324 



PROVINCE OF BAHIA. 



The nominal patron of the church is St. Antonio, there are also two hermitages, 

 one dedicated to Good Jesus, the other to Our Lady of Rozario. It has a 

 royal master of Latin, and had a smelting house whilst the mines were pro- 

 ductive. In the adjacent country are bred cattle, good horses, hogs, sheep, 

 and goats. The articles cultivated are sugar, cotton, tobacco of an excel- 

 lent quality, wheat, Indian corn, and legumes. There are oranges, grapes, 

 and small quinces, which latter are made into marmalade, and exported in 

 small cases. Some of the inhabitants manufacture earthenware. 



Villa Nova da Rainha, yet small, and possessing no advantages to warrant 

 the expectation of its increase, is sixty miles north of Jacobina, and three from 

 the Itapicuru Mirim. The houses are of earth and wood, and tiled. The 

 church is of brick, and dedicated to the Senhor of Bom Fim. Cattle and cotton 

 are the wealth of its inhabitants, who also cultivate Indian corn, rice, feijao, 

 mandioca, and distil some spirits from the cane. The orange, lime, jaca, 

 mango, banana, and pine trees are common, as are the mangaba, and pine- 

 apple. In its district there are many crystals and saltpetre. Ten miles from 

 it is the arraial of Matriz Velha, whose church is dedicated to St. Antonio, 

 and is the most ancient in the comarca. The vicar resides at Villa Nova, and 

 has a coadjutor here. About five miles from Villa Nova is the parish of the 

 mission of Sahy, abounding with water. Its inhabitants are principally Indians. 

 Our Lady of Neves is its titular patroness. In the district of Jacobina are yet 

 the arraial of Figuras, formerly flourishing, but at present of little note ; that of 

 Saude ; of Gamelleira, with a hermitage of Our Lady of Gra9a, near the river 

 Jacuhype ; of Joazeiro, more distinguished than extensive and upon the St. 

 Francisco, in one of the most frequented tracks from Bahia to the province of 

 Piauhy, with a chapel of Our Lady of Grotas. Higher up, and also upon the 

 same river, is the parish of St. Joam Baptista, near Centoce, where much salt 

 is made ; St. Antonio de Pambu is much below Joazeiro ; in its district is the 

 magnificent fall of Paulo Affonso, and the Primerios Campos, (First Fields,) 

 where there are rich mines of copper. The parish of Bom Jesus, or de Xique- 

 xique, is also upon the banks of the St. Francisco, about fifty miles above 

 the mouth of the river Verde. 



Rio de Contas, a considerable town, upon the road from the capital to the 

 province of Goyaz, was created by John V. in the year 1724, in consequence 

 of the augmentation given to it by the discovery of gold mines, which some 

 Paulistas made in the year 1718. It is in a plain, refreshed with salubrious air, 

 upon the left margin of the Brumado. The houses are mostly constructed with 



