PROVINCE OF PIAUHY. 431 



pasturage, where many cattle are bred. Twenty-five miles distant is the chapel 

 of the Lady of Concei^ao, and in its environs are cultivated the necessaries of 

 life peculiar to the country. 



Marvao, whose first name was Rancho do Prato, is also a small place, situ 

 ated in a plain twenty miles above the mouth of the small river so called, on the 

 margin of which graze herds of large cattle, constituting the wealth of its dwel- 

 lers. The Lady of Desterro is the patroness of its church, and within the dis- 

 trict there is silver and pumice-stone. 



Jerumenha is an insignificant town, upon the margin and fifteen miles above 

 the embouchure of the Gurguea, of which it had originally the name. It has a 

 church dedicated to St. Antonio ; and the inhabitants breed cattle and cultivate 

 the common necessaries of life. They are frequently attacked with fevers. 



Pernagua is a small town and well situated upon the western margin of a 

 lake fifteen miles in length, near eight in width, deep, well stored with fish, and 

 traversed by the river Pirahim. It has a fine church of stone, dedicated to the 

 Lady of Livramento; having flat environs, small hills only being seen at a dis- 

 tance. The inhabitants, amongst whom are some Europeans, raise cattle and 

 horses; and besides other agricultural productions, the sugar cane, of which is 

 made rapaduras, and an ardent spirit. It is above fifty miles distant from the 

 southern limits of the province, about the same from the river Preto, and above 

 one himdred and thirty miles from the town of St. Francisco das Chagas. In 

 its district there are portions of ground appropriated to the culture of tobacco. 



The lake of Pernagua which is reduced to eight miles of length, and four in 

 width, during the dry season, was formed, it is said, by an extraordinary over- 

 flowing of the river, since the Portuguese were masters of the country. 



The considerable arrail of Piracruca, well situated near the small river of its 

 name, forty miles distant from the mouth of the Longa, has the best churcli of 

 the province. In its district there are copperas and the real Jesuits' bark. The 

 inhabitants have large plantations of cotton, mandioca, and sugar ; from the latter 

 rum and rapaduras are made. 



The aldeia and Indian parish of St. Gon^alo d' Amarante, is in a well select- 

 ed and fertile district, where any other class of people would ere this have ren- 

 dered agriculture flourishing, lived in abundance, and have become rich. It is 

 eighteen miles from the mouth of the Caninde, and seventy north of the capital ; 

 and was founded about the year 1766, for the habitation of nine hundred 

 Guegues, who occupied the country about the heads of the Parnahiba, and six- 

 teen hundred Acroas, who lived more to the southward. Some time having 



