bupeba runs into it, as
well as the two Pireques. The intervening land of those two bays is a
peninsula, which extends to the sea, terminating in three points, and
forming two small bays.
Proceeding northward, the next river is the Cambory-Guassu, rapid at
its entrance into the sea, and being twenty fathoms in width. Nearly
three leagues farther is the embouchure of the great river Tajahy,
which is little less than sixty fathoms in width at the passage a short
distance from the beach. It is the only river met with on the road from
Portalegre to St. Paulo that flows towards the east; the _sumacas_
proceed up only three miles, launches and large canoes navigate freely
as far as the first fall. About one hundred and twenty yards above it
becomes navigable for the space of three days, by towing, and as many
more with the oar, to the next cataract. It rises between the river
Negro and the Correntes, (which run to westward.) In its neighbourhood
there are many small mountains. The principal confluents which enlarge
it are the Rio de Luiz Alves (which comes from the north-west, runs
near the mountain of Bahul, seen from the sea at a great distance, and
is navigable for small canoes) and the Tajahy Mirim, which runs from
the south-west, navigable for canoes about ten leagues. The whole flow
through countries of great fertility.
Five miles farther to the north is the river Gravata, otherwise
Iriri-Guassu, thirty fathoms wide, and navigable for canoes. It
is followed by the spacious bay of Itapacoroya, where there is an
establishment for whale fishing. Proceeding onwards, the Iriri Mirim
and the Camboriu are met with, up which canoes also navigate with the
aid of the tide. Near to the latter is the Tajuba, a river of a similar
class.
Three leagues to the north of the Itapacoroya the river Itapicu
disembogues, being fifty fathoms wide, and of considerable depth. Its
origin is far back in the province, and affords navigation to small
canoes for many leagues, without the interruption of more than one
cataract, which is situated ten miles above the mouth. The agitated
state of the sea at the mouth of this river does not permit the
entrance of any description of vessel. Immediately beyond the bar it
forms a lake, called Lagoa da Cruz, two leagues long from north to
south, parallel with the beach, and very narrow. Among the rivers which
enlarge it are remarked the Piranga, which is received by the left
bank, and is navigable by canoes for a space of five leagues; the
Upitanga, which joins it by the right margin, and is only navigable
for six miles; the Itapicu Mirim, that comes from the north-west and
admits of navigation for about fifteen miles; the Jaragua, which flows
from the south-west, and appears capable of allowing small vessels to
proceed as far as a situation about four leagues above its mouth; and
the Braço, which descends from the north-west, and admits of canoes for
the space of six miles. All these rivers run by winding courses among
mountains and uncultivated territories, thickly wooded, demonstrating
the natural fertility of the soil. The Itapicu is supposed to be the
river of Dragons, which the discoverers placed to the south of the
river St. Francisco in this district.
Five miles to the north of Itapicu is the island of St. Francisco, six
leagues long, and in the form of a bow, the right line of which is
nearest the coast; the channel which separates it from the continent
is improperly called the river of St. Francisco. The southern entrance
is denominated Aracary, is two hundred fathoms wide, has only depth
for large boats, and on its outside are the three islands of Remedios
and two of Tamboretes. The northern bar, called Babitonga, is fifteen
hundred fathoms wide and deep enough for large _sumacas_.[19]
At the end of the sixteenth century it was not known that the land
between the bar of Aracary and Babitonga was an island; they were
thought to be two mighty rivers, the southern called the St. Francisco
and the northern the Alagado. The channel, or the pretended river St.
Francisco, of a semicircular form, enlarges considerably from both
mouths to the middle, where it is three miles wide, and contains a
cluster of more than twenty islands. A great number of rivers empty
themselves here. The nearest to the bar of Aracary is the Piraque,
having a course of five leagues, five fathoms in width at the mouth,
and affords navigation to canoes for three miles; next to it is the
Pinheiros, still smaller; then the Paraty, which is thirty fathoms
wide at the bar, two and a half in depth, and navigable for about a
league. The little river Areas, narrow and deep, is navigable for two
miles. The great river Areas, up which canoes proceed with the tide
for some distance. The river Parannagua, whose origin approximates to
that of the Pirango, an arm of the Itapicu: coasting vessels proceed
up it a short way, large boats about two miles, and canoes nearly five
miles. Next follow the Saguaçu; the two Erirys; the Cubatao Grande,
twenty fathoms wide, three deep, and navigable for ten leagues to the
high rock of Tromba; the Antonio Felis; the Ribeyrao; the Biguaçu; the
Pyrabyréba; the Cavalinhos, by which canoes proceed for a space of ten
miles; the Tres-Barras, so called in consequence of being the common
embouchure of the three rivers of Furtaenchente, St. Joam, and Tres
Barras, the second only being considerable, (its principal confluents
are the Maria Bachaara and the Farinhas, which come from the serra of
Curytiba, and afford navigation to canoes;) the Barrancos, Bacuhy,
Lamen, Batuby, Fornos, Fernandes, Barboza, and the two Jaugarunas,
the smaller of which is nearest to the northern point of the bar of
Babitonga. The nine last, and several of the others are small, being
only of any note during the spring tides. The whole of these rivers
generally run tamely between low banks, of a marshy nature, abounding
with considerable numbers of the beautiful scarlet _guara_ bird,
which delight the eye of the navigators. In some of these rivers are
found seed pearls of various colours, also large pearls of an imperfect
kind.
The island of St. Francisco is low, watered with various small rivers,
and inhabited; on its eastern side there is a narrow lake, ten miles
long from north to south, denominated the river Acarahy; and near it
another small one. Two leagues north of the bar of Babitonga is the
river Sahy Mirim, and the same distance farther the Sahy Grande, both
inconsiderable, uniting in one stream a little above their embouchures.
The greatest part of the population of this province is descended
from families who came from the Azore Islands, for the purpose of
colonizing it. Negroes are not numerous, and mesticos still less so.
The aboriginal Patos, whose name the island at first had, penetrated
into the continent. The Carijos were the first tribe understood by
the Vincentistas, and hence their name was given in common to all
domesticated Indians, of whatever nation.