much inferior to our own: water melons and pine apples are also produced in these spots, and they are the only fruits that we faw cultivated, though the country produces musk melons, oranges, limes, lemons, fweet lemons, citrons, plantains, bananas, mangos, mamane apples, acajou or cafhou apples and nuts; jamboira of two kinds, one of which bears a small black fruit; cocoa nuts, mangos, palm nuts of two kinds, one long, the other round; and palm berries, all which were in feafon while we were there. Of these fruits the water melons and oranges are the best in their kind; the pine apples are much inferior to those that I have eaten in England; they are indeed more juicy and sweet, but have no flavour; I believe them to be natives of this country, though we heard of none that at this time grow wild, they have, however, very little care bestowed upon them, the plants being fet between beds of any kind of garden stuff, and fuffered to take the chance of the feafon. The melons are ftill worse, at least thofe that we tafted, which were mealy and infipid; but the water melons are excellent; they have a flavour, at least a degree of acidity, which ours have not. We faw alfo feveral fpecies of the prickle pear, and fome European fruits, particularly the apple and peach, both which were very mealy and infipid. In these gardens alfo grow yams, and mandihoca, which in the Weft Indies is called Caffada od Caffava, and to the flour of which the people here, as I have before observed, give the name of Farinha de Pao, which may not improperly be tranflated, Powder of post. The foil, though it produces tobacco and fugar, will not produce bread-corn; fo that the people here have no wheat-flour, but what is brought from Portugal, and fold at the rate of a fhilling a pound, though it is generally fpoiled by being heated in its paffage. Mr. Banks is of opinion, that all the products of our WeftIndian iflands would grow here; notwithstanding which, the inhabitants import their coffee and chocolate from Lifbon. Most of the land, as far as we faw of the country, is laid down in grafs, upon which cattle are pastured in great plenty; but they are so lean, that an English man 1768. December. 1768. December. man will scarcely eat of their flesh: the herbage of these pastures confifts principally of creffes, and confequently is fo fhort, that though it may afford a bite for horfes and sheep, it can fcarcely be grazed by horned cattle in a fufficient quantity to keep them alive. This country may poffibly produce many valuable drugs; but we could not find any in the apothecaries shops, except pareira brava, and balfam capivi; both of which are excellent in their kind, and fold at a very low price. The drug trade is probably carried on to the northward, as well as that of the dying woods, for we could get no intelligence of either of them here. As to manufactures, we neither faw nor heard of any, except that of cotton hammocks, in which people are carried about here, as they are with us in fedan chairs; and these are principally, if not wholly, fabricated by the Indians. The riches of the place confift chiefly in the mines, which we fuppofed to lie far up the country, though we could never learn where, or at what distance; for the fituation is concealed as much as poffible, and troops are continually employed in guarding the roads that lead to them: it is almoft impoffible for any man to get a fight of them, except thofe who are employed there; and indeed the strongest curiofity would scarcely induce any man to attempt it; for whoever is found upon the road to them, if he cannot give undeniable evidence of his having business there, is immediately hanged up upon the next tree. Much gold is certainly brought from these mines, but at an expence of life, that must strike every man, to whom custom has not made it familiar, with horror. No less than forty thousand Negroes are annually imported, on the King's account, to dig the mines; and we were credibly informed, that the last year but one before we arrived here, this number fell fo fhort, probably from fome epidemic disease, that twenty thousand more were draughted from the town of Rio. Precious stones are alfo found here in fuch plenty, that a certain quantity only is allowed to be collected in a year; to collect this quantity, a number of people are fent into the country where they are found, and when it is got together, which fometimes happens in a month, December. a month, fometimes in lefs, and fometimes in more, 1768. they return; and after that, whoever is found in these precious districts, on any pretence, before the next year, is immediately put to death. The jewels found here, are diamonds, topazes of feveral kinds, and amethysts. We did not fee any of the diamonds, but were informed that the Viceroy had a large quantity by him, which he would fell on the King of Portugal's account, but not for a lefs price than they are fold for in Europe. Mr. Banks bought a few topazes and amethysts as fpecimens: of the topazes there are three forts, of very different value, which are distinguished here by the names of Pinga d'agua qualidade primeiro, Pinga d'agua qualidade fecundo, and Chryftallos armerillos: they are fold, large and small, good and bad together, by octavos, or the eighth part of an ounce; the best at 4s. 9d. All dealing,. however, in these stones is prohibited to the subject, under the feverest penalties: there were jewellers here formerly, who purchased and worked them on their own account; but about fourteen months before our arrival, orders came from the court of Portugal, that no more ftones should be wrought here, except on the King's account: the jewellers were ordered to bring all their tools to the Viceroy, and left without any means of fubfiftence. The perfons employed here to work ftones for the King are slaves. The coin that is current here, is either that of Portugal, confifting chiefly of thirty-fix fhilling pieces, or pieces, both of gold and filver, which are ftruck at this place the pieces of filver, which are very much debafed, are called Petacks, and are of different value, and easily distinguished by the number of rees that is marked on the outfide. Here is also a copper coin, like that in Portugal, of five and ten ree pieces. A ree is a nominal coin of Portugal, ten of which are equal in value to about three farthings fterling. The harbour of Rio de Janeiro is fituated W. by N. 18 leagues from Cape Trio, and may be known by a remarkable hill, in the form of a fugar-loaf, at the west point of the bay; but as all the coaft is very high, and rifes in many peaks, the entrance of this harbour may be more certainly diftinguished by the islands that lie before December. 1768. before it; one of which, called Rodona, is high and round like a hay-ftack, and lies at the distance of two leagues and an half from the entrance of the bay, in the direction of S. by W. but the first islands which are met with, coming from the eaft, or Cape Trio, are two that have a rocky appearance, lying near to each other, and at the distance of about four miles from the fhore: there are also, at the distance of three leagues to the weftward of these, two other islands which lie near to each other, a little without the bay on the east fide, and very near the fhore. This harbour is certainly a good one; the entrance indeed is not wide, but the fea breeze, which blows every day from ten or twelve o'clock till funfet, makes it eafy for any fhip to go in before the wind; and it grows wider as the town is approached, fo that a-breaft of it there is room for the largest fleet, in five or fix fathoms water, with an oozy bottom. At the narrow part, the entrance is defended by two forts. The principal is Santa Cruz, which ftands on the east point of the bay, and has been mentioned before: that on the weft fide is called Fort Lozia, and is built upon a rock that lies close to the main ; the distance between them is about of a mile, but the channel is not quite fo broad, because there are funken rocks which lie off each fort, and in this part alone there is danger: the narrowness of the channel causes the tides, both flood and ebb, to run with confiderable ftrength, fo that they cannot be stemmed without a fresh breeze. The rockynefs of the bottom makes it alfo unfafe to anchor here; but all danger may be avoided by keeping in the middle of the channel. Within the entrance, the courfe up the way is firft N. by W. W. and N. N. W. fomething more than a league; this will bring the veffel the length of the great road; and N. W. and W. N. W. one league more will carry her to the Ifle dos Cobras, which lies before the city: the thould then keep the north fide of this ifland close on board, and anchor above it, before a monastery of Benedictines which stands upon a hill at the N. W. end of the city. The river, and indeed the whole coaft, abounds with a greater variety of fish than we had ever feen; a day feldom paffed in which one or more of a new fpecies were December. were not brought to Mr. Banks: the bay alfo is as well 1768: adapted for catching thefe fifh as can be conceived; for it is full of fmall islands, between which there is shallow water, and proper beaches for drawing the feine. The fea, without the bay, abounds with dolphins, and large mackerel of different kinds, which readily bite at a hook, and the inhabitants always tow one after their boats for that purpose. Though the climate is hot, the fituation of this place is certainly wholesome: while we staid here, the thermometer never rofe higher than 83, though we had frequent rains, and once a very hard gale of wind. Ships water here at the fountain in the great fquare, though, as I have obferved, the water is not good; they land their cafks upon a smooth sandy beach, which is not more than an hundred yards diftant from the fountain, and upon application to the Viceroy, a centinel will be appointed to look after them, and clear the way to the fountain where they are to be filled. Upon the whole, Rio de Janeiro is a very good place for fhips to put in at that want refreshment: the harbour is fafe and commodious; and provifions, except wheatbread and flour, may be eafily procured as a fuccedaneum for bread, there are yams and caffada in plenty; beef, both fresh and jerked, may be bought at about two-pence farthing a pound; though, as I have before remarked, it is very lean. The people here jerk their beef by taking out the bones, cutting it into large but thin flices, then curing it with falt, and drying it in the fhade it eats very well, and, if kept dry, will remain good a long time at fea. Mutton is fcarcely to be procured, and hogs and poultry are dear; of garden ftuff and fruit there is abundance, of which, however, none can be preferved at fea but the pumpkin; rum, fugar, and molaffes, all excellent in their kind, may be had at a reasonable price; tobacco alfo is cheap, but it is not good. Here is a yard for building fhipping, and a small hulk to heave down by; for, as the tide never rises above fix or seven feet, there is no other way of coming at a fhip's bottom. : When the boat which had been fent on fhore returnel, we hoifted her on board, and stood out to fea. CHAP. |