PROVINCE OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 



43 



district is twenty miles long, and fifteen wide. In the year 1804, it contained 

 four thousand three hundred and forty inhabitants, dispersed over the parish, 

 the vicar's house being almost the only one in the vicinity of the church. 



Islands. — The islands of this province are numerous, but the greater part in- 

 considerable, and principally within the two bays already described. Outside of 

 the bar of Rio de Janeiro are the three islands of Palmas ; also the islands of 

 Redonda, Comprida, Raza, Cagada, Lage, Catunduda, Toacinho, Pay, and 

 May; the whole of which are small, uninhabited, and extremely barren, except 

 in verdant shrubs and brushwood. 



Mineralogy. — This province has some mines of gold, and possesses veins 

 of iron. The rocks of granite are very large and remarkable, being of one 

 solid piece, from whence entire obelisks might be hewn of an immense size. 

 Aqua-marinas are met with ; and a variety of different earths, some considered 

 equal to that with which the Chinese manufacture their porcelain. 



Zoology. — In this province are found all the domestic and wild animals be- 

 longing to the adjacent provinces, with a sort of Sahium monkey, hairy, and 

 of a gold colour. Amongst the birds are remarked various sorts of the beau- 

 tiful sahy, not met with northward. 



Phytology. — This province affords a variety of timber for the purposes of 

 building, cabinet-work, and dying. The tree called here anduassu is nearly fifteen 

 feet high, and two in diameter, grows rapidly, and only in the vicinity of the sea. 

 The Indians make an aperient medicine from its fruit, with which they cure the 

 dropsy. Oil is extracted from it for burning lights, and for the composition of blue 

 ink, and a blue dye. The tatagyba, which is the morus tinctoria of Linneus, affords 

 an excellent yellow dye, extracted by the boiling of its wood in water, with the 

 addition of a portion of alum. The grumixameira is a tree which produces a most 

 excellent fruit, similar to a cherry in appearance, but of a finer flavour. I brought 

 some of its seed to England, but am yet uncertain whether it will prosper in our 

 climate. A small tree produces a clove, said to be superior to that of the 

 Moluccas. The camphor tree, the cane of Madagascar, some African grasses, 

 and a delicate species from Hindostan, have been recently naturalized here. 

 Canes of such thickness and height grow upon the margins of the Suruhy, that 

 ladders are made of them to hang the highest temples with decorations for festi- 

 vals. In many situations ferns are met with, not differing in the least from those of 

 Europe, except in the immense quantities which grow in uncultivated grounds. 

 In the woods adjacent to Andrahi, near the road leading to the cascades of 

 Tejuco, there is one which has grown, amongst other vegetation of wild trees 



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