_Voyage from Rio de Janeiro--First Donatories--Taken by the
Dutch--Restoration--Reversion to the Crown--Indians--Boundaries
--Mountains--Colony of Negroes--Mineralogy--Zoology--Phytology
--Rivers--Islands--Comarcas of Ollinda, Recife, Alagoas--
Povoações--Ouvidoria of the Certam of Pernambuco--Rivers--Towns
--Recife, or Pernambuco--Ollinda--Mattutos--State of Society--
Apathy--Environs--Revolution in 1817--Military Government--
Adoption of a New Constitution--Holidays--Produce--Inspection
--Sugar Engenho--Contribution Fund--Population--Fribourg House._
On the 14th of November, I proceeded on board the brig Columbine,
Captain Thomson, lying in the bay of Rio de Janeiro, for the purpose
of visiting Pernambuco. A contrary wind prevented our departure for
five days. The party on board consisted of Colonel Cotter, his lady
and children, Captain Rezende, and Mons. Garay. By way of rendering
our detention less tedious, we made two or three excursions to the
eastern side of the bay. Our first visit was to the small rocky island
with the church of Boa Viagem situated on its summit. We were denied
access, from the orders of government, that strangers were not to be
admitted up the steep, in consequence of a new fort then erecting
upon it. We were therefore excluded from the blessing usually granted
at this church to persons upon the point of undertaking a voyage.
It was formerly the general custom, and is at present not uncommon,
for navigators and others previously to embarking upon the ocean, to
present offerings here, receiving in return the prayers of the padre
for a good voyage; and hence the place is called Boa Viagem.
The boat proceeded round this island into the bay of Jurufuba, for
the purpose of obtaining an additional supply of water. We walked
round the back of the hills that edge this bay to the fountain, where
the water-casks were filled. Our road led by a delightful pathway
embowered by verdant trees intermixed with orange, banana, and other
fruits. Here and there a house of good external appearance was seen,
and cultivation appeared to be making some progress. We purchased a
rich supply of fruits from a widow whose shacara was well stored, and
her daughter gratuitously presented us with large bouquets of flowers,
whose aromatic scents were gratefully diffused in our cabin for some
days. In the common apartment of the widow’s dwelling, secluded in a
profusion of trees, was the figure of our Saviour, enclosed in a case
with opened doors, illumined by a lighted taper.
Our next excursion was to a small opening between two headlands, not
far from the fort of St. Cruz, containing a solitary white cottage,
exhibiting much neatness at a distance: we soon, however, discovered
that, like most Brazilian residences, its external appearance was
not a proof of its internal comfort. There was only one pathway,
conducting from this little _praya_, up a steep rocky mountain,
on the summit of which we found a grey-headed old man, seated, with
his black boy, and enjoying the varied scenery around. He said, that
he frequently came from the city across the bay in a canoe to this
retired situation. We descended the opposite side of the mountain,
by a narrow and damp avenue, obscured by the meeting of rocks high
above our heads, on emerging from which we found our progress stopped
by two distinct precipices of granite; it was necessary to cross the
first in an oblique direction to arrive at the second, an unlucky slip
from which would have precipitated the passenger one hundred feet
into the sea. We observed a rope hanging over its side, but could not
imagine that it was the only descent into the valley below, until we
returned to the old man, who informed us that there was no other way,
and sent his boy to show us the mode of descending: with both hands
he laid hold of the rope, which was imperfectly secured to a bush,
and traversed the first precipice, stepping backwards and allowing
the rope gradually to pass through his hands. Arrived at the second
precipice, which was to be descended perpendicularly, he took hold
firmly of a stronger rope, attached to a hanging tree, growing out
of the interstices of the two rocks; he proceeded backwards, moving
one foot after the other, horizontally placed against the side of the
precipice, till he reached the bottom. Colonel Cotter, Captain Thomson,
and myself, took off our shoes and proceeded in the same way, but the
Colonel declined accompanying us further than the first precipice, in
consequence of a wound received in his hand at the battle of Victoria.
The valley we found to be thinly planted with mandioca, which, with a
few solitary blacks and some miserable huts, was all that it presented
to our observation. We ascended the precipices by placing ourselves in
the same posture in which we had descended, and then returned with
the rest of the party, who were waiting for us, to the vessel, our
surprise being mutually excited at the extraordinary and intricate mode
of communication between the two prayinhas. Whilst we lay at anchor,
four Russian frigates entered the bay, in very fine order, and took
their stations not far from the British ships of war, the Superb and
Vengeur, then in the bay. The Russian frigates were proceeding upon a
voyage of discovery to the South Seas. On our departure from the bay
of Rio de Janeiro we had a favourable breeze, and in five days were in
the latitude of Bahia, having run upwards of ten degrees of latitude,
and seven of longitude. The wind now became adverse; but in five days
afterwards we passed Cabo Calor, Rio Real, and Seregipe d’ el Rey, and
on the following day were close in with land, northward of the St.
Francisco. The coast was flat and covered with woods, a few huts being
all that we could occasionally discover.
[Illustration:
_On Stone by C. Shoosmith from a Sketch by Ja^s. Henderson._
_Printed by C. Hullmandel._