PROVINCE OF BAHIA. 



311 



between the point of Padrao, (now denominated St. Antonio,) and the St. 

 Francisco, giving him afterwards the reconcave of the bay of All Saints. He 

 proceeded in person to colonize this donation, with an armament fitted out at 

 his own cost, and disembarked at the point of Padrao. He fortified himself 

 on the site where the mother church of Our Lady of Victory is situated, and 

 preserved a state of amity with the Indians for some years. Cultivation began 

 to extend, and the more opulent and powerful settlers had already established 

 sugar works, when the Tupinamba Indians commenced an inveterate and 

 unceasing warfare for the period of seven or eight years against them, carrying 

 destruction and famine amongst the sugar works and new establishments. 

 Coutinho, with the small force which now remained, discovered the impossi- 

 bility of repairing the evils his colony had sustained, and, consequently, deter- 

 mined to withdraw from the increasing enmity and attacks of the Indians, 

 which he accomplished in one caravel, conducting the remains of the colony 

 to the capitania of Ilheos, where the Portuguese settlers were living in a state 

 of profound peace with the Tupininquin Indians. 



The Tupinambas were a powerful tribe, and other hordes of Indians who 

 previously occupied the territory around Bahia, had been compelled to give 

 way to them. They affected to feel the circumstances attending the departure 

 and absence of the Portuguese, to whom they proposed terms of friendship, 

 which were acceded to. Coutinho lost no time in re-embarking for the bay 

 of All Saints, where, on arriving at the entrance of the harbour, they were 

 assailed by a tremendous gale of wind, which drove them on the shoals off the 

 island of Itaparica, and all those who escaped on shore from the wreck were 

 devoured by the cannibal Indians, (also of the Tupinamba tribe,) excepting 

 Diogo Alvez Correa, who had accompanied Coutinho in his flight. Caramuru 

 saved his life from the circumstance of speaking the Tupinamba language. 

 He acquired considerable consequence amongst the Indians, and was elevated 

 to the rank of a prince. The chiefs offered him their daughters in marriage, 

 and his distinction was marked by the grant of a plurality of wives. His 

 offspring was numerous, and even at this day some of the inhabitants of Bahia 

 trace their origin to him. 



In consequence of Coutinho's misfortunes, the territory of Bahia became 

 devoluto, unoccupied ; and the same monarch being informed of the beauties 

 and advantages of this fine bay, and the fertility of its adjacent country, deter- 

 mined to found a city there, which should become the capital of all the colonies, 

 in order to afford them every necessary succour against the Indians, who were 



