PROVINCE OF MARANHART. 



439 



of fertile land, where cattle are raised, a diversity of tlie necessaries of 

 life, and cotton. One of its principal and last confluents is the Pinnare, up 

 which small craft proceed to the town of Vianna. The coast beyond the Mearim 

 inclines to the north, fonning a bay ten rniles in extent, about fifteen miles 

 beyond which is the bay of Cuma, nine miles long and three wide, open to the 

 east, and receiving the river Piracunan. 



Twenty miles further is the bay called Cabello da Velha, six miles wide, 

 nearly of eqnal length, and receiving the river Cururupu. Its entrance is 

 between two small islands surrounded with dangerous shoals. In the proximity 

 of the shore, half way between the two last bays, is a file of five islands, thicklj- 

 covered with woods ; the largest is about four miles in length. About twenty 

 miles further, the coast being bordered by the same number of islands, is the 

 embouchure of the Turynana, which has an extensive course and here afibrds 

 good anchorage for small vessels. In front of this is the island of St. Joam^ 

 the most westerly of those alluded to ; it is ten miles long from north-east to 

 south-west, flat, covered with woods, and occupied by birds and wild quadru- 

 peds. A profound channel, three miles in width, separates it from the continent ; 

 near its north-eastern point there is safe anchorage. 



Further westward is the vast bay of Turyvassu, the limits of the province on 

 the side of Para. It receives a river of the same name, after flowing a great 

 distance through extensive woods. The Indians, who, under various appella- 

 tions had the dominion of the island of Maranham and the adjoining continent, 

 were Tupinambas, and divided into small tribes. 



Mineralogy. — Calcareous stone, copperas, alum, iron, lead, and silver, 

 antimony, amianthus, saltpetre, mineral salt, crystals, grindstone, and quar- 

 ries or rocks of granite. 



Phytology.— The Asiatic cocoa-nut tree grows sparingly, and only along 

 the coast. The pine is common, and fructifies in perfection. From the fruit of 

 the mamona is extracted almost all the oil which is used for lights. Here are 

 trees of gum copal, storax, mastick, bensoin, dragons' blood, the oil of cupa- 

 hyba, or capivi, the arariba, from whose bark is extracted a beautiful crimson 

 colour, the barbatimoe, cajue-nut ambuzo, cocoa, jabuticaba, mangaba, aracaza, 

 babonilha, butua, ginger, jalap, ipecacuanha, and the palm. The cane pros- 

 pers in many situations, but its culture has been supplanted by that of cotton, 

 which constitutes the main article of exportation, and the principal wealth of 

 the country. Amongst resinous trees is also the sucuba, the gum of which passes 

 for the ammoniac of the Levant. The deity who presides over grain, the life- 



