712 NIEUHOn's BRAZIL 



The City of Ol'mda. 



AT a fmall diftance from the Receif, or Maurice's Town, to the north, is the 

 ruinated city of Olinda, once a famous place among the Portuguefe ; the whole pro- 

 duQ: of Brazil being from thence tranfported by fea into Europe. The befl part of the 

 city was built upon divers hills ; towards the fca on the fouth fide, thefe hills were 

 pretty plain, extending to the fea-fhore, which has a very white fand all along that 

 coafl; towards the land fide, or the north, thofe hills are more fteep and craggy, full 

 of thorn-bufhes, intermixed with a few orange-trees. Thefe hills are an additional 

 ftrength to the place, which befides this, was guarded by feveral baftions to the land 

 fide, though by reafon of the great variety of hills contained in its circuit, it was a diffi- 

 cult talk to bring the fortifications into a regular form. There is a very fair profpeQ: 

 from the higher part of the town, both to the fouth and north, or to the fea and land 

 fide, by reafon of the great quantity of circumjacent trees, which continue green all 

 the year round. You may alfo from thence fee the ifle of Anthony Vaez, and Mau- 

 rice's Town. The point of land near Olinda, is called Tipo by the inhabitants. 



Upon the highefl hill within the place, flood formerly a convent belonging to the 

 Jefuits, being a magnificent ftrudure, founded by Sebaltian King of Portugal, who 

 endowed it with confiderable revenues. It had a very fair profpeft, and might be i^oxi 

 at a good diftance at fea. Not far from thence was another monaftery belonging to 

 the Capuchins ; and near the fea-fhore, another of the Dominican friars. Befides 

 which, it had two churches, the one called St. Salvador, and the other St. Peter. 



It contained above two thoufand inhabitants, befides the clergymen and flaves, among 

 ■whom were two hundred that were accounted very rich. On the foot of the mountain 

 upon which the city of Olinda was built, a ftrong redoubt was ereded, which in the 

 year 1645 was by a ferjeant betrayed to the Portuguefe for a fum of money. About 

 a league from the city, near the water-fide, were the fuburbs, well ftored with inhabi- 

 tants and packhoufes, but deftitute of frefh water, which they were fain to fetch from 

 beyond the river. 



The whole diftrift of Parnambuco abounds in divers kinds of fruits and cattle. The 

 valleys afford good pafturage, and the lower grounds near the rivers, great ftore of 

 fugar reeds, which are much cultivated hereabouts. The mountains produce richer 

 minerals here, than in the other captainfhips. During the rainy feafon the heat is more 

 tolerable here in the day-time than the cold nights. 



The Cameleon, or Indian Salamander^ otherwife called Gekko. 



THIS creature, which is not only found in Brazil, but alfo in the ifle of Java, belong- 

 ing to the Eaft Indies, and which by our people is called Gekko, from its conftant cry 

 (like among us that of Cuckoe), is properly an Indian Salamander. It is about a 

 foot long, its fkin of a pale or fea-green colour, with red fpots. The head is not 

 unlike that of a tortoife, with a ftraight mouth. The eyes are very large, ftarting out 

 of the head, with long and fmall eye-apples. The tail is diftinguifhed by feveral white 

 rings. Its teeth are fo fharp as to make an impreflion even upon fteel. Each of its 

 four legs had five crooked claws armed on the end with nails. Its gait is very flow, 

 but wherever it faftens it is not eafily removed. It dwells commonly upon rotten trees, 



or 



