CHAPTER II RIO DE JANEIRO Nov. 13-Dec. 7, 1768 Obstacles to landing-Viceroy memorialised - Boat's crew imprisoned Vegetation, etc.-Ship fired at-Leave Rio harbour-Description of Rio-Churches-Government-Hindrances to travellers-Population— Military-Assassinations-Vegetables-Fruits—Manufactures — Mines— Jewels-Coins-Fortifications-Climate. 13th November.1 As soon as we were well in the river, the captain sent his first lieutenant, Mr. Hicks, with a midshipman, to get a pilot: the boat returned, however, without the officers, but with a Portuguese subaltern. The coxswain informed us that the lieutenant was detained until the captain should go off. A ten-oared boat, containing about a dozen soldiers, then came off and rowed round the ship, no one in it appearing to take the slightest notice of A quarter of an hour later another boat came off, on board which was a Disembargador and a colonel of a Portuguese regiment. The latter asked many questions, and at first seemed to discourage our stay, but ended by being extremely civil, and assuring us that the Governor would give us every assistance in his power. The lieutenant, he said, was not detained, but had not been allowed on shore on account of the practica, but that he would be sent on board immediately. us. 14th. Captain Cook went on shore this morning. He returned with a Portuguese officer with him in the boat, 1 This account, from the 13th to the 24th November inclusive, of the treatment of Captain Cook at Rio, has been much condensed from the original "Journal.” NOV. 1768 OBSTACLES TO LANDING 27 also an Englishman, Mr. Forster, a lieutenant in the Portuguese service. We were informed that we could not have a house nor sleep on shore, and that no person except the captain and such common sailors as were required on duty would be permitted to land; we, the passengers, were particularly objected to. In spite of this we attempted to go on shore in the evening, under excuse of a visit to the Viceroy, but were stopped by the guard-boat. The captain went ashore to remonstrate with the Viceroy, but the latter said that he was acting under the King of Portugal's orders. 15th and 16th. The captain vainly remonstrated with the Viceroy against our being forbidden to land, and particularly against the sentinel placed in his boat, which was done, he was told, as an honour. 17th. The captain and I drew up written memorials complaining of his Excellency's behaviour, which to us, as a King's ship, was almost a breach of duty. 18th. Answers to our memorials were received: the captain is told that he had no reason to complain, as he had only received the usual treatment customary in all the ports of Brazil; as for me, I am informed that as I have not brought proper credentials from the court at Lisbon, it is impossible that I can be permitted to land. 19th. We sent answers to his Excellency's memorials. The lieutenant who took them had orders not to suffer a guard to be put into his boat; the guard-boat let him pass, but the Viceroy, on hearing of it, ordered sentinels to be put on the boat. The lieutenant refused to go on board unless they were taken out, whereupon he was sent on board in a guard-boat and his crew arrested. He reported that the men in our pinnace had not made the least resistance, but that they had notwithstanding been treated very roughly, being struck by the soldiers several times. The guard brought back the letters unopened. This evening, by some mismanagement, our long-boat broke adrift, carrying with her my small boat. The yawl was sent after her, and managed to take her in tow, but in spite of all the efforts of the crew, the boats soon drifted out of sight. The yawl came back at two in the morning with the news that the other two boats were lost. We were, however, glad to find the men safe, for they had been in considerable danger. 20th. The yawl was sent ashore to seek assistance in recovering our long-boat: it returned with our pinnace and its crew, and a boat of the Viceroy, which had orders to assist us in searching for our boats. The crew of the pinnace declared that they had been confined in a loathsome dungeon, where their company was chiefly blacks who were chained. The coxswain purchased a better apartment for seven petacks (about as many English shillings). At dark the pinnace returned with both the boats and all their contents. 21st. Letters arrived from the Viceroy; in mine he told me very politely that it was not in his power to permit me to go ashore. In the captain's he raises some doubts about our ship being a King's ship.1 23rd. An answer to the captain's last memorial accuses him of smuggling. 24th. Dr. Solander went into the town as surgeon of the ship to visit a friar who had desired that the surgeon might be sent to him: he received civilities from the people. 26th. I myself went ashore this morning before daybreak, and stayed until dark night. While I was ashore I met several of the inhabitants, who were very civil to me, taking me to their houses, where I bought of them stock for the ship tolerably cheap: a middlingly fat porker for eleven shillings, a Muscovy duck for something under two shillings, etc. The country, where I saw it, abounded with vast variety of plants and animals, mostly such as had not been described by our naturalists, as so few have had an opportunity of coming here; indeed, no one even tolerably curious that I 1 "The build and general appearance of the Endeavour not being that of a man-of-war, the Portuguese authorities entertained suspicions regarding her true character, which is not altogether surprising, considering the times."Wharton's Cook, p. 22, footnote. NOV. 1768 VEGETATION NEAR RIO 29 know of has been here since Marcgrav and Piso about 1640; so it is easy to guess the state in which the natural history of such a country must be. To give a catalogue of what I found would be a trouble very little to the purpose, as every particular is mentioned. in the general catalogues of this place. I cannot, however, help mentioning some which struck me the most, and consequently gave me particular pleasure. These were chiefly the parasitic plants, especially Renealmia (for I was not fortunate enough to see one Epidendrum) and the different species of Bromelia, many not before described. Karratas I saw here growing on the decayed trunk of a tree sixty feet high at least, which it had so entirely covered that the whole seemed to be a tree of Karratas. The growth of the Rhizophora1 also pleased me much, although I had before a very good idea of it from Rumphius, who has a very good figure of the tree in his Herb. Amboin. [v. iii. tab. 71, 72]. Add to these that the whole country was covered with the beautiful blossoms of Malpighia, Bannisteria, Passiflora, not forgetting Poinciana and Mimosa sensitiva, and a beautiful species of Clusia, of which I saw great plenty; in short, the wildest spots here were varied with a greater quantity of flowers, as well as more beautiful ones, than our bestdevised gardens; a sight infinitely pleasing for a short time, though no doubt the eye would soon tire with a continuance of it. The birds of many species, especially the smaller ones, sat in great abundance on the boughs, many of them covered with most elegant plumage. I shot Loxia brasiliensis, and saw several specimens of it. Insects also were here in great quantity, many species very fine, but much more nimble than our European ones, especially the butterflies, almost all which flew near the tops of the trees, and were very difficult to come at, except when the sea breeze blew fresh, which kept them low down among the trees where they might be taken. Humming-birds I also saw of one species, but could not shoot them. 1 Mangrove tree. The banks of the sea, and more remarkably all the edges of small brooks, were covered with innumerable quantities of small crabs (Cancer vocans, Linn.), one hand of which is very large. Among these were many whose two hands were remarkably small and of equal size; these my black servant told me were the females of the other, and indeed all I examined, which were many, proved to be females, but whether they were really of the same species as C. vocans, I cannot determine on so short an acquaintance. I saw but little cultivation, and small pains seemed to be taken with that. Most of it was grass land, on which were many lean cattle; and lean they might well be, for almost all the species of grass which I observed here were creepers, and consequently so close to the ground that though there might be upon them a sufficient bite for horses or sheep, yet how horned cattle could live at all appeared extraordinary to me. I also saw their gardens, or small patches in which they cultivate many sorts of European garden stuffs, such as cabbages, peas, beans, kidney beans, turnips, white radishes, pumpkins, etc., but all much inferior to ours, except perhaps the last. They also grow water-melons and pine-apples, the only fruits which I have seen them cultivate; the first are very good, but the pines were much inferior to those I have tasted in Europe; I have hardly had one which could be reckoned of average quality, many were worse than some I have seen sent away from table in England, where nobody would eat them. Though in general very sweet, they have not the least flavour. In these gardens grow also yams, and mandihoca or cassada, which supplies the place of bread, for as our European bread corn will not grow here, all the flour they have is brought from Portugal at great expense, too great even for the middle-class people to purchase, much less the poorer. 27th. On the boats returning from watering, we were told that men had been sent out yesterday in search of some of our people who were ashore without leave; we concluded that this referred either to Dr. Solander or myself, which |