P O R T U G U E S E .
T he dominions in South America, held by the ftiiall kingdom l!bf
Portugal, extend from the frontier of Dutch Guiana', lat. 30 N. *#p'Ört
St. Pedro, S. lat. 32a being thirty-five degrees, Or 21 chKg. mites : and the
breadth, from Cape St. Roque ib on
the river of Amazons, called St. Paul de Omagua's, equals,. if ‘it-Sp lot
exceed, that extent. This vaft territory, rivalling the empires dfi-antiquity,
is ftill more unknown than the Spanifti pofleffion's, partlyTtom
the want of fcience and curiofity, partly on account öf the think Ipiefts
which cover the expanfive plains of the Maranon, and its auxiliary
ftreams. Though :long in ftri£t alliance with Portugal, we have little
precife knowledge of Brazil; and ftill lefs of the interior fcountryiMb
abfurdly called Amazonia, hut more juftly by the Spaniards 'thé Land
of the Millions. The chief city of Brazil was formerly fiahia dir San
Salvador, which has fince yielded to Rio Janeiro. The others are Para
andTkyta near the eftuary of the Maranon, with afew1 fmalli^t-tle-
ments on that river; Parnambocb, Sergippe, Paraiba, Villa Grapde, &c.
the chief fettlements of the Portuguefe berffg only thinly fcatteredlalong
the fhores. The fanaticifin of the Spaniards and .Portuguefe is> an invincible
obftacle to the population of fome óf the fineft -tegrorrs -èf the
globe; while by the free admifiion of all feds, as in the tén^ryM -gfe
United States, induftry and population would •• increafe *£«h-rffc^fing
rapidity.
Brazil, as is well known, derived^its name from the wood lo flailed,
which is mentioned by Chaucer, and was known for ;centuries before.
It is now divided into eight independent governments, befidgs thatl|f
Rio de Janeiro, of which alone the governor retains the ftyle of Viceroy
of the Brazils f* the difcovery and improvement of the gold and
diamond mines, about one hundred leagues to the N. W. having fecured
to Janeiro a decided preponderance. “ But all the provinces are growing
faft into opulence and importance. They manufactured of late
Staunton Embaffy to China, i, 2 0 4 ,
*5 feveral
feveral of the* moft neeeflary arrielfesTor-»their ©wtobcWfumption; and
their produce was fo confiderabte^ the balance'of trade'began? to:, be
already in' their favour;' and'remktantces of bullion were made to them
from Europe, in return for-the overplus .of-their exports h»bdd' their
imports.” '15 - From- the fame account.it' appears, that* -the Pbrtuguefe fe&
el'ers-have Ihewn repeated fymptoms$oft revotefrom theparen-n'cohptryv
The population of this large portion df South America fee not been
accurately detailed; but irwouM &eftr that? tile/Portuguefe and their
defcendentsi cannot amount, to; bailf a tmlMn, awhile, the - natives- may be
three pr four millions.* The diamond minesthel'c&ig exelufivelyiito’the
crown : and onesfi&hj ©f due gold istesafiM/., -Thera are. atf©f^mer,©Us
taxes and impofitions, which inftead- dfr ^nlarging'tl'gf'revienue «are the
grand. caufesnoEdts, diminution'; aod.the expences, ©frgai^rhment' cW&
fume about one-third of the million fterliSg-; whicbj Brazil# is.
tqjj yield to. Portugal. . Th® Europe anfjfetters»are general gay and,
fqp,d,of pleafure^ yet, as at Lifbon, extremely • obfervant;of ihe, ceremonies
of refigipp^ or gather $J^the etiquette qf the, Virgin Mary, who
isJtuck up in a ghf§- cafe at every comer.'|^(mks,tafd fwords are
generally^orn by.the men. 'The,Hdies^haye|?fine' dark eyes* with-
animated countenances,, and their heads -are "only ate$ed,with' their
trefies,., tied, with ribbons and flowers. , T|p;icOnuentS,(an-d mpnaftpriea
are numetqus, and the manufactories rare. Labour is chiefiy.performed
bw naves, about 20^000^negroes being annually imported; the price
abcpt twenty-eight pounds, while in, the ’W'eft.Jndjes .itjjs feventy • and
even top., monks and clergy keep black flayed 1;.’ Thg indigenes are
fard to be irreclaimable fa-vages, under the middle; ;fize, mufcular, but
active; of a light brown complexion, ftraight black hair, and long^dark
eyes.. ..They chiefly fubfift apart, on the coaft between Janeiro and San
Salvador. Tjheir language has not been inveftigated by the iqcjaqaus
Portuguefe, who feem deftined by nature to cover the faults of the
•11 Staunton Etnbafiy to Chigiaj 5. 204,. ■
* According to ‘Staunton, i, ig j , all the whites in thd' Brazils vert' cShjputed a^’ hoB^ooh/
the negroes 600,000. Probably the natives do not exceed one million.
4 lb. 208.
■ G9S
Brazil.
Manners,
Spanilh