358 



PROVINCE OF PERNAMBUCO. 



stantly standing in water, one of whom steers with a large paddle passed in- 

 discriminately between the ends of two of the rafts. Thus cotton and sugar 

 from the places upon the coast and from the rivers are conveyed to the capital. 

 Voyages of several hundred miles are performed by jangadas. An English 

 gentleman proceeded to sea in one of them from Parahiba to Pernambuco, a 

 small table was attached to the rafts upon which he slept, and although the sea 

 is generally washing over them they are never known to upset. Our voyage 

 had been an extremely pleasant one, and each individual had expressed the 

 highest gratification not only at the mutual good humour that had prevailed, 

 but the very great attention of the captain. The party frequently met on 

 shore afterwards, and 1 received many civilities from Colonel Cotter and his 

 lady during my stay at Pernambuco. The Colonel, before my departure, was 

 appointed to the command of the militia regiments formed by the population of 

 the town. We will defer speaking of the city of Pernambuco, or Recife, till 

 we have concluded the description of the province. 



This province was presented as a captaincy, with less extent of territory than it 

 now contains, to Duarthe Coelho Pereyra, in reward for having repulsed the 

 French from the river St. Cruz, re-estabUshing the factory which had been de- 

 stroyed by them, and rendering other important services to the Portuguese go- 

 vernment. The letter of donation was granted to him in 1534 ; and in the fol- 

 lowing year he set sail from Portugal, accompanied by his wife and some 

 other families, who joined him for the purpose of colonization.* 



The small village of Hyguarassu, which had its origin about four years 

 before, was for some time the place of his residence, till Ollinda was begun, 

 which he made his capital soon after its foundation. He was engaged in con- 

 tinued wars with the Cahetes, who were the former inhabitants of the country. 

 He died in the year 1554, leaving his wife, D. Brittes d' Albuquerque, in trust 

 of the government of the captaincy till the arrival of his hereditary son Duarthe 

 Coelho d' Albuquerque, who was pursuing his studies in Portugal, and which 

 he left in 1560 by orders of Queen Catharine, to protect the colony from the 

 danger with which it was threatened by the revolt of some tribes of Indians 

 whom his father had reduced to obedience. 



* Some writers have stated that this Duarthe Coelho Pereyra served as a military man in India ; but 

 Duarthe Coelho, of whose military exploits there Barros and Farria both speak, had not the surname 

 of Pereyra. He died by the hands of the Moors of the island of Sumatra, after having suffered 

 shipwreck at the mouth of the river Calapa, in 1527. 



