A history of the Brazil

by James Henderson

The churches are given after a competition of talent exhibited before the bishop. The competitors are convoked by him and the vice-patron, who is the governor, and without whose consent nothing can be decided in these cases. In order to fill up a vacancy, the bishop proposes three, the choice from which belongs to the vice-patron, if he does not reject the whole, and demand a proposal of others for his choice.

Correntes is a small city, advantageously situate in the southern angle of the confluence of the river Paranna, ornamented with a convent of Dominicans, one of Franciscans, and a third of Mercenarians, having straight streets, and many houses with one story. The Jesuitical house is in ruins. Amongst its inhabitants, there are some Portuguese, many Indians, and a few negroes. In its vicinity there is much marshy land, and very extensive woods. Cattle and horses are the wealth of the country. Mandubins, Indian corn, vegetables, water-melons, and cotton, are the objects of culture. The land is neither adapted for wheat nor matte. The ants and locusts, which are extremely numerous, destroy the mandioca, and prevent its cultivation. The pitangueira, or pitangua tree, is very abundant; peaches are not met with. The imbagay is a fruit similar to the mango, but something smaller, and found from hence northward. Hides and timber are the principal articles of exportation. Mosquitoes are extremely troublesome here.

Justice is daily administered by two alcaldes, or magistrates, assisted by two assessores, or lawyers. The four are elected annually by a judicial cabildo, composed of twenty-four governors for perpetuity, except in the event of delinquency; four of whom are principals, namely the royal ensign, the deacon, an officer called the aguazil maior, and the provincial alcalde. The others are ordinaries, each with his inspection, presided by an assessor-general, called tenente assessor, (lieutenant assessor.) There is an advocate named by the audiencia, or audience-court of the province, for the purpose of defending gratis the causes of the poor, or those who do not possess a patrimony of a certain value, and also of prisoners, although they may be rich.

Ten leagues to the north of Correntes is the parish of Nehembuçu, on the margin of the Paraguay, where they build boats and different sorts of vessels. Thirty leagues to the south of Correntes is situated the village and parish of St. Luzia, also upon the margin of the Paraguay; in its district there is gesso, a species of plaster, which forms a branch of exportation. In this interval are the parishes of Algarrobas, Esquina, and Goya, abounding sufficiently in meat and fish.

Bagada de St. Fé, and commonly called Paranna, is a small village situated upon the Paraguay, in front of St. Fé, in view of an island of considerable extent. From hence is exported a good deal of limestone.

Coruguaty is a middling town, and celebrated for the large quantity of matte collected in its district, of which it is the deposit. It is situated about thirty leagues to the north-east of Assumption, and three miles distant from the left margin of the river from which it borrows the name.

Five leagues to the north of it is the prezidio or garrison of St. Miguel, established in order to obstruct the invasions of the Guaycuru Indians.

Villa Rica, where also is accumulated large quantities of matte, lying twenty leagues to the south-east of Assumption, is yet small. There is another place of the same name on the borders of the Paraguay, to the north of the capital.

Arroio da China is a middling town, situated on the banks of the Uruguay, more than thirty leagues above its embouchure. Its inhabitants, mainly white people, breed cattle and cultivate corn and fruit.

Itaty is a small town, but regular, and well situated upon the southern bank of the Paranna, about thirty leagues above Correntes. Its inhabitants consist of Indians and some white people; a portion occupy themselves in potteries, and others in forming plantations of the cotton tree. The soil and climate are adapted for oranges and water-melons, which prosper abundantly.