m AMAZONIA AND LA PLATA. 



soon monopolised the slave trade, jmd despite of later legislation the local traders 

 continued to be the chief importers of negroes down to the middle of the nineteenth 

 century, introducing in some years as many as 60,000. Bahia was nearly ruined 

 by the suppression of the traffic, and with difficulty recovered from the blow by 

 developing its agricultural resources. The black element is still predominant in 

 /a Velha Mitlata, the " Old Mulattress," as the place is popularly called. 



At the time of the foundation the Jesuits established themselves in Bahia, 

 which still retains its rank as the religious metropolis of Brazil. It was also in 

 the seventeenth century the intellectual centre of Portuguese America; but its 

 libraries, museums, and learned societies are scarcely worthy of a city with over 

 200,000 inhabitants. Bahia, however, possesses one of the two schools of medicine 

 that have been founded in the republic. Its citizens are also distinguished 

 amongst all Brazilians for their dignified bearing and culture, and they have at 

 all times taken a considerable share .in the government of the country. In one 

 respect, Bahia is more " Brazilian " than Rio de Janeiro. It lacks the cosmo- 

 politan character of the federal capital, and its houses, many of which are faced, 

 with varnished faience ware, are more like those of Lisbon. One of its churches 

 has been entirely built of dressed stones imported from Portugal. 



The harbour, sheltered from the east and south-cast winds by the promontory, 

 is exposed to the Atlantic swell rolling in through the broad entrance to the bay. 

 Hence large vessels ride at anchor some distance off the quays. No attempt has 

 yet been made to carry out the project to enclose a space of over 250 acres by 

 means of two breakwaters, one over a mile long running from the northern 

 extremity of Bahia to Fort S. Marcel/o, the other carried in the direction of the 

 same fort from the southern quarter, where are situated the arsenal and custom- 

 house. Sugar, tobacco, coffee, cotton, cattle, and hides are the chief articles of the 

 export trade, which is valued at nearly £2,000,000 a year. The local markets are 

 abundantly provided with provisions, and are specially noted both for the great 

 variety and profusion of tropical fruits, and for the endless diversity of types — 

 white, black, and half-breeds of every shade — observed in the picturesque groups 

 frequenting them. 



In the neighbouring waters a few whalers still pur-^ue the cetaceans, which 

 yield the train-oil used in lighting the city before the introduction of gas, but now 

 forwarded to Europe. During the prevalence of southern winds the whales fre- 

 quently penetrate into the bay, and are then pursued by boatmen armed with har- 

 poons. About fiftv are captured every year, and a spermaceti refinery has been 

 established in the city. Others formerly existed in the neighbouring island of 

 Itaparica, where at the beginning of the present century most of the whalebone 

 was prepared, which at that time was used instead of railing for enclosing gardens 

 and courtyards. 



Some deposits of coal have been discovered in Itaparica, a long narrow island, 

 with a town at its northern extremity. The soil is extremely fertile, and the 

 island is noted for the excellence of its produce no less than for its genial climate. 

 It is locally known as the " Europe of the poor," because it is much frequented 



