A very great portion of the cotton denominated dentros comes from Villa Nova do Principe, in the comarca of Jacobina, a town possessing very considerable plantations of cotton in its surrounding territory; from whence it is conveyed to Cachoeira, upon the backs of horses and mules, in square packages, formed of raw hides, called malas, each containing three arrobas, (96 lb.) two of which constitute a horse-load, and are denominated by the Portuguese a carga.
At Villa Nova do Principe the cotton is sold at so much the carga of six arrobas, and varies in price according to the changes of the Bahia market, say from eight milreas upwards the carga, to this must be added the carriage to Cachoeira, which fluctuates according as horses and mules are plentiful, or otherwise, from eight milreas to fifteen the carga. From Cachoeira, as has been already remarked, it is conveyed in large boats to Bahia, at a freight of one hundred reas the carga; here it is put into bags, the expense of which is trifling, for the hide will sell for almost as much as buys the material for the bag, and the labour amounts only to one hundred and sixty reas[33] per bag, (not quite tenpence.)
Cotton is planted in the month of January or February, and gathered, say the first pluckings, about September. The same plants last three years, the second year being frequently more productive than the first; but in the third year the crop falls off, both in quantity and quality. After this the plants are destroyed, and the grounds lies fallow.
Some hides and rum are exported; and the following statement will show the number of ships, and the amount of produce they conveyed from hence, in the year ending on the 1st of October, 1818.
| SUGAR. | TOBACCO. | COTTON. | MOLASSES. | ||||||||||||||
| To what Places the Vessels belong. | Number of vessels. | Cases. | Boxes. | Barrels. | Arrobas. | Rolls. | ½ Rolls. | Arrobas. | Bales. | Arrobas. | Bags. | Arrobas. | Hides. | Pipes. | Barrels. | Solas. | Casks of Rum. |
| Lisbon | 24 | 9,828 | 381 | — | 399,021 | 8,101 | —— | 107,153 | 843 | 18,657 | 1,054 | 6,324 | 46,037 | 255 | 37 | 7,350 | 225 |
| Oporto | 19 | 5,506 | 245 | 42 | 218,104 | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | 262 | 1,572 | 6,498 | — | 5 | 5,030 | 603 |
| Gibraltar | 10 | 429 | 24 | — | 17,328 | 3,971 | 11,732 | 79,058 | —— | —— | 140 | 840 | 9,846 | — | 25 | —— | — |
| Ilha Gracia | 1 | 3 | 24 | — | 312 | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | 6 | 30 | —— | — | — | 372 | 2 |
| Hamburgh | 11 | 2,716 | 52 | — | 109,056 | 386 | 1,677 | 8,758 | 831 | 8,001 | 115 | 690 | 1,309 | — | 115 | —— | — |
| Liverpool | 36 | 1,187 | 10 | — | 47,539 | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | 30,430 | 182,580 | 1,154 | — | — | —— | — |
| London | 5 | 689 | 38 | — | 27,864 | —— | —— | —— | 70 | 1,406 | 2,168 | 10,840 | 853 | — | — | —— | — |
| Falmouth | 3 | 981 | 51 | — | 39,546 | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | — | —— | — |
| Portsmouth | 1 | 395 | 25 | — | 15,975 | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | — | —— | — |
| Guernsey | 1 | 236 | 4 | — | 9,472 | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | — | —— | — |
| Amsterdam | 3 | 930 | 28 | — | 37,480 | 109 | —— | 1,526 | 50 | 1,050 | —— | —— | —— | — | — | —— | — |
| Trieste | 1 | 333 | 27 | — | 13,563 | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | — | —— | — |
| Jersey | 1 | 399 | 4 | — | 15,980 | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | — | —— | — |
| Geneva | 1 | —— | — | — | —— | 49 | 1,623 | 2,932 | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | — | —— | — |
| Cowes | 1 | 543 | 35 | — | 22,000 | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | — | —— | — |
| Stockholm | 1 | 250 | — | — | 10,000 | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | — | —— | — |
| New York | 2 | —— | — | — | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | —— | —— | —— | 2,200 | 387 | — | —— | — |
| Baltimore | 1 | —— | — | — | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | —— | —— | —— | 2,200 | 60 | — | —— | — |
| Philadelphia | 2 | 2 | — | — | 79 | —— | —— | —— | 24 | 504 | —— | —— | 2,175 | 220 | — | —— | — |
| Bremen | 1 | 21 | — | — | 840 | —— | —— | —— | 120 | 2,460 | 53 | 318 | 40 | 110 | — | —— | — |
| Salem | 8 | —— | — | — | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | —— | —— | —— | 9,950 | 847 | — | —— | — |
| Boston | 4 | —— | — | — | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | —— | —— | —— | 1,263 | 717 | — | —— | — |
| Newport | 1 | —— | — | — | —— | —— | —— | —— | — | —— | —— | —— | —— | 86 | — | —— | — |
| Nantz | 6 | 420 | 5 | — | 16,830 | —— | —— | —— | 30 | 603 | 541 | 2,710 | 3,102 | — | — | —— | 20 |
| Bourdeaux | 4 | 245 | 7 | 18 | 11,012 | —— | —— | —— | — | —— | 1,370 | 8,220 | —— | — | — | —— | 30 |
| Totals | 148 | 25,113 | 960 | 60 | 1,012,001 | 12,616 | 15,032 | 199,427 | 1968 | 32,681 | 36,139 | 214,124 | 86,627 | 2682 | 182 | 12,752 | 910 |
Bahia is considered by the English merchants a more agreeable place of residence than any of the maritime towns of the Brazil, and a more social intercourse has existed amongst themselves than at some of the other places. The city and residences in the vicinity are delightfully refreshed by the land and sea breezes, and the climate is deemed very healthy. There is an English hospital here, as at the other commercial towns of note, but there are generally few invalids.
Here, as in all parts of the Brazil, the females are much confined to the houses, and do not take free and open exercise; their domestic habits are slovenly and indolent; many, in the Turkish style, sit on the ground upon mats, while at work; they dress loosely; and to the general listlessness and prevailing custom of indulging in a sesta, or nap after dinner, may be attributed the gross and unshapely appearance of some of the Brazilian females. It would, however, be illiberal to include the whole in this description, as there are many fine women, and if better acquainted with the graces and the refinements of the fair sex, would be ornaments to any circle of society, having naturally much sprightliness and wit, if properly directed, and freed from the shackles of jealousy with which they are surrounded.
This city, on the 10th of February, 1821, followed the example of Para, in declaring itself for the new constitution of Portugal, and a resolution to that effect was publicly adopted in the camara, and signed by Conde de Palma, the governor, who however declined holding that situation longer. This measure was brought about principally by the military. Lieut.-Colonels Manuel Pedro de Freitas and Francisco de Paula, were its most active promoters. It is said, that thirteen of the military, including a major, were killed.
On Stone by C. Shoosmith from a Sketch by Jas. Henderson.