CHAPTER I.

_Voyage from England to Rio de Janeiro._

On the 11th of March, 1819, I took my departure, in the brig _Echo_, Captain Henderson, from the River Thames, and on the 18th, after contending with adverse winds, arrived in Portland Roads, where we took shelter till the 21st. On our departure from thence we were favoured with a fair wind for only a short period; and on the 24th it opposed us from the westward with such violence, that it rendered our attempts to beat out of the Channel abortive. We were in consequence obliged to submit to the only alternative of running for safety to Falmouth Harbour, and remained there till the 2d of April. Perhaps few situations can be conceived more irksome than this. To a mind made up for departure, every delay is deemed a misfortune in proportion as the object in pursuit is of desirable attainment, and especially in the consideration of its prolonging the time that is to re-unite us to those we love best. A light breeze from the north-east enabled us to clear the Channel on the 3d.

This part of a voyage from England, though trifling in point of distance, is regarded by sailors as pregnant with impending dangers and difficulties, the Channel being so situated that the prevailing westerly winds, at certain seasons of the year, render the egress extremely intricate. The constant anxiety of the captain and crew till we passed the Islands of Scilly, contrasted with the happy security which they then evinced, were proofs of the importance they attached to it. The feelings of Englishmen on quitting the British shores must be various, and, in many instances, exquisitely interesting in pensive reflections. As for myself, the animated attachment for my native land and those so dear to me left behind produced a melancholy, heightened by the surrounding oceanic scene, which, on the other hand, was alleviated not only by a humble reliance upon that Almighty, in whose paternal hands is the greater or less share of happiness of all his creatures, but also by the hope of a successful issue attending the voyage--

“Hope that whispers promised pleasure, And bids the lovely scenes at distance hail.”

We were favoured with a propitious breeze, which continued steady, at the rate of seven, eight, and nine miles an hour. On the 12th, we passed between the Island of Madeira and the African coast: the vicinity of the former, although we did not see it, was announced by the appearance of sea gulls, the only birds I had hitherto noticed, excepting one swallow and the mother cary’s chicken, not unlike the former at a distance, but rather larger, having white feathers above the tail and under the belly, the rest of a brownish cast. It is said to hatch and carry its young on the water, and is seen, I understand, in every part of the Atlantic as well as the Indian and Pacific Oceans. We met with the swallow in about 40° north latitude and 15° west longitude; it made several attempts to alight upon the vessel, but was prevented by the dog; apparently fatigued, it continued its flight in a northerly direction. This is a phenomenon attending the migration of those birds, favouring the opinion that they visit some southern or tropical climate, during the cold season in England, and is opposed to the hypothesis advanced by some of their immersion in ponds, and by others of their taking refuge in old walls and ruins. That they assume such a state of torpitude as the first would infer is very improbable.

On the morning of the 14th of April, we discovered the high peaks of three of the Canary Islands at a great distance, Grand Canary bearing south-west, and Lanzarote and Fortaventura south-east. The world of waters which had hitherto, from its varied and sometimes terrific agitation, filled the imagination with awe, was now changed into a pacific, but grand expanse, that soothed and absorbed the mind with its tranquil magnificence; and the weather, which had been cold and gloomy, was changed into a balmy mildness and enlivening sunny clearness. Towards the evening, we came close up to the north-west side of Fortaventura, a long island, exhibiting a rugged tumulous combination of peaks and mountains, rising irregularly one over another, of the most barren and cheerless aspect. In vain the sun extended his genial rays over its sterile wastes, where no salutary plant appeared to take root, or the least verdure to quicken. With the assistance of the glass, I could not discover one single hut or human being along the whole face of it. There is a small port on the opposite side, where the produce, as well as that of Lanzarote, is barilla. The wind having changed, a passage could not be accomplished round either end of this island. The signal of “about ship” was given, and we stood for some hours to the northward. Pursuing a southerly course again next day, we came, at noon, close up with land, which, during the morning, a thick haze had obscured. The sun now bursting forth, presented to our view the island of Grand Canary, with its town of Palmas, furnishing a contrast of a very pleasing nature to the island already mentioned. Its romantic and commanding peaks of immense altitude had their tops concealed in clouds, which the lustre of the sun seemed unable to dispel. Its amphitheatre of mountains, adorned with lively patches of green from their very summits, fertilized by increasing cultivation, and in the most luxuriant verdure, down to the verge of the sea, concurred, with the town of Palmas, and a large village extending some distance along the parterre, with detached houses in the same direction of an elegant appearance, to render the scene peculiarly animating and lovely. The town of Palmas, which does not appear large, and the harbour, which is capacious and safe, are commanded by batteries, stationed along a range of mountains to the north of the town. Teneriffe and most of the other islands draw their supplies of corn and cattle from Grand Canary. As we proceeded along its shores, and before the close of the evening, we perceived that its cultivation was not general. The next day, the Peak of Teneriffe was indistinctly seen through the clouds that hung upon the horizon; the height, for which it is so celebrated, is apparently diminished by the elevation of the circumjacent mountains. A north-east trade wind now wafted us forward with considerable rapidity, rendered more agreeable by the delicious weather and salubrious atmosphere diffused around. The familiar and accustomed possession of the prime bounties of nature must be always gratifying to those whose senses and whose imagination are even in tolerable vigour; but to an Englishman, blest with a sound constitution, and over whom the vicissitudes of life had not, as is too often the case, cast a mantle of despondency, to deaden present pleasure and darken future prospects, and who had so recently emerged from a dreary atmosphere, the enjoyment of this, to him, new-born paradisaical climate, resembled more a feeling of sudden and happy enchantment, than an elemental and natural delight, with which Providence had blessed a particular portion of the globe.

On the 22d, we made the Cape de Verd Islands, and took our course betwixt the islands of St. Anthony, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, and St. Nicholas, to the westward, Sal and Bonavista being to the eastward of us. The isle of Sal is frequented by the Americans for salt, which is collected upon it.

On the 23d, we ranged along the north-east side of St. Yago, the largest of the Cape de Verd Islands, but it was so completely enveloped in opaque clouds, that we could see no object distinctly upon it. It is, I believe, more verdant than any of the others, possessing groves of cocoa-nut trees, and bananas. The volcanic wastes of the island of Mayo, lying to the eastward of St. Yago, were not obscured by a single cloud, and the industry of man did not appear in any part of it to have subdued the sterility of nature. It was completely bare of vegetation, except an impoverished brushwood. I could only discover two or three solitary cocoa-nut trees; notwithstanding, at the end of this island nearest to us, there was a small town, possessing some apparent neatness, but without a single tree or any shelter to refrigerate the scorching rays of the sun. I observed a flag projecting from a window, which probably was the house of the governador: there was not an inhabitant to be seen, they were, no doubt, indulging in a _sesta_. The officers of a British ship of war, who had just come to anchor off the town, were preparing to go on shore, and might perhaps rouse some of them from their lethargy. This was a ship of about 20 guns, and we imagined she belonged to the Sierra Leone or African station, in which those islands might be included. No fortifications were visible any where, and it may be inferred, that the mother country regards so little the importance of those islands, that no precautions were ever adopted for their defence. The fogs by which they are usually obscured are attributed by some to vapours arising from the salt lakes; but as the same general law may be supposed to govern such condensations of fog, common to them as well as to the Canaries and other islands of a high elevation, I should be more disposed to think that they originate in the profuse exhalations in those latitudes, and in the increased power of attraction attached to the volcanic materials of which those accumulated masses of land are composed, thereby more effectually drawing around them this gloomy mantle. And, although I am not informed as to the circumstance, it is probable that the density and quantum of haziness are much greater when the sun is in the northern tropic, and diminishes as he recedes towards the southern. From the Cape de Verds, the same favouring gale continued to swell our sails. In traversing this tropic, the heavens present the most beautiful and romantic pictures, and the ocean some of its gayest inhabitants for contemplation. It is here the rapturous scene of the celestial spring. Towards the evening’s sun especially, the firmament is seen glowing with purple, orange, and every beauteous, delicate, and rich colour, of such transparency and matchless brilliancy, that cannot be imagined, as it is never seen in a northern latitude. The diffusion of such an infinite variety of warm tints and other hues, mingled in elegant groups, around the whole horizon, enhances the vigorous power of the sapphire back-ground, or rather the rich blue ethereal canopy to which they form a deep edging, or grand and resplendent fringe. In vain would the most accomplished artist attempt its delineation; he could only look up with admiration and amazement, and, lost in wonder, the hand would be found to refuse guidance to his pencil.

“For who can paint like nature? Can Imagination boast, In all her gay creation, hues like hers?”

When the beautiful and sublime scenes I have ineffectually attempted to give a faint idea of, fade away in the shades of night, and are succeeded by the glory of the stellar hemisphere, turn the eye to the deep, and a blaze of marine illuminations, frequently seen around the ship, in some degree compensates for their loss. This effect is occasioned by the small blubber fish floating near the surface, and Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like these. The brilliant appearance, in these waters, of the bonita, albacore, pilot fish, &c. is only surpassed by the extraordinary change and rapid suffusion of delicate colours succeeding each other during the dying moments of the dolphin. The flying fish are seen in large numbers, taking their flight from the water, alarmed by the approach of the vessel, or the pursuit of the dolphin and other fish, to which they are a prey. The nautilus, commonly called by sailors “the Portuguese man of war,” moves on in slow majesty, with its sail above the water, and secure from the attacks of its neighbours by its poisonous qualities: it lowers and erects its sail at pleasure, which is something like the slice of a large lemon, only that the rind is of a pinkish hue, and the other parts nicely shaded. Here also is the shark, which may be called the destroying demon of the ocean, skulking “about, seeking whom he may devour,” with understood horror of purpose both by man and the marine inhabitants. His approach is soon announced by a general hue and cry from the sailors, who are among his deadliest foes. All are instantly up in arms. Their animated and entire devotion to their purpose, in which every feeling is interested, can scarcely be equalled by the pleasurable emotions of a sportsman at the moment a fox is breaking cover. Every artifice is used by throwing out pieces of pork at the end of ropes, which he voraciously follows to the side of the ship; the weapons of death are ready; and, after striking him, and a struggle ensuing to get him on board, if, by any effort of his strength, he break away, which I have seen, great is the sullen vexation and disappointment shown by the crew. He is usually accompanied by three or four pilot fish, about the size of a whiting: they are extremely beautiful, and appear in the water as if fastened upon his back, near the head.

On the 23d of April, in 12° 34′ north latitude, I was, for the first time in my life, under a vertical sun, now by degrees moving through the northern tropic, and gradually dispensing his benign influence to the regions of the north.

On the 1st of May, in 2° north latitude, and 22° west longitude, an officer from the _Rockingham_, Captain Waugh, a free trader from the East Indies, boarded us, to solicit some trifles they wanted, and particularly newspapers, which their passengers, including some ladies, he stated, were extremely desirous to see. There was a peculiar pleasure in having even a transient intercourse with a ship at sea, and being enabled to relieve, in any degree, their wants. The social feelings, the fellow sympathies of man, were revived with renewed vigour by the idea of our having, on the wide and solitary ocean, been mutually so long separated from our own proper element and exposed to the perils of the deep, and by the new sight of our countrymen, after having been confined to the view only of those within the compass of the few yards that enclosed the space of the brig. It increased the kindly emotions in the awakened thoughts of absent country, and especially of the dear family circle of home.

“Home! There is a magic in that little word! It is a mystic circle that surrounds Pleasures and comforts never known beyond The hallow’d limit.”

About this time we lost the north-east trade wind, which was succeeded by calms and squalls, that detained us seven or eight days near the Line. Nothing can be experienced in a voyage much more unpleasant than this vicissitude of weather. The irksomeness of a calm near the equator is rendered almost insupportable by the ardent rays of the sun; every one seems to languish: several, and often many hours drag heavily on, while the vessel makes no progress, and only experiences a disagreeable motion by the heaving of the glassy ocean, its surface not being in the least ruffled by a breath of air. In the mean time, an elemental war is brooding. A black and pitchy cloud is seen awfully and slowly moving on, with fury in its train; all is alarm; with haste the sails are lowered. The sullen langour of the atmosphere is succeeded by the “maddening tempest,” so suddenly and with so little warning, that sometimes, before every precaution can be taken, the sweeping impetuosity lays the vessel instantaneously upon her side, and, in that situation, she is hurried forward with immense velocity. These conflicting winds are as quickly followed by solid torrents of rain. In a short period, all is tranquillity again, and the returning sun, in burning radiance, annihilates the last breeze that feebly curled the face of the ocean. The same scenes alternately present themselves. During the night these sudden squalls are the most dangerous, as their approach cannot be so well ascertained.

On the first day that we were becalmed, notwithstanding the advances we occasionally made by the transient operation of those gusts, we found our latitude 1° 43′ north, and the preceding day it was only 1° 23′. This can only be accounted for by the strong northerly currents now prevailing here; and hence it would appear, that the same invariable law of attraction governs them as well as the winds. The squalls I have mentioned also came from the south and south-east, and the winds beginning at this time to blow here, issue from the same quarter, in consequence, no doubt, of the sun being in the northern tropic. If he creates a vacuum in his vicinity by the rarefaction of the air, which induces a great influx from the southern and northern hemispheres of the atmosphere, in like manner the exuberant evaporations from the sea may produce a rushing of the waters to supply what is lost (_pro tempore_) by vapours. Various causes, however, operate to prevent an uniform appearance in this respect, such as the occasional counter-attraction of the moon and other celestial bodies, of continents and other lands, as well as a prevailing repulsive power in nature. Still if those effects could be minutely followed through their various ramifications, it might be found that the winds and currents originate in the combinations I have ventured to suggest. Is it not possible, that the calms near the equator at this period may arise from the equally poised contention of the south-east and north-east winds meeting, and that the former, in the sun’s march through the northern tropic, will gradually gain upon the latter in extent of dominion proportioned to the sun’s declination, and _vice versa_ as he recedes through the southern tropic, or, more properly speaking, in the earth’s oblique revolution round the sun? The rust, which at this time constantly showed itself upon my razors, was probably owing to some peculiar corrosive properties in the atmosphere, or it might have arisen from some saline moisture insinuating itself every where imperceptibly.

But to attempt to comprehend or explain the extraordinary operations in the grand work of nature, in this and other latitudes, has in many instances baffled the keenest sagacity and most laborious research. Secondary causes of the phenomena in nature are often beyond the clearest ken of human intellect, how then are the faculties of the mind bewildered in the contemplation of the great First Cause! How lost and absorbed in adoration of the Divine source, the essence of all those wonderfully diversified appearances! The hand moves the pen with which I now write; I can trace the power that impels it--the cause of this effect, to the immediate impulse only, that is, to the muscles in the arm, that, arising thence, connect themselves with the hand. But can I go back any further? Can I ascertain what it is that produces this admirable power in the muscles, this secondary cause? Reason here discovers its confined limit as to remoter and efficient causes, but, bounding at once over these concealed regions of knowledge, sees and acknowledges the great original source of all finite existence, and in the power of thinking, and in the movement of his bodily frame, man feels that

“It is the Divinity that stirs within him.”

He has an undeniable and practical evidence of the existence, power, and goodness of an invisible and eternal Being, from whom all creation has emanated.

On the 6th of May, we crossed the Line in 23° west longitude. The calms and squalls were succeeded by cloudy weather and light breezes from the south and south-east, which in a few days assumed the steadiness of the trade wind, but not accompanied with that beautiful serenity and brightness of sky, which we experienced whilst in the north-east trade wind. Neptune and his wife Amphitrite did not make their appearance; or, to speak without mythological allusion, the usual ceremonies on crossing the Line were not observed, owing, I presume, to the fatigue and exhaustion sustained by the sailors, in consequence of the variable weather.

On the 22d of May, we discovered, at a distance, Cape Frio, a discovery which always fills with joy the breasts of those making a voyage to this part of the world. And no wonder. For having launched out upon the wide immeasurable ocean, where uncertainty and dangers always accompany him, man, at this refreshing sight, feels reassured of his safety, and obtains a promise of the eventual success of his voyage. Besides, he experiences a rich glow of mind at viewing the natural element of his support and existence, and a feeling of deep interest on beholding, if for the first time, a new portion of the world. From this promontory, the coast swells in a north-east direction to Cape St. Roque, forming the most easterly portion of territory in South America. Rio de Janeiro lies exactly west from, and in the same latitude with, Cape Frio, at a distance of about eighty miles. The coast betwixt them presents a continued appearance of rugged mountains, and through every aperture they are seen undulating in accumulated alpines far back into the interior of this vast continent. Tremendous precipices, at every opening of the nearer mountains, strike the imagination with wonder, snowy clouds occasionally obscuring the contracted valleys at their feet, and resting in detached and airy vapours upon their sides, whilst their summits and other parts are brightened by the purest atmosphere and sunshine. This scene conveys to the European traveller a grand idea and foretaste of the peculiar magnificence of size and aspect, with which nature has displayed herself in the new continent. After proceeding about forty miles along this shore, a view is commanded from Cape Frio to Gavea, or the Parrot’s Beak, a distance of near one hundred miles. The entrance, through a narrow inlet amongst the mountains, to the bay of Rio de Janeiro, is pointed out by one of a singular shape, resembling a sugar-loaf, the strata of which it is composed appearing to run perpendicularly. Here is presented one of the most picturesque and beautiful scenes that can well be imagined. Abrupt and towering precipices of wild and fanciful shapes, universally robed in verdant shrubs of various kinds, surround this fine bay, containing nearly one hundred islands, to the circumference of which the eye cannot extend. The bases of these mountains, consisting of granite, are beautified with numerous sweeping crescents of more perfect cultivation, edged with white cottages and houses, from whence narrow valleys, adorned with orange trees, are seen winding amongst the mountains. The clear, sunny, and smiling face of nature; the verdant islands, which look in their loveliness as if they were intended for the abode of beings more refined in intellect and more pure in heart than weak and erring man; the shipping dispersed about the bay, the city seen at a distance, combined with an airy and elegant aqueduct, which conveys from the mountains water for the supply of the town, all impressing the idea of social happiness, of the comforts and elegancies produced by science and civilized society, are, after a long and consequently tedious voyage, welcome sights to the aquatic traveller, re-enlivening his spirits, and, in the anticipation of the enjoyments of his proper element, land, are the beginnings of the compensation it affords him for the privations he has been enduring at sea. A little higher up, on the opposite side to the sugar-loaf, is the fort of Santa Cruz, where ships for a few minutes bring to, and answer various questions. From hence a signal is made, which is repeated from a hill close by the town, announcing to what country the ship arrived belongs. The vessel then cast anchor off the island of Fort Villegagnon, to which place she despatched a boat to bring on board a serjeant and two soldiers, who remained as a guard, till nearly a day was consumed before the captain of the port, a military officer, a doctor, &c. had, one after the other, come off in boats, at their pleasure, to visit the ship, creating an unnecessary and tedious delay. At last, the vessel moved on to the vicinity of the Isle das Cobras, from whence, after a custom-house guard had arrived, the soldiers conducted the Captain and myself to the palace and other offices, where the ship’s name, &c. were given in. On here taking leave of the brig, I must do justice to my feelings by observing, that I received the most friendly attention from the Captain, whose gentlemanly and well-regulated conduct were highly honourable to him.

On landing, the prepossession regarding this place gives way to an impression by no means favourable, produced by narrow streets, crowded with negroes, whose black faces and savage songs, which they howl out as an encouragement to each other under the burdens and loads which they drag along, fill the mind of the stranger, unaccustomed to such scenes, with dejection. The fairy visions in the bay, too recent yet to have disappeared from the imagination, vanished at such discordant sounds and uncouth appearances; and suffering, rather than satisfaction and enjoyment, appeared to be resident here. The discordant sounds afforded, perhaps, some consolatory relief to the poor negroes, by dividing their attention in some degree from their toil. They were an effort of nature, ever fertile in resources under calamity, to drive away care; but they were on that account a proof of their misery. They thus imparted a trifling gratification to the sable sufferers, but they penetrated mournfully to my heart, unused as I was to such misery-elicited minstrelsy, for it was slavery under a temporary attempt at disguise. “Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, slavery!” said I, with Sterne, “still thou art a bitter draught! and though thousands, in all ages, have been made to drink of thee, thou art no less bitter on that account.”

The human frame will seldom bear, without injury, its transmission to a climate very dissimilar to that to which its birth and previous residence have accustomed it. Thus the English residing here exhibit in their appearance the effects of this tropical climate, and, although they are otherwise in health, there is a debility manifest in their countenances, something resembling the appearance of a person in a state of convalescence after illness.

I waited upon Henry Chamberlaine, Esq. the British charge d’affaire, with a letter of introduction from a nobleman, and discovered, at that interview, that my expectations of entering actively upon the functions of a public situation were not likely to be realized; I therefore adopted the determination, to which my mind was pre-disposed, of devoting my time to the acquirement of such intelligence, regarding the vast regions of the Brazil, as circumstances would admit of. Houses of public accommodation may be said scarcely to exist in this city, and are of such inferior order, that strangers are peculiarly fortunate if they are received into the residence of a friend. The liberality and frank hospitality of a merchant, to whom I brought a letter of introduction, relieved me from any inconvenience on this score. Previously to my entering upon a general description of this city, and the several provinces composing the Portuguese possessions in South America, of which it is now the metropolis, it may not be irrelevant to give some account of the first discovery of this widely-extended continent.

CHAP. II.

_From the First Discovery down to the Arrival of the Royal Family there, and its present Division into Provinces--The general Character of the Indians._

The honour of discovering the new world, it is well known, justly belongs to Christopher Columbus, a pilot of Genoa, although it derives its name from Americanus Vespuccius, a Florentine navigator, who performed two voyages to this hemisphere, under the auspices of his Castilian Majesty, and two others by order of Emanuel, King of Portugal. The latter voyages the Portuguese writers flatly deny, and attribute the promulgation of a story so devoid of truth to the arrogance and pride of Vespuccius; nor, in fact, does his relation respecting this point appear to be supported by any collateral testimony. A mere accidental occurrence, indeed, induced Columbus first to entertain the idea of launching out upon unknown seas. The master of a caravelleon, named Francisco Sanches, about the year 1480, arrived at Madeira, where Columbus then was, in a most pitiable condition, with three or four sailors only remaining, and nearly exhausted, in consequence of a tremendous tempest which had assailed their ungovernable bark, and driven them to a remote western longitude, where they saw, or fancied they saw, land. It was in those days imagined, that the eastern coast of Asia was the western boundary of the Atlantic Ocean, and Columbus was persuaded, that the land which Sanches had seen was the island of Japan, or some other island upon that coast, and which was then only arrived at by navigating around the coast of Africa. The novel circumstance stirred up in his mind the most animating presentiments;--the glory of opening to India a shorter and more easy passage, by proceeding directly across the Atlantic, inspired Columbus with enthusiasm, and he flattered himself, that the disclosure of his ideas would produce ready concurrence in furnishing the adequate equipments for the enterprise. He proceeded to Genoa for the purpose of proposing his plan, but it was regarded there as a chimera. He submitted the same proposition to John II. of Portugal, whose subject he then was, which was rejected by the votes of some chosen geographers. He next directed his way to the court of Castile, where the learned ones entertained the same sentiments upon the subject as the cosmographers of Lusitania, and where, perhaps, he would have been equally unsuccessful had not the spontaneous offers which Luiz de Santangal made to provide all the money requisite for the expedition, and the voluntary proposal of Don Pedro de Mendonca to contribute one-eighth of the expenses, overcome every difficulty. He sailed from Palos, with three caravelleons under his command, on the 3d of August, 1492, and, passing the Canaries, directed his course to the westward, till the 11th of October, when he descried an island, which he called St. Salvador, now one of the Bahama Islands. He was much disheartened at having traversed so much of the ocean with so little success; but he continued, however, the voyage, and discovered the Island of Cuba, of Hispaniola, now St. Domingo, and left 38 men there in a wooden fort. He then retraced his way back, and arrived at Lisbon on the 6th of March, 1493. Columbus made three other voyages across the Atlantic, under the protection of Ferdinand V. His second voyage was commenced from Cadiz, on the 25th of September, 1493. He re-visited the Island of Hispaniola, discovered Jamaica, and a great many other islands to the southward of Cuba, and which, for its fertility and picturesque beauty, he denominated the garden of the kingdom. Upon his third voyage, in 1498, he saw the island of Trinidad, at the mouth of the Oronocos, on the 1st of August. He afterwards disembarked on various parts of the coast of Paria, returned to Hispaniola, and then to Europe. He sailed again from Cadiz on the 9th of May, 1502, a third time visited Hispaniola, and continued to navigate onward till he discovered the Island of Guanaia, near Cape Honduras, and subsequently explored all the coast of the continent, from Cape Gracias to Porto Bello.

Some persons, however, affirm that it is a great injustice to attribute the honour of discovering this hemisphere to either of those navigators, when it is certain that the oriental Syberios, called Choukes, were in the habit of passing the Straits of Bhering, to the American continent, in the summer season, from time immemorial. The Danes discovered Greenland about the end of the tenth century, and the Norwegians colonized it in the following one; and if this land is not a portion of the continent, it is at least an island belonging to it.

Having briefly described the first discovery of the American continent, it will now be in unison with the object of this work, to invite the attention to an investigation of the circumstances resulting from the discovery of that portion of it more immediately under consideration, and which has excited endeavours on my part, very inadequate to render justice to a subject of such prodigious magnitude. The Portuguese imagine (and the inscriptions met with in the Brazil would appear to corroborate the notion) that their countryman and ancestor, Pedro Alvarez Cabral, was the first discoverer of that country; but this honour indubitably belongs to the celebrated Spanish pilot, Vincente Yanez Pinson, the companion of Columbus in his first voyage across the Atlantic; and who, it is affirmed, would not have acquired the fame of first descrying the new world, had not the despondency which was clouding his mind, in the progress of that voyage, been dispelled by the animating hope of success with which Pinson encouraged him. In virtue of a commission granted to Vincente Yanez Pinson, by the Castilian court, he quitted his native shores in pursuit of undiscovered countries, in the month of December, 1499. He shaped his course more to the southward than his late commander, Columbus; and on the 26th of January, 1500, discovered land in about 8° south latitude, having crossed the Atlantic in as short a period as the voyage is commonly accomplished in at this day; evincing an undaunted spirit and disregard to the prevailing practice then existing amongst navigators, of taking in all sail and lying to during the night. The discovery of this new land must have been highly consolatory and gratifying to his feelings; he gave it, therefore, the name of Cape Consolation, which can be no other than Cape St. Augustine, situated about twenty miles to the south of Pernambuco. Pinson vainly went through the ceremony of taking possession of the country for the Spanish crown. The natives which they saw were exceedingly shy, and they endeavoured without success to accomplish any intercourse with them. He proceeded northward, towards Cape St. Roque, with his ships, and, again landing upon the intervening coast, his people had several rencounters with a horde of savages very different to the first they had seen. These Indians used the bow and arrow, and attacked the Spaniards with great spirit and dexterity. This reception induced Pinson to continue his course along the northern coast of the Brazil; and, after proceeding as far as the Oronocos, he returned to Europe without any manifest advantage resulting from this undertaking. Although he was unfortunate in losing some of his ships on the homeward voyage, he displayed considerable nautical skill in conducting his vessels in safety along the most difficult and dangerous part of the Brazilian coast.

During the period that Pinson was thus occupied, Portugal was fitting out a fleet with much pomp and parade in the river Tagus, not with any project of discovering a new territory, but in consequence of Don Vasco da Gama having arrived at Lisbon, with certain intelligence of having ascertained the navigation to India, round the Cape of Good Hope. The Portuguese King, Emanuel, determined to send a fleet to establish friendship and a treaty of commerce with the King of Calcutta, and to create a factory in the same city. Merchandise of the best taste was selected for the outward cargo, and the ships were to be laden in return with spices. For the command of this fleet, which consisted of ten caravels, and three larger vessels, a fidalgo was chosen, called Pedro Alvarez Cabral. The number of persons on board amounted to twelve hundred well selected and well armed. The fleet was prepared in front of the Rastello, now called Belem; and it was determined that it should sail on the 9th of March, 1500. At the vespers preceding, which was on Sunday, the King went with all the court to open mass, in the hermitage of our Lady of Belem, (or Bethlehem,) which site is occupied at this day by the magnificent monastery of P. P. Jeronymos. Diogo Ortiz, Bishop of Ceuta, delivered a discourse upon the object of the expedition; and, during the service, a flag was placed upon the altar, with the cross of the order of Christ, which the Bishop, with imposing ceremony, consecrated; and the King, with his own hands, delivered it to Cabral, who was near his Majesty during the ceremonies. The _funçaō_ being finished, the colours were carried in procession, accompanied by the King, to the beach, where Cabral and most of the captains kissed his hand, and at the same time a grand salute was fired by the whole fleet. This was considered the most powerful and brilliant armament that had ever sailed from Portugal for distant countries. The other captains were Sancho de Thoar (with succession to Admiral Cabral), N. Coelho (who had been with Vasco da Gama), S. de Miranda d’Azevedo, A. G. da Sylva, V. d’Athayde, S. de Pina, N. Leytao, P. d’Athayde, L. Pirez, Gaspar de Lemos, the celebrated Bartholomew Dias, discoverer of the Cape of Good Hope, and Diogo Dias, his brother, who were to remain with the factory to be established. There were, besides, seven Franciscan friars, subordinate to one named Frey Henrique, who was afterwards bishop of Ceuta, eight chaplains, and a vicar, to administer the sacraments in the factory of Calcutta. Ayres Correa was appointed factor, or head of the establishment; and G. Barboza, and Pedro Vas de Caminho, _escrivaōs_, or writers.

On the 14th of March, the fleet passed the Canaries; and after having seen the island of St. Nicholas, one of the Cape de Verds, on the 22d, they discovered that the vessel of V. d’Athayde was missing. Cabral took every pains to fall in with it again, but without effect. He continued his voyage, and in order to avoid being detained by the calms peculiar to the coast of Africa, and to profit by the prevailing north-east trade wind, they stood so much to the westward, that, on the 21st of April, (the last Oitava of Pascal,) they met with signals of land, (which were certain floating plants,) and late on the following day, in latitude 17° south, they saw a large round mountain with smaller hills, which were the highest portions of the Serra, now called Aymores, mostly covered with wood. Cabral made a signal to the other ships to approach the land, and by sun-set they anchored in 19 fathoms, about six leagues from it. From respect to the _oitavario_,[1] Cabral gave the mountain the name of Mount Pascal, which it yet retains; and the land he called Vera Cruz. The following day they sailed towards the land, and came in front of the mouth of a river now called Rio de Frade (River Friar); and remained half a league distant from it during the night, with some difficulty, in consequence of a strong south-east wind setting in. Captain N. Coelho examined the river the same day, which was found incapable of receiving even the smallest vessels of the fleet; and the wind not being favourable to coast towards the south, Cabral ordered the fleet to navigate northward, and despatched Affonso Lopez, his pilot, in one of the smallest caravels, to proceed nearer the beach, and to examine the first part he met with.

The squadron having coasted on about ten leagues, met with the bay of Corôa Vermelha, otherwise Cabral, where, towards the evening, the caravels nearest entered. Affonso Lopez, who was sounding the port, met with two young Indians in a canoe, whom he carried to the admiral, who had anchored with the larger ships a league from the reefs, which were at the entrance of the bay. They were next morning placed upon the beach dressed in Portuguese clothes, accompanied by a degradado, or criminal, in order to observe the mode of living which prevailed amongst the natives.

The fleet remained here eight days, during which time mass was celebrated twice by Frey Henrique; the first, on Easter Sunday, upon an island (its name is now Corôa Vermelha) within the bay, in sight of a great number of Indians assembled upon the continental beach; the other, on the 1st of May, at the foot of a grand cross, which had been erected upon the main land, with the arms of King Emanuel, in testimony of the solemn possession which in his name had been taken of this new land of Vera Cruz.

There is a letter in the naval archives at Rio de Janeiro, written by P. V. de Caminho (one of the _escrivaōs_ already mentioned) to King Emanuel, giving a minute detail of all the circumstances attending the stay of the armament in this port, which Cabral called “Porto Seguro,” in noticing which, the above letter, written in language differing from that of the present day, says, “_Acharam hos ditos navios pequenos huum a recife com huum porto dentro muyti boo, e muyti seguro com huuma muy larga entrada, e meterem-se dentro._” Also, “_entraram toda las naaos e amcoraram-se em simco, seis bracas, ha qual amcorajem demtro he tam grande e tam fremosa, e tam segura, que podem jaser demtro neela mais de duzentos navios e naaos._”[2] He says the Indians were quite naked, and their bodies painted with various colours. They wore pendants of white bone from their ears. Their cheeks were in like manner ornamented with bones, and their lips slit, into which similar ornaments were also introduced. They used bows and arrows. The two natives who came on board, when they saw the gold embroidery upon the collar of Cabral’s coat, danced, put their hands to the ground, and then to the collar: they showed the same feeling in regard to silver; from which it was inferred that those precious metals were not unknown to them. This letter also says, “_Mostraram lhes huum papagayo pardo que aquy ho capitam tras; tomaram no logo na maao; mostraram lhes huum carneyro, non fezeram delle mençam; mostraram lhes huuma galinha, e asy aviam medo dela, e nom lhe queriam poeer ha maao._”[3] The Portuguese offered them bread, dressed fish, and other things, which on tasting they put out of their mouths; also wine, which they did not like, and would not take it a second time. They established a friendly intercourse with those Indians, from whom they received in exchange for trifling articles, fruits, farinha (or flour) of the mandioca, maize, &c. This writer, with many of the captains, went a league and a half up the country, where they met with a body of Indians, who had nine or ten houses rudely built of wood covered with grass; each house had two small entrances, and was large enough to receive thirty or forty persons. It consisted of but one apartment, without any division. They bartered with them things of no value for large and beautiful red parrots, two small green ones, and other things. They went on shore again the next day to get wood and wash linen, when they found sixty or seventy Indians, without bows or any thing else, upon the beach, which number soon increased to two hundred, all without bows and arrows. They mixed amongst the Portuguese, and assisted them to collect wood and put it on board the boats. That Cabral considered this land an island is evidenced by the conclusion of the letter. “_Beijo haas maaos de V. A. deste Porto Seguro da vosa Ilha da Vera Cruz. Hoje, Sesta feira primeiro dia de Mayo, 1500. P. V. de Caminha._”[4]

On the 2d of May, this fleet sailed from Porto Seguro, and proceeded on its voyage to India, leaving two degradados behind, who were seen lamenting and crying upon the beach, and the men of the country comforting them, demonstrating that they were not a people devoid of pity.[5] One of them soon learnt the idiom of the Indians called Tupininquins. He served as interpreter to the first Portuguese who arrived there, and afterwards returned home. Some of the Portuguese writers are piqued at the Spanish authors, Berredo and Antonio Galvum, for pretending, as they say, that their countryman, Vincente Yanez Pinson first discovered the Brazil; and they bring, as testimony against the Spaniards, the following statement of Robertson. “Vicente Yanez Pinson, one of the admiral’s companions in his first voyage, sailed from Palos with four ships; he stood boldly towards the south, and was the first Spaniard who ventured to cross the equinoctial line; but he seems to have landed on no part of the coast beyond the mouth of the Marignon, or River of the Amazons.” Robertson does not make a positive assertion that Pinson did not land upon any other part of the Brazilian coast, nor does he enter into particulars or give any dates. The river Amazons is the north-western boundary of the Brazil; and even if he only landed at the mouth of this great river, he of course landed upon the Brazilian territory, and was unquestionably the first discoverer of it. Conceding to the Portuguese the passage which they adduce from Robertson, it offers no contradiction to the circumstances and dates already detailed of Pinson’s voyage, which show him to have anticipated the Portuguese at least three months in this discovery. Cabral despatched Gaspar de Lemos from Porto Seguro, to announce to the King this new land, which had been taken possession of in his Majesty’s name. It is said that Lemos coasted northward as far as Cape St. Roque, to ascertain the extent of this territory which they had considered an island. Emanuel was so delighted with the discovery of Vera Cruz, that he resolved to send out another squadron to explore more minutely its extent; and it appears that three caravels were ordered to sail upon this project from the Tagus, on the 1st of May, 1501, but there is a considerable doubt who was the commander of them; some say it was Americanus Vespuccius, others, that it was Gonsalo Coelho. Cabral met this squadron at Goree on his return from India, but the commander’s name is not mentioned. “_Che gamos ao Cabo da Boa Esperance dia de Pascoa e encontrando alli bom tempo, continuamos a viagem, e aportamos junto a Cabo Verde em Bezenegue, onde encontramos tres caravellas, que El Rey de Portugal mandara para descubrir a terra nova que tinhamos achado hindo para Calecute._”[6] Francisco de Cunha, author of the Geographical Description of Portuguese America, states that (“_Gonsala Coelho fora o primeiro explorador da Costa Bazillica depois de Cabral e Lemos_,”) Gonsalo Coelho was the first explorer of the Brazilian coast after Cabral and Lemos. Americanus Vespuccius, in his own manuscript, asserts that he undertook two voyages for the King of Portugal, this being the first. It is difficult to arrive at a fair conclusion from this conflicting testimony, whether he or G. Coelho had the command of those three caravels. The Portuguese deny positively that it was Vespuccius; and a French writer of “the General History of Voyages” peremptorily falsifies all that Vespuccius has advanced upon the subject. “_Les relations d’Americ Vespuce contienent le recit de deux voiages, qu’il fit sur la même côte (du Brezil), au nom d’Emanuel, Rio de Portugal; mais les dates en sont fausses, et c’est en quoi consiste l’imposture; car il est prouvé par tous les temoignages contemporains que dans le tems qu’il nomme, il étoit emploie à d’autres expeditions._”[7] Antonio Galvum mentions the expedition but not the commander. All the evidence however, regarding this squadron, concur as to the time of its sailing, and arrival at the Brazil on the 17th of August. After a long and tempestuous voyage, they made land near Rio Grande, to the south of Cape St. Roque, where they met with Indians of a savage nature and decidedly cannibals. Several people from the Portuguese ships were seized by them, roasted over a large fire in presence of their countrymen, with loud shoutings and rejoicings. The cannibals were so expert with their bows and arrows, that this fleet was considerably annoyed by them, and induced to coast on to the latitude of 8° south, near Pernambuco, where they met with friendly Indians,[8] and established an intercourse with them. After a few days, they continued their voyage along the coast, and met with a kind reception every where from the natives, who allowed them to land and make their observations without injury upon the country and its productions. They described the natives as being exceedingly well made, and universally attached to the custom of perforating their faces and ears, and wearing bones and stones as ornaments. They coasted on to 32° south latitude, and, standing out to sea, reached as high a latitude as 52° south, where, in consequence of a tempestuous _lebeccio_, they were compelled to return, and arrived at Lisbon in September, 1502, having lost two vessels.

Another expedition of six caravels sailed from Lisbon on the 10th of June, 1503, with the avowed object of prosecuting still further the examination of Vera Cruz. A variety of contradictory statements render it doubtful who was the real commander of this squadron, although the balance of testimony in this, as in the former case, is much in favour of Gonsalo Coelho. Americanus Vespuccius again alleges that he accompanied this fleet, and with two ships proceeded forward to the coast of the Brazil, leaving the other four vessels at an island, some of them wrecks; and he says those four vessels were all lost through the want of ability on the part of the commander, whose name he does not disclose. A work published at Paris, attributing the command of the three first caravels to Vespuccius, continues thus:--“_El Rey D. Manuel extremamente affeicoado a Vespucio deu lhe o commando de seis navios com os quaes sahiu a dez de Mayo, 1503, e passou ao longo das costas d’Africa, e do Brazil, com o intuito de descubrir uma passagem pelo occidente para as Ilhas Mallucas, como ao depois se-descubriu: depois d’apportar na Bahia de todos os Santos, navegou athe os Abrolhos e rio Curababo, como nāo tinha mantimentos senāo para Vinte mezes, tomou a resoluçao de voltar a Portugal onde chegou a dezoito de Junho, 1504._”[9] Maneol Ayres de Cazal supposes Christovam Jacques to have been the commander, and Francisco de Cunha says, that the King “_Mandou logo preparar outra armada de caravellas que entregou a Christovam Jacques, fidalgo de sua casa e com o titulo de Cap-Mor, o mandou continuar n’este empressa descubrindo aquella costa, sahui armada, e seguindo viagem chegou a costa, sondando baixos e rios pondo padroes d’armas Portuguezes, foi dar a huma bahia, aque poz o nome de Todos Santos, e depois deligencias se recolhou a Portugal._”[10] But Damian de Goes assigns the command to Goncallo Coelho. “_No mesmo anno de 1503 mandou Goncallo Coelho com seis naus a terra de St. Cruz com que partiu de Lisboa a hos dez dias de mez de Junho; das quaes por ainda terem pouca noticia da terra perdeu quatro, e has outras duas trouxe aho regno com mercadorias da terra que entam nam eram outras que pau vermelho que chamam Brazil, e papagaios._”[11]

The testimony of three writers attribute the command of these six caravels to three distinct individuals; but, from a fair investigation of each statement, that of Goes, who assigns the command to Coelho, appears more consonant with truth and the intentions of the King, than the other two relations. The collateral supporter of Vespuccius’ claim, represents the object of the expedition to be for the discovery of the Moluccas, which certainly does not coincide with the desire of an immediate and continued exploration of St. Cruz, (or Vera Cruz,) that seemed to actuate his Majesty solely in fitting it out; nor does this account say any thing of the loss of four of the caravels, which is generally admitted. Cunha, who gives the command to Jacques, most probably alludes to the armament which that person had under his orders in the year 1516, when he proceeded to the Brazil, and then entered the bay of All Saints.

Assuming that G. Coelho was the admiral of these caravels, on traversing the Atlantic they were driven by a severe gale to 3° south latitude, where a loss of four was sustained upon some rocks in the proximity of an island, which beyond a doubt was Fernando de Noronha, situated in 3° 50′ south latitude. The two remaining vessels continued their course to the coast of Vera or St. Cruz, and made land near a magnificent bay (Bahia), which they entered, and gave the appellation of _Todos os Santos_, (being All Saints Day.) They coasted on southward, constantly approximating to the land, where the shore presented no obstacles, minutely inspecting all its remarkable rivers, ports, capes, and headlands, the adjacent islands, and the coast generally, as far as Cape Virgins, near the Straits of Magellan. They erected stone pillars, bearing the arms of Portugal, in some of the most conspicuous situations. They left at Porto Seguro, a colony consisting of a part of the persons who had escaped from the shipwrecked vessels, with two Franciscan missionaries, and returned to Portugal laden with Brazil wood. This wood had now acquired such reputation in Europe, that the name of St. Cruz, otherwise Vera Cruz, given to the country by Cabral, was lost in the denomination which it universally received of the Brazil, (or Brazil wood country.)

In the same year, 1503, before the explorer Coelho reached the land of Vera Cruz, Don Affonso d’Albuquerque arrived upon the coast, having left Lisbon, on the 6th of April, with a squadron under his command for India: the latitude or part of the Brazil that he saw is not stated, but he observed the cassia and verniz trees. (“_Buona somma di cassia et di vernizo, altro di momenti non abiamo compreso_”--Ramuzio.) Shortly after Coelho’s return, a contract was granted for the Brazil wood, and the colony began to be frequently visited by the caravels of the contractors.

The King of Castile despatched Juan Dias de Solis, in the year 1509; and it is said the celebrated pilot Vincente Yanez Pinson accompanied him, to take possession of a part of the newly-discovered country, and in pursuance of this project they erected crosses upon different parts of the coast. The King of Portugal remonstrated against this proceeding as an intrusion upon his share of the division of undiscovered countries, which Alexander VI. had very artfully assigned to those two nations. Feelings of bitter regret cannot but arise in the mind, on contemplating, at the present day, this fine and fairest portion of the new world, placed in such hands by an imaginary partition of unknown lands. Had this best and richest region of America fallen to the share of the English, French, or Dutch, it would no doubt have assumed a very different appearance, compared with its actual state. That this would have been the case is evident, from the present immensely superior condition of the Anglo-American states, the territory of which was colonized at a later period than Brazil, and whose soil is in general so inferior to the latter country. The occasion of the difference may be mainly attributed to the very opposite genius of the governments and religion under the English and Portuguese; the free and wise character of the former giving every facility to talent and industry of all descriptions, while the ignorant and oppressive nature of the latter, especially in relation to the commercial restrictions, which, till the arrival of the King, had unfortunately existed, and in the domination of the priesthood over the consciences and property of the people, operating as a paralysis on agricultural, commercial, and scientific enterprise, and upon all the beneficial pursuits of the mind. It is now, however, pleasing to observe, that a very striking change has and is taking place in these matters, the views of his present Majesty being favourable to the amelioration of the country.

In 1510, a Portuguese ship was wrecked at the entrance of the Bay of All Saints. The greater part of the crew escaped, and twenty-five years afterwards nine sailors were found living amongst the Indians. Another account affirms that they were all seized by the natives and devoured excepting Diogo Alvarez, a man of distinguished family, who contrived to make himself useful to those cannibals; and acquired the name of “Caramura”--“a man of fire,” on his first discharging a gun, which he had saved from the wreck.

In 1513, George Lopez Bixorda presented to King Emanuel three Brazilian Indians, whom he had brought home in a contract vessel. They were dressed with feathers, according to the fashion of their tribe.

The King of Castile ordered Solis upon a second expedition, in the year 1515, with a view of discovering a western passage to India. In the prosecution of this voyage he discovered a large river, which he called the River _Solis_. This name was very improperly superseded by the appellation of Prata, or Plate, (the Silver River.) He lost his life upon its banks by the hands of the Indians, who slew him with their clubs, and roasted and devoured him within sight of his countrymen. In justice, the river ought to have retained his name. His death frustrated the object of the voyage, and the ships put back, took in Brazil wood near the island of Itamaraca, and returned to Spain. The Portuguese again demanded satisfaction for this infringement, which was at last amicably adjusted.

Christovam Jacques, in the year 1516, entered the bay of All Saints with a squadron of caravels, and in the course of exploring its extensive limits, its rivers, and creeks, he fell in with two French ships, which had previously entered the bay, and were loading with Brazil wood, of which they had a considerable quantity on board, as well as parrots and monkeys. He engaged the vessels, and after a spirited defence they were destroyed. Subsequently, it would appear from the testimony of a letter of donation to Pedro Lopez de Souza, (who chose Itamaraca for part of his grant,) and by one which John III. ordered to be written to Martim Affonso de Souza, that Christovam Jacques was employed in establishing a factory upon the channel which separates the island of Itamaraca from the continent, destined to facilitate the exportation of Brazil wood, and to impede the attempts of other nations who might visit that quarter in quest of it.

Diogo Garciam, a Portuguese pilot in the service of the Castilian court, arrived near the mouth of the river Paraguay, in the year 1527, and found there the ships with which Sebastian Caboto had sailed from Cadiz, with the intention of proceeding to the Moluccas by the straits of All Saints, now Magellan’s. He learned that the captain had gone up the Paraguay, then River Solis, and proceeded with two launches much above the confluence of the Parana in pursuit of him. He found him engaged in the construction of the fort of St. Anna, where they mutually agreed to give to the river Solis the name of the river Prata, in consequence of seeing small pieces of that metal in the possession of the Indians. Herrera states, that Diogo Garciam, on his way to the river Solis, entered the bay of St. Vincente, (then the River Innocentes,) where a Portuguese, who had been shipwrecked, provided him with refreshments; also, that Garciam anchored off the island of Patos, at the present day St. Catherine’s, where the Indians furnished him with some provisions. He carried with him sixty men, in two brigantines, to the fort of St. Anna; and before his departure he despatched one of the largest vessels of his squadron to St. Vincente, to take in a cargo, which he had agreed with the Portuguese mentioned, to be sent to Portugal. It is probable that this individual was either Joam Ramalho or Antonio Rodriguez, whom Martim Affonso de Souza found there five years afterwards. It would appear that some Portuguese had been established at St. Vincente some years; and the evidence of Herrera, that some Indians had been shipped from thence to Portugal in 1527, would tend to demonstrate that a factory had existed there previous to the arrival of Martin A. de Souza, (the first donatory,) and which factory had conceded to Pedro Goes the power of shipping to Portugal a certain number of aboriginal Indians, free from all the duties which it was customary to pay. (_Forros de todos os dereitos, que custamavam pagar._) If this factory existed, neither the period of its commencement is evident, nor by whom it was established.

The intelligence which the ship of Garciam brought to Portugal, in the year 1528, that the Spaniards had formed an establishment upon the river Plate, induced King John III. who wished that river to become the divisionary line, to despatch an armament, in the year 1531, under the command of Martim Affonso de Souza, with orders to erect fortifications and to distribute lands to those who wished to establish themselves in the country. The fleet, after having made and recognised Cape St. Augustin, navigated along the coast and entered the bay of All Saints, where they discovered and captured two French vessels. Joam de Souza, captain of one of the ships composing the armament, was sent to announce to the King this circumstance. Martim Affonso continued his voyage to the south, and after refreshing at Porto Seguro, he found out and entered the bay of St. Luzia, to which he gave the name of Rio de Janeiro, in consequence of discovering it on the 1st of January, 1532. Prosecuting the voyage, and always keeping as near land as possible, he gave to the most remarkable and important places, the names of the saints on whose days he discovered them. Having passed the island of St. Sebastian, on the 20th of the same month, he proceeded to that part of the port where it is supposed the factory was situated, and of which no doubt he was previously informed. It appears, however, after various operations upon the northern bar of the port to establish there the colonists, who wished to remain in the land, he changed his plan and removed them to the southern bar. He spent eleven months in the execution of various measures upon the coast, and it was the month of December before he arrived at the river Plate; for the sun, say the Portuguese, was on the tropical line of Capricorn. (_O sol chegou ao tropico de Capricornio._) Not meeting with any Spanish settlements upon any part of the coast, he returned to the colony at the southern bar of the bay of Santos, augmenting it considerably, by giving lands to all individuals who determined to settle there, in pursuance of the orders he had received. He sent eighty men into the interior, for the purpose of discovering or making a conquest of the mines of Cannanea. The entire party were murdered by the _Carijos_ Indians.

In the same year that Martim Affonso sailed from the Tagus, a Portuguese squadron captured and conducted to Lisbon a ship of Marseilles, which had been laden with Brazil wood, at Pernambuco, where they demolished the Portuguese factory of Itamaraca, founded by C. Jacques, and left sixty Frenchmen in their place. This information induced the King to send Duarthe Coelho Pereyra to expel the French, which he accomplished, and removed the factory to the margin of the river Hyguaraçu, a few miles distant from the first situation. This new establishment was the origin of the town of Hyguaraçu, to whose mother-church the same D. C. Pereyra, being then the donatory of the captaincy of Pernambuco, gave for patrons the saints Cosme and Damian, in gratitude for the expulsion of the French on the day of those saints, in the year 1531. It may be here remarked, that very little progress, up to this period, would appear to have been made by the Portuguese for the colonization of this country, now known to them thirty-two years, and which they had assumed the right of calling and considering their own.

King John III. at last roused by the attempts which the French merchants were making to form establishments near the places now called Pernambuco and Bahia, also by the formation of colonies, which the Spaniards were promoting on the banks of the Paraguay, determined to people this continent; and, in order to facilitate the colonization, he divided the coast into certain large portions of fifty leagues, which, under the denomination of capitanias, (captaincies,) were to be bestowed on individuals distinguished by their services to the crown; and who were to go personally, or to send colonists, in ships, at their own cost, receiving an uncontrolled jurisdiction over these royal donations. The historian, Joam de Barros, who was one of the donatories, and was presented with the district of Maranham, affirms that the country was partitioned into twelve captaincies; but there were actually only nine, as five portions which he probably took into his account, were divided betwixt Martim Affonso de Souza and his brother Pedro Lopez de Souza, who were the two first donatories that settled in the Brazil. Martim Affonso, who has been previously mentioned, received a considerable tract of country contiguous to St. Vincente, where we left him endeavouring to form a colony. Pedro Lopez chose his quantum of territory in two lots, one near his brother’s, called St. Amaro, and the other denominated Itamaraca, at a very inconvenient distance from the first, situated not far from Pernambuco, which latter capitania, as has been already stated, became the portion of Duarthe Coelho Pereyra. The lands adjacent to the southern Parahiba river were conceded to Pedro de Goes. The country betwixt the great river St. Francisco, which was the southern boundary of Pernambuco, and Bahia, was allotted to Francisco Pereira Coutinho. The next portion of territory, proceeding southward, was denominated the Capitania dos Ilheos, running north and south from the Rio dos Ilheos, (River of Islands,) and granted to Jorge Figueiredo Correa. Cabral’s Porto Seguro was included in the range of coast which formed the capitania of the same name, and was a donation to Pedro Campo Tourinha. Espirito Santo (Holy Spirit) was the appellation given to the next in rotation, and obtained by Vasco Fernandez Coutinho. Rio de Janeiro was not colonized for some time afterwards. This mode of allotment was not calculated to maintain a long duration. The captains possessed despotic jurisdiction over the colonists, many of whom were degradados, or criminals, consequently less adapted to live in harmony, and the whole being at the mercy of the former, complaints were frequent; so that, after a lapse of about seventeen years from its commencement, this system was terminated by a royal revocation of the power of the captains, followed by the appointment of Thomé de Souza, a fidalgo, as governor-general of the Brazil, who arrived at Bahia, the bay of All Saints, in April 1549, with instructions to build a city, which was to be called St. Salvador. The fleet was accompanied by some Jesuits, who thus obtained in the Brazilian regions, those means of improving the condition of the Indians, and of the country in other respects, which has been so honourable to their Trans-Atlantic character, and which presents so pleasing and striking a contrast to their conduct in Europe, filled as that conduct was with “treasons, stratagems, and spoils.” With the mother-country, this colony passed under the dominion of the Spanish crown, in the year 1580, for a period of nearly sixty years. The Dutch possessed themselves of Pernambuco in the year 1630, and ultimately of the whole country from the great river St. Francisco to Maranham, which they retained till the year 1654. The last Philip, just before the Brazil reverted to the Portuguese, conferred the title of Viceroy upon the governor-general at Bahia, who then was the Marquis of Montalvam, and which honour all his successors enjoyed. The seat of the vice-regal government was transferred by Don Joseph I. from Bahia to Rio de Janeiro, in 1773, which expired on the arrival of the royal family in that country, in the year 1808. Don John IV. gave the title of Prince of Brazil to his eldest son, Prince Don Theodosio, which descended to all the hereditary princes of the house of Braganza, till the 17th of December, 1815, when the Prince Regent, (now Don John VI.) raised that country into a kingdom.

The Brazil is of such prodigious extent, that it will be impossible for it to arrive even at a medium state of perfection under the dominion of one government. Its prominent boundaries, now that Monte Video is in the possession of the Portuguese, may be geographically considered the river Amazons and the Atlantic on the north; the river Plate on the south; the ocean on the whole of its prolonged range of eastern coast; and the great rivers Madeira, &c. running north; the Paraguay and Uruguay stretching south to the river Plate, on the west; although the two provinces of Solimoes and Guianna, north of the Amazons, and actually subordinate to the governor of Para, carry its northern boundaries, politically speaking, almost as far as the Oronocos, making its length upwards of forty degrees. Its greatest width is about thirty degrees, from Cape St. Augustin to Point Abuná, upon the margin of the river Madeira.

This vast region, comprising nearly two millions of square miles, is now divided into twenty-two provinces, including the two mentioned above, viz.

Guianna } Para } Maranham } Siará } Rio Grande, North } Parahiba } Pernambuco } All bordering in Seregipe d’El Rey } part upon the Bahia } coast. Porto Seguro } Espirito Santo } Rio de Janeiro } St. Paulo } St. Catharina } Rio Grande, South }

Mato Grosso } Paraná } Uruguay } Solimoes } Interior provinces. Piauhy } Minas Geraes } Goyaz }

The zoology and phytology of this country extend to such an infinity of objects, that they would form a separate history of themselves. They, as well as mineralogy, will be partially treated upon in the topography of each province. In reference to the first subject, it may be here observed, that a very considerable portion of the Brazil is still occupied by Indians, consisting of a vast number of nations, more or less numerous, and generally divided into tribes or hordes, wandering about in a state of nudity, the principal part of their time employed in hunting, gathering honey, and such fruits as nature spontaneously produces. They believe in the immortality of the soul and a Creator of all, whom they commonly denominate _Tupan_, and, like many other barbarians, their adoration is divided between the good and evil spirit, which latter they call _Anhanga_. No state of government is found amongst them; each tribe has its elective captain, who directs them only on occasions of assaults and in forming ambuscades against an enemy. Each nation has its peculiar idiom, but there is one exists amongst them denominated the general lingua, which is the _Tupinamba_. At this day many tribes retain the ancient custom of perforating their faces and using pieces of wood as ornaments. In contracting marriages, the degree of relationship is not respected. Polygamy is admitted amongst particular individuals only, in a very few nations. Divorcements are generally very rare amongst them. They are acquainted with no liberal art, and have a great antipathy to civilization. Thousands of instances have occurred, in which they have preferred fleeing from it back again into the woods, in pursuit of their former rude habits. The governor of one of the comarcas of Minas Geraes related to me an instance of an Indian who, instructed in the Catholic faith, had actually entered upon the functions of a priest, and who, notwithstanding, was afterwards induced, from the natural bent of his mind, to abscond and rejoin his uncivilized tribe. Their inherent indolence is conspicuous, and they have but little consideration in life beyond the acquirement of their daily sustenance. Frequent instances occur of their assassinating some of the Portuguese, for whom they lie in ambush. The Portuguese almost universally provide themselves with fire-arms, on traversing the districts inhabited by the Indians, at which they are greatly terrified. Such as live upon the banks of auriferous rivers or lands, and come in contact with the Portuguese, will give pieces of gold for trifling articles of European manufacture, particularly knives, the metal of which they consider of such value, that, in sharpening them, they do not use a whetstone, but a piece of wood, in order that the blade may experience as little diminution as possible by the operation. Few Indians are seen in any of the seaport-towns of the Brazil. Some are employed in the bay of Rio de Janeiro, rowing boats in the service of the government. They appear to keep themselves quite distinct, and do not mix with any other class of people. They are not tall, but their early occupation of hunting has given to their limbs much strength and agility. A fine proportion of form is their general characteristic, and they possess great muscular powers. Their features are regular, and there is an universal resemblance between them and the various tribes. They are of a copper-colour, with strong, lank, black hair, which is permitted to hang over their ears, necks, and foreheads, adding something to the sombre aspect of their countenances, which are sad even to an extreme. If they were capable of learning from history, and appreciating with feelings of patriotism the force of such an event, it might naturally appear to be a dejection originating in the corroding idea of the conquest of their country by strangers; but this apparent characteristic melancholy can only be the result of, and founded upon, their former habits of life and precarious mode of subsistence; which having once contracted, and possessing an innate aversion to civilized intercourse, may never totally disappear. There is nothing ferocious in their physiognomy; on the contrary, they seem very inoffensive. I never saw them indulge in any gaiety, rarely laughing, and speaking seldom. They are expert rowers, and on a transient cessation from their labour, exhibit no disposition to hold converse with each other, nor curiosity or interest in the objects and bustle around them. The Jesuits were undoubtedly the best class of ecclesiastics who have hitherto visited the Brazil, not only, as has been observed, in initiating the Indians into Christianity, but in the general pursuit and encouragement of literature. The missions, for which they were so celebrated, will come under consideration in treating of the provinces where they instituted them; also the establishments of Christianized Indians, as well as the numerous savage tribes existing at the present day.

As the colonization of the capitania of Rio de Janeiro did not occur till after the Brazil was placed under the jurisdiction of a governor-general, and no allusion having been made to that event in the course of these preliminary observations, besides having long assumed the highest rank amongst the provinces of the Brazil, it naturally presents itself first in order, as well as the circumstances arising out of a residence in its capital, for our consideration.

CHAP. III.

PROVINCE OF RIO DE JANEIRO.

_Its Colonization--Contests with the French and Tamoyo Indians --Expulsion of the French--Foundation of St. Sebastian-- Boundaries--Division into Comarcas--Mountains--Principal Rivers--Lakes--Bays--Capes--Islands--Mineralogy--Zoology--Phytology --Cities and Towns--Boundaries, Towns, and Productions of the Comarcas of Ilha Grande and Parahiba Nova--Boundaries of the Comarca of Rio de Janeiro--The Metropolis--Situation--English Burial-Ground--Streets--Royal Mode of riding--Compulsory Homage upon the Occasion--Churches--Convents--Gloria Hill--Female Convents--Visit to one--Fountains--Visit to the Aqueduct--Squares--Palace--Public Buildings--Public Garden--Library--Manufactories--Theatre--Roads leading from the City--Palace of St. Christovāo--Troops of Miners and others from the Interior--Caza de Don Pedro--Royal Mill, Shacara, and Stables--Fire-Works--Beija Maō--Fidalgos and higher Orders of Society--Splendour of Churches--Royal Chapel--Religious Festivals and Observances--Funeral Processions--Catacombs--The Host--State of Society--Markets._

Joam de Solis, who has been already mentioned, entered the bay of Rio de Janeiro, in the year 1515, on his second voyage to South America; and about four years afterwards Fernando de Magellan, and Ruy Falleiro, a famous Portuguese mathematician who accompanied him, also remained a short time in it, bestowing upon it the name of St. Luzia. Martini Alfonso de Souza, who was engaged in an exploration of the whole coast, went into the bay on the 1st of January, 1532, and very improperly gave it the name, which it yet retains, of Rio de Janeiro, (River of January,) evincing, what would not be supposed to be possible, that he considered it a river. No attempts were made, however, to form any settlements here till the year 1555, when M. Villegagnon, a Frenchman, who had rescued Queen Mary from Scotland, with his comrades, took possession of the second island, after passing the entrance into the bay. His avowed object was that of propagating Calvinism in the new world. On this island, which took and still retains his name, he constructed the fort of Coligni, in honour of the excellent man and famous admiral, Gaspar de Coligni, his patron and warm supporter in establishing this colony, to which, in the following year, he despatched a further succour of three ships of war and near three hundred persons. King John III. of Portugal, receiving intelligence of this event, ordered Duarthe da Costa, then governor-general at Bahia, individually, to make himself acquainted with the actual state of the Protestants; but no attempts were made to displace them till after the death of the King, when Dona Catharina gave instructions to Mendo de Sa, the successor of Duarthe da Costa, to expel them, sending him two armed ships, with some caravels, which the governor augmented by some ships of war and two caravels that were in the port, and putting on board all the people he could assemble, personally embarked with the squadron. He visited all the intervening capitanias of the coast, and received on board all those who were willing to accompany him. The French defended themselves vigorously against the attacks of this fleet; but not being able to remedy the destruction and havoc which they sustained from the more powerful ships of the Portuguese, they retired by night to the continent, uniting themselves with the Tamoyo Indians, whose friendship they had previously conciliated. Mendo de Sa collected the artillery which the French had left, and, with one of their ships, which he found in the port, he returned to Bahia.

Intelligence was received afresh that the Protestants continued to frequent the bay of Rio de Janeiro, and were successively becoming more strongly fortified in the continental situations they had taken up. The crown of Portugal, now discovering of how much importance it would be effectually to take possession of and colonize this fine port, which having no donatory or forces to impede the establishment of whatever enemy might think proper to proceed there for that purpose, resolved to despatch Estacio de Sa to Bahia, with two galliots, and there to receive from his uncle, Mendo de Sa, the governor, such an accession of force as would enable him to extirpate the French. Estacio de Sa, having augmented the squadron as much as circumstances would allow, arrived at Rio de Janeiro in 1565, and took up a station near the Sugar-Loaf Mountain, at the place now called Villa Velha; but in various attacks, which he made upon the united French and Indians, fortune was never decisively propitious to him. This circumstance induced Mendo de Sa to prepare, in the bay of Bahia, an armament, which consisted of three galliots, commanded by Christovam de Barros, two ships of the crown, which were cruizing on the coast, and six caravels. This auxiliary force he accompanied in person to the assistance of his nephew, visiting, as before, the intervening capitanias, and offering to convey, gratuitously, all families who might wish to people the future colony; and, in consequence, a great many did accompany him. He arrived on the 18th of January, 1567, but deferred the attack till the 20th, that day being St. Sebastian’s, under whose auspices he meant to begin and carry on the enterprise. Two years had previously passed in useless and indecisive contention, which, in two days, Mendo de Sa brought to a successful termination, by possessing himself of the forts Urussumiri and Paranapucuy, not, however, without his followers feeling the effect of the arrows of the Tamoyos, which often transfixed the shield to the arm that supported it. Amongst others, Estacio de Sa received a wound from one of them, of which he expired a few days afterwards. The French escaped in four ships which they had in the harbour; and Mendo de Sa did not allow much time to elapse before he removed the first establishment to the situation now forming a ward or district of the present capital, denominated Misericordia, and there marked out its commencement. In honour of his patron saint, he gave it the name of St. Sebastian, which has given way to that of Rio de Janeiro now more generally used. The governor assigned to the celebrated Jesuit, Nobrega, ground, in the midst of the city, for a college, which he endowed for the support of fifty brethren. Having occupied himself near a year and a half in arranging every thing necessary for the continuation and security of the new city, he returned to the capital in June, 1568. He left for governor his nephew, Salvador Corrêa de Sa, whose administration was short, as well as that of Christovam de Barros, who succeeded him by royal patent, and whose jurisdiction over the affairs of the capitania terminated in 1572, when King Sebastian divided the state into two governments; the city of St. Sebastian becoming the capital of the southern division, which was delivered to Dr. Antonio Salema, with power over the capitanias from the river Belmont, southward. The same sovereign, becoming sensible of the inconvenience resulting to the crown from this partition, ordered that the general executive government should revert to its anterior state; and nominated, as successor to Salema, the said Salvador Corrêa de Sa, with patent of captain-general, dated the 10th January, 1576, and who remained in this situation until the year 1598. None of those who followed him governed during so long a period, with the exception of Sandozo Gomes Freyre d’Andrade, who discharged the duties of the appointment from the year 1733 to 1763, and which expired only with his life in the course of the latter year.

This province, which acquires its name from the magnificent port of its capital, now comprehends the ci-devant capitania of St. Thomé, half of that of St. Vincente, and a portion of Espirito Santo. It is bounded on the north by the latter, from which it is separated by the river Cabapuâna, and by the province of Minas Geraes, from which it is divided by the rivers Preto and Parahiba, and in part by the serra of Mantiqueira; on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, which also washes its eastern limits; and on the west by the province of St. Paulo. It is estimated to be sixty leagues in length, from east to west, near its northern extremity; and twenty-three leagues of medium width, reckoning from the fortress of St. Cruz, at the entrance of the bay of Rio de Janeiro, to the river Parahibuna, and to have fifty leagues of southern coast, from Cape Frio to Cape Trinidade, which is near three leagues to the west of Point Joatinga. It is divided by the Organ Mountains into two parts; Northern, or Serra-Acima, (Mountains above,) and Southern, or Beira-Mar, (Sea-coast,) which latter is subdivided into four, and the former into two districts or territories, as follows:--

{ Ilha Grande. Beira-Mar { Rio de Janeiro. { Cape Frio. { Goytacazes.

Serra-Acima { Parahiba-Nova. { Canto-Gallo.

A line drawn from south to north, commencing at the fort of Lage, at the entrance of the port of Rio, passing up the middle of the bay, by the river Inhumirim upwards, and on to the origin of the Piabanha, descending by it to the Parahiba, divides the province into east and west.

MOUNTAINS.--All the districts of this province, with the exception of Goytacazes, are picturesquely mountainous, and present an infinite variety of novel, sublime, and wondrous scenery, of which no verbal description can give an adequate representation. The Organ Mountains, so called from the similarity which their pyramidical heads, in various parts, bear to the front of an organ, are the principal. That portion of them which assimilates more distinctly to the object from which the whole range derives the name is an approximation of precipitous pointed masses, separated by profound winding and narrow valleys, through which romantic openings the way leads from Beira-Mar to the district of Canto-Gallo, without having to ascend any comparatively high elevations in traversing them. This is, indeed, the region of solemn and poetic sequestration. Its unchanged and primeval condition would appear to afford a suitable retirement for such as have acquired a calamity-induced distortion of the mind,--a misanthropical distaste to society and the world.

The Macacu, otherwise Serra-Grande, (Great Mountain,) the mountains of St. Anne, of Sambe, of Tapacora, and of Urussanga, are situated in that extremity betwixt the districts of Rio de Janeiro and Cape Frio; the Mount of St. Joam, a league above the emboucheur of the river of the same name, the Serra Jarixina, about twenty miles north-west of the capital, and that of Bocaina, in the district of Parahiba-Nova, constitute, together with the Organ Mountains, those of the greatest altitude in the province.

RIVERS.--It cannot boast of any very large or magnificent rivers, although it is irrigated by innumerable streams descending from the mountains. The river Parahiba is the only considerable one, originating in a small lake, situated upon a southern portion of the Serra Bocaina, a continuation of the Organ range, and about five leagues to the north of Paraty. It runs at first under the name of Paratinga, parallel with the mountains prolonged in piles from the south-west, in a line with the coast; enters the province of St. Paulo, where it receives the small river Jacuhy, by the left bank, a little above the town of St. Luiz, and somewhat below it, by the same margin, the river Parahibuna, which rises in the serra of Ubatuba. At this confluence it takes the name of Parahiba, approximates the sea a little to the west of the meridian of the capital, then turns towards the north-north-east, flowing along the base of Serra Itapeva, and by the town of Jacarehy. After a course of twenty leagues, with little variation, it inclines to the east and east-south-east, watering the towns of Thaubate, Pindamonhangaba, Guaratingueta, and Lorena; again turns towards the province in which it has its source, approaching it within five leagues; bathes the town of Rezende; inclines to the north-east, gathering the river Pirahy, (which comes in a northern course from its origin in the serra of Ilha Grande,) and many leagues lower, having taken an easterly direction, it receives the Parahibuna which is its largest confluent, by the left margin, and the afore-mentioned Piabanha, by the right. This part is designated Tres Rios, (Three Rivers.) Ten leagues below, the Pomba enters it by the northern bank, which flows from the western part of the Serra Frecheira principally in a south-east course, through a stony bed, rendering the navigation difficult even to canoes. A little lower it receives the Bengálas, which brings with it various other streams. Soon after this junction, it descends the precipitous fall of St. Fideles, to which point barks ascend. Eight leagues lower down, the Muriahe empties itself into it by the northern margin. Six leagues may be computed from this confluence to the emboucheur of the river Parahiba, and from thence to the fall of St. Fideles, which is the first advancing up the river, seventy-two islands are numbered; and above this fall they are still more numerous. Its waters are precipitated by a great many falls, which run principally through a stony bed, and are discharged into the Atlantic, on the eastern coast of the province. This river does not bring with it to the ocean so large a volume of water as might be imagined from its vast extent, which may be accounted for by its running principally betwixt two cordilleras, (the Organ Mountains and the Mantiqueira with their branches,) the greatest interval of which does not exceed twenty leagues, and almost all its tributary streams are poor and inconsiderable. Eight leagues below Lorêna, where it has already assumed the appearance of a large river, its course is contracted by a long wall of rock, of more than sixty feet high and six hundred yards in extent, reducing its channel to the width of about ten yards. It abounds in a great variety of fish. The adjacent territory, on both banks, from its source to its mouth, is considered to be well adapted for the growth of the sugar cane, and the very small part of it which is cultivated, is appropriated to that purpose; but the far greatest proportion yet remains in a state of wild nature, and although perhaps granted to different donatories, its impenetrable woods form the native retreat of the Indian and the ounce, each still asserting the claim of possession. The river Maccahe, which has a course of fifteen leagues, affording ten leagues of navigation to a fall, rises in the Organ range, and winds amongst mountains and woods, till it encounters the St. Pedro, formed by various small streams in the vicinity of Serra Frade. Three leagues may be computed from this confluence to its emboucheur, which is in front of the islands of St. Anna, thirty miles north of Cape Frio, dividing that district from Goytacazes. The river St. Joam rises in the skirts of the rock of Canudos, with the name of _Aguas Claras_, (Clear Waters,) more considerable, and affording navigation for a greater space than the Maccahe, runs like it amongst woods and mountains, and disembogues about seven leagues to the south-west of it, bathing the southern skirts of the mountain of its name. Large quantities of timber are exported by it. The rivers Curubichas and Bannanal join it by the left bank, the Bacaxa, which issues from the Serra St. Anna with the appellation of _Rio do Oiro_, (the Gold River,) unites it on the right by two mouths, having formed, a little higher, a large lake, into which the Capivari, coming from the same serra, empties itself. Below this confluence, little more than three leagues, the Ipuca disembogues, rises near the Maccahe, and forms a considerable island. After it the Lontra, and ultimately the Doirado, near which there is a remarkable production, called the _jiquitiba_ tree, its trunk being fifty-six spans in circumference. All three are navigable, and incorporate themselves with the river St. Joam, by its northern margin.

The river Guandu takes its name at the confluence of the St. Anna with the das Lages, the courses of which are in an opposite direction to this point; the first issues from the Organ Mountains, near the heads of the river Piabanha, and runs south-west till it encounters the other, which flows north-east from its origin in the frontier serra of Ilha Grande. The Guandu passes the royal palace (ex-Jesuitical) of St. Cruz, and discharges itself by two mouths into the bay of Marambaya. The early possessors of this part of the country, in order to evitate the damage which they sustained by the inundations of this river, submerging the extensive and fine campinhas (plains) of the southern part, opened a trench of two miles long from it to the small river Taguahy, which runs in a parallel direction, and by this mode discharged the excess of water which the banks of the Guandu could not contain at the period of the floods. The western mouth, or that of Taguahy, is little more than a league distant from the proper one of the Guandu: barks navigate both. The river Mambucâba, which is a fine river, even beyond the point where the tide reaches, issues from the serra of Bocaina, and disembogues in front of the bar of Cayrussu.

LAKES.--Lakes are numerous in this province. The principal are situated in the districts of Cape Frio and Goytacazes; many of them are surrounded by marshy lands, and none possess, in any point of view, the attractions peculiar to such diffusions of inland water in Europe. The lake of Jacaré-pagua, or Jaracapauha, is narrow and about four leagues long, parallel with and very near to the beach. It abounds with fish, receives some small streams, and has an outlet to the sea at its eastern extremity. It is situated at the eastern base of the picturesque and lofty mountain of the Gavea, about two leagues to the west of the Sugar-Loaf. At its opposite base is the beautiful and highly pleasing cascades of Tejuca.

The lake of Roderigo de Freytas is of a circular form, and half a league in diameter; is about two miles distant from the bay of Bota-fogo, and five from the capital. In its vicinity is the mother-church of the parish of St. Joam Baptista; also the royal manufactory of gunpowder, and a botanical garden of trees and exotic plants. The tea plant is here cultivated, and, unquestionably, would prosper in this climate with proper attention; but this establishment, upon the whole, is miserably neglected. The lake of Marica, which is a league and a half in length, from north-east to south-east, and little less in width, communicates with that of Cururupina, nearly of equal length from east to west, and about the same width from north to south. They both approach very much to a triangular form. The channel which unites them is called the river Bambuhy, and forms a small lake in the centre. The Cururupina is the eastern one, and its extremity is near Negra Point, which is at an equal distance betwixt Cape Frio and the Sugar-Loaf Mountain. The rivulet of Bananal, and that from which it takes its name, are the largest streams that enter it. The Marica, under which name the small one is also comprehended, receives at its southern end the Baccahi, which half a league above its mouth traverses the lake Braba, about a mile long. The small river Itapitiu enters its northern extremity. It is prolonged in a parallel line; and at a short distance from the sea, to which it opens a passage in the winter or rainy season, possesses a great abundance of excellent fish, and, in consequence, furnishes a branch of the _dizimos_ (a tax of one-tenth) of the province. The lake of Piratininga, three-quarters of a league from east to west, and proportionably wide, is about a mile distant from the Sacco, or Gulph of St. Joam de Carahi; it is also abundant in fish, and is separated from the sea by a sand-bank, through which a passage is opened in the rainy season, to prevent its inundating the adjacent country. Near half a league to the east of Piratininga is situated the lake Itaypu, a mile and a half long, and of proportionable width; and betwixt it and the sea is the parish of the same name, the church of which is dedicated to St. Sebastian. Its inhabitants are fishermen and cultivators of mandioca and sugar.

BAYS.--This province can boast of two as fine ports as any in the world, the bays of Rio de Janeiro and of Angra dos Reys (King’s bay, or creek.) The first is upwards of twenty leagues from Cape Frio, and, of all others in South America, merits most properly the denomination of a bay; its narrow entrance, embosomed in lofty scenery of the beautiful and sublime, being about eight hundred and fifty fathoms in width, and fourteen in depth, while the bay itself, which is six leagues in length, almost north and south, four at its greatest width, and thirty-two in circumference, is beautified with a great number of islands, and has depth for the reception of the largest fleets. It may be said to be divided into two emboucheurs, as the island of Lage, occupied by a fort of the same name, is situated about the centre. The entrance of the bay is commanded by the additional fort of St. Cruz, on the east, and the batteries of St. Joze and St. Theodozio, on the western side, near an immense naked rock, already mentioned, which is ninety-seven fathoms in perpendicular altitude, and is in the form of a sugar-loaf, and so denominated. The fort of St. Cruz is situated at the base of a high rugged mountain, called Pico, in consequence of its having a pointed termination. From hence signals are made to the city, announcing all vessels as they appear upon the horizon. The two principal bays that branch from it are, Bota-fogo, behind the batteries of St. Jose and St. Theodozio, and the larger one of Jurufuba, to the north of Fort St. Cruz. Upon the beach of the latter is situated the parish of St. Joam de Carahi. The first discovery of this bay and the origin of its improper name have been already alluded to; its more appropriate and primitive name was _Nitherohy_. Lery, who was there with Villegagnon, says, that the Indians then called it _Ganabara_; but the first is the most suitable, “_nithero_” signifying concealed, or hidden, and “_hy_” water, as it is only on arriving in front of the inlet that the bay is discovered, being previously concealed by mountains. This bay is the receptacle of a vast number of rivers, principally inconsiderable; but, as they are the medium of an easy conveyance to the capital of the productions in their vicinity, it may not be unimportant to describe those of the most consequence. Two leagues and a half, in a direct line, or four by the road towards Campinha, is the mouth of the river Iraja, which issues from one of the small lakes, and affords navigation with the tide to its port of the same name. A quarter of a league to the north of the preceding, the Miriti enters the bay, increased by the junction of the Inhamuahi, (which issues from the Serra Bangu,) and the Pavuna, about two leagues and a half distant from its mouth. It traverses a country in a great measure marshy, and is only navigable for the space of three miles, in a direct line to the port which takes its name, where cases of sugar, and the produce of St. Joam and Our Lady of Apezentacâo, are put on board the bay boats. About a league to the north of it is the Sarapuhi, which originates in the Serra Cachoeira. Its banks are serpentine, and it is only navigable for about a league. The dwellers in the parishes of St. Antonio and Jacutinga export their productions by it. The Iguassu, a mile further to the north-east, has its source in the Serra Tinguá; is navigable for four leagues; brings with it to the bay the waters of the Iguare, which issues from one of the lakes, and affords navigation for a mile to the port bearing its name. Also the Maraby, flowing from the Serra Boa-Vista, and navigable to the port of Couto, three leagues above its mouth. It also receives the Dos Ramos, navigable for a space of eight miles, to the skirts of the Serra Mantiqueira, in which it originates. The river Inhumirim enters the bay about half a league further, and is navigable for three leagues: one of its confluents, the Jaguamirim, flows from the morasses, and affords navigation for six miles; another, the Saracuruna, descends from the serra of its name, and is navigable only for a league; also the Figueyra, which comes from Serra Frade. Boats go up very near to its origin, where it has the name of Cayoába. By the Inhumirim, (the source of which is little distant from the Piabanha,) the miners, amounting to no great number, comparatively, descend by boats to the capital, and return in the same way, with manufactured articles, up its channel to the port of Estrella, where they leave the mules to recruit for the return journey; but the major part of these people, as well as others, proceed the whole way with the mules. The port of Estrella is a flourishing place, (being on the main way to the mines,) with some little commerce, and has a chapel of Our Lady, situated in the angle of the confluence of the aforesaid Saracuruna, four miles from the bay.

From the Inhumirim there is a channel to the river Pilar, the last confluent of the Iguassu. Little more than two leagues to the east-north-east of the Inhumirim, and in front of the small island of Guayanna, the Suruhy, issuing from the Organ Mountains, discharges itself into the bay, and, like the others, admits of the navigation of boats up its channel for about seven miles. It receives the Goya, which comes from one of the morasses. All the productions of the adjacent country are excellent; and there is, perhaps, no soil better adapted for banana groves, which are cultivated here with great care. Half a league further is the mouth of the Iriry, which originates in marshy ground, and is only navigable for two miles.

About two miles to the east of the Iriry, is the emboucheur of the Magéassú, which descends from the Organ Mountains, bathes the town of the same name, and affords navigation for ten miles. The Guapimirim, is about two miles from the Magé. Its course is about six leagues, and originates in the same mountains.

About two miles from hence is the principal of two mouths by which the Macacu enters the bay. It is one of its largest streams, and is navigable for fifteen leagues. Alligators of a very large size inhabit its banks, and take shelter amongst the high reeds which grow in the water. Its source is in the Organ Mountains, near the rock called Canudos, and it is united on its right margin by the rivers Guapiassu, Cabucu, and Varge; on its left by the Cacerebu and the Aldeia. The Guapiassu, which is the most considerable, comes from the same mountains as the Macacu; and, a little before its incorporation with that river, communicates with it by a channel called Rio dos Morros (River of Rocks.) There is a quarry of _pedra sabāo_, a peculiar stone, near its heads, which is excavated in large pieces, and sawn for the purpose of forming the mouths of furnaces in _engenhos_, or sugar-works, being considered of eternal duration. The principal confluent of this tributary river is Piracinunga, the main branch of which originates between the high points of the Organ Mountains. Betwixt the rivers Macacu and Guapiassu there is a certain portion of territory, comprising about two leagues, the most fertile in the district, which was bequeathed, in 1718, by André da Costa, as a legacy to some poor persons, with inalienable succession, and an annual pension of two missas, (masses,) for each house. This colony has now arrived at the number of twelve hundred individuals, and this bequest would maintain ten times as many, with adequate industry. The Guaxindiba flows from the Serra Taypu, and, describing numerous windings and turnings, enters the bay about two miles from the Macacu. The Emboassu, disemboguing four miles further, has its source in the Serra St. Gonçalo, and is navigable with the tide for a short distance.

The islands with which this bay is ornamented are numerous, but of inconsiderable extent. The principal is the isle of Governador, which is little more than two leagues long, from east to west, and proportionably wide. It is of an irregular form, having many headlands, and small creeks, and forms the parish of Our Lady of Ajuda. The parishioners are generally agriculturists and labourers. It is situated almost in the middle of the bay. The isle of Bom Jesus, but better known by the name of Frades, is about two miles long, from east to west, and of trifling width. It is the site of a convent of lazy Franciscans, which has a handsome and commanding appearance. The King visits the island occasionally, on the celebration of some particular religious festivity. He spent two or three days with the friars in the summer of 1819. It is not far distant from his palace of St. Christovao. The island of Paqueta possesses more natural charms than any other in the bay, and is situated near its northern extremity. It is about three miles long, from north to south, and of inconsiderable width. Its whole extent constitutes the parish of Bom Jesus do Monte (Good Jesus of the Mount.) A considerable quantity of the timber and branches of the mango tree is exported to the capital for firewood.

Angra dos Reys, the other bay alluded to, is much larger than that of Rio, presenting less regularity, with three entrances open to the south, formed by two islands, Ilha Grande and Marambaya, lying in a parallel line with the coast. The western entrance, denominated Cayrussu, is situated betwixt Ilha Grande and Joatinga Point, on the continent. Bom-Abrigo (Good Shelter) was the name given by the first discoverers to this point. The entrance is eight miles wide, possessing thirty fathoms of depth. The central entrance is betwixt the said island and that of Marambaya, from which latter it derives its name. It is five miles wide, with little less depth than the first. The eastern entrance, denominated the Bar of Guaratiba, is narrow and of little depth. The rivers Guandu and Mambucaba are the principal amongst a great many whose courses terminate in this bay, which can boast of some excellent roadsteads. Ilha Grande is four leagues long, with a proportionable width, having many high mountains covered with wild and verdant woods, and numerous fountains of crystalline water, which produce two abundant streams. This bay has various recesses, which are so many secure anchorage places; the creeks of Abraham, Estrella, and Palmas are the best. This island, which lends its name to the frontier territory of the continent, has a fertile soil, and is partially cultivated. In the year 1811, its population amounted to three thousand souls, at which period the parish called St. Anna was created: a central chapel, of the same name, serves it for a mother-church. In the creek of Abraham there is a village, which, most probably, at a future day, will become the capital of the island. The island of Marambaya is high and rocky, and overspread with wood. The whole of its cultivation and population arises alone from the establishment of two sugar works upon it; and it possesses a hermitage of Our Lady of Griefs (_das Dores_.) From this island, a narrow sand-bank stretches to the east for six leagues, as far as the bar of Guaratiba, and is covered in the greatest part with vegetation.

Over the bay of Angra dos Reys, a vast number of islands are scattered, amongst which may be enumerated the Supituba, Cunhambyba Grande, Jorge, Palmeira, Algodao, Barra, Caeyra, Redonda, Rafael, Cavaco, Pimenta, and another, also called Jorge, which are each from about a mile to two miles in length. The Gipoya, about six miles long, has some indigo works and fisheries; the Bomfim, very small, has a hermitage of the same name; the Tacoativa, Jacarahy, Paixao, Francisco Nunes, Barro, Pedreiro, Bayacica, Cana, Porcos, Sappe, Boqueirao, Redonda, Buzios, Casca, Brandao, Coco, Algodao, Ferreira, Cavaco, Jappam, Papagayos, Cobras, Sandre, and St. Joam are all small. The majority of these islands are partly cultivated and peopled.

CAPES.--Cape Frio is the only remarkable cape of the province. That of St. Thomé is situated about twenty leagues north-north-east from it. The principal projecting points are Negra Point, nine leagues to the west of Cape Frio; Buzios Point, four leagues to the north-north-east of the same cape; and Guaratiba Point, near the bar of its name. The mother-church of the parish of St. Salvador is beautifully situated upon a small eminence in front of the bar of Guaratiba. Its district is twenty miles long, and fifteen wide. In the year 1804, it contained four thousand three hundred and forty inhabitants, dispersed over the parish, the vicar’s house being almost the only one in the vicinity of the church.

ISLANDS.--The islands of this province are numerous, but the greater part inconsiderable, and principally within the two bays already described. Outside of the bar of Rio de Janeiro are the three islands of Palmas; also the islands of Redonda, Comprida, Raza, Cagada, Lage, Catunduda, Toacinho, Pay, and May; the whole of which are small, uninhabited, and extremely barren, except in verdant shrubs and brushwood.

MINERALOGY.--This province has some mines of gold, and possesses veins of iron. The rocks of granite are very large and remarkable, being of one solid piece, from whence entire obelisks might be hewn of an immense size. Aqua-marinas are met with; and a variety of different earths, some considered equal to that with which the Chinese manufacture their porcelain.

ZOOLOGY.--In this province are found all the domestic and wild animals belonging to the adjacent provinces, with a sort of Sahium monkey, hairy, and of a gold colour. Amongst the birds are remarked various sorts of the beautiful sahy, not met with northward.

PHYTOLOGY.--This province affords a variety of timber for the purposes of building, cabinet-work, and dying. The tree called here _anduassu_ is nearly fifteen feet high, and two in diameter, grows rapidly, and only in the vicinity of the sea. The Indians make an aperient medicine from its fruit, with which they cure the dropsy. Oil is extracted from it for burning lights, and for the composition of blue ink, and a blue dye. The _tatagyba_, which is the _morus tinctoria_ of Linneus, affords an excellent yellow dye, extracted by the boiling of its wood in water, with the addition of a portion of alum. The _grumixameira_ is a tree which produces a most excellent fruit, similar to a cherry in appearance, but of a finer flavour. I brought some of its seed to England, but am yet uncertain whether it will prosper in our climate. A small tree produces a clove, said to be superior to that of the Moluccas. The camphor tree, the cane of Madagascar, some African grasses, and a delicate species from Hindostan, have been recently naturalized here. Canes of such thickness and height grow upon the margins of the Suruhy, that ladders are made of them to hang the highest temples with decorations for festivals. In many situations ferns are met with, not differing in the least from those of Europe, except in the immense quantities which grow in uncultivated grounds. In the woods adjacent to Andrahi, near the road leading to the cascades of Tejuco, there is one which has grown, amongst other vegetation of wild trees and brushwood, to the perpendicular height of eighteen feet. In some woods, a sort of almond tree is met with, with fruit almost spherical, and of the magnitude of a hen’s egg. Cocoa trees are not very abundant, owing to an insect which gnaws the sprout after it grows to any size, and prevents their arrival at the perfection they otherwise would. European horticulture succeeds better here than in the northern provinces. The mango tree is only abundant in the suburbs of the capital, and rarely fructifies to perfection. Oranges grow spontaneously, and consist of various sorts; the selectas, which are large, and the tangerinas, both of the most delicious qualities. The coffee tree, having been naturalized here, during the government of Conde de Bobadella, by the attention and care of a magistrate, multiplies prodigiously, and is now one great branch of the riches of this province. The cotton tree does not prosper universally. Apple, pear, cherry, and apricot trees do not succeed. Fig trees grow rapidly, and produce fruit in perfection; but they have an enemy in a little insect, which introduces itself very frequently into the pith, and dries it up. Amongst an infinity of other productions may be enumerated jalap, ipecacuanha, called here _poaya_, trees of gum, of _sangue de drago_, (blood of dragon,) of oil of capaiba, and of Peruvian balsam. The cultivation of cochineal is now little attended to.

CITIES AND TOWNS.--The cities and towns in this province are remarkable for their small number and general insignificance, considering its extent and capabilities. The same observation is applicable to all the other provinces, and to some infinitely more so. In this province may be reckoned two cities and twelve towns, having no good roads or regular communication with each other by land, but mere tracks and bridle-ways constituting an intricate and difficult medium of intercourse. But we hail, with no common satisfaction, the improvements that will necessarily succeed to the change that has taken place in the system of government in the mother-country, and which has already begun to operate a like change in the provinces of Brazil.

The deplorable want of roads, and all the other facilities of husbandry, commerce, and enjoyment, is the natural consequence of the state of penury and ignorance in which the inhabitants, generally, of this region are involved, by a system that cannot too soon give way to the more enlightened policy which appears to be dawning upon them. This good work, as far as it has proceeded, redounds highly to the honour of the Portuguese people; no sanguinary event having marked their endeavours in the cause of freedom, thereby affording a most satisfactory contrast to the bloody pages that blacken the revolution of many other nations. May they soon regain their former dignity of character.

The places we alluded to are,

CITIES. DISTRICTS.

Cape Frio. Cape Frio. St. Sebastian (commonly called Rio de Janeiro) Rio de Janeiro.

TOWNS. DISTRICTS.

Marica. Rio de Janeiro. Macacu. Ditto. Mage. Ditto. Villanova. Ditto. Parati. Ilha Grande. Angra. Ditto. Rezende. Parahiba Nova. St. Joao Marcos. Ditto. St. Joao de Maccahe. Cape Frio. St. Salvador. Goytacazes. St. Joao de Parahiba. Ditto. Canta-Gallo. Canta-Gallo.

The district of Ilha Grande is mountainous, wholesome, and fertile. It is bounded on the west by the province of St. Paulo; on the north, by the continuation of the Organ Mountains, which separate it from the district of Parahiba Nova; on the east, by the River Taguahi, the limits of the district of Rio de Janeiro, with the exception of which, none of the others exceed it in the prompt means which it enjoys of exporting its productions, which are farinha, or flour of the mandioca, Indian corn, rice, feijao, (black beans,) coffee, sugar, cacháça, (bad rum,) indigo, some cocoa, and timber. Very few cattle of any kind are bred; but it abounds in poultry.

Parati, with the title of a countship, and famous for its cacháça, (rum,) which is reputed to be the best in the state, was created a town in 1660, and is situated in a level country, on the western side of the bay of Ilha Grande, betwixt the river Patetiba, and that from which it derives its name. Its streets are straight, crossing at right angles, with edifices of stone, and a parochial church of Our Lady of Remedies, the chapels of Lapa, and of Griefs. It has a _Juiz de Fora_, a judicial officer, and royal professors (as they are called) of the primitive letters and Latin. Its commerce is considerable. It is situated about sixty miles west of the metropolis.

Angra dos Reys is a maritime town, in a state of mediocrity, standing among the frontier mountains of Ilha Grande, which name it frequently takes. It is defended by two redoubts, and has a parish-church of Our Lady of Conceiçao; also the chapels of Lapa, and St. Luzia; a convent of Franciscans, and one of slippered Carmelites. The extensive domains of the former have not ceased to increase. Its inhabitants enjoy a salubrious air; and vessels of the largest size can come to anchor in the port. It has a _Juiz de Fora_, who is the same person that fills that situation at Parati, from whence it is distant twenty miles, and also has professors of the same kind. Its commerce is pretty considerable; the fig and vine trees prosper in its vicinity, and it is the most ancient town of the province. In the adjacent countries of Mambucaba, rice commonly renders one hundred for one; feijao, twenty; Indian corn, forty and fifty; a fertility that has induced many families to move to this district, which, since the year 1811, has been formed into a parish, with the church of Our Lady of Rozario, situated near the emboucheur of the river, upon its eastern bank. A few leagues to the north, and in the vicinity of the same margin of the river, is the picturesque mountain of Taypicu, having the form of a sugar-loaf; and at a moderate distance from the origin of the Mambucaba is the celebrated pinnacle denominated the Friar, from its similitude to a Franciscan with the cawl upon his head.

The district of Parahiba Nova is confined on the south by that of Ilha Grande; on the west, by the province of St. Paulo; on the north, by that of Minas Geraes, from which it is separated by the serra of Mantiqueira. Its territory is generally mountainous, abounding with woods and water. Its produce is rice, Indian corn, feijao, and tobacco; but coffee and sugar are the principal riches of the district. It is alleged, that the frosts, that are consequent on the high elevation of the country, are an obstacle to the culture of cotton and wheat, which flourish only in few situations. It has been demonstrated, that the soil of this district is well adapted for flax; but, as the cultivation of it does not require less labour than in Europe, the apathy of the inhabitants, in a great measure induced by the causes just now glanced at, is the only obstacle to its general production. The orange, pine-apple, bananas, and some other Brazilian fruits, are not abundant. Cattle and horses are bred in very small numbers; pigs and poultry are plentiful. The river Parahiba traverses this district, to which it gives the name, describing innumerable windings, and collecting a great many streams, amongst which may be noted the Barramansa, Bannanal, and Barreiros. The Pirahi is navigable for seven leagues to the church of St. Anna, erected in 1812.

Rezende, created a town during the government of a count of the same name, is situated in an elevated country, upon the right bank of the river Parahiba, which supplies it with fish, and has a parochial church called Our Lady of Conceiçao. Its primitive name was Campoalegre. Coffee and sugar are its exports, and it is distant about sixteen leagues north of Angra.

St. Joao Marcos, erected into a town in 1813, is upon the right bank of the small river Aráras, a western branch of the Lages, and is seven leagues north of Angra, and nineteen west of the capital. Its church is dedicated to the saint from which it takes its name. Its inhabitants cultivate a prodigious quantity of coffee, which is decidedly esteemed the best in the Brazil; also some sugar. It is a halting place for the bands of mules, and travellers coming from the province of St. Paulo to the metropolis; but, like all other towns and places in the Brazil, possesses no inns for the accommodation of the wayfarer, who, if not used to the modes of the country, must cater as well as he can. Proceeding from hence towards St. Paulo, the mountains are of such height, that passes, or ways, are formed only by considerable windings and intricate ascents.

A little above the passage of the Parahibuna, betwixt the Parahiba and the Preto, is the village of Valença, with a hermitage of Our Lady of Glory, (Gloria,) which serves for the devotion of the inhabitants; consisting of four hordes of Christianized Indians, which are the Puris, who are of a small stature; the Araris, whiter and well made; the Pittas, and Xumettos. Some unconverted natives dwell amongst them. Upon the northern bank of the Parahiba, at the passage towards the Parahibuna, is the parish of Our Lady of Conceiçao, (Conception,) inhabited by white people. It is much frequented.

The district of Rio de Janeiro, situated betwixt those of Cape Frio on the east, and Ilha Grande on the south, extends twenty leagues from east to west, and nearly in its centre is the bay of the same name, which receives all the rivers that fertilize this district, with the exception of the Guandu. Its productions do not materially differ from the others, in the conveyance of which to the capital it, however, enjoys greater facility.

ST. SEBASTIAN, better known by the name of Rio de Janeiro, is the most important, populous, and commercial city in the Brazil. It was created a bishopric in the year 1776, and the metropolis of this region, in 1763; from which period, to the arrival of Queen Donna Maria and the royal family, on the 7th of March, 1808, it was governed by seven successive viceroys: these were, the Count da Cunha, the Count d’ Azambuja, the Marquis de Lavrodio, Luiz de Vasconcellas e Souza, the Count de Rezende, Fernando Joze de Portugal, (now the Marquis d’Aguiar,) and Count d’ Arcos, a nobleman highly esteemed by the people under his jurisdiction, which terminated before its natural expiration, in consequence of the events in Portugal that drove the royal family to their Trans-Atlantic possessions. It is affirmed that this fidalgo undeservedly suffered some persecution at this period, in consequence of the intrigues or influence which a certain family, who accompanied the court, had over the Prince Regent, (two of whom have since received titles,) but which influence was counteracted in some measure by the Queen. This fidalgo was afterwards sent as captain-general to Bahia, where he displayed considerable ability at the time the revolution burst forth at Pernambuco, and otherwise advanced the prosperity of the province. The termination of the Pernambucan revolt was attributed to the prompt measures which he adopted. He is now minister of marine in this city. His son received the Hon. Mr. Thornton, our minister at the Brazilian court, on his landing at the Palace-stairs, for whom and his suite three of the royal state carriages were in waiting. It was affirmed, that no minister had ever been received with greater marks of respect. This city is situated in a plain, the major part of which, in former times was washed by the sea, at the base of an accumulation of small hills and mountains of all elevations upon its southern precincts. It extends about two miles in length, from east to west. Its northern side is enclosed by a cordon of five mountains, all oblong, and which leave space only for one street, betwixt their eastern base and the pria (beach.) The central one of these mountains is the highest and most extensive: betwixt some of them, there are streets or roads leading to the margin of the bay. Upon the eastern and lowest elevation is situated the monastery of St. Bento. The adjoining one is crowned with the fort of Conceiçao, and the episcopal palace. On the western one, there is a chapel of St. Diogo, and upon the central one towards the beach, another of Our Lady of Livramento.

In front of the granite rock, upon which St. Bento stands, is the island of Cobras, or Snakes, which is one hundred and sixty-five fathoms long, from east to west, and proportionably wide, not very high, and fortified, having within its precincts a loathsome prison, generally appropriated to the confinement of state prisoners, to which, however, Englishmen have been occasionally sent, for trifling irregularities in regard to passports and other matters of no serious import. There are two trapiches, or warehouses, upon its margin next the channel, which is about one hundred and fifty yards in width. At its northern entrance, merchant vessels lie for the purpose of discharging and taking in their cargoes, which are performed by large barges, at no inconsiderable expense. Almost north-west from the granite rocks of St. Diogo, at a distance of about three quarters of a mile across a point of the bay, and upon a gentle eminence, is situated the hospital of Lazaros, which has a very commanding appearance, and was formerly a house of recreation belonging to the Jesuits, but is now used as a barrack for a regiment of Cassadores, from Portugal, who perform the duty of royal guard at the palace of St. Christovao, about a mile distant from it. Between the rocks of St. Diogo and the lazaretto, a branch of the bay forms a small creek, which separates the Cidade Nova from the village of Matta Porcas. The bridge of St. Diogo, by which they communicate, is constructed of wood. The beach leading from St. Bento to this point, describes several windings and sweeping crescents, formed by projecting headlands, in one of which, upon the side of a gently ascending hill, the English burial-ground presents a conspicuous object. In sailing along the bay, the neat white building that crowns it, the over hanging trees dispersed about, with the already accumulating tombstones, produce a corresponding interest in a feeling mind, on passing the bones of countrymen, resting in a situation so picturesque and sadly tranquil, far removed from their native land. May you rest undisturbed, said I, at the sight, and may those estimable relatives and friends who pay the departed spirits the tribute of affectionate remembrance, journey through life in peace and prosperity.

The houses of Rio de Janeiro are generally built of stone, one story high, with balconies, which formerly were barricadoed with latticed doors and windows, but these were ordered to be removed after the arrival of the royal family. The ground floors, which are not used as shops or stores, still exhibit this miserable and gloomy aspect of closely latticed windows and doors. In the upper part of the latter, wooden latticed windows are introduced, and the whole are most commonly suspended from the top lintel, secured with hinges. The inmates push them outwards, with their hands or heads, for the purpose of obtaining a side view of what is passing in the streets. Numbers of the inhabitants of this city are thus seen resting upon their elbows, the head projecting the lower points of those hanging windows, frequently to the annoyance of persons passing along the very narrow footways.

The streets cross each other at right angles. The Rua Direita, running north and south from the base of the St. Bento Hill to the Palace Square, is the best and widest in the city, and the principal head of others branching off in a westerly direction, which are crossed, at certain distances, by other streets running in a parallel line with the first. Amongst those leading from the Rua Direita, may be enumerated the Rua dos Pescadores, Rua do Sabao, Rua d’Alfandigo, and the Rua d’Ouvidor; which latter is the chief outlet to three or four roads leading from the suburbs of the city, and is, in consequence, tolerably thronged with cabriolets, carriages, mules, and horsemen.

The streets being very narrow, foot passengers experience many inconveniences, and not the least from horsemen, who do not scruple to ride upon the narrow foot-path, which scarcely admits of two people passing, in order to avoid the dirt and holes of the badly paved streets. Another annoyance is the Senhors Picadores, or royal gentlemen mule breakers, the most miserable looking wretches, who assume all the self-will peculiar to their animals, and some of that consequence which the servants of the royal family generally think themselves entitled to. The royal attendants are called, by the Brazilians, the _largura_, that is, the occupiers of all the road, and make no ceremony in upsetting you, or running against the carriage, gig, or horse, of any plebeian they may encounter. Next come the royal cadets, in such a helter-skelter, that it may justly be compared to the suddenness and fury of one of the gusts of wind we experienced in our passage across the Equator. They are the signal of the approach of some part of the royal family; and, as it is the custom for every one they meet to take off their hats, and persons in carriages and on horseback to dismount, it is not a little amusing to see the general bustle that prevails on the occasion of those ceremonial storms, some flying for fear of being ridden over, others drawing up their carriages and horses to a corner or side, and all bending the knee to the royal party. At these times, it is lucky if a person on horseback, caught in such an encounter in a narrow street, gets off without some personal injury.

It may be necessary to observe, that any of the royal family going out are generally attended by a party of cavalry, mounted on small and poor horses, two of which, who are something superior to a common soldier, called cadets, precede the carriage at full gallop, through the streets or along the roads, the rest of the cavalry immediately following it. They are succeeded by other royal cabriolets, with the fidalgos in waiting, the domestic servants proceeding without any order on horseback; amongst whom, he who carries before him, at full gallop, the royal crimson night-stool, is no inexpert horseman.

Some foreigners have resisted the right which the royal cadets assume of compelling them to dismount, and it will be readily conceded, that such a ceremony cannot but be very repugnant to the feelings of Englishmen, Americans, and others, although they have generally complied with it. The Queen, who has the character of being extremely particular and peremptory on this point, a few years since, taking her usual ride to a small cottage and garden, at the bottom of the Orange Valley, met Lord Strangford, who refused to comply with the accustomed ceremony. The cadets instantly insulted his Lordship, by using their swords in compelling him to dismount. The only redress which his Lordship obtained, was the imprisonment of the guards for a short time. About three years ago, Mr. Sumpter, the American minister, met the Queen in the same neighbourhood. The guard rode up to him, saying, “_Apea-se Senr_.” He replied, that he was the American minister, and that he should not dismount, on which they did not hesitate to compel him. Mr. Sumpter said that he did not require any satisfaction for this gross insult, but stated with great spirit, that he should provide himself with holsters and pistols, and would shoot the first person who offered him a similar insult. Very shortly afterwards, he met the Queen’s guard again, who rode up to him, making the same peremptory demand as before. In answer to which, he frankly told them, that the first man who offered him any violence, he would shoot dead upon the spot. This resolute conduct induced them to retire. Upon this, it is said, the Queen ordered them to proceed a second time to dismount Mr. Sumpter; but they were intimidated by his continued firmness. It is generally affirmed that her Majesty was highly incensed at Mr. Sumpter’s conduct, and requested the minister of state to issue an order for his imprisonment in the island of Cobras. The minister prevailed upon her Majesty to wait the result of a despatch to the King upon the subject, who was then forty miles off at St. Cruz, and who gave orders immediately, that no foreigner should be compelled to pay more courtesy than his own Sovereign would require from him. Since that time, however, an English merchant, who was driving his lady in a chaise, was beat by the Queen’s guards, till his arm became quite black, and his life endangered, notwithstanding he had stopped his horse, stood up in the chaise, and took off his hat. In the month of July, 1819, Commodore Bowles was taking a ride near the Orange Valley, when the Queen’s cadets beat him off his horse with their swords. The cadets were sent on board the _Creole_ to apologize for their conduct, and the commodore advised them in future to draw their swords only against an enemy. To the King, who does not require this ridiculous and inconvenient homage, the English generally are desirous of showing their respect by dismounting.

On the northern side of the city is situated an almost oblong square, called the Campo of St. Anna. It is more than a quarter of a mile in length, and about half the width. A church of the same name divides it into two parts. The western part is destined for the Cidade Nova, (or New City,) and increasing in buildings, denoting, however, very little regard to architecture or general comfort in the edifices. Of the eight streets which run into the Campo St. Anna, those of St. Pedro and Sabao are intended to continue under the same names the whole extent of the new city, which is to terminate at the wooden-bridge of St. Diogo already mentioned.

This city is divided into seven parishes; that of St. Sebastian, or the royal chapel, dedicated to the use of the royal family, with a curate chosen from the canons, that of Se, at present with a chapel and also a canonical curate, St. Joze, St. Ritta, St. Anna, St. Francisco Xavier, and Our Lady of Candellaria, the parish church of which, yet incomplete, presents a very handsome frontispiece, and is also the only parochial church in the kingdom, where chaplains, at this time fifteen in number, officiate daily, in form of a collegiate church. There is a house of misericordia, with a hospital for the sick, and an establishment for the reception of orphans, the legitimate offspring of white parents, which place they leave on being married, and receive a certain dowry. There are eleven chaplains for the purpose of praying at canonical hours in the choir of the church. There is a convent of Benedictines and another of Franciscans. The ci-devant convent of the slippered Carmelites now forms a part of the palace, and their church is the royal chapel. The bishop is the chaplain-mor. The chapter is composed at present of twenty-eight canons, of whom eight use the vestments and adopt the usages of the monsenhores of the patriarchal at Lisbon; the others received, by law, the title of Senhoria, in December, 1808; they dress in cloaks, and the whole wear red stockings. There is an alms’ house of Terra-Santa, to entertain the travelling brotherhood. The two seminaries of St. Joze and St. Joaquim are ill attended and as ill conducted. In the latter Dr. Gardner, an English gentleman, lectures on chymistry, but he has few pupils. He receives a stipulated salary, and is appointed by the crown. Also a third order (Terceiras) of St. Francisco d’Assis, of Our Lady of Carmo, with a beautiful chapel, and of St. Francisco de Paula, each with its hospital, either complete or begun, for the poor brothers. The Jesuitical college is converted into a royal military hospital, with schools of surgery; and, agreeably to the tenure of the respective statutes upon this subject, five years are required for the formation of competent surgeons. Amongst other chapels to be remarked, is that of St. Peter, of a circular form, with an arched roof, where ten chaplains perform divine service, and none are admitted into orders, unless they can demonstrate that they are of the brotherhood of St. Peter: St. Cruz, which has an elegant frontispiece; there the military hold their religious festivals: Hospicio, with an arched roof and a cupola: and Our Lady of Gloria, situated upon an elevated point or headland, in great part surrounded with the sea, which forms a very handsome and conspicuous object when viewed from the bay. The hill upon which it stands runs along in uneven elevations as far as Pria Flemingo, where it terminates in an abrupt precipice of granite rock. The front of this hill, facing the bay, nearly in a state of wild nature, was some time ago purchased by Mr. Maiden, an English gentleman, upon the side of which he has erected a very excellent mansion for his own residence, as well as three or four other neat houses, all occupied by English gentlemen; one at the extremity, near the granite rock, is in the possession of the Rev. Mr. Crane. The Gloria Hill is decidedly the most agreeable situation for a residence in the vicinity of Rio: it is elevated, and commands an interesting view of the harbour and all vessels as they enter and leave the port; at the same time enjoying all the advantages of the land and sea breezes. Its only inconvenience is the approach to it, by a steep ascent on the side of the Gloria Chapel.

There are two female convents at Rio de Janeiro. The in-dwellers of one adhere rigidly to their system of strict seclusion from all intercourse with the world: they are Therezian nuns, and the convent is agreeably situated upon an eminence, near the double row of arches in which the aqueduct terminates. The others are Franciscan nuns, and an apartment in their convent of Ajuda is appropriated for the admission of their friends, to converse with them through an iron grating. This convent possesses an antiquated organ, coeval with the establishment, and the hand of man had not been allowed, for many a year, to harmonize the discordancy occasioned by the deteriorating lapse of time. An English professor of music was engaged, under considerable penalties to keep the peace, and presented with a _carte-blanche_ to visit the convent, for the purpose of thoroughly renovating this instrument, which, on accomplishing, he declared was as fine a toned organ as he had ever heard. I was permitted to accompany this gentleman, upon one occasion, under the garb of a servant. We approached a door in the corner of a small inner square, which the outer entrance leads to. A respectful knock produced the opening of a small shutter within the door, when the fine face and black eyes of the watchful porteress were presented at the iron grating. After a parley of a few minutes, during which, at intervals, she examined me with rather a scrutinizing eye, the bolts were withdrawn, and, on entering, we found ourselves at the foot of a flight of spacious stairs, which she ascended with us. At the top we were joined by two other nuns, apparently about the age of forty, who conducted us along a passage or avenue; one of them continuing to sound a bell the whole way, with a view of announcing to the sisterhood that man was within the precincts of the building, whose sight they were thus cautioned to avoid. Our three companions were extremely affable, and conversed with much animation. We arrived, after passing through a considerable part of the building, at the apartment where the organ stood, which was also a place of devotion, and ornamented with the figures of various saints. Creolean slaves soon came, to assist in the operations upon the organ, in which I was an equally awkward performer. Those slaves, unnaturally destined also to be here immured for life, were young and some of them very handsome. At intervals many other nuns came to the door and looked in by stealth. Some gradually overcame their shyness, entered the room, offered up their devotions, repeated their “Avi Marias,” and, by degrees, approached the organ, with which our attention _appeared_ to be absorbed. Nature so triumphed over superstitious habits that many of them became very familiar and lively. One of them sung part of an English song, which my companion had translated into Portuguese, he playing upon the organ as an accompaniment; the others appeared quite delighted, and shouted out “_Viva, viva_.” Upon some of them perseveringly urging me for an air, I gave them a verse of “God save the King,” which, on others coming into the room, I was obliged to repeat. The governesses joined in these occasional bursts of vivacity, and at other times took their stations in different parts of the room, apparently in the posture of devotion, and so situated that they could observe all that was passing. Upon all occasions of their coming in or leaving the room they bent the knee to the figure of Jesus. One of them directed my attention to the beautiful quality of the silk which constituted the vestments on the figure of St. John, and observed, several times, that he appeared _muito triste_ (very sad) that morning. I did not think proper to dissent from this romantic discovery; but I was a little astonished to find that she carried her superstition so far as to imagine that an inanimate figure could actually change its aspect, and, consequently, that it was endowed with vital feeling and thought. She next showed me a _menino Jesu_, (child Jesus,) richly dressed, with a silken band around the waist, from which was suspended an embroidered bag, containing, she said, a piece of the real bone of our Saviour. I ventured here not wholly to conceal my doubts; but she assured me it was so, and that the Queen, whose remains were deposited in the garden of the convent, brought it from Lisbon, and presented it to them: this was conclusive. No doubt they regarded us as pitiable heretics, one of them taking great pains to teach me _Padre Nosso_, _Avi Maria_, _Santa Maria_, all which I was instructed to write in my book, and then compelled to repeat several times to the rest, who seemed very much pleased at my promising symptoms of Catholicism. A very fine girl, about ten years of age, had just entered the convent. I expressed my surprise and regret, to one of the governesses, that so young a child should be shut up here for life; she replied, that it was infinitely better than being exposed to the wickedness of the world. They are involved in great ignorance, but apparently not only comfortable, but happy, and great cleanliness pervaded that part of the convent that we saw. We returned by the same avenues; and the bell, which had been intrusted to my novel management, sending forth rather unusual sounds, induced some of the more secluded sisterhood to peep, with some surprise, out of their cells; and, as I was found not to be intuitively a bellman to their wishes, I was as quickly deprived of my new situation.

An aqueduct, for furnishing water to the Cidade Nova, is nearly completed; in which quarter some new fountains are to be observed, especially the Lagarto, and another in the Campo St. Anna, large, built of stone, and discharging the water by numerous spouts.

The fountains in the eastern district of the city consist of one in the Palace Square, in the shape of a tower, the _Marrecas_; one in the Moura Place; and the _Carioca_, with twelve spouts; all of which are supplied by the aqueduct already mentioned.

A visit to its source I found to be a most interesting excursion. I was accompanied to it by two friends. We directed our course to the village of Matta Cavallos, passing underneath the double arcade, the superior one having forty-two arches, and which conducts the water from the Therezian hill across a valley close to the city. We called upon Mr. Langsdorffe, the Russian consul, and proceeded from his house up a gradual ascent, covered with almost impervious woods, and, after crossing a deep glen, gained the terrace, which is formed by excavation along the sides of mountains and precipices for nearly four miles. As far as two white pillars, opening into the Orange Valley, a distance of about three miles, the terrace has been recently repaired, and forms of itself a very fine promenade. Upon its inner side the range of aqueduct is erected, which is nearly eight feet high, consisting of two walls, a yard from each other, which space is arched over, and encloses the small stream of water that flows rapidly along a channel hewn out of stone. As far as the pillars it has been recently enlivened by white-washing, and at certain distances small apertures are left, for the purpose of ventilation. In some places, small iron gates are introduced into the wall, to admit of the occasional entrance of persons within it; those gates are locked, and an opening is left at the bottom large enough to receive the arm. There is likewise a bason, cut out of the stone, to supply the passers-by with water, which has rather a peculiar flavour.

The eye is delighted with the succession of beautiful scenery which the walk presents, and rambles in undiminished rapture at every point, over the varied and romantic objects which sportive nature has here produced. Precipices above, and accumulated alpines shut in the view to the south and west. Winding glens below, formed by smaller elevations; here and there houses seen almost embosomed in the woody ravines; the valley of Engenho Velho, sprinkled with white houses, which is also the site of the palace of St. Christovao; the city and bay, surrounded with their amphitheatres of mountains; the high soaring masses near the pass to the Tejuca; the towering piles of the Organ range, and others of varied appearance to the right, edging the distant horizon, together form a grand totality, a most animated and animating picture, extending far to the north and east, harmonizing the feelings, and lifting the mind into a profound and pleasing train of wonder and adoration of the all-powerful being who has ordained these noble diversities of nature, over which his creative hand has thrown the graceful and cheerful covering of verdant trees and shrubs, swarming in wild profusion, the hand of man having in few places contributed its aid.

“Hail, Source of beings! Universal Soul Of Heav’n and Earth! Essential Presence, hail! To Thee I bend the knee: to Thee my thoughts Continual climb, who with a master hand Hast the great whole into perfection touch’d.”

This charming picture is lost to view on passing the opening betwixt the pillars, where the prospect, although more confined, is admirable, consisting of the deep recesses of the Orange Valley, the more lofty features of the mountains which encompass it, and the singularly formed Corcovada at its head, all rising into indescribable magnificence. These are scenes that would have delighted and invigorated with new energy the most exalted poets and painters. From hence, a narrower terrace, covered with entwining brushwood, and skirting along the side of the mountains for about a mile, brought us to the head of the valley, where the origin of the aqueduct is marked, by an inscription, to have taken place in the year 1744. Its source is adorned with a fine cascade, at the foot of which, a declining platform of rocks, overshadowed with trees, and refreshed with the falling water, afforded us a delightful retreat from the rays of the sun; and here in reality we enjoyed the refreshment a slave had brought for us: above us the rugged mountains in precipices and the stony bed of the rivulet were seen, overhung with high trees and shrubs as far as the eye could reach. In this place, and from these waters, a poetical mind must, indeed, imbibe those draughts of inspiration which the vale of Tempe, and the mountain and stream of Parnassus are fabled to have produced. A long and intricate path leads from hence to the summit of the Corcovada Mountain; below us there was an abrupt and rocky steep, its sides covered with thickly growing brushwood, down which the water descended in a murmuring course to the valley; the whole of its varieties of verdure and fertility, with the bay of Bota-fogo at its lower extremity, was within our view. A winding road led us to a point, where we descended by a difficult way into the valley, while its fine oranges, growing spontaneously, supplied us with a dessert. It is beautified with some elegant houses, of one of which, at the bottom, almost opposite to the Queen’s cottage, the accompanying sketch is a specimen. Our way from hence continued by the Cateta and the Gloria to Rio.

The open spaces of the city, denominated squares, consist of the Palace Square, one hundred and fifty yards long, and eighty wide, with two good landing stairs from the bay; of the Roceo, one hundred and eighty yards long, and one hundred wide; and the Capim, recently called Peloirinho. In the Cidado Nova, there is one which occupies the intermediate space of the crossing of four streets; but, although these are open spaces, they have little regularity or semblance to any thing that produces the idea of a square. The Royal Palace which has more the appearance of a manufactory than the residence of a king, is composed of that formerly occupied by the viceroys, the convent of the Carmelites, and the senate-house, united by passages, the first forming the southern side of the square, and the latter the western. The northern side consists of a row of houses, which are private property, with two stories the same as the others. The first portion has twenty-four windows on the side, and nine in front towards the bay, the lower part of which is occupied by the guards and some public offices, the rooms above are generally used by the King for public levees. Some of the merchants and groups of the male inhabitants frequent every evening that part of the square, and the walls adjoining the landing places and bordering the bay afford convenient seats, which are fully occupied. Here the arrival of vessels is ascertained, and the sea-breeze enjoyed.

The mint, the armory, the naval arsenal, and that of the military, (called _trem_,) and the custom house, are the principal public buildings; but of themselves present nothing particularly worthy of remark. There are various public trapiches, or warehouses for the deposit of produce. The public gardens, which are stated by some travellers to have been fully and gaily attended some twelve or fourteen years ago, are now quite unfrequented, and sunk into neglect. This place of resort in former times consists of about two acres of ground, bordering upon the bay, enclosed with a high wall, and neatly laid out in walks of trees, overhung with a variety of evergreen foliage. There is a stone terrace at the end, ascended by two flights of steps, commanding a view of the bay, with the remains of two pavilions, and other mutilated objects. This place is not left without regret, that so cool and agreeable a situation, and so well calculated for a public promenade, is permitted to fall into decay. For the administration of justice the same tribunals exist here as at Lisbon. At the period of the suppression of the board of inspection, in 1808, was created the tribunal of the royal junta of commerce, agriculture, manufactures, and navigation, composed of ten deputies, a president, a secretary, and an official maior, (officiating mayor.) The Jesuitical library is open to the public; it contains about sixty thousand volumes, amongst which there are but few modern works, and a great many old ones on theology. I was in the habit of frequenting it, and as is the custom at the national library in Paris, the librarian attends, immediately brings any book that may be required, and places it upon a small reading desk on the table, with which each person is accommodated. The very small number who attended consisted generally of priests and friars. Manufactories have yet acquired no footing in this city; there is however, one of sail-cloth, and another of silk stockings; also, a few miles distant, at Andrahi, there are works for printing cottons upon a small scale, and conducted by a person who has been in England. Coarse cottons are manufactured in the interior of Brazil, and they pass the shuttle with the hand, according to the mode used in England formerly.

The only place of amusement in Rio is the theatre, erected within the last few years, and which, in point of external appearance, is beyond mediocrity. It contains four tiers of boxes on each side of the house, thirteen in each tier, making, in the whole, one hundred and four boxes, which are extremely gloomy, being shut in at the sides. The royal box occupies the whole of the space fronting the stage, above which there is a small gallery; and the pit contains about four hundred persons. The orchestra is esteemed very tolerable; but the performances are indifferent. Two French dancers and their wives are at present the magnets of attraction; and there is great emulation between them for the palm of superiority. The Campo St. Anna contains a large building, erected for the purpose of bull-baiting; but the Brazilian bull not possessing the fire and fury of this animal in Europe, was the reason of its falling into disuse, and creditable would it be if so irrational and cruel an amusement was discontinued. Within the last two years, this building was the scene of the various feats in horsemanship of Mr. Southby and his troop, for which it is well adapted. The clown, soon acquiring some of the local peculiarities of the people, produced amongst them a fund of merriment they had been little accustomed to; and they expressed themselves more highly astonished and pleased with those performances, and the wonderful display of agility by Mrs. Southby on the tight rope, than any thing they had ever before witnessed.

The city of Rio de Janeiro was taken by the French, in the year 1711, under M. Duguay Truin, and afterwards recovered by the people. In the preceding year, M. du Clerc had entered the town, conducted by two fugitive negroes, from Ilha Grande.

There are three principal roads leading from this city, none of which are adapted to the use of a carriage for more than six or seven miles. The first, leading to the southward, after passing the public gardens and the Lapa, proceeds, for a short distance, along the banks of the bay, commanding a view of its entrance, which is soon interrupted by the Gloria Hill, behind which the road passes, and continues in a parallel line with the Pria Flemingo, which is adorned with several neat houses, many of them occupied by English merchants. The Hon. Mr. Thornton had taken up a temporary residence in one of them. After crossing a small bridge at the Cateta, the road conducts, for about a mile and a half, betwixt luxuriant and verdant hedges, to the beach or Pria of Bota-fogo, which is a fine bay, shut in by picturesque promontories and headlands, leaving only a narrow channel for the ingress and egress of its waters. This beach is edged with some of the neatest and most elegant houses in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro, many of them occupied by fidalgos, and others by English merchants; one of which, in the possession of Mr. Harrison, exhibits all the beauty, elegance, and comfort of an English villa. Bye-roads lead from hence to the Pria Vermelha, to the royal powder manufactory, and the botanical garden already mentioned. In many parts the Cateta road is in a very bad state of repair, and the holes and hollow places form pools of water after the least fall of rain. The other two roads lead to the north of the city, both branching from the Campo St. Anna, and again communicate in passing Matta Porcas. The first and principal one proceeds from the right of the Campo, and continues for about a mile and a half, to the wooden bridge of St. Diogo, across a marshy flat, which eight or ten years ago was impassable, and is now denominated the Cidade Nova, of which it may in time constitute a portion. The road of the Cidade Nova, being the daily route of the royal family, is kept in pretty good order, as well as the whole road as far as the palace of Christovao, which at Matta Porcas turns to the right, and continues for about two miles along a level, with amphitheatres of various and picturesque mountains in every direction. After crossing the third brook, by a small bridge, the way to the palace turns to the left, when a handsome entrance is discovered, not in unison with the palace, but consisting of a wall and iron palisades, extending about thirty yards on each side of it, without any contiguous lodge or building. From hence the road sweeps to the left, up a gentle acclivity, to the eminence upon which the palace stands, fronted by a square, not embellished with shrubs and grass-plots, but of deep sand, which is entered by the left corner, and not by the grand entrance, composed of the elegant gates, a counterpart of those at Sion House, and sent as a present to his Majesty by the Duke of Northumberland. They are placed in the centre betwixt pillars of granite, peculiar to the country, and two lodges, the remainder on each side along the whole front of the palace being completed with palisades of Portuguese workmanship. It will excite some surprise in the reader to be informed, that the outer part, which should form a road to this entrance, is allowed to remain in its natural state of hollow and uneven ground, when no very great labour would be required to render it complete. At present, the gates are in disuse, the lodges closed, and, with the aid of the dirt and gunpowder arising from the fire-works ranged along their front, on occasions of religious festivals, the whole already appears in a course of dilapidation. The palace is one story high, perfectly plain, without any pretensions to elegance, or the semblance of any order of architecture, and can boast of nothing but the beauty of its situation. It might, indeed, be mistaken, at a distance, for a manufactory, in consequence of the windows being so crowded together, and particularly at night, when it is lighted up.

The road, from the point which leads to the palace, continues by either turning a little further on to the left, and ascending a hill, or by the Campo St. Christovao, which sweeps round the hill and meets the other road on the opposite side, and afterwards leads on to the province of St. Paulo and Minas Geraes. It is the grand track of the miners and others coming from distant districts, and presents successive troops of mules, laden with different produce, attached to their curious and rudely constructed pack-saddles, by straps of raw hides.

The road of St. Christovao and the Cidade Nova, are generally crowded by these caravans, their drivers of all complexions, dressed in cotton shirts and trowsers, with slouching hats, and combined with the horses and mules, carrying persons of rather a superior order coming also from the interior, amount to the aggregate number of at least two thousand passing and re-passing daily. It would be difficult to describe the variety of costume and rude appearance of the latter persons, many of whom are dressed in black or dirty white hats, with prodigious rims, a capote, or cloak, frequently of sky-blue, thrown round the front part of the body, and being crossed behind them, hangs in folds on each side of the mule. The bits of their bridles, their saddles, and stirrups, are of various antiquated and fantastic shapes. Some wear boots of brown leather, closely fitted to the leg, bound round the top with a strap and large buckle; others with capotes, large hats, &c. wear neither shoes nor boots, but introduce the great toes only into the stirrups, and with large heavy spurs upon the naked heels, are not the least remarkable among these burlesque figures. I have frequently ridden with them, and always found that they were communicative and