244 



JOURNEY FROM CARAVELLAS 



dawn of day which summoned us to continue our journey ; but it was 

 ten o'clock before the tide had ebbed sufficiently for us to let our 

 mules swim across ; the people carried the baggage over on their 

 heads. 



From this place we reached in a short time the mouth of the Alco- 

 ba^a, which is pretty considerable where it discharges itself into the 

 sea. Its banks, near the sea, are covered with thick mangrove 

 bushes, but M'hich are soon succeeded by lofty dark forests. Not far 

 from the mouth of the river, and on its northern bank, the Villa de 

 Alcobaca is built on a white sandy plain, which is covered with short 

 grass, low creeping mimosas, white-flowering plumbago, and the 

 beautiful rose-coloured flowers of the vinca rosea. Alcoba^'a has 

 about two hundred houses and nine hundred inhabitants ; most of 

 the buildings are covered with tiles, and the church is of stone. 

 Here, as well as on the whole coast, some trade is carried on with 

 mandiocca-flour, of which about forty thousand alquieres are said to 

 be annually exported to the larger towns on the coast, and to all 

 those places where the plant does not thrive so well. Some of the 

 vessels called lanchas are employed in the carriage of this article, and 

 bring; back other necessaries from Bahia. These small vessels ascend 

 to a considerable height up the river, that is, to the plantation of 

 Mr. Munis Cordeiro, one of the principal inhabitants of Alcobaca, 

 whose excellent character has obtained him merited reputation among 

 his countrymen. 



The river Alcobaca, which in the ancient Brazilian language was 

 called Tanian, or Itanian, (Itanhem,) abounds in fish ; even manatis 

 are said to have been caught there ; its barra has a sandy bottom, 

 with twelve or fourteen palms water, and may be passed by heavily 

 laden sumacas. The sertoes, or the ancient forests on its banks, are 

 inhabited by the savage tribes of the Patachos and Machacaris, whom 

 we have already often mentioned, who from this place and further 



