Sebastian, in the harbour of Rio de Janeiro, until the 7th of the month,
when we anchored about three quarters of a mile from the shore.




CHAPTER V.



From the Arrival of the Fleet at Rio de Janeiro, till its Departure for
the Cape of Good Hope; with some Remarks on the Brazils.


Brazil is a country very imperfectly known in Europe. The Portugueze,
from political motives, have been sparing in their accounts of it.
Whence our descriptions of it, in the geographical publications in
England, are drawn, I know not: that they are miserably erroneous and
defective, is certain.

The city of St. Sebastian stands on the west side of the harbour, in a
low unhealthy situation, surrounded on all sides by hills, which
stop the free circulation of air, and subject its inhabitants to
intermittents and putrid diseases. It is of considerable extent: Mr.
Cook makes it as large as Liverpool; but Liverpool, in 1767, when Mr.
Cook wrote, was not two-thirds of its present size. Perhaps it
equals Chester, or Exeter, in the share of ground it occupies, and is
infinitely more populous than either of them. The streets intersect each
other at right angles, are tolerably well built, and excellently paved,
abounding with shops of every kind, in which the wants of a stranger,