PROVINCE OF PARANNA. 



141 



the diocesans, especially the poor ones, collected in the house erected for their 

 habitation, because none of them are permitted to solicit alms pelas portas, at the 

 doors. 



The residue is divided into three equal fifths, one for the dean, the remainder 

 subdivided anew into three, two are distributed amongst the other dignitaries 

 and the canons, with arithmetical proportion. The part remaining is portioned 

 equally amongst the petty canons, and the half petty canons, or chaplains. 

 The priests of the cities are denominated rectors, or rectors, and those of 

 the towns, vigarios, or vicars. The padres only of the Indians have revenues, 

 (congrua,) drawn from the coffers where the produce of the Indian lands 

 that are sold, and the rents of the emprazadas, (persons paying an annual fine 

 for lands bought,) are deposited. They receive nothing from the parishioners, 

 except for the solemnization of burials. 



The priests of the churches of the whites (brancos) alone have the altarage, 

 (or free offerings of the people made at the altar,) and the productions of the 

 patrimonies with which they were founded. 



The churches are given after a competition of talent exhibited before the bishop. 

 The competitors are convoked by him and the vice-patron, who is the govern- 

 or, and without whose consent nothing can be decided in these cases. In 

 order to fill up a vacancy, the bishop proposes three, the choice from which 

 belongs to the vice-patron, if he does not reject the whole, and demand a pro- 

 posal of others for his choice. 



Correntes is a small city, advantageously situate in the southern angle of the 

 confluence of the river Paranna, ornamented with a convent of Dominicans, 

 one of Franciscans, and a third of Mercenarians, having straight streets, and 

 many houses with one story. The Jesuitical house is in ruins. Amongst its 

 inhabitants, there are some Portuguese, many Indians, and a few negroes. In 

 its vicinity there is much marshy land, and very extensive woods. Cattle 

 and horses are the wealth of the country. Mandubins, Indian corn, vegetables, 

 water-melons, and cotton, are the objects of culture. The land is neither 

 adapted for wheat nor matte. The ants and locusts, which are extremely 

 numerous, destroy the raandioca, and prevent its cultivation. The piUmgueira, 

 ov pitangua tree, is very abundant ; peaches are not met with. The inibagay is a 

 fruit similar to the mango, but something smaller, and found fi-om hence north- 

 ward. Hides and timber are the principal articles of exportation. Mosquitoes 

 are extremely troublesome here. 



