Decembe a coPPer c° in> ^ e that in Portugal, of five and ten ree
pieces. A ree is a nominal coin of Portugal, ten of which
are equal in value to about three farthings fterling.
The harbour of Rio de Janeiro is fituated W. by N. 18
leagues from Cape Frio, and may be known by a remarkable
hill, in the form of a fugar-loaf, at the weft point of the
b a y; but as all the coaft is very high, and rifes in many
peaks, the entrance of this harbour may be more certainly
diftinguiihed by the iflands that lie before i t ; one of which,
called Rodonda, is high and round like a hay-ftack, and lies
at the diftance of two leagues and an half from the entrance
of the bay, in the diredtion of S. by W .; but the firft iflands
which are met with, coming from the eaft, or Cape Frio, are
two that have a rocky appearance, lying near to each other,
and at the diftance o f about four miles from the Ihore: there
are alfo at the diftance of three leagues to the weftward
of thefe, two other iflands which lie near to each other, a
little without the bay on the eaft fide, and very near the
Ihore. This harbour is certainly a good one ; the entrance
indeed is not wide, but the fea breeze, which blows every
day from ten or twelve o’clock till funfet, makes it eafy for
any Ihip to go in before the wind; and it grows wider as
the town is approached, fo that abreaft of it there is room
for the largeft fleet, in five or fix fathom water, with an oozy
bottom. At the narrow part, the entrance is defended by two
forts. The principal is Santa Cruz, which Hands on the eaft
point of the bay, and has been mentioned before; that on
the weft fide is called fort Lozia, and is built upon a rock
that lies clofe to the main ; the diftance between them is
about 4 of a mile, but the channel is not quite fo broad, be-
caufe there are funken rocks which lie oft' each fort, and in
this part alone there is danger: the narrownefs of the channel
caufes the tides, both flood and ebb, to run with confi-
2 derable
derable ftrength, fo that they cannot be Hemmed without a '76®- ° f Decembe
frefh breeze. The rockynefs of the bottom makes it alfo v— y—.
unfafe to anchor here ; but all danger may be avoided by
keeping in the middle of the channel. Within the entrance,
the courfe up the bay is firft N. by W. È, W. and N. N.W.
fomething more than a league ; this will bring the vefiel the
length of the great road; and N.W. and W. N.W. one league
more will carry her to the Ifle dos Cobras, which lies before
the city: ihe fhould then keep the north fide of this ifland
clofe on board, and anchor above it, before a monaftery of
Benediftines which ftands upon a hill at the N. W. end of
the city.
The river, and indeed the whole coaft, abounds with a
greater variety of fiih than we had ever feen; a day feldom
pafled in which one or more of a new fpecies were not
Brought to Mr. Banks: the bay alfo is as well adapted for
catching thefe filh as can be conceived; for it is full of fmall
iflands, between which there is lhallow water, and proper
beaches for drawing the feine. The fea, without the bay,
abounds with dolphins, and large mackrel o f different kinds,
which readily bite at a hook, and tire inhabitants always tow
one after their boats for that purpofe.
Though the climate is hot, the fituation of this place is
certainly wholefome; while we flayed here the thermometer
never rofe higher than 83, though we had frequent rains,
and once a very hard gale of wind.
Ships water here at the fountain in the great fquare, though,
as I have obferved, the water is not good; they land their
calks upon a fmooth fandy beach, which is not more than a
hundred yards diftant from the fountain, and upon application
to the Viceroy, a centinel will be appointed to look after
F 2 them,