Janeiro ; the convoy alfo anchored as they came up, at the diftance o f about a
mile and a half from the landing-place, which was found very commodious.
Our paffage from Teneriffe, although rather a long one, had fortunately been
unattended with any difeafe, and the furgeon reported that we had brought in
only ninety-five perfons fick, comprehending every defcription of people in the
fleet. Many, however,. o f this number were bending only under the preffure of
age and its attendant infirmities, having no other complaints among them.
On the morning after our arrival the intendant o f the port, with the ufual
officers, repaired on board the Sirius, requiring the cuftomary certificates to be
given, as to what nation ffie belonged to, whither bound, the name of her commander,
and his reafon for coming into that port; to all which fatisfa&ory an-
fwers were given ; and at eleven o’clock the day following Captain Phillip, accompanied
by the officers of the fettlement, civil and military, waited upon Don
Louis Vafconcellos, the viceroy of the Brazils, at his excellency’s palace, who
received them with much politenefs, readily affenting to a tent being pitched on
fhore for the purpofe of an obfervatory ; as well as to the drawing of the Seine
in. different parts o f the bay for filh; only pointing out the reftri£tions that
would be neceffary to prevent the failors from ftraggling into the country. On
their taking leave, it was moft politely intimated, that no reftraint would be im-
pofed upon the officers, whenever they came on fhore to the town, in which they
were free to pafs wherever they defired. A conduct fo oppofite to that in general
obferved to foreigners in this port could by us be attributed pnly to the great
efteem in which Captain Phillip was held here by all ranks o f people during the
time of his commanding a Ihip in the Portuguefe ferviee ; for on being informed
o f the employment he now held, -rthe viceroy’s guard was directed to pay him
the fame honours during his ftay here, that were paid to himfelf as the reprefent-
ative of the crown of Portugal.
The palace of the viceroy flood in the Royal Square, o f which, togetherwith
the public prifon, the mint, and the opera-houfe, it formed the right wing. O f
thefe buildings the opera-houfe -alone was fhut u p ; and we were informed, that
the gloom which was thrown over the court and kingdom of Portugal by the
death of the late king, had extended in full force to the colonies, alfo ; all private
and public amufements being fince that time difcouraged as much as poffible,'
the viceroy himfelf fetting the example. Once a-week, indeed, his excellency
had a mufic-meeting at the palace for the entertainment,of himfelf and' a few
feleft friends; but nothing more.
The town o f St. Sebaftian (or, as it- is more commonly named, the town of
Rio de Janeiro, which was in fa£l the name of the river forming the bay, on the
weftem fide of which was built the town) is large, and was originally defigned to
have
have had an elevated) and airy fifuation, but was, unfortunately for the inhabitants',
ere&edon low ground along the fhore, and in a recefs almoft wholly out
o f the reach o f the refrefhing fea-breeze, which was obferved to be pretty regular
in its vifitations. The inhabitants, neverthelefs, deemed>the air falubrious ; and
we were informed thatf epidemic diftempers were rare among them. In their
ftreets, howe'ver, were frequently feen objects of wretchednefs and mifery, crawling
about with moft painful-and, difgufling fwellings in their legs and privities.
The hofpital, which had formerly been a Jefuit’s convent, ftood near the fummit
of - the,hill, in an open fituation, at the back of the town. From the great efti-
mation in which Englifli furgeoaiMwere held here, it would feem that the town is
not,too well provided in_ that- refpe£t. . Senor Ildefonfe., the principal in the
place, had ftudied in England, where he went under the courfe o f furgical education
, called walking the hofpitals, and might by his practice in this place, which
was confiderable, and quite .as much as he could attend to, have foon realifed a
handfome fortune ; but we underftood, that to the poor or neceffitous fick he
always adminiftered gratis.
The townfhip of the Rio de Janeiro was faid to contain on the whole not lefs
than 49,000 people, exclufive of the native Indians and negroes. Thefe laft appear
to be very numerous,, of a ftrong robuft appearance, and are brought
from the coaft ;o f . Guinea, forming an extenfive article of commerce. With
thefe people o f both fexes the ftreets were conftantly filled, fcarcely any
other defcription o f people being feen in them. Ladies or gentlemen were
never feen on foot in the ftreets during the d a y ; thofe whofe bufinefs or
inclination led them out being carried in clofe chairs, the pole of which came
from the head of the vehicle, and refted on the fhoulders of the chairmen,
having, notwithftanding the gaudinefs of the chair itfelf, a very awkward
appearance.
The language fpoken here by the white people was that of the mother country—
Portuguefe. The ecclefiaftiqs in general could converfe in Latin; and
the negro flaves fpoke a corrupt mixture of their own tongue with that o f the
people of the town. The native Indians retained their own- language, and could
be diftinftly difcerned from the natives of Guinea, as well by the colour of the
{kin, as by the hair and the features of the face. Some few of the military converted
in -French ; but this language was in general little iifed.
- The town appeared to be well fupplied with water, which was conveyed into
it , from a great diftance by means of an aquedud, (or carioca,) which in one
place having to crofs a road or public way was railed upon a double row of
ftrong lofty arches, forming an object that from the bay, and at the entrance of
the harbour, added confiderably to the beauty of the imagery. From this aqued
* dull