Opposite to the Abrolhos on the Main Coast, a plain Countrey extends it self thirty Leagues in length, inhabited by the Ouetacates, a cruel People, who continually either destroy one another, or else make sad slaughters amongst their Neighbors.
The County Porto Seguro belongs to the Spanish Duke of Avero, but is very much decay’d.
The Beast Capybara.
The Rivers Moucuripe, Caruvelas, and Lucuru, breed abundance of Water-Hogs call’d Capybara, which have short Feet, Bristles and Ears, a thick Body and Head, with a bearded Snout, besides two Tusks, and twenty four lesser Teeth in each Jaw, but no Tail; they feed on Grass and Bushes in whole Herds on the Shore, and make a terrible noise; and though they cannot run fast, yet they dive and swim extraordinary quick.
The Tapiirete.
The Tapiirete also resembles a Hog, especially in its Head and Feet, but is as big as a Heifer of six Moneths old, hath a Snout hanging over its under Lip, a Mouth full of Teeth, and on its Skin short and dark colour’d Hair. This Beast is very libidinous, and in the Nights spoils the Fruit-Trees, especially the Sugar-Canes, but in the Day-time it sleeps in Thickets. The Flesh of a young Tapiirete tastes like Beef.
Lastly, the Inhabitants of Porto Seguro are plentifully supply’d with Rabbets, and the more, because there being divers sorts of them, (some say five) they are taken in great abundance, either in Traps, Snairs, or Gins, or by discovering their Holes; for the Hunters stopping the entrance of them, dig a Hole directly over the place where the Coneys lodge, and so kill them with long Pike-staves in the Ground.
Five sorts of Rabbets in Brasile.
Of these five sorts of Rabbets in Brasile, the chiefest, call’d Paca, hath a thick Head, little Ears, their fore-Feet bigger than their hind-Feet, short, hard, and brown Hair, speckled grey on the Sides, but no Tail: The Flesh of this sort of Rabbets is very delicate.
The second sort is the Tupesi, which being like a Hare amongst us, may as well be accounted of that kind.