26 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



have already spoken as an endemic disease in the 

 neigbourhood of the Paraiba, are not common in the 

 city, nor do they attain the monstrous size which 

 they acquire in that country. Besides inflamma- 

 tion, dropsy is very general ; the- tropical climate 

 seems, indeed, particularly to favour the issue of 

 inflammations by dropsy. 



The capitania of S. Paulo, formed, under the 

 reign of King John V. (I7IO), out of that of S. 

 Amaro and part of that of S. Vicente *, was for- 

 merly divided into two circles (comarcas), namely, 

 into that of S. Paulo, with the capital of the same 

 name, and that of Paranagua or Curitiba. The 

 population increasing, the comarca of Ytu(Hytu), 

 the capital of which is the little town of Ytu, was 

 separated from the comarca of S. Paulo about ten 

 years ago. In the southern circle, the seat of the 

 authorities has been transferred from Paranagua to 

 Curitiba, which is situated further inland. The 

 chief magistrate of every comarca is the ouvidor. 

 Except in the district in which the governor re- 

 sides, he is at the head not only of the judicial 

 department, but also of the administration, and 

 has the first voice next to the governor in the 

 board of finances (Junta da Meal Faze7ida). In 

 affairs relative to the exchequer, the chief judge 

 {Juiz de Ford) is associated with him as fiscal for 

 the crown. In the city of S. Paulo, and in the 



* Cazal. Corografia Brasilica, i. p. 200. 



