Remarkable Occurrences at Rio De Janerio
reason to think that our reckoning is wrong & that is lies in the Long.de 41:10W.t it is not of a Large Circuit but Tolerable high with a hollow in the Middle which makes it look like 2 Islands when it first makes its appearance out of the Water, it lays not far from the Main which with the Island Forms a right Angle one side heading North & the other West to the Northward of the Island & between it & the Main there appears to lay sever.l smaller Islands near each other. the Main land on the Sea Coast appears to be low. but inland are high Mountains. Drawing Nº 4 Exhibits a View of this Island when it bore WNW.t distance 4 Leagues.
Sunday 13th First & Latter parts a Genteel Sea breeze & Clear wea.r the Middle Calm PM. standing along Shore for Rio De Janeiro observed that the land on the Sea Coast is high & Mountainous, & the shore forms some small Bays or Coves wherein are Sandy Beaches, at 8 Shortened Sail the Sugar Loaf Hill at the West Entrance to Rio de Janeiro WNW dist 4 or 5 Lg's at the same time was abreast of 2 Small rocky Islands that lies about 4 M.s from the Shore - At 9AM Sprung up a light breeze at SE.t at which time we made Sail for the Harbour, & sent the Pinnace with a Lieutenant before us up to the City of Rio de Janeiro to acquaint the Vice Roy with the reason that induced us to put in here, which was to procure Water & other refreshments & to desire the Assistance of a Pilot to bring us into proper Anchoring ground. at Noon Standing in for the Harbour —
Arrival at Rio de Janeiro [left margin note]
Monday 14th Mod.te Sea & Land breezes & fine pleasant wea.r at 5PM Anchor'd in 5 fathom Just above the Isle of Cobras which lies before the City of Rio De Janeiro. a little before we Anchor'd the Pinnace return'd & informed me that the Vice Roy had thought proper to detain the Officer until I went onshore soon after we Anchor'd a Boat came onboard bringing several of the Vice Roys Officers who asked many Questions in respect to the Ship from whence she came, Cargo, Number of Guns Men &ct. all of which all of which was Answer'd to their satisfaction they told me it was the Custom of the Port to Detain the first Officer that came from any Ship on her first Arrival until a Boat from the Vice Roy had Visited her that my Officer would be sent onboard as soon as they got onshore, which was accordingly done( about this time a Boat fill'd with Soldiers kept rowing about the Ship which had orders as I afterwards understood not to Suffer any one of the Officers or Gentlemen except myself to go out of the Ship. In the Morning I waited upon the Vice Roy and Obtained leave to purchase Provisions, Refreshments &tc. for the Ship but obliged me to employ a person to buy them for me under a pretence that it was the Custom of the Place and he likewise insisted - notwithstanding all I could say to the Contrary) on putting a Soldier into the Boats that brought anything to & from the Ship. Alledging[sic] that it was the Orders of his Court & they were such as he could not Dispence with, & this Indignity I was obliged to Submit to otherwise I could not have got the supplys I wanted being Willing as much as in me lay to avoid all manner of Disputes that might cause the least delay, & at the same time to Convince him that we did not come here to Trade as I believe he imagined for he Certainly did not believe a word about our being bound to the Southward to observe the Transit of Venus, but looked upon it only as an invented story to Cover some other Design we must be upon, for he could form no other Idea of that Phenomenon (after I had explain'd it to him) than the North Star Passing thro' the South Pole these were his own words. He would not permit the Gentlemen to reside a