At three o'clock
in the afternoon of the 2nd of August, the 'Supply', which had been
previously sent a-head on purpose, made the signal for seeing the land,
which was visible to the whole fleet before sunset, and proved to be
Cape Frio, in latitude 23 deg 5 min south, longitude 41 deg 40 1/4 min
west.
Owing to light airs we did not get a-breast of the city of St.
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.
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