The adjacent country is mountainous, and chiefly covered with wood, but a small part of it appearing to be cultivated. The soil near the town is loose and sandy, but farther from the river it is a fine black mould. It produces all the tropical fruits, such as oranges, lemons, limes, melons, mangoes, cocoa-nuts, &c. in great abundance, and without much cultivation; a circumstance which is very agreeable to the inhabitants, who are very indolent.
The mines, which lie far up in the country, are very rich; but their situation is concealed, and nobody can view them, except those who work in them. The experiment is very dangerous, for every one found upon the road which leads to them is hung upon the next tree, unless he can give a satisfactory account of the cause of his being in that situation. About twelve months before their arrival, the government had detected several jewellers in carrying on an illicit trade for diamonds with the slaves in the mines; and immediately after a law passed, making it felony to work at the trade, or have any tools in possession, the civil officers having indiscriminately seized on all that could be found. Near forty thousand negroes are annually imported to dig in the mines; these works are so pernicious to the human frame, and occasion so great a mortality amongst the poor wretches employed in them, that in the year 1766 twenty thousand more were draughted from the town of Rio, to supply the deficiency of the former number.
There are several courts of justice in the town, at all of which the Viceroy presides; in criminal causes the sentence is regulated by a majority of voices in the supreme court. The Viceroy has a Council appointed from Europe by the king, to assist him in his private department, where he has two voices.
The inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro maintain a whale-fishery, which supplies them with lamp-oil. They import their brandy from the Azores, their slaves and East India goods from their settlements in Africa, their wine from Madeira, and their European goods from Lisbon.
The current coin is Portuguese, which is struck here; the silver pieces are called Petacks, of different value; and the copper are five and ten ree pieces.
Rio de Janeiro is very useful for ships that are in want of refreshment; the harbour is safe and commodious, and may be distinguished by a remarkable hill, in the shape of a cone, at the west point of the bay. The entrance is not wide, but it is easy, from the sea breeze, which prevails from noon to sun-set, for any ship to enter before the wind. The entrance of the narrow part is defended by two forts, La Cruz and Lozia; they are about three quarters of a mile from each other. The bottom being rocky, renders it dangerous to anchor here, but this may be avoided by keeping the middle of the channel. The whole coast abounds with a very great variety of fish, among which are dolphins and mackrel.
On the 9th of December they took out of the sea an incredible number of atoms, of a yellowish colour, few of them more than the 50th part of an inch in length; it could not even with a microscope be determined whether they were animal or vegetable substances. These atoms tinged the sea in such a manner, as to cover it with broad streaks of a colour similar to themselves, the greatest part of a mile in length, and several hundred yards in width.
Thursday, December 8, 1768, having procured all necessary supplies, they left Rio de Janeiro; they did not meet with any material occurrence from this time to the 22d, when they discovered numerous birds of the Prosillaria genus, in latitude 39 degrees 37 minutes south, and longitude 49 degrees 16 minutes west; they were also frequently surrounded by great numbers of porpoises, of a singular species, which were about fifteen feet in length, and of an ash-colour. On the 23d they observed an eclipse of the moon; and about seven o’clock in the morning a small white cloud appeared in the west, from which a train of fire issued, extending itself westerly: about two minutes after they heard two distinct loud explosions, immediately succeeding each other like canon, after which the cloud soon disappeared.
On the 24th they caught a large loggerhead tortoise, weighing one hundred and fifty pounds. They likewise shot several birds, among which was an albetross, measuring between the tips of its wings nine feet and an inch; and from its beak to the tail two feet one inch and an half. On the 30th they ran upwards of fifty leagues, through vast numbers of land insects, some in the air, and others upon the water; they appeared to resemble exactly the flies that are seen in England, though they were thirty leagues from land, and some of these insects never quit it beyond a few yards. Captain Cook imagined he was at this time nearly opposite to the bay called Sans fond (without bottom) where it is supposed, by some writers, that the continent of America is divided by a passage; but it was the opinion of the gentlemen on board, that there might be a large river, which probably had occasioned an inundation. The 31st they had much thunder, lightning, and rain: this and the three following days they saw several whales, and likewise several birds, about the size of a pidgeon, with white bellies and grey beaks.
January 4, 1769, they saw an appearance of land, which they mistook for Pepys’ island; but on their standing towards it, it proved, what the sailors call a Fog Bank. The ship’s crew were about this time, on their complaining of cold, furnished with each a pair of trowsers, and a jacket made of the stuff called Fearnought. They saw on the 11th, after passing Falkland’s Island, at about four leagues distance, Terra Del Fuego. Smoke was perceived, which they took for a signal, as it did not continue after they had passed along the shore to the south-east. On the 14th they entered the streight of Le Maire; but the tide being against them, they were driven out with great violence, and the waves ran so high, that the ship’s bowsprit was frequently under water; at length however they got anchorage, at the entrance of a little cove, which Captain Cook called ST. VINCENT’S BAY.
The weeds, which here grow upon rocky ground, are very remarkable; they appear above the surface in eight and nine fathoms water; the leaves are four feet in length, and many of the stalks, though not more than an inch and a half in circumference, above 100. Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander having been on shore some hours, they returned with more than a hundred different plants and flowers, hitherto unnoticed by the European botanists. The country in general near the bay was flat, and the bottom particularly was a plain covered with grass; here was plenty of wood, water and fowl, winter’s bark was found in great abundance. The trees are a species of the birch, but are neither lofty nor large; the wood is white, and they bear a small leaf. Here are also white and red cranberries.
Sunday 15, having anchored in 12 fathoms, upon coral rocks, before a small cove, distant from shore about a mile, two of the natives came down upon the beach, in expectation that they would land; but this situation affording little shelter, the Captain got under sail again, and the natives retired.
About two o’clock they anchored in the bay of Good Success, and the Captain went on shore, accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, to search for a watering-place, and confer with the Indians. These gentlemen proceeded about a hundred yards before the Captain, when two of the Indians having advanced forward and seated themselves, they rose, upon Mr. Banks and the Doctor’s coming up, and each of them threw away a small stick, which they had before in their hands; this they did in such a direction, that the sticks flew both from themselves and the strangers, which they meant as a token of peace, and a testimonial of their renouncing weapons; they then returned briskly towards their companions, who had remained at some distance behind, and made signs to the strangers to advance, which they accordingly complied with. The reception the gentlemen met with was friendly, though the manner was uncouth. The civility was returned, by the distribution of beads and ribbons, with which the Indians were much pleased. After a mutual confidence had been thus established, the rest of the English party joined, and a general conversation, though of a singular kind, ensued. Three of the Indians now returned with the Captain and his friends to the ship, whom they cloathed with jackets, and gave them bread, jerked beef, &c. part of which they eat, and carried the remainder on shore. They refused to drink rum or brandy, after tasting them, intimating by signs that it burnt their throats. This circumstance may perhaps corroborate the opinion of those who think water the natural drink of mankind, as of all other animals. One of these Indians made several long and loud speeches, though no part of either was intelligible to any of us. Another of them stole the covering of a globe, which he concealed under his skin garment. After remaining on board about two hours, they returned on shore, Mr. Banks accompanying them. He conducted them to their companions, who appeared no way curious to know what their friends had seen, and the latter were as little disposed to relate as the others were to enquire. None of these people exceeded five feet ten inches in height, yet their bodies appeared large and robust, though their limbs were small. They had broad flat faces, low foreheads, high cheeks, noses inclining to flatness, wide nostrils, small black eyes, large mouths, small but indifferent teeth, and black strait hair, falling down over their ears and forehead, which was commonly smeared with brown and red paints; and, like all the original natives of America, they were beardless. Their garments were the skins of guanicos and seals, which they wrapped round their shoulders. The men likewise wear on their heads a bunch of yarn, spun from the wool of guanicos, which falls over their foreheads, and ties behind with the sinews or tendons of some animal. Many of both sexes were painted in different parts of their bodies, with red, white, and brown colours; and had also three or four perpendicular lines pricked across their cheeks and noses. The women have a small string tied round each ancle, and wear each a flap of skin tied round the middle. They carry the children on their backs, and are generally employed in domestic labour and drudgery.