PROVINCE OF PORTO SEGURO. 



297 



CHAP. XIV. 



PROVINCE OF PORTO SEGURO. 



Boundaries — Prosperity of its first Donatory — Reversion to the Crown in a bad 

 State — Present partial Cultivation — Indians — Mountains — Mineralogy — Zoo- 

 logy — Phytology — Rivers, Lakes, and Ports — Povoagdes — Ahrolhos. 



This province, which comprises the territory of the capitania of the same name, 

 with one portion of that of Ilheos, and another of that of Espirito Santo, is 

 confined on the north by the province of Bahia, from which it is separated by 

 the river Belmonte, on the west by Minas Geraes, on the south by Espirito 

 Santo, and on the east by the ocean. It lies between 15° 54' and 19° 31' of 

 south latitude, and in consequence of its being like the province of Espirito 

 Santo imperfectly explored, and from the same cause, of being in great part 

 under the dominion of the Indians, its width cannot be precisely determined. 

 A different result might have justly been expected, as it is without contradiction 

 that part of the new world where the Portuguese were first established. It has 

 already been shown that Cabral left here two degradados in the year 1500, 

 and Christovam Jaques a large number of other individuals, with two Francis- 

 can missionaries in the year 1504. The excellent quality of the Brazil wood, 

 which the first explorers found in abundance, soon rendered it an object of 

 public contract, and the good understanding which the colony mantained with 

 the Indians, also contributed to its being regularly and annually visited for the 

 purpose of so important a traffic. 



When John III. partitioned this region into capitanias, the colony of Porto 

 Seguro had begun to flourish, and many ships destined for India refreshed in 

 its port. The three Indians, which George Lopez Bixorda presented to King 

 Emanuel in 1513, were Tupininquins, the allies and friends of the colonists of 

 Porto Seguro, and the interpreter who accompanied them was one of the 

 degradados left there by Cabral in 1500. This Bixorda had the contract for 

 Brazil wood, and in order to show the king a sample of his new subjects, the 

 three Indians were conveyed to Portugal in the ship laden with this precious wood. 



