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.
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