an easy sail till she had got up another, and the wind seemed to be
coming again to the southward, we lost a good deal of way. We continued,
to our great mortification, to observe that no fish would come near
enough to our copper bottom for us to strike, though we saw the sea as
it were quickened with them at a little distance. Ships in these hot
latitudes generally take fish in plenty, but, except sharks, we were not
able to catch one.

On the 11th of September, we made the coast of Brazil; and on the 13th,
anchored in eighteen fathom, in the great road of Rio de Janeiro. The
city, which is large, and makes a handsome appearance, is governed by
the viceroy of Brazil, who is perhaps, in fact, as absolute a sovereign
as any upon earth. When I visited him, he received me in great form;
above sixty officers were drawn up before the palace, as well as a
captain's guard, who were men of a good appearance, and extremely well
clothed: His excellency, with a number of persons of the first
distinction, belonging to the place, met me at the head of the stairs,
upon which fifteen guns were fired from the nearest port: We then
entered the room of state, and, after conversing about a quarter of an
hour in French, I took my leave, and was dismissed with the same form
that had been used at my reception. He offered to return my visit at a
house which I had hired on shore, but this I declined, and soon after he
returned it on board.

The people in my own ship, who had as much fresh meat and greens as they
could eat every day, were very healthy, but there being many sick on
board the Tamar, I procured a place for them on shore, where they soon
recovered. As the seams of both the ships were very open, some
Portuguese caulkers were engaged, who, after having worked some time,
rendered them perfectly tight.[9] While we lay here, Lord Clive, in the