180 



STAY AT CAPITANIA, 



place had any trade, the various valuable kinds of wood, which these 

 forests produce in abundance, might be turned to as good an account 

 as the fertile soil of his fazenda. Feroha, an excellent timber for 

 ship-building, is indeed considered as crown property, but Mr. Cal- 

 mon obtained permission to build of this timber some large handsome 

 sea-canoes, which he sends to Capitania and other places laden with 

 the produce of his fazejula^ and many valuable kinds of wood which 

 have already been frequently mentioned. 



In order to protect this settlement in general from the attacks and 

 cruelties of the Botocudos, eight stations have been established, which 

 are pushed forward in different directions into the great forests : they 

 are also at the same time especially destined to protect the commercial 

 intercourse, which it has of late been attempted to open up the river 

 with Minas Geraes. In fact soldiers have already come down from 

 that province, who were in sufficient numbers, well armed and pro- 

 vided with the defensive coat cnWed giltao d'armns. These coats, some 

 of which are kept at all the stations, are an indispensable covering 

 against the arrows which the savages discharge with great force. 

 They are wide, made of cotton, and thickly lined with several layers 

 of cotton wadding, have a high stiff collar, which covers the neck, 

 and short sleeves that protect the upper part of the arm ; they come 

 down to the knee, but are very inconvenient on account of their 

 weight, especially in hot weather. The strongest arrow, even when 

 discharged near at hand, does not easily penetrate such a coat, 

 and it never has force enough to inflict any serious wound. The 

 people indeed place too much confidence in these coats, for they as- 

 sured us that even a ball would not pierce them. In order to con- 

 vince myself of the truth of the assertion, I directed one of my hunters 

 to fire at one with a rifle at the distance of eighty paces, and the ball 

 penetrated both sides of the coat, which besides was not filled out. 

 It appeared however on farther trials that the largest shot, fired at 



