Situation and Description of Los Isleos.
Next Porto Seguro borders the Countrey Los Isleos, so call’d from its chief Town, which consists of a hundred and fifty Houses, (or perhaps by this time many more) eight Sugar-Mills, a Cloyster for the Jesuits, and a Church. The Inhabitants live by Tillage, and Transporting of Provisions in little Barks to Pernambuco.
Seven Leagues farther in the Countrey, beyond the Town of Isleos, lies a nameless Lake three Leagues long, as many broad, and above ten Fathom deep, and full of the Fish Manati, which are very large and well tasted, besides abundance of Crocodiles; and in windy Weather the Water is as rough as if it were in the Ocean. Out of this Lake flows a River by a Passage so narrow, that a Boat can scarce pass through the same.
Round about this River live the Guaymures, the most salvage People of all America; they are of a Gigantick size, have white Skins, carry exceeding great Bowes and Arrows, live without Houses like Beasts, devour Mans-flesh like Tygers, never Fight in Companies or Armies, but watch to surprize a single Man or Beast; they also eat their own Children, and possess’d formerly all the Land from the River St. Francisco to the Promontory Frio; but beaten from thence by the Tupinambas and Tupinachias, they went to the County Los Isleos, which they Invaded in such a manner, that the Portuguese were not onely forc’d to leave several Sugar-Mills, but also the whole Countrey.
Sect. VII.
Bahia de Todos los Sanctos.
Situation and Description of Todos los Sanctos.
Next to Isleos borders Bahia de Todos los Sanctos, belonging to the Portuguese. The Inlet which borrows its Denomination from all the Saints, gives Name to this eminent County. The Bay great and wide, and in the middle from twelve to eighteen Fathom deep, lies in thirteen Degrees Southward of the Equinoctial Line. The Coast rises white along the Sea side. The Current according to the course of the Sun runs six Moneths towards the South, and as many towards the North. The opening of the Inlet is on the South, but it flows up Northerly, and contains two Leagues and a half in breadth; several fresh Rivers discharge their Waters into the same: The utmost and biggest Island Taperica breaks off the Waves which come rowling in from the Ocean. Those that Sail into the same must have the Island on their left Hand, and the Main Coast on their right, which is known by a Promontory, on which the Fort Antonio, and the old City Villa Veja are built, near a little Bay with a Foreland on the North, from which the Main Coast circling like a Half-Moon ends near the Point Tapagipe, which juts out from Bahia Todos los Sanctos. The Castle Tapesiepe stands on the utmost Point, where the Countrey winding towards the East makes the Inlet larger, from whence a narrow Channel runs up into the Countrey, and there makes a Lake which extends North and South: from the Mouth of the Lake the Coast reaches Northward to the River Pitanga, which comes gliding out of the East, and in its Passage receives several Streams, on whose Banks stand divers Sugar-Mills. From Pitanga the Coast extends a League Northward, then Westerly with a crooked Elbow, in whose circumference lie two nameless Isles close under the Shore; this Elbow ends in a blunt Point, about half a League from which lies the Island Mare, a League long, in the Mouth of the River Pitanga. To the Northward from hence a River disembogues in the said Inlet. More Southerly appears Monks-Isle, from whence the Coast extends it self Northerly, where several Islands appear at an exact distance from the Coast; the first beyond the fore-mention’d blunt Point, is Birapebiara; the next, which lies closer to the Shore, Porto Madero; next comes in view a long Island in the Mouth of a River, from whence the Countrey extends Westward, and fronts the Island De Fuentes, as doth also the River Tambaria, which comes out of the North, but empties it self with a crooked Arm near the rest; from hence the Coast with two little Bays runs North-West to the Stream Geresipe, in whose Mouth, which is pretty large, appear three Isles on a row, the utmost whereof is call’d Caraibe, the middlemost Pycca, the innermost hath no Name, but divides the River into two Channels; from hence the Coast bends with several Inlets, into which fall divers Rivulets towards the South, from the River Cachoera, full of little Isles, opposite to which stand several Sugar-Mills. Against Cachoera appears the Island Meve, and more Southerly Taperica, between the sharp Point Tapagipe and the Castle Antonio. Near the fore-mention’d the City St. Salvador was built by Thomas de Sosa, who weighing Anchor from Lisbon, Anno 1549. Landed safely near Villa Veja, and about half a League from thence pitch’d upon a Hill, and took order forthwith for the erecting of his new City there, giving to each of his Followers a place to build on: the Jesuits chose the large Plain where at present stands the Church Consecrated to the Virgin Mary; the Names of the said Jesuits were Juan Azpilcueta, Antonio Pireo, Leonardo Nonnio, Didaco Jacobeo, Vincentio Roderigo, and Emanuel Nobrega; whilest the common People set themselves to the building of Dwelling-houses: But when John the Third, King of Portugal, sent a Priest thither to Teach in the new Church of Maria, the fore-mention’d Jesuits remov’d from thence to a high Hill, which they call’d The Mountain Calvarien, whither divers Brasilians came flocking, and pitch’d their Tents about the Cloyster, admiring their strange Neighbors.
When Sosa Landed on the fore-mention’d Shore, the Portuguese had but little footing on America; for their Plantations at Isleos, St. Vincent, Pernambuco, Villa Veja, Itamaraca, and Porto Seguro, discover’d by Pedro Alvares Capralis, Anno 1500. were run all to ruine.
Beside the City St. Salvador and the decay’d Town Villa Veja, the City Paripe lies three Leagues farther into the Countrey, consisting of three thousand Families, and eighteen Sugar-Mills: The Countrey about the same produces plenty of Cotton.