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PROVINCE OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL. 



good houses, and straight streets, principally paved, and is situated upon the 

 southern margin of a bay to the eastward of the Jacuhy, seven leagues above 

 its mouth, and forty-three leagues north of St. Pedro. It is the capital of the 

 province, the residence of the governor, now Conde de Figura, of the ouvidor, 

 and a vicar-general. It has a church, dedicated to Our Lady Madre de 

 Deos, (Mother of God,) the chapel Das Dores, (of Grief,) an hospital, a 

 Junta da Fazenda Real, (a treasury,) and a Cadeira regia de Latim, (a royal 

 professorship of Latin.) The senate is presided by a Juiz de Fora, or a judge 

 similar to a mayor, who also presides over the orphan establishment. 



With the loss of the town of St. Pedro, in 1762, the village of Nosso Senhora 

 de Concei9ao, became the capital, and the hermitage with which it was orna- 

 mented the parochial for some years, inasmuch as the governor, Joze Marcel- 

 lino de Figueyredo did not remove the seat of government ; but increased and 

 improved this village, to which he gave the name so appropriate to its good 

 port. In 1808, it received the title of town. 



A great part of the commodities that are exported from the port of the town of 

 St. Pedro, are shipped thither from Portalegre, in hyates, or small craft. 



The adjacent country is fertile and watered by the Cahy, Caravatahy, and 

 other rivers. 



About four leagues to the north-east of Portalegre, and not quite a mile from 

 the right bank of the Caravatahy, in an elevated and fine situation, is the parish of 

 Nosso Senhora dos Anjos, founded by the same governor, J. M. de Figueyredo, 

 for the habitation of various Tappe Indian families, fugitives from the missions of 

 the Uruguay. These Indians established a large fazenda for breeding cattle, in 

 order that they might better sustain themselves ; and who, notwithstanding 

 they were freed from the capitation, and exempted from the rod and discipline 

 under which they had been brought up, withdrew by degrees to various situa- 

 tions in the province. The river is very winding, its banks abounding with 

 timber, stone, and fine potters' clay. 



A little more than thirty-five miles to the west of Portalegre is the consi- 

 derable and delightful arraial of the new parish, near the mouth of the Tacoary. 

 Its inhabitants raise wheat and cattle. 



About eighteen miles to the north is the parish of St. Joze, with a large 

 praca, or square, on which is the mother church. It was the source of the 

 agriculture of this province, and its people are mostly descendants of the first 

 settlers from the Azores ; from whence Senhor Don Joze brought various fami- 



