This country is very mountainous, yet it is cultivated to the very tops of the
mountains ; and, being covered with vines,, citrons, oranges, and many other fine-
fruit-trees, it appears like one wide, extended, beautiful, garden. During our
flay on this ifland we refided at Fonchiale, which is the capital. Mr. Banks
and Dr. Solander lodged at the houfe of the Britifh. conful, W. Cheap,. efq. and.
made feveral excuriions into the country.. .
A great part of the beft proviiions ufed on this iiland are imported from England"
and other parts of Europe, efpecially fuoh^s are eaten at dinner; from whence
alfo they import moil of their utenfils and wearing-apparel; fo that, many of the .
jyeceiTaries o f life bear a very high, price amongft them..
While the ihip lay in this harbour, we had the misfortune of; lofing.Mr. Ware,,,
the chief-mate, who was a very honeft worthy man, and-oneof oUr beil feament
His death was ocoafioned by an unlucky accident which happened to him while
he flood in the boat to lee one of the anchors flipped. . The buoy-rope-, happening;,
to entangle one of his legs, he was drawn overboard., and drowned before -we.
could lend him anyaffiitance..
Having taken in a fupply of water, wines, and other neceflaries, on then 9th
o f September we proceeded on our voyage, with the wind_at E. S. E. and on the.
22d faw the iflands of Salvages, at about two leagues and a half diflance. They*
lie between Madeira and the Canaries, arefmall and uninhabited*.
On the 23d we fell in with the trade-winds at N. J3. and on the;fame day difi-
covered the peak, of Teneriffe..
On the 24th we failed between that peak and the grand Canary iflands. In out"
paflage we faw fome land birds,, and caught.two o f them,, which were very much,
like our water wag-taiL.
On the 29th, we had a view of the iiland. of Bona Villa,, at about four leagues»
diflance«.
Nothing-
Nothing material occurred from the 29th to the 7th of October ; then we had
•variable winds, with fome ihowers of rain ; and the dampnefs of the air greatly
affeded all our iron utenfils. We caught two fea fwallows, and feveral curious
marine animals, of the molufca tribe, fueh as fea-worms, flar-fifh, and fea
•urchins.
On the 21 ft, we reached theS.È. trade wind, and continued our courfe without
any remarkable occurrence till the 8th of November ; then we difcovered
land at about eight leagues diftancè,' and(poke with the crew of a Portugueze fiih-
ing vefTel, Of whom Mr. Banks bought a great quantity "of fifh, among which
•were dolphins and breams, which afforded much /peculation to our naturaliils.
After having left the vèiTel, we flood in for the land, which proved to be the
Brazils; and coafled along the fhore till the 13th, and then failed into the harbour
of Rio de Janeiro, which lies in latitude 220 56' fouth, and longitude 420 45'
•weft ; but before we arrived in the harbour, the captain had lent Mr. Hicks, the
f rii lieutenant, and the chief mate, in the pinnace, to the viceroy, to obtain a pilot*
however, as the wind was fair, the captain ventured to continue failing on, and
•was affifled by fignals from the forts.
The viceroy detained the lieutenant and the mate, and fent back the pinnace
■with three of his own officers in it (of which one was a colonel) but no pilot. The
.colonel told us, that' our "officers would only be detained till the ihip fhould be
examined, according to cuftom-: we therefore flood forward into the harbour, and
anchored near the north end of Ilhos dos Scobros, or Snakes Iiland ; but the
•colonel would not permit any of us to go afhore.
Our lieutenant had been initruCled to evade anfwering any queflions cnePortu-
rgtieze might ■ afk hrm rèfpèifting our deftinatión ; or at leafl to anfwer them with
referve : the captain thought fuch queflions would be impertinent, as our veflel
«was a ihip of war.; and the lieutenant obferved thefe directions.
The viceroy held a council, the refult of which was, to prohibit any perfon
«coming on -fhore from our -ihip ; but they condefcended to order all neceflary
I f 2 fup.plies