102 



PROVINCE OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 



The lake ^oacica, situated two leagues to die south of tlie river Maccahe, 

 and approximating the ocean, is about three miles long, and half a mile at the 

 greatest width, has not much depth, is impregnated with salt, and abounds 

 with fish, which enter it from the sea by the channel formed for the egress of 

 its waters at the period of the floods. It is the receptacle of the river from 

 which it derives its name; also, of the Serraria, the Mutum, the Riacho d'Ala- 

 goa, and the Riachinho. 



The lake of Juthurnuahibi, two miles in diameter, and one to seven fathoms 

 in depth, receives the rivers Bucasca and Capibary ; has an outlet into the 

 ocean, which is winding, deep, navigable, and taking the name of the first 

 river, is seven leagues distant, and only three in a direct line from the lake. 



Cape Frio, called a city, although not so large as a moderate town, is divided 

 into two parts, by an interval of half a mile, both being without regularity, and 

 situated upon the southern margin of the eastern extremity of the lake Araru- 

 ama. The principal portion has a church of Our Lady of Assumption, a her- 

 mitage of St. Bento, and a Franciscan monastery. The chapel of Our Lady of 

 Cuia crowns the summit of a rock, from whence is beheld a great extent of sea 

 and land. The smaller portion of the city, denominated Passagem, defended 

 by the fort of St. Mattheus, has another hermitage of St. Benedicto. This city 

 has royal masters of the primitive letters and Latin. The inhabitants eagerly 

 follow the pursuit of fishing, their principal and most lucrative occupation; 

 fish being their common diet and their chief exportation. It was taken in the 

 year 1615, when Portugal was under the dominion of Philip II. ; and 

 when, like many other places, it took the title of city, upon the occasion of 

 some Rotterdam pirates being repulsed, who wished to establish themselves 

 there, for the purpose of exporting dye-wood. Here is a Juiz de Fora, whose 

 power extends to the town of Maccah6. Fevers are the prevailing disease of 

 the country. 



St. Joam de Maccahe, situated upon both banks of the river fi-om which it 

 takes its name, was created a town in 1814, and has a church called Santa 

 Anna. The inhabitants, who are fishermen, produce some Indian corn, rice, 

 feijao, mandioca, and sugar, but their principal object of trade is timber. The 

 parish of St. Joam, at the embouchure of the river of the same name, is well 

 situated to render it in time a considerable town. Timber forms the riches of 

 its inhabitants, who also export a variety of the necessaries of Hfe. 



The district of Goytacazes, comprising twenty-eight leagues of coast, bounded 

 on the south by the river Maccahe, and on the north by the Cabapuana, 

 originally formed the capitania of St. Thome, and so denominated from the 



