Trade of Rio.

A friar coming from the mines, has been known 1803. July. to conceal three superb diamonds in the waxen figure of the virgin, which he carried in his pocket: The superstition of his examiners held the divine image sacred; and kissing it with greater devotion than they would probably have felt for the loveliest female of mere flesh and blood, returned it to the holy father unexamined.

That jealousy of foreigners, which prevailed at Rio some years ago, appears no longer to exist. We always found ourselves at perfect liberty to make excursions as far as we chose, either on horse or on foot, unattended by any guard: this indulgence, however, was only extended to officers in the king's service. On the eastern side of the harbour we were allowed to cut brooms and wander over the country in quest of game, without meeting the most distant interruption. The trade of Rio is confined entirely to the mother country: a direct trade with foreigners being strictly prohibited*.--The annual importation of negro slaves, is said to amount to between ten and twelve thousand: their individual value from 40l. to 201. The plantation. negroes are entirely naked; but in the towns their owners have more regard for decency. On the importation of a cargo of negroes, they are christened in the following manner. They are

*The English East Indiamen and whalers who put into Rio for refreshments, find a ready market for their `private trade in piece goods, hardware, hosiery, hats, porter, butter, and cheese. The custom-house officers, and officers of the guard-boats, who constantly attend foreign merchant ships, conduct this trade with great ingenuity and address.

D

Military Strength of Rio.

1803. first marched into a church-yard, and then seJuly. parated into as many groups as there are names to be given the priest, standing in the middle of each group, flourishes a broom dipped in holy water over their heads, until they are all well sprinkled, and at the same time bawls out to them what their names are to be.

The harbour of Rio de Janeiro is well defended

by forts and batteries on every commanding po
sition, which are garrisoned by four thousand
regular troops, who make a very respectable ap-
pearance, and seem to be extremely well disci
plined. The whites of every description, amount-
ing to ten thousand, are enrolled in a militia, and
exercised once a month. From this motley group,
however, little service could be expected in the
hour of attack, and we might justly exclaim,

" 'Twas not the spawn of such as these
That dared the elements and pathless seas,
And made proud Asian monarchs feel
How weak their gold was, against Europe's steel;
But soldiers of another mould,

Rough, hardy, season'd, manly, bold!"

I have been induced to make this long extract from Mr. Tuckey's voyage, as it contains not only the most recent account of Rio Janeiro, but as it is written in a style of elegance, that evinces the erudition, the discernment, and the highly descriptive powers of the author.

The Albatross-An Accident.

CHAP. III.

Continuation of the Voyage-Make the Cape of Good Hope--Capture two Vessels-Reflections on seeing the Land-Digression to the. Cape-Barrow's Description of it in 1799-First Settlers-Extent of the ColonyPicturesque Description of the Cape District-Table and False Bay-Cape Town-Vegetable Productions— Romantic Scenery about Table Mountain-The Seasons-Diseases-Character of the Inhabitants-Sketch of the Cape, by Mr. Tuckey, in 1803.

E now began to catch sharks, albicore, and 1803. turtle, which proved great treats to the ship's July 22. company; while immense whales were seen blowing and tumbling in several directions..

"Here the huge monarch of the scaly train,
Enormous floats incumbent o'er the main,
An animated isle!-and, in his way,

Dashes to Heaven's blue arch the foamy sea."

The albatross too began to make his appearance. This is a very singular bird, the wings of which extend ten or twelve feet from tip to tip, and have several joints: we caught them with a hook and bait, which were allowed to trail at some distance astern, and at which they snapped in a very ravenous manner.

A young man happening to fall overboard this 26 day, while the ship had great way through the water, was drowned before the boat could reach him during the time, however, that he kept

The Cape of Good Hope.

1803. above water, we could plainly see the albatrosses July. darting down upon him, and we had little doubt

Aug. 2.

3.

of his being injured considerably by them, as he was one of the best swimmers in the ship, and would probably have buoyed himself up much longer, had it not been for these voracious birds. From this time till we made the Cape, we had nothing but gales of wind from the southward, with a prodigious rolling sea in the same direction, which caused the ship to labour so much, that we were constantly drenched with water, forming a great contrast with the velvet sailing in the north-east and south-east trades.

We this day made the Cape of Good Hope, and captured the De Haaje, a Dutch sloop of war, proceeding to the Isle of France and Batavia, with dispatches of the war. About eleven o'clock the same night, while regaling Mynheer with grog and pipes, we were agreeably surprised by another Dutchman, who almost fell on board of us, and proved rather better than the first, being laden with a rich cargo from Batavia to Amsterdam.

We this day had a distinct view of that celebrated promontory, the Cape of Good Hope, formerly called Cap des las Tormentos, from the difculty which the first navigators experienced in doubling it. Though it is seldom passed by our ships without their meeting gales of wind in its vicinity, yet we had pleasant weather and smooth water all the time it was in sight. Even this distant prospect of a hostile shore was cheering to our eyes after our long route through the Atlantic and southern seas: for though the tranquil bosom of the ocean presented a smiling and in

Topographical Sketch of the Cape.

deed magnificent scene around us; yet our eyes
involuntarily turned to gaze on the lofty features
of the Table Mountain, which was now tinged
with the rays of the setting sun.

"At summer's eve, when Heaven's ærial bow
Spans with bright arch the glittering scene below,
Why to yon mountain turns the musing eye,
Whose sun-bright summit mingles with the sky?
Why do those cliff's of shadowy tint appear
More sweet than all the ocean smiling near?
'Tis distance lends enchantment to the view,
And robes the mountain in its azure hue!"

As this important settlement is often touched. at by our ships on their way to and from India, I shall here again digress in order to exhibit

A TOPOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE CAPE

IN 1797 AND 1798.

(Extracted from Barrow's Travels.)

THE Cape of Good Hope was first settled by the Dutch in 1650. Previous to this period it had been occasionally touched at by English, Portuguese, and Dutch ships, which put in here to refresh their crews. It was first settled by one hundred male persons, to whom were soon after sent out an equal number of females from the houses of industry in Holland. At present (1798) the population exceeds twenty thousand whites, independent of slaves, &c.

The first settlers were very much molested by the number of wild beasts that swarmed in every part of the country: nightly depredations were committed by lions, leopards, wolves, and hyænas, even under the walls of the fort. Little