Page 43 Remarkable Occurrences &tc. at Rio De Janeiro
Ashore during our Stay here nor Permit Mr.Banks to go into the Country to gather Plants &tc. but not the least hint was given me at this time that no one of the Gentlemen was, to come out of the Ship but my Self. or that I was to be put under a Guard when I did come but this I was Convinced of after I look my leave of His Excellency & found that an Officer was to attend upon me wherever I went.which at First the Vice Roy pretended was only meant as a Comple.t[compliment] & to order me all the Assistance I wanted. This day the People were Employ'd in unbending the Sails in fitting & rigging the Spare Topm.st in the room of the others, & getting on shore Empty Water Casks.
TUESDAY 15.th Fine Pleasant wea.r received on board fresh Beef & Greens for the Ships Company with which they was served every Day During our Stay here, got all the Empty Casks onshore & set the Coopers to Work to Repair them.Heel'd & Boot Topt the Starb.d
WEDNESDAY 16.th Set up the Forge to repair the Iron Work, the People employ.d in Heeling & Boot Topt the Larboard side, Blacking the Yards &tc.
THURSDAY 17.th Set some People to repair the Sails & the Caulkers to Caulk the Ship the rest of the People employ'd in the Hold & about the Rigging. For these 3 Days past I have remonstrated to the Vice Roy & his Officers against his putting a Guard into my Boat thinking I could not Answer it to the Admiralty the tamely submitting to such a Custom which when practised in its full force must bring Disgrace to the British Flag. on the other hand I was loath to Enter into Disputes seeing how much I was like to be delay'd & imbarrassed[sic] in getting the supply's I wanted for it was with much difficulty that I obtaind [sic]leave for one of my People to attend the Market to buy necessaries for my Table & to Assist the Agent to buy the things for the Ship, having gained this Point & settled every thing with the Agent in regard to what was wanting for the Ship. I resolved rather than be made a Prisoner in my own Boat not to go any more ashore unless I could do it without having a Soldier put into the Boat as had hither to been done, & thinking that the Vice roy might lay under some Mistake which on proper Application might be Clear'd up. I therefore drew up a Memorial stating the whole case & sent to the Vice Roy this afternoon, & thus a Paper War commenced between me & His Excellency wherein I had no other Advantage then the racking his invention to find reasons for treating us in the manner he did, for he never would relax the least from any one Point.
FRIDAY 18.th This day I received an Answer to my Memorial wherein he tells me amongst other things that if I think it hard submitting to the Customs of this Port I may leave it when I please but this did not suit any Purpose at Present but I resolved to make my stay as Short as Possible, I must own that the Memorial of the Vice Roy's was well drawn up & very much to the Purpose which is more than I can say of any of the Subsequent ones-
SATURDAY 19.th. Close cloudy wea.r Employ'd getting on board Rum Water & other necessaries. Caulking & refitting the Ship. Punished John Thurman Seaman with 12 Lashes for refusing to assist the Sailmaker in repairing the Sails-