182 



STAY AT CAPITANIA. 



for he is obliged, without regard to heat or rain, to make a tour to 

 all the posts, which is a journey of ninety leagues, once a month. 

 Mr. Cardoso da Rosa, who has been long stationed here, sends 

 soldiers from the quarteh to patrole the woods, for the security of the 

 inhabitants. If savages are met with, the alarm is given by firing 

 two shot in quick succession, upon which signal every one who can 

 handle a gun hurries out. But the savages often attack the planta- 

 tions, and have in this manner already killed manj^ inhabitants of 

 Linhares. A circumstance of this kind happened so lately as August 

 1816, to the second station of Linhares, where however a very re- 

 solute Mineiro (a native of Minas), a subaltern officer, had the com- 

 mand, and repulsed the savages. 



The people who now live at Linhares are chiefly soldiers with an 

 ensign, a surgeon and a priest, and a few planters, who derive a sub- 

 sistence from their plantations. The priest, a favourite as we were 

 told of Governor Rubim, at Capitania, assumed in the colony a con- 

 aequence which did not belong to him, and interfered in all affairs, 

 even though they had no concern with his official duties : he was the 

 more feared, because he resided alternately here, and at Villa de 

 Victoria near the governor. 



This colony, which might easily be made one of the most important 

 places on the East coast, was treated, at the time I was there, in a 

 very harsh and injudicious manner. Thus persons who wished to 

 take a journey, were obliged first to ask permission ; no family was 

 allowed to consume more than one bottle of brandy in three months; 

 and there are many other such restrictions. This settlement is now 

 probably near its end, unless it has since received succour ; for in the 

 sequel of these travels, I shall have occasion to relate what happened 

 to it afterwards. 



Our stay on the Rio Doce was certainly one of the most interesting 

 parts of my travels in Brazil ; for on this river, which is so rich in 



