Moncao, eighteen miles south of Vianna, is a small Indian town, with a church, upon the banks of the Pinnare. Its inhabitants raise the provisions of life, some cotton, and follow fishing and hunting.
Hycatu, (good water,) an ancient town, and formerly considerable and flourishing, is situated near the confluence of the Hyguara with the Mony, and has a church of Our Lady of Conceiçao. It was the first residence of the governors of the province, and conceded many privileges to its senate. An excellent quality of cotton constitutes the chief production of its inhabitants.
Cachias, a considerable and flourishing town upon the eastern margin of the Itapicuru, is two hundred miles south-east of the capital, and nearly the same distance north-north-west of Oeyras. It has a church of Our Lady of Conceiçao, and a hermitage of Razario; Aldeias Altas was its primitive name. A Juiz de Fora has presided over its senate since the year 1809. The propensity to gambling amongst its inhabitants has occasioned the ruin of many merchants of the capital. Within its extensive district a very great quantity of cotton and rice is grown, for whose transmission to the parish of Rozario barks of considerable burden are constructed for navigating in shoal water.
Upon the other side of the river is the parish of Trezidellas, whose parishioners are descended from the Aborigines. They have a church of Our Lady of Razario.
One hundred miles above Cachias, and upon the margin of the Itapicuru, is the small arraial of Principe Regente, commenced in June, 1807. The fertility of its surrounding country and the advantage arising from canoes of considerable burden being able to navigate hither augur favourably for the future prosperity of this new colony, where a hermitage already exists.
In the district of Balsas is the parish of St. Felis, whose inhabitants are farmers of cotton and common necessaries.
Thirty miles south-south-west of Principe Regente is the arraial of St. Bento Pastos Bons, situated amongst small hills, ten miles from the Parnahyba, and twenty-eight from the Itapicuru. Cattle and cotton constitute the main property of its inhabitants.
Three miles north of Pastos Bons is the aldeia of St. Antonio, whose dwellers are a tribe of Christianized Manago Indians, who live by hunting, and some agriculture.
Thirty-five miles from the sea, upon the margin of the Itapicuru, is the parish of Rozario, better known by the name of Itapicuru Grande, whose inhabitants raise cattle and a considerable quantity of rice. Here large canoes arrive from the capital, and are laden with the productions of this district, and those that descend from the High Itapicuru and Balsas.
Twenty-eight miles further, and upon the margin of the same river, is the considerable povoaçao of Itapicuru Mirim, with a church of Our Lady of Griefs, its inhabitants producing large quantities of cotton, and the necessaries of life. Between the two preceding parishes is that of Lapa, in the site of St. Miguel.