James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 046

Remarkable Occurrences & I[incidents] Rio De Janeiro December 1768

latter little wind at SW. & fair at 4AM Weighed & tow'd down the Bay/ being Calm/ with an intent to go to sea but having 2 Shott fir'd at us from Santa Cruze Fort was obliged to come to an Anchor & to send a Boat to the Fort to know the Reason of their firing who it seems had no orders to let us pass without which no Ship can go to Sea this surprised one not a little, as I had but this very morning ^rec'd a very polite Letter from the Vice Roy/ in answer to one I had written some days ago/ wherein he wishes me a good Voyage & I immediately dispatched a Petty Officer to the Vice Roy to know the reason why we was not permitted to pass the Fort, the Boat very soon returned with an order to the Capt.n  of the Fort to let us pass which Order had been wrote some Days Ago but either by design or neglect had not been sent at all Weighed in order to put to Sea but before we could heave up the Anchor it got hold of a Rock where it held fast in spite of all our endeavours to Clear it until the Sea Breeze set in~

Tuesday 6th The Sea breeze continued all this day at 2PM the Ship tended to the Wind which cleared the Anchor, hove it up & ran higher up the Bay & Anchord in 15 fa.m a little below the Isle or Church of Bon Voyage found the Cable very much rubbed sev fa.ms from the Anchor

Wednesday 7.th  First & latter p.t a Genteel breeze at SE & East. the Middle Calm at 5 AM weighed and tow'd out of the Bay at 8 Discharged the Pilot & his Boat a breeze of Wind Springing up Easterly made Sail out to Sea & sent a Boat to one of the Islands laying before the Bay to cut Beams a thing we was not permitted to do while we lay in the Harbour, the Guard Boat which had constantly attended all the time we lay in the Bay & Harbour did not leave us until the Pilot was Discharged, at Noon the Sugar Loaf at the West Entrance of the Bay bore NbW ½ W.t distance 8 or 9 Miles ~

A Description of the Bay or River of Rio De Janeiro
The few days delay we met with in getting out of Rio De Janeiro gave me an opportunity of Drawing a Plan or Sketch of great part of the Bay, but the Strict watch that was kept over us during our whole stay hinder'd me I fear take so accurate a Survey as I wish it to have done & so all the the Observations I could make was taken from onboard the Ship; for this reason this Plan hath no pretensions to accuracy yet it will give a very good idea of the Place differing not much from the truth in what is Essential ~
The Bay of Rio de Janeiro by some called a River which its Name Signifies but this I think is improper, it being nothing more than a Deep inlet of the Sea, into which no considerable fresh Water River Empty's itself that I could here of, be this as it will, it is Capacious & Capable of Containing a vast number of Shipping where they may ride in perfect Security ~
The Entrance is Situated WbN 18 Lg's from Cape Frio & may be known by a remarkable Hill in the Form of a Sugar Loaf. at the West Entrance of the Bay, but as all the Coast is exceeding high terminating at top in Peaked Hills, it is much better known by the Island laying before it, one of which called (Bodonda) is high & round in form of a Hay Stack & lies SbW 2½ Leag.s from the Sugar Loaf or Entrance of the Bay a little without the East Entrance of the Bay & near the Shore lay 2 Islands near Each other 3 Leagues to the eastward of these Islands & 4 miles from the Shore are 2 low Rocky Islands ^which are the first you meet with in coming from the Eastward or from Cape Frio ~
[note left]Directions-
To sail into Rio de Janeiro there is not the least Danger until you are the length of