226 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 



the year 1724, erected to its present dignity from being only 

 a village, and bearing the humble name of Villa da Mocha. 

 It must be confessed, that, with the title of a city, it is still only 

 an insignificant paltry place, consisting of some irregular 

 streets of low mud-built white-washed houses. The number 

 of inhabitants is reported to government as a little more than 

 fourteen thousand. Two little streams which fall into the 

 Rio Caninde, at a league's distance, afford good drinking 

 water, with a taste, however, of saltpetre. The heat is great; 

 the thermometer rising tovvards noon, during the hot months, 

 almost always to 30" of Reaumur. The rainy season com- 

 mences, though almost imperceptibly, in October, is at its 

 climax in February, and ends in AprU. July, August, and 

 September, are the driest months. The trees begin to put 

 forth their buds in February and March, many of them, in- 

 deed, being covered with flowers during the hottest weather, 

 which fall off, when the foliage afterwards appears. Gener- 

 ally, the prevalent wind here is from the south, and this is its 

 constant quarter during the dry season. On the vthole, the 

 climate of Oeiras may be considered healthy, and the custom 

 of eating beef helps to make the inhabitants strong; though 

 it must be owned, that in this neighbourhood, and especially 

 at the Villa de Parnahyba, an obstinate ague prevails during 

 the wet season, and our own people experienced a decided 

 increase of the feverish symptoms which had afflicted them 

 ever since their march over the Sertao de Bahia. While 

 staying at Oeiras, we had many applications from sick peo- 

 ple; for there are but two surgeons, and no physicians in the 

 city : many of the cases were weakness of stomach, Tympany, 

 and Dyspepsia: also Cardialgia, and a peculiar disease called 

 Engasco^ and consisting in obduration of tiie orifice of the 

 stomach, and affection of its cartilages. Inflammation ot the 

 throat and eyes, with cataract and film over the eyes, and 

 arcus senilis, are particularly frequent in the dry season. 

 Lastly, we noticed the prevalence of nervous diseases, as St 

 Vitas' dance; Cramp in the jaws; and two remarkably bad in- 

 stances of Diabetes. The apothecaries' shops we found in a 

 most pitiful state, their medicines few, and those rendered al- 



