Pombal, originally Cannabraba, and founded by the Jesuits for the habitation of Christianized Indians, is eighteen miles from the river Itapicuru, in a district adapted to a diversity of productions. Santa Thereza is the patroness of its church.
Soyre, formerly Natuba, is eight miles from the right bank of the Itapicuru, and thirty west of the town of that name. It has a church of Our Lady of Conceiçao, and the inhabitants, composed of whites and Indians, cultivate the necessaries of life and cotton.
Further into the interior is the considerable arraial of St. Antonio das Queimadas, situated along the margin of the Itapicuru, with a chapel of the same name. Its inhabitants are breeders of cattle.
Tucano, a parish and julgado, with a church of St. Anna, is eight miles from the river Itapicuru.
Mirandella, formerly called Saccodos Morcegos, is eighteen miles from Pombal, and has a church dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord. Its inhabitants produce a sufficiency of the necessaries of life.
Abbadia, a middling town upon the margin of the Ariquitiba, the last tributary of the Rio Real, is eighteen miles distant from the sea, has a good port where sumacas arrive, that export sugar, cotton, tobacco, and much farinha. The inhabitants are whites and Indians.
Inhambupe is forty miles above the embouchure, and a short way from the right margin of the river of that name, with a church of Espirito Santo upon a steep, having an extensive view; within its precincts there is a chapel of St. Antonio, and two of Our Lady, with the titles of Conceiçao, and Prazeres. Its inhabitants exhibit a great diversity of complexion, and cultivate a very considerable quantity of good tobacco, and the provisions of life.
Villa do Conde, situated at the mouth of the river Inhambupe, has a church of Our Lady of the Mount. The inhabitants, consisting of all colours, cultivate mandioca, &c. with some sugar. Tobacco is the principal production; and fishing is here a general pursuit.
St. Francisco is one of the most ancient towns of the province, although yet small, with many edifices of stone, and has a church of St. Gonçalo d’Amarante, also a convent of Franciscans. It is about thirty miles north-west of Bahia, near the mouth of the river Serigy, in a gently rising situation, enjoying an extensive view of the sea. The inhabitants are much incommoded by musquitos, and its vast district has many sugar works, with extensive plantations of cane, to which the soil is propitious.
Santo Amaro, a large and flourishing town, situated along the right bank of the river Serigy, twelve miles above its embouchure, two below the mouth of the Subahe, and forty north-west of Bahia, has a church of Our Lady of Purificaçao, a hermitage of St. Braz, another of St. Gonçalo, four of Our Lady, namely, Amparo, Conceiçao, Rozario, and Humildes; good buildings, and a great number of alembics. The streets are principally paved, and there is a wooden bridge over the river. It is surrounded by small hills. The senate is presided by a Juiz de Fora, whose jurisdiction extends to the town of St. Francisco. For the instruction of youth, there are masters of the primitive letters and Latin, with royal honours. The tide does not ascend higher than the town, and the port is at its commencement, from whence are exported large quantities of sugar, tobacco, spirits, and some cotton. Its district has many sugar works. The communication from hence with Bahia is short and easy, and the same tide which conveys barks from St. Amaro, will often conduct them to the capital.