the other goes down.  The house in which this crane is stands on the brow of the hill towards the sea, hanging over the precipice; and there are planks set shelving against the bank from thence to the bottom, against which the goods lean or slide as they are hoisted up or let down.  The negro slaves in this town are so numerous that they make up the greatest part or bulk of the inhabitants:  every house, as I said, having some, both men and women, of them.  Many of the Portuguese, who are bachelors, keep of these black women for misses, though they know the danger they are in of being poisoned by them, if ever they give them any occasion of jealousy.  A gentleman of my acquaintance, who had been familiar with his cookmaid, lay under some apprehensions from her when I was there.  These slaves also of either sex will easily be engaged to do any sort of mischief; even to murder, if they are hired to do it, especially in the night; for which reason I kept my men on board as much as I could; for one of the French king’s ships being here had several men murdered by them in the night, as I was credibly informed.

Of the country about Bahia, its soil and product.

Having given this account of the town of Bahia I shall next say somewhat of the country.  There is a salt-water lake runs 40 leagues, as I was told, up the country, north-west from the sea, leaving the town and Dutch fort on the starboard side.  The country all around about is for the most part a pretty flat even ground, not high, nor yet very low:  it is well watered with rivers, brooks and springs; neither wants it for good harbours, navigable creeks, and good bays for ships to ride in.  The soil in general is good, naturally producing very large trees of divers sorts, and fit for any uses.  The savannahs also are loaded with grass, herbs, and many sorts of smaller vegetables; and being cultivated, produce anything that is proper for those hot countries, as sugarcane, cotton, indigo, maize, fruit-trees of several kinds, and eatable roots of all sorts.  Of the several kinds of trees that are here I shall give an account of some, as I had it partly from an inhabitant of Bahia, and partly from my knowledge of them otherwise, namely sapiera, vermiatico, comesserie, guitteba, serrie, as they were pronounced to me, three sorts of mangrove, speckled wood, fustick, cotton-trees of 3 sorts, etc., together with fruit trees of divers sorts that grow wild, beside such as are planted.

Its timber-trees; the sapiera, vermiatico, commesserie, guitteba, serrie, and mangroves.