engaged, that, in order to ingratiate himfelf with his Spanijh cor-
refpondents (for no other reafon can be givfen for'his procedure), he
treacheroufly difpatched an exprefs to Buenos Ayres, in the river of
Plate, where Pizarro then lay, with an account of our arrival, and
the ftrength of our fquadron ; particularly mentioning the number
o f Ihips, guns, and men, and every circumftance which he could
fuppofe our enemy .defirous of being acquainted with: and the .fame
perfidy every Britijh cruizer may expedt, who touches at St. Catherine's,
while it is under the government of Don Jofe Sylva de P a z.
Thus much, with what we fhall be neceffitated to relate in the
pourfe of our own proceedings, may fuffice, as to the prefent Rate
o f St. Catherine's, and the chara&er of its Governor. But as the
reader may be defirous o f knowing to what caufts the. late new
modeling of this fettlement is owing i to fatisfy him in this particular,
it will be neceflary to give a ffiort account o f the adjacent-
continent of Brazil, and of the wonderful difcoveries which have
been made there within theft laft forty years, which, from a country
of but mean eftimation, has rendered it now perhaps the moll
confiderable colony on the face of the globe.
This country was firft difcovered by Americas Vefputio, a Florentine,
who had the good fortune to be honoured with giving his
name to the immenfe continent, fome time before found out by
Columbus, Vefputio being in the fervice o f the Portuguefe, it was
fettled and planted by that nation, and, with the ether dominions,
of Portugal, devolved to the Crown- o f Spain, when that kingdom
became fubjeS to it. During the long war between Spain, and the
States of Holland, the Dutch poffeffed themfelves o f the Northera-
moff part of Brazil, and were mailers o f it for fome years. But
when the Portugtieft revolted from the Spanijh Government, this
country took part in. the revolt,, andfoon repoffeffed themfelves of
the places the Duteh had ta k e n fin c e whieh time it has continued,.
without interruption, under the Crown of Portugal, being,
tali the beginning of the prefent century, only produdtive- of fugas
and. tobacco, and a few other commodities of very little account. Bait
R O U N D T H E W O R L D , , AP
But this country, which for many years was. only confidered for 0
the produce o f its plantations, has beep lately difcovered to abound
with the two minerals, which mankind hold in the greateftefteem,
and which they exert their utmoft art and induftry in acquiring,
I mean, gold and diamonds. Gold was firft found in the. mountains,
which lie adjacent to the city of Rio Janeiro. The occafipn of its
difcovery is varioufly related; but the moft common account is,
that the Indians, lying on the back of the Porfugue/e ftttlements,
were obferved by the foldiers, employed in an expedition agamft
them, to make ufe of this metal for their filh-hooks; and their
manner of procuring it being enquired into, it appeared that great
quantities of it were annually waftied from the hills, and left
amongft the fand and gravel, which remained in the vallies after the
running-off or evaporation of the water. It is now little more than
forty years fince any quantities of gold, worth notice, have been
imported to Europe from B ra zil; but, fince that time, the annual
imports from thence have been continually augmented, by the difcovery
of places in other provinces, where it is to be, met with as
plentifully as at firft about Rio Janeiro., And it is now faid, that
there is a final! flender vein of it fpread through all the country, at
about twenty-four feet from the furface; but that this vein is too.
thin and poor to anfwer the expence of digging : hpwever, where
the rivers or rains have had any courfo for a confiderable time, there
gold is always to. be colleaed, the water having feparated the metal
from the earth, and depofited it in the fands, thereby faving the
expences of digging : fo that it is efleemed. an infallible gain, to.be
able to divert a ftream from its channel, and to ranfack its bed,
From this account of gatheriug this, metal, it fhould follow, that
there are properly no gold mines in B ra zil; and. this the Governor
o f Rio Grande (who, being at St. Catherines, frequently vifited
Mr. Anfon) did moft confidently affirm, alluring us, that the gold
was all collefled either from rivers, or from the beds of torrents after
floods. It is indeed aflerted, that, in the mountains, large rocks
are found abounding with this metal; and 1 myfelf have feen the
fragment of one o f theft rocks, with a . confiderable Jump or gold
° intangleu