loving them: nay they have a great antipathy against them, and would much
rather eat a porpoise, though our English count the green turtle very
extraordinary food. The reason that is commonly given in the West Indies
for the Spaniards not caring to eat of them is the fear they have lest,
being usually foul-bodied and many of them poxed (lying, as they do, so
promiscuously with their negrines and other she-slaves) they should break
out loathsomely like lepers; which this sort of food, it is said, does
much incline men to do, searching the body, and driving out any such
gross humours: for which cause many of our English valetudinarians have
gone from Jamaica (though there they have also turtle) to the island
Cayman, at the laying time, to live wholly upon turtle that then abound
there; purposely to have their bodies scoured by this food, and their
distempers driven out; and have been said to have found many of them good
success in it. But this by the way. The hawksbill-turtle on this coast of
Brazil is most sought after of any, for its shell; which by report of
those I have conversed with at Bahia, is the clearest and best clouded
tortoise-shell in the world. I had some of it shown me which was indeed
as good as ever I saw. They get a pretty deal of it in some parts on this
coast; but it is very dear.

Beside this port of Bahia de todos los Santos there are 2 more principal
ports on Brazil where European ships trade, namely Pernambuco and Rio de
Janeiro; and I was told that there go as many ships to each of these
places as to Bahia, and 2 men-of-war to each place for their convoys. Of
the other ports in this country none is of greater note than that of St.
Paul's where they gather much gold; but the inhabitants are said to be a
sort of banditti, or loose people that live under no government: but
their gold brings them all sorts of commodities that they need, as
clothes, arms, ammunition, etc. The town is said to be large and strong.