A Y O -V A
fbpplies to be fent to us. We were difpleafed on receiving this intelligence, as we*
had expected to have met with agreeable entertainment on. ihore. Mr. Banks and
D e. Solander appeared much chagrined, at their dilappointment: but, not with—
Handing all the viceroy’s precautions, we determined to gratify our curioiity, in'
fome meafure, and having, obtained a fuflicient knowledge of the river and harbour,,
by the furveys that we had made of the country, we frequently, unknown to the;
centinel, Hole out of the cabin window at midnight, letting ourfelves down into«
a boat by.a rope j. and,, driving , away with the tide till we were out of hearing, we
then rowed to fome unfrequented part.of the ihore, where we landed; and made-
excurfions.up into the country,. though.-not fo-far as-we could have wiihed to have,
done. The morning after we went aihore, my eyes, were feafted with the.pleafing.;
profpe&s that opened to my view, on every hand. I foon difcovered a^ hedge in*
which were many very curious plants in bloom, and all of; them quite new.to m e..
There were.fo many, that I eyen loaded-my felf with them. We found alfo many
curious plants in the fallading that was fent to us j and deiired the people that::
brought, it, to procure us,, if poflible, all the different.forts, that grew upon thev
ifland.
We Had plenty of fiih from the markets every.dSy, o f which they are furnifhed,
with a,great variety.
We often picked off fome curious molCifca froR*thteTurfa'ce ofT the feaand alfo;-
landinfedts of feverai kinds alive,,, which floated round.the fhip upon .the water.
The country,„adjacent to the. city, of Rio de Janeiro, is~ mountainous, , full. of.
wood,, and but a very little part of it appears to be cultivated. The foil near the.
river is a kind of loam, mixt with fand 3 but farther up in the country we found;
a fine, black mould._ All the tropical .fruits/ fuch-as melons, .oranges, mangoes,,
lemons, limes, cocoa nuts and plantains, are to be met with here in great plenty.,.
The air, it feems, is but feldom-extremely hot, as they have a breeze of wind.from..,
the fea every morning j and generally a land wind at night *.
* S. Parkinfon had not been i^le from the time he left England, having,, as appeared by a letter
from him to his brother, finiihed 100 drawings on various fubjedts, and taken iketehes of many more;
which he. intended to have finiihed if he. had lived to-return.
On.
On the 7th of December, 1768, our necefiary provifions, and other fupplies, having
been taken on board, we left the harbour of Rio de Janeiro, coafting along
the Brazils, and met with nothing worthy of note till the 22d of the fame month,
except, .that-in coming,,out of the harbour, Mr. Eloweri, an experienced feaman,
fill from the main Ihiouds'into the fea, and was drowned before we could reach;-
him*
On the 22d,.,we faw a.great many birds of the .procellaria genus, in latitude.
39° 3 7 ' H longitude 49" 1 6 ' W . and we alfo met withJhoals of porpoifes of a.
very lingular fpecies« - -
On the 23d of December, we obferved an eclipfe of the moon; and about fevem
in the morning a bright cloud in the weft, from which a .ftream of fire proceeded t~
it bore away to the weftward, and <about two- minutes after we heard two loudi
exploiions like that of;a cannon j . and then the cloud foon difappeared-
Oh the 24th, . we caught'a logger-head tortoife/ which weighed' one -hundred/
and fifty pounds ; -and fliot feverai birds, one of which was an albatros, that mea~
fured, from the tip of one wing to. the dther,. nine feet one inch ; and from the-
bfeak to the tail two feet one inch and a half. Some time after, we met with fome:--
fcards of .the fame.kind that meafured,fourteen feet from the tips of the wings*
The thermometer, in the middle of the day, w.as. from; 66 to 169 i and in ther
evening 62,: when the air wasnotfo dry..
Ohrthe 29th, we faw-feverai'parcels of rock weed j and, from this time to-the:
3'Oth, the weather was very unfettled j the wind fometimes blowing very hard 5,,
at others only a moderate gale j and then quite calm..
For feverai eveningsy fwarms of butterflies, moths, and other infedtey. flew about '
iMe rigging, which we apprehended had been blown to us from the ihore..' Thou—
&nds.o£:them. fettled upon, the veflel 5, Mr., Banks ordered, the men. to gather them*.
1 8 §