Rivers and Lakes.—The Rio Real, which has about one hundred and forty miles of course, is precipitated by various falls, and only affords navigation to the first, thirty miles from the sea; from this fall, downwards, to which the tide advances, the river is wide and deep, but above it is small, and its tributary heads are frequently dried up. It enters the sea twenty-five miles north-east of the Itapicuru, and receives, in the vicinity of its embouchure, the rivers Saguim, Guararema, and Piauhy, all by the left margin.
The Cotindiba is considerable only for the space of eighteen miles, which the tide advances up, affords sufficient depth for sumacas, is of great width, has its margins covered with mangroves, and, in the vicinity of the sea, with white sand, adorned in parts with very fine cocoa-nut trees. The greatest part of the sugar of this province is exported by the dangerous embouchure of this river, about eighteen miles to the north-east of Vazabarris, the shoals in front of which occasion a furious agitation of the sea, and it is only experienced navigators that can conduct sumacas with safety over the bar.
The Seregipe, which gives the name to this province, is larger and navigable for a greater space than the Cotindiba, with which it runs almost parallel, until united with it by the left margin, eight miles from the sea. In the interior of the country it is inconsiderable. Serigp was its original name, and which it retained for many years after the conquest of the country.
The Vazabarris, after a long course, discharges itself into the famous bay of the same name, and affords navigation to smacks, with the aid of the tide, for twenty miles. It is twenty-five miles north-east of Rio Real, and Irapirang was its original name.
The Japaratuba is smaller than all the preceding rivers, and empties itself by two mouths, twenty-five miles to the north-east of the Cotindiba, and about the same distance to the south-west of the St. Francisco. Though the tide runs up for many leagues, it only affords navigation to canoes, in consequence of the little depth at its entrance.
The Poxim, which rises near the Vazabarris, and runs into the Cotindiba, near the sea, is navigable for canoes, which proceed many leagues up with the tide. In the vicinity of the river St. Francisco there are various lakes of great extent, upon the margins of which numerous collections of birds assemble, such as the colhereira, jaburu, sabacu, caroe, carauna, and the heron; upon the centre of their waters are seen immense flocks of wild ducks, and the mingua, a species of diver, which conceals the body below the surface, showing only its head, and part of its extraordinary neck, appearing like a snake.
Mineralogy.—Flint, potters’ clay, lime, and grindstone, a black ferruginous stone, gold, marine salt, crystals, slate, and blue stone.
Zoology.—There are all the species of domestic and wild animals of the neighbouring provinces. The anta is rare; the ounce has almost disappeared in the eastern part; deer are numerous, and the red guariba monkey. In all parts there are great quantities of bees of various kinds. There are many tatubollas, or armadillos, upon the left margin of the St. Francisco, which have been observed on being brought to the right bank frequently to die, or never to multiply. In the river St. Francisco there is a sort of fishing sparrowhawk, which dives in order to surprise the fish that descend the river; but when the prize is of a weight superior to its strength, it dies from suffocation, not being able to disengage itself. The wood-turkey is here very common, as is the small pavao, or peacock.
Phytology.—Amongst other trees which afford timber for building and joiners’ work, are the sucupira, iron wood, cedar, sapucaya, jiquitiba, uruçuca, white and green batinga, similar to the box-tree, conduru, gaiduno, quiri, itapicuru, pausangue, (blood wood,) juciranna, vinhatica, ejitahy, gonçalo alves, putumuju, masculine and feminine, arapiraca, bow wood, jinipapo, mastick, biriba, of the bark of which tow is made for caulking. Amongst the medicinal plants, there are ipecacuanha, alcasus, paroba, Jesuits’ bark, orange tree of the country, cassia, and sanguinaria. Orange and other fruit trees are very scarce. Baunilha is a useful vegetable, and grows here spontaneously, but its cultivation is not attended to. The cocoa tree is unknown, although the soil is well adapted for it. The coffee tree, which is such a lucrative branch of commerce to its cultivators in the provinces of Bahia and Rio de Janeiro, is yet seen in few places, and there scantily.
Upon the margins of the river St. Francisco there is a tree, for whose primitive name was substituted that of mancanzeira by the Portuguese; the largest do not exceed the size of an orange tree, and generally have many trunks together of little height, with the leaf larger than those of a lemon tree, thick, elliptical, smooth, and of a dark green. In the same tree there is fruit in the form of a lemon-peel and a fig; but the greater part, and principally the largest, have the figure of large tomates, the size of a wild apple, the rind soft and full of pimples. The pulp is yellow, of an insipid taste, bitter, and smells like a quince. The smallest have an oval stone; the largest have four or more: the rind is hard, the kernel white and bitter. This fruit is not eaten, but is excellent as preserves, made similar to marmalade. This tree, which never surpasses a shrub in dry lands, is always heavily laden; and the troquaze pigeon and the land tortoise become fat upon the stones, after the fruit falls to the ground. The eastern portion of this province is in part appropriated to mandioca, Indian corn, feijao, cotton, and the sugar cane, for which there are near three hundred engenhos; these are objects of exportation as well as hides, flintstone, grindstone, cattle, horses, hogs, and the ticum palm. In this part there are extensive tracts almost covered with a small cane, with the leaves short, not exceeding the width of the wheat leaf, and the knots armed with sharp points, so that no quadruped enters or traverses the plantations. The oil of mamona is universally used for lights, and might become an abundant branch of exportation. The water-melon in few districts is large or good.