light during the night; and at twelve o’clock the night-fignal was made for the
fleet to bring-to.
A t fix the next morning we made fail again, and foon after paffed the Ifle of
May, diftant about four leagues, bearing N. W. by W . of us. Between nine
»and ten o’clock we made the fouth end of the Ifland of St. Iago, and at the distance
o f about two leagues. The wind freftiening foon after we faw the ifland,
at noon we were ranging along the fouth fide o f it, with the fignal flying for the
convoy to prepare to anchor; but at the moment of our opening Praya-bay,
and preparing to haul round the fouthern extremity of it, the fleet was Suddenly
taken aback, and immediately after baffled by light airs. We could however
perceive, as well by the colours at the fort, as by thofe of a Portuguefe fnow
riding in the bay, that the wind blew dire&ly in upon the fhore, which would
have rendered our riding there extremely hazardous ; and as it was probable
that our coming to an anchor might not have been effected without fome accident
happening to the convoy, Captain Phillip determined to wave, for the Superior
eonfideration o f the Safety o f the fleet under his care, the advantages he
might otherwise have derived from the Supply of frefh provifions and vegetables?
to be procured there : the breeze therefore coming off the land, and with fuffi*
cient effect to carry us clear of the ifland and its variable weather, the anchor-
ing fignal was taken in, and we made fail about two o’clock, the fleet ftanding
away due fouth. Our Sudden departure from the ifland, we imagined, muff
have proved Some disappointment to the inhabitants, as we noticed that a gun
was fired at the fort, fhortly after our opening the b a y ; a fignal, it was fup-
pofed, to the country people to bring down their articles for trade and barter.
On the 14th of July the fleet croffed the equator in the 26th degree of eaft
longitude. Such perfons as had never before croffed the Line were compelled
to undergo the ridiculous ceremonies which thofe who were privileged were
allowed to perform on them.
From this time our weather was pleafant, and we had every appearance of
foon reaching our next port, the Rio de Janeiro, on the Brazil coaft.
The track which we had to follow was too beaten to afford us any thing
new or interefting. Captain Phillip propofed making the Ifland of Trinidada;
but the eafterly winds and Southerly currents which we had met with to the
northward of the Line having Set us fo far to the weftward when we eroded it,
he gave up all expectation of feeing it, and on the 28 th altered his courfe, fleering
S. W. Trinidada is laid down in 20° 2 5 'fouth latitude, and 28° 3 5 'well
longitude, while we at noon on the 29th were in 190 3 6 'fouth latitude, and
330 t8' weft longitude.
The longitude, when calculated by either altitudes o f the fun, for the timepiece,
^of Kendal’s conftru&ing, which was Sent out by the Board of Longitude,)
or by the means o f feveral fets of lunar obfervations, which were taken by Captain
Hunter, Lieutenant Bradley, and Lieutenant Dawes, was conftantly ihewn
to the convoy, for which purpofe the fignal was made for the whole to pafs under
the ftern of the Sirius, when a board was fet. up in fome confpicuous part of
the Ihip with thé longitude marked on it to that day at noon.
A good look-out (to make ufe of the fea-phrafe ufual on thefe occafions) was
kept for an ifland, not very well known or defcribed, which was laid down in
fome charts, nearly in the track which we were to crofs, but it was not feen by-
any of the (hips of the fleet; nor was implicit credit given to its exiftence, although
named, (the, Ifland of Afcenfion,) and a latitude and longitude affigned
to it. It was conjeftured, that the iflands of Martin Vas and Trinidada, lying
within about five leagues of each other, had given rife to the idea o f a new.
ifland, and that Afcenfion was in reality one or other o f thofe iflands.
Only twö accidents happened during the pafiage to the Brazils. A feaman
belonging to the Alexander was fo unfortunate as to fall overboard, and could
not be recovered— and a female convict on board the Prince o f Wales was fo
-touch bruifed by the falling Of a boat from off the booms, (which, owing to the
violent motion of the (hip, had got loofe,) that (he died the following day, not-
withftandiUg the profelEonal (kill and humane attention o f the principal furgeon ;
for as the boat in launching forward fell upon the, neck andcrulhed the vertebras:
and fpine, all the aid' he could render her was of no avail.
On Thurfday the 2d o f Auguft we had the coaft o f South America in fight;.
and the head-land, named Cape Frio, was diftindlly feen before the evening
clofed in. Our time-piece had given uS notice when to look out for it, and the
land was made precifely to the hour in which it had taught us to expect it. It
was not, however, until the evening »of the 4th that we anchored within the
iflands at the entrance of the harbour of Rio de Janeiro.
A t day-break the next morning an officer was difpatched from the Sirius to
inform-the viceroy of the arrival of the fleet; and he moll readily and politely
promifed us every afliftance in his power. A fhip bound to Lilbon paffing us
about noon, that opportunity was taken of fending an account' to England o f
the fortunate progrefs which we had fo far made in the long voyage before us -
foon after which.the port-officer, or harbour-mafter, came On board, and, the.
fea-breeze beginning to blow, the fleet got under fait; About five in the afternoon
we croffed the bar, and foon after paffing the fort of Santa Cruz, faluted it
with thirteen guns, which were returned by an equal number o f guns from the
fort. While faluting, it fell calm ; but by the afliftanee pf a light breeze which,
afterwards fprung up, and the tide pf flood, the Sirius was enabled to reach far
enough in by feven o’clock to come to an anchor in the harbour of Rio de
Janeiro ;•