140 



PROVINCE OF PARANNA. 



Dominicans, Franciscans, Mercenarians, Recoletos, (rigid friars,) and a 

 seminary which was a Jesuitical college. This city has no regularity nor fine 

 edifices ; the greater part of the houses are built of earth, and many of the 

 inhabitants of its three parishes are descended from the Portuguese. From 

 hence is exported tobacco, imbe, timber, and a prodigious quantity of matte 

 to Buenos Ayres, where it is afterwards packed in liides, and distributed over 

 various Spanish districts, being a beverage universally used amongst them, as 

 well as by the Portuguese in the southern parts of Brazil. In its environs are 

 bred numerous herds of large cattle. There are plantations of cotton and the 

 cane. Honey and wax are abundant. They cultivate also, as in other parts, 

 aipim, or pompim, as it is called here, which root, after being scraped, chopped, 

 and dried in the oven, is cooked with meat, serving for bread. The maize, 

 or Indian corn, after it is boiled, and beat in a pestle, is passed through a sifter, 

 kneaded with milk, and baked, when it receives the name of c/iippa. 



The bishop is a suffragan of La Plata, otherwise chuquissaca. The chapter 

 of the church, as in all other ultramarine cathedrals of the Spanish states, is 

 composed of twelve canons, including the moderator of the Inquisition, 

 five dignitaries, the dean, archdeacon, chanter, treasurer-m6r, and master of 

 the college ; also six petty canons to sing the Evangelists, and as many more 

 half petty canons for the Epistles, whose vestments differ little from the others. 

 The canons of theology, doctorial, magisterial, and penitentiary, only give 

 graduates, and that by competition. The revenue of the suppressed canonship 

 is destined for the expenses of the tribunal of the holy office. 



There are tv* o tribunals, one called the Junta Decimal, for the public dis- 

 posal of the decimos, and consisting of two canons, a royal fiscal, a minister 

 clothed with a toga, or gown, an accountant, and an escrivao, or scrivener. 

 The other denominated Meza Capitular, for the collection and distribution of 

 the proceeds of the decimos, is formed of Siprovisor, or vicar-general, a canon, 

 acting at times as a fiscal, the coutador-mor, or chief accountant of the treasury, 

 and another accountant to make the distribution or rates. 



All the produce of the decimos is appropriated to the cluirch. In calculating 

 this, the chief accountant of the treasury divides it into nine equal parts; one 

 and a half, under the name of uoveno e medio, belongs to the crown, and is 

 destined for the repairs and other necessities of the church ; and which the 

 sovereign, as patron, gives by way of succour. Of the other seven and a half 

 parts, one-half is for the bishop, whose duty is to relieve the necessities of 



