r 58 ) 



• But to return from this digression to San Francisco. The chief 

 occupations of the inhabitants are the cutting of timber, and other 

 labours connected with ship-building. Vessels of large dimensions^ 

 and a number of small craft for coasters, have been built here bj/ 

 merchants of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, and Pernambuco. When this^ 

 trade is brisk, there is a great demand for the various classes of arti-^ 

 sans whom it requires, and many negroes are employed. The wood 

 used is so strong, and holds the iron so firmly, that ships built of it 

 endure many years, and are in greater esteem with the Portugueze 

 and Spaniards than those built in Europe. On this account, the 

 harbour of San Francisco is likely to become of considerable value 

 to Brazil ; and as it is connected with Corritiva, the cattle of which 

 have been found superior to Rio Grande, there is every probability 

 that at no distant period the Portugueze navy will be here supplied 

 with salt provisions. This must, however, depend on the completion' 

 of the great road over the mountains, to which the present adminis-* 

 tl'ation have laudably directed their attention, with a degree of zeal 

 commensurate to the importance of the work in a national point 

 of vievv. ' 'i 

 I must not omit noticing another production in this district, which 

 will rise in utility and value as the port of St. Francisco improves. 

 Toward the north there are woods of fine large pines, exceedingly 

 ^lard, tough, and full of resin. . They constitute a singular variety of 

 the genus Pinus; the boughs branch off from the upper part of the tree 

 only, and have tussocks of leaves at each extremity. A tree eighty 

 feet high, for instance, will appear without branches to the height of 

 about fifty-five feet, the branches there extend horizontally in every 

 direction, with leaves at their extremities, the lowest and largest to 

 a distance of fourteen or fifteen feet from the stem, and the higher 

 ones gradually diminishing in length towards the top, which ends 

 in a tuft of leaves as a crown for the whole. These trees are very 

 picturesque, and indeed beautiful ; they grow to a sufficient size to 



