406 



PROVINCE OF RIO GRANDE DO NORTE. 



Negroes are not numerous in this province ; the Indians, who were very 

 ferocious, have all been reduced many years, and their descendants, through 

 the medium of alliances with the Europeans and Africans, have augmented the 

 classes of whites and mulattoes, who for the most part indulge in idleness, and 

 improperly deem it a degradation to apply their personal labour, with instruments 

 of agriculture, for the improvement of their country. 



Capes and Ports. — Cape St. Roque forms the angle of this region to the 

 north-east. 



Point Pipa took its name from a stone, in a degree resembling a tun- 

 nel, caused by the sea continually beating against it. A little to the south of 

 this point there are four abundant fountains of soft water upon the beach. 



Point Negra is seven miles to the north of the preceding, and almost as far 

 south of the river Tareyri. 



Point Petetinga, Point Toiro, Point Tres Irmaos, Point Tubarao, between 

 the rivers Aguamare and the Amargoso, and Point Mel, which is between the 

 Appody and the Conchas, are all upon the northern coast of the province. It 

 has neither ports nor bays capable of receiving a squadron of ships of much 

 burden ; there is, however, the Bay Formoza upon the eastern coast, wfth 

 seven miles of mouth, three of bay, and four fathoms in depth at low water, 

 but it is overspread with stones and unsheltered. 



Mineralogy. — It has gold, minerals of iron and silver, flint stones, calca- 

 reous stone, granite, amethysts, crystals, and argils of various colours and 

 quality. 



Mountains. — The serra Estrella is in nothing comparable with that of the 

 same name in the province of Beyra. 



The serra St. Cosme, with a hermitage, St. Domingos, St. Joze, Camelo, with 

 eighteen miles of lengthy and Pannaty, at the heads of the Pinhanco; Bonito, 

 from whence a small torrent descends, denominated Aguaboa, (Good Water ;) 

 Caraara, Pattu, with a hermitage of the Lady of Impossibilities, and in its skirts 

 another of the Lady of Griefs ; Luiz Gomez, covered with large woods, and 

 where the best necessaries of life and cotton are raised ; that of Cabello-nao- 

 tem, so called in consequence of being entirely bare, having gold ; Re- 

 gente, now called Portalegre, since a town of that name was founded upon it ; 

 Campo Grande in the vicinity of the preceding, and whose inhabitants belong 

 to the parish of Pau dos Ferros, two miles distant ; Martins, which has ten 

 miles of length, and a hermitage on the summit, near a lake, that overflows 

 its margins with the thunder showers. It is affirmed, that at the end of the last 



