kieuhoff's brazil. 707 



The Captainjhip of Pamambuko. 



THE captalnfhip of Parnambuko is one of the chiefeft and biggeft of the Dutch 

 Brazil. It extends above fixty leagues along the coaft, betwixt the river of 3t. Francis 

 and the captainfhip of Tamarika. Parnambuko properly denotes the entrance of the 

 harbour, which, by reafon of the many rocks and fhelves hidden under water, was 

 called, by the Portuguefe, Inferno Bokko, and Broken Parnambuko, or the Mouth of 

 Hell. It is fubdivided into eleven lefier diftricts, inhabited by the Portuguefe, viz. the 

 city of Olinda, Garazu, Receif, Moribeka, St. Anthony, Poyuka, Serinhaim, Gon- 

 falvi d*Una, Porto Calvo, the Northern Alagoa, and the Southern Alagoa. Among 

 which Olinda and Garazu were the chiefeft. 



The town, or rather the village, of Garazu, lies at fome diftance from the fhore, 

 over-againft the ifland of Tamarika, upon a river of the fame name, about five leagues 

 from Olinda. It was formerly inhabited by Portuguefe handicrafts-men, but, fmce our 

 taking of Olinda, feveral rich families fettled there : we became mafters of the place 

 1633, in May. 



Moribeka lies deeper in the country, more to the fouth, about five leagues off of the 

 Receif. 



St. Anthony is about feven or eight leagues diftant from the Receif, to the fouth, 

 near the cape of St. Auftin. 



The city of St. Michael de Poyuka lies about ten leagues to the fouth of the Re- 

 ceif, upon a river of the fame name, which difembogues in the fea, on the fouth fide 

 of the cape of St. Auftin. It was formerly a very populous place, and had thirteen 

 fugar-mills. 



The village Serinhaim, much about the fame diftance thence with the former, is a 

 very pleafant place, has twelve fugar-mills, each of which produces fix or feven thou- 

 fand arobas, an aroba making about twenty-feven or twenty-eight pound weight. 



The village of Gonfalvi d*Una lies twenty leagues from the Receif; it has five 

 fugar-mills. 



The village called Porto Calvo is twenty-five leagues diftant from the Receif; it has 

 feven or eight fugar-mills. Here is the caftle of Porocano, which was not conquered 

 by us, till under the government of Count Maurice. 



The towns of the Northern and Southern Alagoas are forty leagues from the 

 Receif. 



Within the diftrift of Parnambuko are two woods, called by the Portuguefe the 

 Greater and LefTer Palmairas, or Palmtree-woods. 



The LefTer Palmairas, which is inhabited by fix thoufand negroes, lies about twenty 

 leagues above the Alagoas, being inclofed with woods near the fmall lake of Guagohuhi, 

 which exonerates itfelf into the great lake of Parayba, fix leagues from thence to the 

 north, about four leagues from the lake Meridai, to the fouth of the Northern Alagoa, 

 being near that point of land commonly called Jaragoa. The village confifts of three 

 ftreets, each near half a league in length. ' Their huts are made of ftraw twifted toge- 

 ther, one near another, their plantations being behind. They retain fomething of the 

 religious worftiip of the Portuguefe, but have their peculiar priefts and judges. Their 

 bufinefs is to rob the Portuguefe of their flaves, who remain in flavery among them 

 till they hare redeemed themfelves by ftealing another : but fuch flaves as run over to 

 them are as free as the reft. Their food is dates, beans, meal, barley, fugar-canes, 

 tame-fowl (of which they have great plenty;, and fifli, which the lake furnifhes them 



^x 2 ^ withal. 



