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 several kinds, and amethysts. We did not see any of the diamonds, but were informed that the viceroy had a large quantity by him, which he would sell on the king of Portugal's account, but not at a less price than they are sold for in Europe. Mr. Banks bought a few topazes and amethysts as specimens: of the topazes there are three sorts, of very different value, which are distinguished here by the names of Pinga d' agua qualidade primeiro, Pingą d'agua qualidade secundo, and Chrystallos armerillos: they are sold 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 severest 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 stones 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 subsistence. The persons employed here to work stones for the king are slaves.

The coin that is current here, is either that of Portugal, consisting chiefly of thirty-six shilling pieces; or pieces both of gold and silver, which are struck at this place, the pieces of silver which are very much debased, are called petacks, and are of different value, and easily distinguished by the number of rees that is marked on the outside. 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 sterling,

The harbour of Rio de Janeiro is situated W. by

N. 18 leagues from Cape Frio, and may be known by a remarkable hill, in the form of a sugar-loaf, at the west point of the bay; but as all the coast is very high, and rises in many peaks, the entrance of this harbour may be more certainly distinguished by the islands that lie before it, one of which called Redonda, is high and round like a hay-stack, and lies at the distance of two leagues and a 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 east, or Cape Frio, are two that have a rocky appearance, lying near to each other, and at the distance of about four miles from the shore; there are also at the distance of three leagues to the westward of these, two other islands which lie near to each other, a little without the bay on the east side, and very near the shore. This harbour is certainly a good one, the entrance indeed is not wide, but the sea-breeze which blows every day from ten or twelve o'clock till sunset, makes it easy for any ship to go in before the wind; and it grows wider as the town is approached, so that abreast of it there is room for the largest fleet, in five or six fathom water, with an oozy bottom. At the narrow part, the entrance is defended by two forts. The principal is Santa Cruz, which stands on the east point of the bay, and has been mentioned before; that on the west side 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 so broad, because there are sunken 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 considerable strength, so that they cannot be stemmed without a fresh breeze. The rockyness of the bottom makes it also unsafe to anchor here; but all danger may be avoided by keeping in the middle of the channel. Within the entrance, the

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courseup the bay is first N. by W. W. and N.N.W. something more than a league, this will bring the vessel the length of the great road, and N.W. and W.N.W. one lagre more will carry her to the Isle dos Cobras, which lies before the city: she should then keep the north side of this island 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 coast, abounds with a greater variety of fish than we had ever seen; a day seldom passed in which one or more of a new species were not brought to Mr. Banks; the bay also is as well adapted for catching these fish as can be conceived; for it is full of sinall islands, between which there is shallow water, and proper beaches for drawing the seine. The sea with. out the bay abounds with dolphins, and large mackrel of different kinds, which readily bite at a hook, and the inhabitants always tow one after their boats för that purpose.

Though the climate is hot, the situation of this place is certainly wholesome; while we stayed here. the thermometer never rose 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 square, though as I have observed, the water is not good; they land their casks upon a smooth sandy beach, which is not more than a hundred yards distant 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 ships to put in at that want refreshments; the harbour is safe and commodicus, and provisions, except wheaten bread and flower may be easily pro. cured; as a succedaneum for bread, there are yams

and cassada 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 slices, then curing it with salt, and drying it in the shade; it eats very well, and if kept dry, will remain good a long time at sea. Mutton is scarcely to be procured, and hogs and poultry are dear; of gardenstuff and fruit there is abundance, of which however none can be preserved at sea but the pumpkin; rum, sugar,and molasses, all excellent in their kind, may be had at a reasonable price; tobacco also is cheap, but it is not good. Here is a yard for building shipping, and a small hulk to heave down by, for, as the tide never rises above six or seven feet, there is no other way of coming at a ship's bottom.

When the boat which had been sent on shore returned, we hoisted her on board, and stood out to sea,

CHAP. III.

The passage from Rio de Janeiro to the Entrance of the Streight of Le Maire, with a Description of some of the Inhabitants of Terra del Fuego.

ON the 9th of December, we observed the sea to be covered with broad streaks of a yellowish colour,several of them a mile long, and three or four hundred yards wide some of the water thus coloured was taken up, and found to be full of innumerable atoms pointed at the end, of a yellowish colour, and none more than a quarter of a line, or the fortieth part of an inch long: ia the microscope they appeared to be fascicuit small fibres interwoven with each other, not unlike the

nidus of some of the phyganeas, called caddices; but whether they were animal or vegetable substances, whence they came, or for what they were designed, neither Mr. Bauks nor Dr. Solander could guess. The same appearance had been observed before, when we first discovered the continent of South America.

On the 11th we hooked a shark, and while we were playing it under the cabin window, it threw out, and drew in again several times what appeared to be its sto. mach; it proved to be a female, and upon being opened six young ones were taken out of it; five of them were alive and swam briskly in a tub of water, but the sixth appeared to have been dead some time.

Nothing remarkable happened till the 30th, except that we prepared for the bad weather, which we were shortly to expect, by bending a new suit of sails; but on this day we ran a course of one hundred and sixty miles by the log, through innumerable land insects of various kinds, some upon the wing, and more upon the water, many of which were alive; they appeared to be exactly the same with the carabi, the grylli,__the phalance, aranea, and other flies that are seen in England, though at this time we could not be less than thirty leagues from land; and some of these insects, particularly the grylli and aranea, never voluntarily leave it at a greater distance than twenty yards. We judged ourselves to be now nearly opposite to Buye sans fond, where Mr. Dalrymple supposes there is a passage quite through the continent of America; and we thought from the insects that there might be at least a very large river, and that it had overflowed its banks.

On the 3d of January, 1769, being in latitude 47° 17' S. and longitude 61° 29′ 45′′ W. we were all looking out for Pepys' island, and for some time an appearance was seen in the east which so much resembled land, that we bore away for it; and it was more than two homes ad an half before we were convinced that it was nothinghut what sailors call a fogbank.