SOUTH OF THE LINE TO BRAZIL.
THE AUTHOR'S DELIBERATION ON THE SEQUEL OF HIS VOYAGE AND DEPARTURE FROM
ST. JAGO.
Having despatched my small affairs at the Cape Verde Islands I meditated
on the process of my voyage. I thought it requisite to touch once more at
a cultivated place in these seas, where my men might be refreshed, and
might have a market wherein to furnish themselves with necessaries: for,
designing that my next stretch should be quite to New Holland, and
knowing that after so long a run nothing was to be expected there but
fresh water, if I could meet even with that there, I resolved upon
putting in first at some port of Brazil, and to provide myself there with
whatever I might have further occasion for. Beside the refreshing and
furnishing my men I aimed also at the inuring them gradually and by
intervals to the fatigues that were to be expected in the remainder of
the voyage, which was to be in a part of the world they were altogether
strangers to: none of them, except two young men, having ever crossed the
Line.
HIS COURSE, AND THE WINDS, ETC. IN CROSSING THE LINE.
With this design I sailed from St. Jago on the 22nd of February with the
winds at east-north-east and north-east fair weather and a brisk gale. We
steered away south-south-east and south-south-east half east till in the
latitude of 7 degrees 50 minutes we met with many ripplings in the sea
like a tide or strong current, which setting against the wind caused such
a rippling. We continued to meet these currents from that latitude till
we came into the latitude of 3 degrees 22 north when they ceased. During
this time we saw some bonetas and sharks; catching one of these. We had
the true general tradewind blowing fresh at north-east till in the
latitude of 4 degrees 40 minutes north when the wind varied, and we had
small gales with some tornados. We were then to the east of St. Jago 4
degrees 54 minutes when we got into latitude 3 degrees 2 minutes north
(where I said the rippling ceased) and longitude to the east of St. Jago
5 degrees 2 minutes we had the wind whiffling between the south by east
and east by north small gales, frequent calms, very black clouds with
much rain. In the latitude of 3 degrees 8 minutes north and longitude
east from St. Jago 5 degrees 8 minutes we had the wind from the
south-south-east to the north-north-east faint, and often interrupted
with calms. While we had calms we had the opportunity of trying the
current we had met with hitherto and found that it set north-east by east
half a knot, which is 12 mile in 24 hours: so that here it ran at the
rate of half a mile an hour, and had been much stronger before. The rains
held us by intervals till the latitude of 1 degree 0 minutes north with
small gales of wind between south-south-east and south-east by east and
sometimes calm: afterwards we had the wind between the south and
south-south-east till we crossed the Line, small winds, calms, and pretty
fair weather. We saw but few fish beside porpoises; but of them a great
many and struck one of them.
It was the 10th of March, about the time of the equinox, when we crossed
the equator, having had all along from the latitude of 4 degrees 40
minutes north, where the true tradewind left us, a great swell out of the
south-east and but small uncertain gales, mostly southerly, so that we
crept to the southward but slowly. I kept up against these as well as I
could to the southward, and when we had now and then a flurry of wind at
east I still went away due south, purposely to get to the southward as
fast as I could; for while near the Line I expected to have but uncertain
winds, frequent calms, rains, tornados, etc. which would not only retard
my course but endanger sickness also among my men: especially those who
were ill provided with clothes, or were too lazy to shift themselves when
they were drenched with the rains. The heat of the weather made them
careless of doing this; but taking a dram of brandy which I gave them
when wet, with a charge to shift themselves, they would however lie down
in their hammocks with their wet clothes; so that when they turned out
they caused an ill smell wherever they came, and their hammocks would
stink sufficiently that I think the remedying of this is worth the care
of commanders that cross the Line; especially when they are, it may be, a
month or more before they get out of the rains, at some times of year, as
in June, July or August.
HE STANDS AWAY FOR THE BAY OF ALL-SAINTS IN BRAZIL; AND WHY.
What I have here said about currents, winds, calms, etc. in this passage
is chiefly for the farther illustration of what I have heretofore
observed in general about these matters, and especially as to crossing
the Line, in my Discourse of the Winds, etc. in the Torrid Zone: which
observations I have had very much confirmed to me in the course of this
voyage; and I shall particularise in several of the chief of them as they
come in my way. And indeed I think I may say this of the main of the
observations in that treatise that the clear satisfaction I had about
them and how much I might rely upon them was a great ease to my mind
during this vexatious voyage; wherein the ignorance, and obstinacy
withal, of some under me, occasioned me a great deal of trouble: though
they found all along, and were often forced to acknowledge it, that I was
seldom out in my conjectures when I told them usually beforehand what
winds, etc. we should meet with at such or such particular places we
should come at.
Pernambuco was the port that I designed for at my first setting out from
St. Jago; it being a place most proper for my purpose, by reason of its
situation, lying near the extremity of Cape St. Augustine, the
easternmost promontory of Brazil; by which means it not only enjoys the
greater benefit of the seabreezes, and is consequently more healthy than
other places to the southward, but is withal less subject to the
southerly coasting tradewinds that blow half the year on this shore;
which were now drawing on, and might be troublesome to me: so that I
might both hope to reach soonest Pernambuco as most directly and nearest
in my run; and might thence also more easily get away to the southward
than from Bahia de todos los Santos or Rio de Janeiro.
But notwithstanding these advantages I proposed to myself in going to
Pernambuco I was soon put by that design through the refractoriness of
some under me, and the discontents and backwardness of some of my men.
For the calms and shiftings of winds which I met with, as I was to
expect, in crossing the Line, made them who were unacquainted with these
matters almost heartless as to the pursuit of the voyage, as thinking we
should never be able to weather Cape St. Augustine: and though I told
them that by that time we should get to about three degrees south of the
Line we should again have a true brisk general tradewind from the
north-east, that would carry us to what part of Brazil we pleased, yet
they would not believe it till they found it so. This, with some other
unforeseen accidents, not necessary to be mentioned in this place,
meeting with the aversion of my men to a long unknown voyage, made me
justly apprehensive of their revolting, and was a great trouble and
hindrance to me. So that I was obliged partly to alter my measures, and
met with many difficulties, the particulars of which I shall not trouble
the reader with: but I mention thus much of it in general for my own
necessary vindication, in my taking such measures sometimes for
prosecuting the voyage as the state of my ship's crew, rather than my own
judgment and experience, determined me to. The disorders of my ship made
me think at present that Pernambuco would not be so fit a place for me;
being told that ships ride there 2 or 3 leagues from the town, under the
command of no forts; so that whenever I should have been ashore it might
have been easy for my discontented crew to have cut or slipped their
cables and have gone away from me: many of them discovering already an
intention to return to England, and some of them declaring openly that
they would go no further onwards than Brazil. I altered my course
therefore, and stood away for Bahia de todos los Santos, or the Bay of
All Saints, where I hoped to have the governor's help, if need should
require, for securing my ship from any such mutinous attempt; being
forced to keep myself all the way upon my guard, and to lie with my
officers, such as I could trust, and with small arms upon the
quarter-deck; it scarce being safe for me to lie in my cabin by reason of
the discontents among my men.
HIS ARRIVAL ON THAT COAST AND IN THE BAY.
On the 23rd of March we saw the land of Brazil; having had thither, from
the time when we came into the true tradewind again after crossing the
Line, very fair weather and brisk gales, mostly at east-north-east. The
land we saw was about 20 leagues to the north of Bahia; so I coasted
alongshore to the southward. This coast is rather low than high, with
sandy bays all along by the sea.
OF THE SEVERAL FORTS, THE ROAD, SITUATION, TOWN, AND BUILDINGS OF BAHIA.
A little within land are many very white spots of sand appearing like
snow; and the coast looks very pleasant, being chequered with woods and
savannahs. The trees in general are not tall; but they are green and
flourishing. There are many small houses by the seaside, whose
inhabitants are chiefly fishermen. They come off to sea on bark logs,
made of several logs fastened side to side, that have one or two masts
with sails to them. There are two men in each bark log, one at either
end, having small low benches, raised a little above the logs, to sit and
fish on, and two baskets hanging up at the mast or masts; one to put
their provisions in, the other for their fish. Many of these were
a-fishing now, and 2 of them came aboard, of whom I bought some fish. In
the afternoon we sailed by one very remarkable piece of land where, on a
small pleasant hill, there was a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. See
a sight of some parts of this coast and of the hill the church stands on.
I coasted along till the evening and then brought to, and lay by till the
next morning. About 2 hours after we were brought to, there came a sail
out of the offing (from seaward) and lay by about a mile to windward of
us and so lay all night. In the morning upon speaking with her she proved
to be a Portuguese ship bound to Bahia; therefore I sent my boat aboard
and desired to have one of his mates to pilot me in: he answered that he
had not a mate capable of it, but that he would sail in before me, and
show me the way; and that if he went into the harbour in the night he
would hang out a light for me. He said we had not far in, and might reach
it before night with a tolerable gale; but that with so small an one as
now we had we could not do it: so we jogged on till night and then he
accordingly hung out his light, which we steered after, sounding as we
went in. I kept all my men on deck and had an anchor ready to let go on
occasion. We had the tide of ebb against us, so that we went in but
slowly; and it was about the middle of the night when we anchored.
Immediately the Portuguese master came aboard to see me, to whom I
returned thanks for his civilities; and indeed I found much respect, not
only from this gentleman but from all of that nation both here and in
other places, who were ready to serve me on all occasions. The place that
we anchored in was about two miles from the harbour where the ships
generally ride; but the fear I had lest my people should run away with
the ship made me hasten to get a licence from the governor to run up into
the harbour and ride among their ships, close by one of their forts. So
on the 25th of March about ten o'clock in the morning, the tide serving,
I went thither, being piloted by the superintendent there, whose business
it is to carry up all the King of Portugal's ships that come hither, and
to see them well moored. He brought us to an anchor right against the
town, at the outer part of the harbour, which was then full of ships,
within 150 yards of a small fort that stands on a rock half a mile from
the shore. See a prospect of the harbour and the town as it appeared to
us while we lay at anchor.
Bahia de todos los Santos lies in latitude 13 degrees south. It is the
most considerable town in Brazil, whether in respect of the beauty of its
buildings, its bulk, or its trade and revenue. It has the convenience of
a good harbour that is capable of receiving ships of the greatest burden:
the entrance of which is guarded with a strong fort standing without the
harbour, called St. Antonio: a sight of which I have given as it appeared
to us the afternoon before we came in; and its lights (which they hang
out purposely for ships) we saw the same night. There are other smaller
forts that command the harbour, one of which stands on a rock in the sea,
about half a mile from the shore. Close by this fort all ships must pass
that anchor here, and must ride also within half a mile of it at farthest
between this and another fort (that stands on a point at the inner part
of the harbour and is called the Dutch Fort) but must ride nearest to the
former, all along against the town: where there is good holding ground,
and less exposed to the southerly winds that blow very hard here. They
commonly set in about April, but blow hardest in May, June, July and
August: but the place where the ships ride is exposed to these winds not
above 3 points of the compass.
Beside these there is another fort fronting the harbour, and standing on
the hill upon which the town stands. The town itself consists of about
2000 houses; the major part of which cannot be seen from the harbour; but
so many as appear in sight with a great mixture of trees between them,
and all placed on a rising hill, make a very pleasant prospect; as may be
judged by the draught.
There are in the town 13 churches, chapels, hospitals, convents, beside
one nunnery, namely the ecclesia major or cathedral, the Jesuits'
college, which are the chief, and both in sight from the harbour: St.
Antonio, St. Barbara, both parish churches; the Franciscans' church, and
the Dominicans'; and 2 convents of Carmelites; a chapel for seamen close
by the seaside, where boats commonly land and the seamen go immediately
to prayers; another chapel for poor people, at the farther end of the
same street, which runs along by the shore; and a third chapel for
soldiers at the edge of the town remote from the sea; and an hospital in
the middle of the town. The nunnery stands at the outer edge of the town
next the fields, wherein by report there are 70 nuns. Here lives in
archbishop, who has a fine palace in the town; and the governor's palace
is a fair stone building, and looks handsome to the sea, though but
indifferently furnished within: both Spaniards and Portuguese in their
plantations abroad, as I have generally observed, affecting to have large
houses; but are little curious about furniture, except pictures some of
them. The houses of the town are 2 or 3 stories high, the walls thick and
strong, being built with stone, with a covering of pantile; and many of
them have balconies. The principal streets are large, and all of them
paved or pitched with small stones. There are also parades in the most
eminent places of the town, and many gardens, as well within the town as
in the out parts of it, wherein are fruit trees, herbs, saladings and
flowers in great variety, but ordered with no great care nor art.
OF ITS GOVERNOR, SHIPS AND MERCHANTS; AND COMMODITIES TO AND FROM EUROPE.
The governor who resides here is called Don John de Lancastrio, being
descended, as they say, from our English Lancaster family; and he has a
respect for our nation on that account, calling them his countrymen. I
waited on him several times, and always found him very courteous and
civil. Here are about 400 soldiers in garrison. They commonly draw up and
exercise in a large parade before the governor's house; and many of them
attend him when he goes abroad. The soldiers are decently clad in brown
linen, which in these hot countries is far better than woollen; but I
never saw any clad in linen but only these. Beside the soldiers in pay,
he can soon have some thousands of men up in arms on occasion. The
magazine is on the skirts of the town, on a small rising between the
nunnery and the soldiers' church. It is big enough to hold 2 or 3000
barrels of powder; but I was told it seldom has more than 100, sometimes
but 80. There are always a band of soldiers to guard it, and sentinels
looking out both day and night.
A great many merchants always reside at Bahia; for it is a place of great
trade: I found here above 30 great ships from Europe, with 2 of the King
of Portugal's ships of war for their convoy; beside 2 ships that traded
to Africa only, either to Angola, Gambia, or other places on the coast of
Guinea; and abundance of small craft that only run to and fro on this
coast, carrying commodities from one part of Brazil to another.
The merchants that live here are said to be rich, and to have many negro
slaves in their houses, both of men and women. Themselves are chiefly
Portuguese, foreigners having but little commerce with them; yet here was
one Mr. Cock, an English merchant, a very civil gentleman and of good
repute. He had a patent to be our English consul, but did not care to
take upon him any public character because English ships seldom come
hither, here having been none in 11 or 12 years before this time. Here
was also a Dane, and a French merchant or two; but all have their effects
transported to and from Europe in Portuguese ships, none of any other
nation being admitted to trade hither. There is a custom-house by the
seaside, where all goods imported or exported are entered. And to prevent
abuses there are 5 or 6 boats that take their turns to row about the
harbour, searching any boats they suspect to be running of goods.
The chief commodities that the European ships bring hither are linen
cloths, both coarse and fine; some woollens, also as bays, serges,
perpetuanas, etc. Hats, stockings, both of silk and thread,
biscuit-bread, wheat flour, wine (chiefly port) oil olive, butter,
cheese, etc. and salt-beef and pork would there also be good commodities.
They bring hither also iron, and all sorts of iron tools; pewter vessels
of all sorts, as dishes, plates, spoons, etc. looking-glasses, beads, and
other toys; and the ships that touch at St. Jago bring thence, as I said,
cotton cloth, which is afterwards sent to Angola.
The European ships carry from hence sugar, tobacco, either in roll or
snuff, never in leaf, that I know of: these are the staple commodities.
Besides which, here are dye-woods, as fustick, etc. with woods for other
uses, as speckled wood, Brazil, etc. They also carry home raw hides,
tallow, train-oil of whales, etc. Here are also kept tame monkeys,
parrots, parakeets, etc, which the seamen carry home.
CLAYING OF SUGAR.
The sugar of this country is much better than that which we bring home
from our plantations: for all the sugar that is made here is clayed,
which makes it whiter and finer than our muscovada, as we call our
unrefined sugar. Our planters seldom refine any with clay, unless
sometimes a little to send home as presents for their friends in England.
Their way of doing it is by taking some of the whitest clay and mixing it
with water, till it is like cream. With this they fill up the pans of
sugar that are sunk 2 or 3 inches below the brim by the draining of the
molasses out of it: first scraping off the thin hard crust of the sugar
that lies at the top, and would hinder the water of the clay from soaking
through the sugar of the pan. The refining is made by this percolation.
For 10 to 12 days time that the clayish liquor lies soaking down the pan
the white water whitens the sugar as it passes through it; and the gross
body of the clay itself grows hard on the top, and may be taken off at
pleasure; when scraping off with a knife the very upper-part of the sugar
which will be a little sullied, that which is underneath will be white
almost to the bottom: and such as is called Brazil sugar is thus
whitened. When I was here this sugar was sold for about 50 shillings per
100 pounds. And the bottoms of the pots, which is very coarse sugar, for
about 20 shillings per 100 pounds, both sorts being then scarce; for here
was not enough to lade the ships, and therefore some of them were to lie
here till the next season.
THE SEASON FOR THE EUROPEAN SHIPS, AND COIR CABLES: OF THEIR GUINEA TRADE
AND OF THE COASTING TRADE, AND WHALE KILLING.
The European ships commonly arrive here in February or March, and they
have generally quick passages; finding at that time of the year brisk
gales to bring them to the Line, little trouble, then, in crossing it,
and brisk east-north-east winds afterwards to bring them hither. They
commonly return from hence about the latter end of May, or in June. It
was said when I was here that the ships would sail hence the 20th day of
May; and therefore they were all very busy, some in taking in their
goods, others in careening and making themselves ready. The ships that
come hither usually careen at their first coming; here being a hulk
belonging to the king for that purpose. This hulk is under the charge of
the superintendent I spoke of, who has a certain sum of money for every
ship that careens by her. He also provides firing and other necessaries
for that purpose: and the ships do commonly hire of the merchants here
each 2 cables to moor by all the time they lie here, and so save their
own hempen cables; for these are made of a sort of hair that grows on a
certain kind of trees, hanging down from the top of their bodies, and is
very like the black coir in the East Indies, if not the same. These
cables are strong and lasting: and so much for the European ships.
The ships that use the Guinea trade are small vessels in comparison of
the former. They carry out from hence rum, sugar, the cotton cloths of
St. Jago, beads, etc. and bring in return gold, ivory, and slaves; making
very good returns.
The small craft that belong to this town are chiefly employed in carrying
European goods from Bahia, the centre of the Brazilian trade, to the
other places on this coast; bringing back hither sugar, tobacco, etc.
They are sailed chiefly with negro slaves; and about Christmas these are
mostly employed in whale killing: for about that time of the year a sort
of whales, as they call them, are very thick on this coast. They come in
also into the harbours and inland lakes where the seamen go out and kill
them. The fat of them is boiled to oil; the lean is eaten by the slaves
and poor people: and I was told by one that had frequently eaten of it
that the flesh was very sweet and wholesome. These are said to be but
small whales; yet here are so many, and so easily killed, that they get a
great deal of money by it. Those that strike them buy their licence for
it of the king: and I was informed that he receives 30,000 dollars per
annum for this fishery. All the small vessels that use this coasting
traffic are built here; and so are some men of war also for the king's
service. There was one a-building when I was here, a ship of 40 or 50
guns: and the timber of this country is very good and proper for this
purpose. I was told it was very strong, and more durable than any we have
in Europe; and they have enough of it. As for their ships that use the
European trade some of them that I saw there were English built, taken
from us by the French, during the late war, and sold by them to the
Portuguese.
OF THE INHABITANTS OF BAHIA; THEIR CARRYING IN HAMMOCKS: THEIR
ARTIFICERS, CRANE FOR GOODS, AND NEGRO SLAVES.
Besides merchants and others that trade by sea from this port here are
other pretty wealthy men, and several artificers and tradesmen of most
sorts, who by labour and industry maintain themselves very well;
especially such as can arrive at the purchase of a negro slave or two.
And indeed, excepting people of the lowest degree of all, here are scarce
any but what keep slaves in their houses. The richer sort, besides the
slaves of both sexes whom they keep for servile uses in their houses,
have men slaves who wait on them abroad, for state; either running by
their horse-sides when they ride out, or to carry them to and fro on
their shoulders in the town when they make short visits near home. Every
gentleman or merchant is provided with things necessary for this sort of
carriage. The main thing is a pretty large cotton hammock of the West
India fashion, but mostly died blue, with large fringes of the same,
hanging down on each side. This is carried on the negroes' shoulders by
the help of a bamboo about 12 or 14 foot long, to which the hammock is
hung; and a covering comes over the pole, hanging down on each side like
a curtain: so that the person so carried cannot be seen unless he
pleases; but may either lie down, having pillows for his head; or may sit
up by being a little supported with these pillows, and by letting both
his legs hang out over one side of the hammock. When he hath a mind to be
seen he puts by his curtain, and salutes everyone of his acquaintance
whom he meets in the streets; for they take a piece of pride in greeting
one another from their hammocks, and will hold long conferences thus in
the street: but then their 2 slaves who carry the hammock have each a
strong well made staff with a fine iron fork at the upper end, and a
sharp iron below, like the rest for a musket, which they stick fast in
the ground and let the pole or bamboo of the hammock rest upon them till
their master's business or the complement is over. There is scarce a man
of any fashion, especially a woman, will pass the streets but so carried
in a hammock. The chief mechanic traders here are smiths, hatters,
shoemakers, tanners, sawyers, carpenters, coopers, etc. Here are also
tailors, butchers, etc., which last kill the bullocks very dexterously,
sticking them at one blow with a sharp-pointed knife in the nape of the
neck, having first drawn them close to a rail; but they dress them very
slovenly. It being Lent when I came hither there was no buying any flesh
till Easter-eve, when a great number of bullocks were killed at once in
the slaughterhouses within the town, men, women and children flocking
thither with great joy to buy, and a multitude of dogs, almost starved,
following them; for whom the meat seemed fittest, it was so lean. All
these tradesmen buy negroes, and train them up to their several
employments, which is a great help to them; and they having so frequent
trade to Angola, and other parts of Guinea, they have a constant supply
of blacks both for their plantations and town. These slaves are very
useful in this place for carriage, as porters; for as here is a great
trade by sea and the landing-place is at the foot of a hill, too steep
for drawing with carts, so there is great need of slaves to carry goods
up into the town, especially for the inferior sort; but the merchants
have also the convenience of a great crane that goes with ropes or
pulleys, one end of which goes up while the other goes down. The house in
which this crane is stands on the brow of the hill towards the sea,
hanging over the precipice; and there are planks set shelving against the
bank from thence to the bottom, against which the goods lean or slide as
they are hoisted up or let down. The negro slaves in this town are so
numerous that they make up the greatest part or bulk of the inhabitants:
every house, as I said, having some, both men and women, of them. Many of
the Portuguese, who are bachelors, keep of these black women for misses,
though they know the danger they are in of being poisoned by them, if
ever they give them any occasion of jealousy. A gentleman of my
acquaintance, who had been familiar with his cookmaid, lay under some
apprehensions from her when I was there. These slaves also of either sex
will easily be engaged to do any sort of mischief; even to murder, if
they are hired to do it, especially in the night; for which reason I kept
my men on board as much as I could; for one of the French king's ships
being here had several men murdered by them in the night, as I was
credibly informed.
OF THE COUNTRY ABOUT BAHIA, ITS SOIL AND PRODUCT.
Having given this account of the town of Bahia I shall next say somewhat
of the country. There is a salt-water lake runs 40 leagues, as I was
told, up the country, north-west from the sea, leaving the town and Dutch
fort on the starboard side. The country all around about is for the most
part a pretty flat even ground, not high, nor yet very low: it is well
watered with rivers, brooks and springs; neither wants it for good
harbours, navigable creeks, and good bays for ships to ride in. The soil
in general is good, naturally producing very large trees of divers sorts,
and fit for any uses. The savannahs also are loaded with grass, herbs,
and many sorts of smaller vegetables; and being cultivated, produce
anything that is proper for those hot countries, as sugarcane, cotton,
indigo, maize, fruit-trees of several kinds, and eatable roots of all
sorts. Of the several kinds of trees that are here I shall give an
account of some, as I had it partly from an inhabitant of Bahia, and
partly from my knowledge of them otherwise, namely sapiera, vermiatico,
comesserie, guitteba, serrie, as they were pronounced to me, three sorts
of mangrove, speckled wood, fustick, cotton-trees of 3 sorts, etc.,
together with fruit trees of divers sorts that grow wild, beside such as
are planted.
ITS TIMBER-TREES; THE SAPIERA, VERMIATICO, COMMESSERIE, GUITTEBA, SERRIE,
AND MANGROVES.
Of timber-trees the sapiera is said to be large and tall; it is very good
timber, and is made use of in building of houses; so is the vermiatico, a
tall straight-bodied tree, of which they make plank 2 foot broad; and
they also make canoes with it. Comesserie and guitteba are chiefly used
in building ships; these are as much esteemed here as oaks are in
England, and they say either sort is harder and more durable than oak.
The serrie is a sort of tree much like elm, very durable in water. Here
are also all the three sorts of mangrove trees, namely the red, the
white, and the black, which I have described. The bark of the red
mangrove is here used for tanning of leather, and they have great
tan-pits for it. The black mangrove grows larger here than in the West
Indies, and of it they make good plank. The white mangrove is larger and
tougher than in the West Indies; of these they make masts and yards for
barks.
THE BASTARD-COCO, ITS NUTS AND CABLES; AND THE SILK-COTTON-TREES.
There grow here wild or bastard coconut-trees, neither so large nor so
tall as the common ones in the East or West Indies. They bear nuts as the
others, but not a quarter so big as the right coconuts. The shell is full
of kernel, without any hollow place or water in it; and the kernel is
sweet and wholesome, but very hard both for the teeth and for digestion.
These nuts are in much esteem for making beads for paternosters, boles of
tobacco pipes and other toys: and every small shop here has a great many
of them to sell. At the top of these bastard coco-trees, among the
branches, there grows a sort of long black thread-like horsehair, but
much longer, which by the Portuguese is called tresabo. Of this they make
cables which are very serviceable, strong and lasting; for they will not
rot as cables made of hemp, though they lie exposed both to wet and heat.
These are the cables which I said they keep in their harbours here, to
let to hire to European ships, and resemble the coir cables.
Here are 3 sorts of cotton-trees that bear silk-cotton. One sort is such
as I have formerly described by the name of the cotton-tree. The other 2
sorts I never saw anywhere but here. The trees of these latter sorts are
but small in comparison of the former, which are reckoned the biggest in
all the West India woods; yet are however of a good bigness and height.
One of these last sorts is not so full of branches as the other of them;
neither do they produce their fruit the same time of the year: for one
sort had its fruit just ripe and was shedding its leaves while the other
sort was yet green, and its fruit small and growing, having but newly
done blossoming; the tree being as full of young fruit as an apple-tree
ordinarily in England. These last yield very large pods, about 6 inches
long and as big as a man's arm. It is ripe in September and October; then
the pod opens and the cotton bursts out in a great lump as big as a man's
head. They gather these pods before they open; otherwise it would fly all
away. It opens as well after it is gathered; and then they take out the
cotton and preserve it to fill pillows and bolsters, for which use it is
very much esteemed: but it is fit for nothing else, being so short that
it cannot be spun. It is of a tawny colour; and the seeds are black, very
round, and as big as a white pea. The other sort is ripe in March or
April. The fruit or pod is like a large apple and very round. The outside
shell is as thick as the top of one's finger. Within this there is a very
thin whitish bag or skin which encloses the cotton. When the cotton-apple
is ripe the outer thick green shell splits itself into 5 equal parts from
stem to tail and drops off, leaving the cotton hanging upon the stem,
only pent up in its fine bag. A day or two afterwards the cotton swells
by the heat of the sun, breaks the bag and bursts out, as big as a man's
head: and then as the wind blows it is by degrees driven away, a little
at a time, out of the bag that still hangs upon the stem, and is
scattered about the fields; the bag soon following the cotton, and the
stem the bag. Here is also a little of the right West India cotton-shrub:
but none of the cotton is exported, nor do they make much cloth of it.
THE BRAZILIAN FRUITS, ORANGES, ETC.
This country produces great variety of fine fruits, as very good oranges
of 3 or 4 sorts (especially one sort of china oranges) limes in
abundance, pomegranates, pomecitrons, plantains, bananas, right coconuts,
guavas, coco-plums (called here munsheroos) wild grapes, such as I have
described, beside such grapes as grow in Europe. Here are also hog-plums,
custard-apples, soursops, cashews, papaws (called here mamoons) jennipahs
(called here jennipapahs) manchineel-apples and mangoes. Mangoes are yet
but rare here: I saw none of them but in the Jesuits' garden, which has a
great many fine fruits, and some cinnamon-trees. These, both of them,
were first brought from the East Indies, and they thrive here very well:
so do pumplemouses, brought also from thence; and both china and seville
oranges are here very plentiful as well as good.
OF THE SOURSOPS, CASHEWS AND JENNIPAHS.
The soursop (as we call it) is a large fruit as big as a man's head, of a
long or oval shape, and of a green colour; but one side is yellowish when
ripe. The outside rind or coat is pretty thick, and very rough, with
small sharp knobs; the inside is full of spongy pulp, within which also
are many black seeds or kernels, in shape and bigness like a
pumpkin-seed. The pulp is very juicy, of a pleasant taste, and wholesome.
You suck the juice out of the pulp, and so spit it out. The tree or shrub
that bears this fruit grows about 10 or 12 foot high, with a small short
body; the branches growing pretty straight up; for I did never see any of
them spread abroad. The twigs are slender and tough; and so is the stem
of the fruit. This fruit grows also both in the East and West Indies.
The cashew is a fruit as big as a pippin, pretty long, and bigger near
the stem than at the other end, growing tapering. The rind is smooth and
thin, of a red and yellow colour. The seed of this fruit grows at the end
of it; it is of an olive colour shaped like a bean, and about the same
bigness, but not altogether so flat. The tree is as big as an apple-tree,
with branches not thick, yet spreading off. The boughs are gross, the
leaves broad and round, and in substance pretty thick. This fruit is soft
and spongy when ripe, and so full of juice that in biting it the juice
will run out on both sides of one's mouth. It is very pleasant, and
gratefully rough on the tongue; and is accounted a very wholesome fruit.
This grows both in the East and West Indies, where I have seen and eaten
of it.
The jennipah or jennipapah is a sort of fruit of the calabash or gourd
kind. It is about the bigness of a duck-egg, and somewhat of an oval
shape; and is of a grey colour. The shell is not altogether so thick nor
hard as a calabash: it is full of whitish pulp mixed with small flat
seeds; and both pulp and seeds must be taken into the mouth, where
sucking out the pulp you spit out seeds. It is of a sharp and pleasing
taste, and is very innocent. The tree that bears it is much like an ash,
straight-bodied, and of a good height; clean from limbs till near the
top, where there branches forth a small head. The rind is of a pale grey,
and so is the fruit. We used of this tree to make helves or handles for
axes (for which it is very proper) in the Bay of Campeachy; where I have
seen of them, and nowhere else but here.
OF THEIR PECULIAR FRUITS, ARISAHS, MERICASAHS, PETANGOS, PETUMBOS,
MUNGAROOS, MUCKISHAWS, INGWAS, OTEES, AND MUSTERAN DE OVAS.
Besides these here are many sorts of fruits which I have not met with
anywhere but here; as arisahs, mericasahs, petangos, etc. Arisahs are an
excellent fruit, not much bigger than a large cherry; shaped like a
catherine-pear, being small at the stem, and swelling bigger towards the
end. They are of a greenish colour, and have small seeds as big as
mustard seeds; they are somewhat tart, yet pleasant, and very wholesome,
and may be eaten by sick people.
Mericasahs are an excellent fruit, of which there are 2 sorts; one
growing on a small tree or shrub, which is counted the best; the other
growing on a kind of shrub like a vine, which they plant about arbors to
make a shade, having many broad leaves. The fruit is as big as a small
orange, round and green. When they are ripe they are soft and fit to eat;
full of white pulp mixed thick with little black seeds, and there is no
separating one from the other till they are in your mouth; when you suck
in the white pulp and spit out the stones. They are tart, pleasant, and
very wholesome.
Petangos are a small red fruit that grow also on small trees and are as
big as cherries, but not so globular, having one flat side, and also 5 or
6 small protuberant ridges. It is a very pleasant tart fruit, and has a
pretty large flattish stone in the middle.
Petumbos are a yellow fruit (growing on a shrub like a vine) bigger than
cherries with a pretty large stone. These are sweet, but rough in the
mouth.
Mungaroos are a fruit as big as cherries, red on one side and white on
the other side: they are said to be full of small seeds, which are
commonly swallowed in eating them.
Muckishaws are said to be a fruit as big as crab-apples, growing on large
trees. They have also small seeds in the middle and are well tasted.
Ingwas are a fruit like the locust-fruit, 4 inches long and one broad.
They grow on high trees.
Otee is a fruit as big as a large coconut. It hath a husk on the outside,
and a large stone within, and is accounted a very fine fruit.
Musteran-de-ovas are a round fruit as big as large hazelnuts, covered
with thin brittle shells of a blackish colour: they have a small stone in
the middle, enclosed within a black pulpy substance, which is of a
pleasant taste. The outside shell is chewed with the fruit, and spit out
with the stone, when the pulp is sucked from them. The tree that bears
this fruit is tall, large, and very hard wood. I have not seen any of
these five last-named fruits, but had them thus described to me by an
Irish inhabitant of Bahia; though as to this last I am apt to believe I
may have both seen and eaten of them in Achin in Sumatra.
OF THE PALMBERRIES, PHYSICK-NUTS, MENDIBEES, ETC. AND THEIR ROOTS AND
HERBS, ETC.
Palm-berries (called here dendees) grow plentifully about Bahia; the
largest are as big as walnuts; they grow in bunches on the top of the
body of the tree, among the roots of the branches or leaves, as all
fruits of the palm kind do. These are the same kind of berries or nuts as
those they make the palm-oil with on the coast of guinea, where they
abound: and I was told that they make oil with them here also. They
sometimes roast and eat them; but when I had one roasted to prove it I
did not like it.
Physick-nuts, as our seamen called them, are called here pineon; and
agnus castus is called here carrepat: these both grow here: so do
mendibees, a fruit like physick-nuts. They scorch them in a pan over the
fire before they eat them.
Here are also great plenty of cabbage-trees, and other fruits, which I
did not get information about and which I had not the opportunity of
seeing; because this was not the season, it being our spring, and
consequently their autumn, when their best fruits were gone, though some
were left. However I saw abundance of wild berries in the woods and
fields, but I could not learn their names or nature.
They have withal good plenty of ground fruit, as callavances, pineapples,
pumpkins, watermelons, musk-melons, cucumbers, and roots; as yams,
potatoes, cassava, etc. Garden herbs also good store; as cabbages,
turnips, onions, leeks, and abundance of other salading, and for the pot.
Drugs of several sorts, namely sassafras, snake-root, etc. Beside the
woods I mentioned for dyeing and other uses as fustick, speckled-wood,
etc.
I brought home with me from hence a good number of plants, dried between
the leaves of books; of some of the choicest of which that are not
spoiled I may give a specimen at the end of the book.
OF THEIR WILDFOWL, MACAWS, PARROTS, ETC.
Here are said to be great plenty and variety of wildfowl, namely yemmas,
macaws (which are called here jackoos, and are a larger sort of parrot,
and scarcer) parrots, parakeets, flamingos, carrion-crows,
chattering-crows, cockrecoes, bill-birds finely painted, corresoes,
doves, pigeons, jenetees, clocking-hens, crab-catchers, galdens,
currecoos, muscovy ducks, common ducks, widgeons, teal, curlews,
men-of-war birds, boobies, noddies, pelicans, etc.
THE YEMMA, CARRION-CROW AND CHATTERING-CROW, BILL-BIRD, CURRESO,
TURTLEDOVE AND WILD PIGEONS; THE JENETEE,
The yemma is bigger than a swan, grey-feathered, with a long thick
sharp-pointed bill.
The carrion-crow and chattering-crows are called here mackeraws, and are
like those I described in the West Indies. The bill of the
chattering-crow is black, and the upper bill is round, bending downwards
like a hawk's bill, rising up in a ridge almost semi-circular, and very
sharp, both at the ridge or convexity, and at the point or extremity: the
lower bill is flat and shuts even with it. I was told by a Portuguese
here that their negro wenches make love potions with these birds. And the
Portuguese care not to let them have any of these birds, to keep them
from that superstition: as I found one afternoon when I was in the fields
with a padre and another, who shot two of them, and hid them, as they
said, for that reason. They are not good food, but their bills are
reckoned a good antidote against poison.
The bill-birds are so called by the English from their monstrous bills,
which are as big as their bodies. I saw none of these birds here, but saw
several of the breasts flayed off and dried for the beauty of them; the
feathers were curiously coloured with red, yellow, and orange-colour.
The curresos (called here mackeraws) are such as are in the Bay of
Campeachy.
Turtledoves are in great plenty here; and two sorts of wild pigeons; the
one sort blackish, the other a light grey: the blackish or dark grey are
the bigger, being as large as our wood-quests, or wood-pigeons in
England. Both sorts are very good meat; and are in such plenty from May
till September that a man may shoot 8 or 10 dozen in several shots at one
standing, in a close misty morning, when they come to feed on berries
that grow in the woods.
The jenetee is a bird as big as a lark with black feathers, and yellow
legs and feet. It is accounted very wholesome food.
CLOCKING-HEN, CRAB-CATCHER, GALDEN, AND BLACK HERON: THE DUCKS, WIDGEON
AND TEAL; AND OSTRICHES TO THE SOUTHWARD, AND OF THE DUNGHILL-FOWLS.
Clocking-hens are much like the crab-catchers which I have described, but
the legs are not altogether so long. They keep always in swampy wet
places, though their claws are like land-fowls' claws. They make a noise
or cluck like our brood-hens, or dunghill-hens, when they have chickens,
and for that reason they are called by the English clocking-hens. There
are many of them in the Bay of Campeachy (though I omitted to speak of
them there) and elsewhere in the West Indies. There are both here and
there four sorts of these long-legged fowls, near akin to each other as
so many sub-species of the same kind; namely crab-catchers,
clocking-hens, galdens (which three are in shape and colour like herons
in England, but less; the galden, the biggest of the three, the
crab-catcher the smallest) and a fourth sort which are black, but shaped
like the other, having long legs and short tails; these are about the
bigness of crab-catchers, and feed as they do.
Currecoos are waterfowls, as big as pretty large chickens, of a bluish
colour, with short legs and tail; they feed also in swampy ground and are
very good meat. I have not seen of them elsewhere.
The wild ducks here are said to be of two sorts, the muscovy and the
common ducks. In the wet season here are abundance of them, but in the
dry time but few. Widgeon and teal also are said to be in great plenty
here in the wet season.
To the southward of Bahia there are also ostriches in great plenty,
though it is said they are not so large as those of Africa: they are
found chiefly in the southern parts of Brazil, especially among the large
savannahs near the river of Plate; and from thence further south towards
the Straits of Magellan.
As for tame fowl at Bahia the chief beside their ducks are
dunghill-fowls, of which they have two sorts; one sort much of the size
of our cocks and hens; the other very large: and the feathers of these
last are a long time coming forth: so that you see them very naked when
half grown; but when they are full-grown and well feathered they appear
very large fowls, as indeed they are; neither do they want for price; for
they are sold at Bahia for half-a-crown or three shillings apiece, just
as they are brought first to market out of the country, when they are so
lean as to be scarce fit to eat.
OF THEIR CATTLE, HORSES, ETC.
The land animals here are horses, black cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits,
hogs, leopards, tigers, foxes, monkeys, peccary (a sort of wild hogs
called here pica) armadillo, alligators, iguanas (called quittee)
lizards, serpents, toads, frogs, and a sort of amphibious creatures
called by the Portuguese cachoras-de-agua, in English water-dogs.
LEOPARDS AND TIGERS.
The leopards and tigers of this country are said to be large and very
fierce: but here on the coast they are either destroyed or driven back
towards the heart of the country; and therefore are seldom found but in
the borders and out-plantations, where they oftentimes do mischief. Here
are three or four sorts of monkeys, of different sizes and colours. One
sort is very large; and another sort is very small: these last are ugly
in shape and feature and have a strong scent of musk.
OF THEIR SERPENTS; THE RATTLESNAKE, SMALL GREEN SNAKE. AMPHISBAENA, SMALL
BLACK AND SMALL GREY SNAKE; THE GREAT LAND-SNAKE, AND THE GREAT
WATERSNAKE; AND OF THE WATER-DOG.
They have here also the amphisbaena, or two-headed snake, of a grey
colour, mixed with blackish stripes, whose bite is reckoned to be
incurable. It is said to be blind, though it has two small specks in each
head like eyes: but whether it sees or not I cannot tell. They say it
lives like a mole, mostly underground; and that when it is found above
ground it is easily killed, because it moves but slowly: neither is its
sight (if it hath any) so good as to discern anyone that comes near to
kill it: as few of these creatures fly at a man or hurt him but when he
comes in their way. It is about 14 inches long and about the bigness of
the inner joint of a man's middle finger; being of one and the same
bigness from one end to the other, with a head at each end (as they said;
for I cannot vouch it, for one I had was cut short at one end) and both
alike in shape and bigness; and it is said to move with either head
foremost, indifferently; whence it is called by the Portuguese
cobra-de-dos-cabesas, the snake with two heads.
The small black snake is a very venomous creature.
There is also a grey snake, with red and brown spots all over its back.
It is as big as a man's arm and about 3 foot long, and is said to be
venomous. I saw one of these.
Here are two sorts of very large snakes or serpents: one of them a
land-snake, the other a water-snake. The land-snake is of a grey colour,
and about 18 or 20 foot long: not very venomous, but ravenous. I was
promised the sight of one of their skins but wanted opportunity.
The water-snake is said to be near 30 foot long. These live wholly in the
water, either in large rivers or great lakes, and prey upon any creature
that comes within their reach, be it man or beast. They draw their prey
to them with their tails: for when they see anything on the banks of the
river or lake where they lurk they swing about their tails 10 or 12 foot
over the bank; and whatever stands within their sweep is snatched with
great violence into the river, and drowned by them. Nay it is reported
very credibly that if they see only a shade of any animal at all on the
water, they will flourish their tails to bring in the man or beast whose
shade they see and are oftentimes too successful in it. Wherefore men
that have business near any place where these water-monsters are
suspected to lurk are always provided with a gun, which they often fire,
and that scares them away or keeps them quiet. They are said to have
great heads and strong teeth about 6 inches long. I was told by an
Irishman who lived here that his wife's father was very near being taken
by one of them, about this time of my first arrival here, when his father
was with him up in the country: for the beast flourished his tail for
him, but came not nigh enough by a yard or two; however it scared him
sufficiently.
The amphibious creatures here which I said are called by the Portuguese
cachoras-de-agua or water-dogs, are said to be as big as small mastiffs,
and are all hairy and shaggy from head to tail. They have 4 short legs, a
pretty long head and short tail; and are of a blackish colour. They live
in fresh-water ponds and oftentimes come ashore and sun themselves; but
retire to the water if assaulted. They are eaten and said to be good
food. Several of these creatures which I have now spoken of I have not
seen, but informed myself about them while I was here at Bahia, from
sober and sensible persons among the inhabitants, among whom I met with
some that could speak English.
OF THEIR SEA-FISH AND TURTLE; AND OF ST. PAUL'S TOWN.
In the sea upon this coast there is great store and diversity of fish,
namely jew-fish for which there is a great market at Bahia in Lent:
tarpon, mullet, grouper, snook, garfish (called here goolions) gorasses,
barramas, coquindas, cavallies, cachoras (or dogfish) conger eels,
herring (as I was told) the serrew, the olio-de-boy (I write and spell
them just as they were named to me) whales, etc.
Here is also shellfish (though in less plenty about Bahia than on other
parts of the coast) namely lobsters, crawfish, shrimps, crabs, oysters of
the common sort, conches, wilks, cockles, mussels, periwinkles, etc. Here
are three sorts of sea-turtle, namely hawksbill, loggerhead, and green:
but none of them are in any esteem, neither Spaniards nor Portuguese
loving them: nay they have a great antipathy against them, and would much
rather eat a porpoise, though our English count the green turtle very
extraordinary food. The reason that is commonly given in the West Indies
for the Spaniards not caring to eat of them is the fear they have lest,
being usually foul-bodied and many of them poxed (lying, as they do, so
promiscuously with their negrines and other she-slaves) they should break
out loathsomely like lepers; which this sort of food, it is said, does
much incline men to do, searching the body, and driving out any such
gross humours: for which cause many of our English valetudinarians have
gone from Jamaica (though there they have also turtle) to the island
Cayman, at the laying time, to live wholly upon turtle that then abound
there; purposely to have their bodies scoured by this food, and their
distempers driven out; and have been said to have found many of them good
success in it. But this by the way. The hawksbill-turtle on this coast of
Brazil is most sought after of any, for its shell; which by report of
those I have conversed with at Bahia, is the clearest and best clouded
tortoise-shell in the world. I had some of it shown me which was indeed
as good as ever I saw. They get a pretty deal of it in some parts on this
coast; but it is very dear.
Beside this port of Bahia de todos los Santos there are 2 more principal
ports on Brazil where European ships trade, namely Pernambuco and Rio de
Janeiro; and I was told that there go as many ships to each of these
places as to Bahia, and 2 men-of-war to each place for their convoys. Of
the other ports in this country none is of greater note than that of St.
Paul's where they gather much gold; but the inhabitants are said to be a
sort of banditti, or loose people that live under no government: but
their gold brings them all sorts of commodities that they need, as
clothes, arms, ammunition, etc. The town is said to be large and strong.