Amongst the Birds of prey which breed here, are the Ouyaourassou, twice as big as a Crane, with curious Feathers, and so bold and strong, that it devours not onely Sheep, but Deer and Men.
The Bird Mayton is no way inferior in beauty to the Peacock, his whole Body being cover’d with white and black Feathers; on his Head grows a Tuft; the Flesh is also very pleasant to the taste.
The Toucan, another Bird, resembles a Turtle-Dove in all parts, except the Bill and Breast; for the Belly is ten Inches long and three broad, the Breast of an Orange colour, mix’d with Crimson Spots; the remaining part is white, the Back red, and the Tail and Wings Coal-black.
The Plant Yarammacarou.
The Plant call’d Yarammacarou deserves also a peculiar observation, viz. It is thicker than a Man’s Thigh, grows twelve Foot high, with three Branches of equal length and thickness, which you may easily break; it is green without, white within, and without Leaves, leaving red Blossoms streak’d with blue, from whence grows a Fruit about the bigness of an Apple, crimson without and white within, and tasting like a Mulberry.
The Guara-tereba, with other strange Fish.
The River Parayba produces amongst many other Fishes the Guara-tereba, which hath a thick Body, flat Head, crooked Back, split Tail, and triangular Scales, which laid in the Sun, shine like polish’d Gold.
The Sea also hereabouts affords a strange Fish with a very long and thin Tail, the Females whereof Lay every day Eggs like Hens: they are full of poysonous Prickles, and divided into several sorts, amongst which the chiefest are accounted the Naainari and Jabebara.
Description of the Sea Coast of Brasile.
The Sea-Coast of Brasile from St. Vincent to Spirito Santo appears as followeth: Strange Tree. Before the Coast of St. Vincent lie the four little Isles Queimadas, and on one side the Alcatraces and Busios; East North-East from which bears the Island Sebastian: Before the Inlet Ubatuba lies the Isle Dos Porcos, close under a high Shore, where the Haven runs far up in the Countrey. Fourteen Leagues farther the Island Grande, stor’d with fresh Water, with Fish-ponds, Woods, and two good Havens. Before the Road of Garatuba appear several broken Isles, the chiefest whereof is Morambaya. The Ships Sailing along the Brasilian Coast view next the Mouth of the wide River Jenero, without fear of Rocks or Shoals. Moreover, a sandy Ground extends from the Western Point to Cape Frio, which rises out of the Sea like a Rock, with white Streaks, and crack’d on the top, between both which the high Island before Frio makes a safe Harbor. Nine Leagues beyond Frio to the Northward, St. Salvador opens a large Bay, hemm’d in on the South by divers nameless Isles. Lastly, the several Salt-pans along this Coast are very remarkable, as also the Promontory St.Thoma and Parayba, the Inlets Manangea and Itapemeri, and the River Guarapari, famous for the Mountain Pero Cam towards the North, and Guapel to the South. The Island Salvago, round and mountainous, lies before the Mouth of the River Guarapari, where the Main Coast grows uneven and Hilly. On the North-East Point of Spirito Santo a long ridge of Rocks appears above the Sea; and near the Inlet rises three black Hills on the South, and two Leagues up in the Countrey the broken Mountain Mestre Alvaro, which extends along the Sea-Coast. The River Des Reyos Magos encompasses three Mountains severally, and makes three Isles. The Coast on each side of the River Dolce is very plain and even, but Cricare hath a mixture of high and low Lands. In the Mouth of the River Maranipe lies a great company of white Shelves near together, appearing afar off as if all one. Parairepe is remarkable by the high Trees growing on it. The Mouth of the River Caruvelas lies full of Sand-plats. Near the Beacon Tauhaen rises a red Cliff from which a sandy Point reaches to the River Curubabo. Before Porto Seguro lie several dangerous Rocks in the Sea, to the Southward of which rises the High-land Cape Pasqual. Not far from hence Santa Cruiz a good Haven for small Vessels, from whence the Coast extends North North-East, and South South-West, to Rio Grande, where the Shoals call’d Baxos de St. Antonio, making a dangerous Entry, force the Ships for the most part to keep three Leagues from the Shore. Beyond the Arm of Rio Grande appear three high Mountains cover’d with Trees; from whence to Ilheos is a safe Passage free from Shelves. Eight Leagues farther, the River Dos Contas runs between two broken Cliffs into the Sea: in the Mouth of it rises a Rock resembling a high Island. Between Ilheos and Contas the Coast rises also, but falls low again in a Bay, where white Sugar-Mills, formerly belonging to Lucas Giraldes, are seen at a great distance. The Countrey on each side of the River Camanu is plain; the Stream it self hath a wide Mouth, and respects with its Northern Shore the Isle Cayepa, dangerous for the many Shelves which are about the same. The River Tinhare is known by the Mountain Morro de Santo Paulo, which rises like a Galley on the Southern Shore. Twelve Leagues farther opens the Bay of Todos los Sanctos, on whose Eastern Point stands the Castle Antonio, and before the Northern Shore the Island Topoam, to the East and South-East low and strong. The River Das Pedras falls with a wide Mouth into the Ocean. Next you pass by the Streams Tapicuru, Real Vasabaris and Francisco, known by a low Promontory. The Rivers Miguel, Antonio, Camaragili, Porto Calvo, Formoso, and Serinhaem, disembogue also into the Sea. Next the Stream Das Pedras rises the Promontory St. Augustine, all overgrown with Bushes and Brambles. Five Leagues Southward lies the small Isle Alexo. The Coast from St. Augustine to Pernambuco extends North and by East, and South and by West. The Island Tamaraca lies in the Mouth of the Stream Gajana; and fifteen Leagues farther appears Parayba; between which two the Shelf Pedra Furada extends three Leagues along the Coast, and another from the Shore of the Promontory Blanco, where the Road Porto de Franeses affords Seamen secure Anchorage for Shipping. Next to Parayba follow the Havens Treicaon, Pipa, and Basios, the Stream Siara and Maragnan, which washes the Western part of Brasile, and is taken for the Boundary between the Spanish Indies and the Portuguese, according to the Division by Pope Alexander the Sixth, Anno 1502. Lastly, there belongs to Brasile the Island Fernando de Noronho, in three Degrees of Southern Latitude. The Capuchin, Claude de Abbeville, going thither, found the same to be six Leagues in circumference, and extraordinary fruitful; besides good fresh Water, Pease, Beans, Maiz, Potato’s, Melons, Cotton, Cattel, wild Goats, and all sorts of Poultrey, which this Island affords; but it chiefly abounds with great variety of a sort of Birds which suffer themselves to be caught with the Hand. There grows likewise a nameless Tree, not unlike the Laurel, being of a strange Nature, for who e’re touches the Leaves, and afterwards rubs his Eyes, loses his Sight for four hours, with exceeding pain; which pain nevertheless another Tree growing in the same Island cures immediately. The French, who Landed on Noronho Anno 1613. found a Portuguese there, with eighteen Brasilians, Men, Women, and Children, banish’d thither from Pernambuco, whom Baptizing, they carry’d to Maragnan. Near Noronho lies the Isle De Feu.