Sobral, formerly Caracu, situated in a plain upon the margin of the river from which it derived its primitive name, is the second town in the province in point of size, commerce, and population. It is seventy miles distant from the sea, and ten from the serra of Merooca. Besides a parish church, dedicated to the Lady of Conceiçao, it has a chapel of Rozario; and within its district the chapels of St. Joze, St. Cruz, St. Anna, St. Quiteria, Rozario, upon the small stream of Guimareas, and Conceiçao, upon the serra of Merooca, where cultivation partially appears.
Granja stands in a plain upon the left bank of the Camucim, twenty miles from the sea. It is a middling and flourishing town, promising from its advantageous situation future augmentation. St. Joze is the nominal patron of its church. In its district there are the hermitages of St. Antonio do Olho d’Agua, St. Antonio d’Hyboassu, and Livramento. From its port, which is frequented, cotton and hides are exported.
Villa Viçosa is a large town, and well situated upon the serra of Hibiapaba, on land selected by the Jesuits for the establishment of a colony of Indians, the descendants of whom constitute at this time the principal portion of its numerous population. It is near a lake, and forty miles to the south-south-west of Granja; the houses are of wood or bricks. The church, dedicated to the Lady of Assumpçao, is the ci-devant Jesuitical hospicio, and the residence at present of the vicars, who are administrators of a fazenda for breeding cattle, in the situation of Thyaya, established as a patrimony for the said church. The nights of summer are cooler here than those of winter. Amongst other springs of good water is to be remarked that which is denominated Agua do Inferno, (Infernal Water,) in consequence of being in a craggy and rugged place, the water of which is particularly excellent. The great fertility within its vast circumference, covered with handsome woods, where plantations of cotton and the various necessaries of life prosper, united with the salubrity of the air which refreshes it, attracts here numerous Europeans, who give a stimulus to its agriculture. The Indians of the town, with those who are distributed through its district, form eighteen companies of militia.
At a distance of about thirty miles is the parish of St. Pedro de Bayapinna, upon the same serra. Its inhabitants are whites and Indians, whose productions are the same as the preceding.
Villa Nova d’el Rey, (New Town of the King,) formerly Campo Grande, is situated upon the serra Cocos, which is a portion of the Hibiapaba, and near the origin of the small river Macambyra, and was founded for the habitation of a horde of Christianized Indians, of which there are few remaining. In consequence of the fertility of the country, the excellence of the waters, and the salubrity of the air, many whites are attracted here. It is seventy miles to the south-east of Villa Viçosa, has a church of the Lady of Prazeres, with environs rich in plantations of mandioca, the cane, and cotton. About twenty-five miles from it is the church of St. Gonçalo, whose parishioners live dispersed upon the same serra, and cultivate the same productions.
Campo Maior de Quixeramoby is a considerable and abundant town, with a handsome church of St. Antonio, and situated one hundred and thirty miles to the south of Aricaty, on the margin of the river which affords its name, with large numbers of cattle in its vicinity, constituting the principal property of the inhabitants.
Aquiraz, which is about four miles distant from the sea, and eighteen from the capital to the south-east, upon the eastern margin of the Pacoty, and a mile from the lake which affords it the name, is a middling town with some commerce, and a church dedicated to St. Joze.
Montemor o Novo is situated upon the serra of Botarite, having a church of the Lady of Palma, and is about one hundred and thirty miles to the south of the capital. The inhabitants respire a salubrious air, have the advantage of good water, and form plantations of the mandioca and the cane. A few leagues north of the preceding is the parish of the Lady of Conceiçao of Montemor o Velho, the inhabitants of which are whites and Indians, which latter are diminishing, as in other places, with the augmentation of the first.
Mecejanna is ten miles to the south-east of the capital, near a lake, having a church of the Lady of Conceiçao.
Soure, situated near the eastern margin of the river Siara, fifteen miles from the sea, and the same distance from the capital, has a church dedicated to May de Deos.