166 



STAY AT CAPITANIA, 



from their plantations of mandiocca and maize; they also export 

 some wood and earthenware, and carry on a fishery, which is not in- 

 considerable, on the sea and the river Salianha or Dos Reys Magos, 

 which runs past the village. Mr, Sellow, who subsequently visited 

 this place, found an opportunity of witnessing the singular mode of 

 fishing with the branches of the tingi tree, M'hich Condamine mentions 

 as practised in the river of the Amazons*. They cut branches of the 

 tingi tree, bruise them, tie them in bundles, and throw them into the 

 water, especially where it has but little fall ; sometimes a dam is 

 formed of them directly across to stop the fish, which, becoming in- 

 toxicated by the juice mingled with the water, rise to the surface 

 and die, or may be easily taken by the hand. The plants which 

 produce this effect are some varieties of the genus paullinia, and 

 the jacquinia obovata, a shrub with red berries, and reversed oval 

 leaves, which grows in the thickets on the coast, and is therefore 

 called tinguy ( tingi) da pray a. 



We heard much at Villa Nova concerning a marine animal, never 

 before seen there, which had recently been killed by some Indians on 

 the beach with musket shot. It was large, and was said to have had 

 feet resembling human hands. A great quantity of blubber had been 

 obtained from it. The head and hands were sent to the governor. 

 Our endeavours to obtain more particular information respecting this 

 animal were of no avail, and the more so, as even the skeleton had 

 been broken to pieces and boiled, and part of it buried. From all that 

 we could learn, however, it seems to have been a phoca or manati. 



The woods traversed by the Salianha, which in the ancient In- 

 dian language was called Apyaputang, are said to be inhabited by 



* Condamiiie's Voyage, p. 156. Vasconcellos also mentions it : according to him, the 

 Indians fished with ^fl/ncflf/ leaves, with fipo (cnWe A ti mho put y ana) ov tingy, also tiniuiry ; 

 farther with the fruit curaniape, vvith mango roots, &c.p. 76. See also Krusenstem, I, p. 180. 



