CHAPTER XX.

_General Observations on the Trade from England to Brazil._ 450

_Appendix._ 473

_Index._ 487

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES,

WITH

DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER.

1. View of the Square at Rio de Janeiro _to face the Title_

2. Peon catching Cattle Page 32

3. Horizontal Corn Mill and Pounding Machine[1] 190

4. Map of the Author’s Route 195

5. Topaz Mine (described p. 232) and Diamond-washing 314

6. Negroes washing for Diamonds, Gold, &c. 317

TRAVELS,

_&c. &c. &c._

CHAPTER I.

_Voyage to Cadiz and thence to the Rio de la Plata. Adventures at

Monte Video.—Character of the Inhabitants.—Trade.—Climate.

—Geological Remarks.—Recent Changes.—Monte Video under the Portugueze.

—Agriculture and Trade at the Rio de la Plata._

IN the year 1804, I was induced to undertake a voyage of commercial

experiment, on a limited scale, to the Rio de la Plata. On my arrival

at Monte Video, the ship and cargo were seized; I was thrown into

prison, and afterwards sent into the interior, where I was detained

until the taking of that place by the British troops under Sir Samuel

Auchmuty. I afterwards obtained leave to accompany the army under

General Whitelocke, which was sent against Buenos Ayres, and I rendered

such services to the expedition, as my two years’ residence in the

country enabled me to perform. At the termination of that expedition,

I went to Rio de Janeiro. A letter of introduction to the Viceroy of

Brazil, which was given me by the Portugueze Minister at London, gained

me the notice and protection of his brother, the Condé de Linhares, who

had then just arrived with the rest of the Court, and who recommended

me to the Prince Regent, as a person devoted to mineralogical pursuits,

and desirous of exploring the ample field for investigation which

his rich and extensive territories presented. His Royal Highness was

graciously pleased to further my views, not only by granting me letters

to the public functionaries of the various places I wished to visit,

but by ordering an escort of soldiers, and every other necessary

provision for performing the journey. I had the more reason to be

grateful for this munificent patronage, because I knew that a decree

existed, prohibiting all foreigners from travelling in the interior of

Brazil, and that no other Englishman had ever begun such an undertaking

with those indispensible requisites to its success, the permission and

sanction of the Government.

Observations, made, in the course of these Travels, on the country and

its inhabitants, constitute the main part of the volume now offered

to the public. Whatever be their faults or their merits, they relate

to a subject at present extremely interesting, both in a political

and a commercial point of view; they profess to develope the physical

resources of a colony, which, through recent changes, is likely to

become an empire; and in part, to portray the character of a nation

which is now the most ancient, and has ever been the most faithful,

ally of Great Britain.

As the recital of a voyage is proverbially tedious and superfluous, I

shall forbear to trouble the reader with any detail of mine, and shall

merely state, that, after encountering many difficulties at Cadiz, in

consequence of the rupture with Spain, I sailed for the Plata, and

having narrowly escaped shipwreck from a tremendous storm near the

mouth of that river, entered the harbour of Monte Video.

The hardships I experienced in reaching this ill-fated port, were a

fit prelude to the misfortunes that awaited me there. We were bound

for Buenos Ayres, but my captain, who in London and at Cadiz had

assured me that he had the experience of a pilot in the Rio de la

Plata, proved totally ignorant of its navigation, and urged this

circumstance as his reason for putting into Monte Video. Happy should

I have been, if this had been the only instance of his ignorance; he

gave an ill-judged and blundering report of me to the governor, and

the sailors affirmed that I was an Englishman, declaring at the same

time that we had passed an English squadron under Spanish colors.

This statement was enough to whet the avarice of the governor, who,

notwithstanding I had served the colony, in bringing a cargo which

was then much wanted, and every article of which had paid legal duty

in Cadiz, ordered me to be thrown into prison. I was placed in close

confinement on board a wretched sloop of war; and though my health

was much impaired in consequence of exertion during the voyage, I was

denied every comfort, except such indulgences, as the officers, who

lived on shore, could at times clandestinely allow. Unprovided with

letters of recommendation to any person in the town, and destitute

of the means of making myself known, I had the mortification to see

the property I had brought with me seized, and my papers taken away

to be searched and examined. I was enjoined to make declarations, and

to give evidence against myself, to men whose sole wish was to find

a pretext for criminating me. After three or four examinations, it

was found that I had sailed from Cadiz with a cargo of goods, marked,

manifested, and duly registered, as Spanish; nor could any circumstance

be discovered as a ground of accusation against me, but the strong

suspicion that I was an Englishman, and on that account could not be

too harshly treated. I had no lenity to expect from the governor, nor

indeed from any of his advisers, who were, for the most part, men of

the lowest order, refugees from Old Spain in consequence of criminal

prosecutions. The rest of his associates were the captains and officers

of two Spanish privateers, all Frenchmen, whose natural prejudices,

no doubt, contributed to foment his antipathy against me. My sole

reliance was on the consignee of the cargo, who at length arrived from

Buenos Ayres; but, instead of clearing up the affair, he joined my

persecutors, knowing that if he gave security he should have the cargo

delivered to him. This favorable opportunity he failed not to embrace;

he sold the property, and withheld the proceeds, under the pretext,

that he could not pay them over to me while I remained a prisoner. This

conduct to one who had depended on him for support, and who relied on

his continually delusive promises of assistance, proved him to be one

of those mean and spiritless beings whose station in society is mid-way

between the simpleton and the knave.

My confinement would probably have been long, but for the good services

of a Limenian, who attended me during my illness in Cadiz, and who had

come over in the vessel with me. He was the only person I was permitted

to see; and he interested himself so much in my behalf, that an old

gentlewoman, with whom he had formed an acquaintance, determined, on

hearing my story, to procure my liberation, and never rested until she

had procured two bondsmen to answer for my appearance when called for.

The treatment I experienced, while in prison, was one of the many

instances of oppression which disgraced the administration of the

governor, Pasqual Ruiz Huidobro. It is well known that his political

conduct was entirely subservient to the interests of the French,

and that he lost no opportunity of evincing his attachment to their

cause. As a further proof of this, I may state, that he caused all the

captured English seamen to be confined in the prison, and, although its

spacious court was doubly grated and guarded, he debarred them the use

of it, and ordered them to be shut up, night and day, in a small room,

the door of which was never opened except when victuals were given

them. Aware of his severity, and knowing that I was the only prisoner

at large, I was very circumspect, and strove to guard my conduct and

discourse against artful misconstruction; but I had the misfortune

to incur his displeasure at a moment when I least suspected it, by

a very trivial, and certainly unintentional offence. Some written

papers had been stuck up in various parts of the town, by order of

Government, inviting foreign seamen to enter the service. Returning

home at midnight from a visit, I observed one of these placards; the

rain, which was pouring very fast, had partly detached it from the

wall, and it was blown to and fro by the wind. Curious to examine the

contents of a paper that had attracted the attention of many persons

in the course of the day, I took it down and carried it home with me;

this was observed by an old Spaniard of the name of Dias, who gloried

much in having it in his power to injure me, though a perfect stranger

to him, and unconscious of having done any thing to excite his malice.

At the instance of this man an order was issued by the governor for my

arrest; I was roused from my bed by the officers, and again hurried

to prison. What charges were brought against me I could learn only by

report; they were vague and indefinite, and no opportunity of answering

them was allowed me. After a close confinement of six weeks, during

which period my case was laid before the Viceroy of Buenos Ayres, I was

again suffered to be at large, on payment of a fee of three hundred

dollars. It was to the humane exertions of my advocate, seconded by

those of the Limenian and the lady before-mentioned, that I owed this

mitigation of my captivity, and I gratefully acknowledge that they made

every provision in their power to render my situation comfortable.

During my stay at Monte Video another adventure befel me, which had

well nigh cost me my life; I am induced to relate it, by reason of the

insight it gives into the character of a certain class of the people.

I had gone on a shooting excursion to the promontory opposite Monte

Video, with my much-valued friend Captain Collet, owner of two or three

large American ships, and M. Godefroy, a merchant, resident in the

town. After some hours’ sport we met a party of four Spaniards, among

whom were Mr. Ortiga, the consignee of Captain Collet, and a person

called Manuel d’Iago. Our friend M. Godefroy had some conversation

with them at a short distance from us, and on his return gave us to

understand, that d’Iago had said it would not cost him above five

hundred dollars to send a pair of bullets through me, and that had I

been alone he would not have scrupled to do it. For this blood-thirsty

insinuation I was at a loss to conjecture any motive, nor knew I the

man, except by report, which designated him as a captain of militia,

extremely rigorous in his treatment of the unfortunate English,

whenever his turn to mount guard at the prison subjected them to his

authority.

We pursued our diversion; he and his party meanwhile arrived at the

Signal-house, about three miles above us, where they took refreshment.

Some space of time afterward we observed a horse-soldier ride down

towards us, who on approaching eyed us with a look of great suspicion.

I had some little talk with him, having frequently seen him there

before. He returned directly to the Guard-house, and an hour afterwards

five _blandengues_, or horse-soldiers, sallied from the place at

full speed, and, surrounding us, demanded our arms at the peril of

our lives. Each of us obeyed, by surrendering his fowling-piece, M.

Godefroy at the same time enquiring the cause of this extraordinary

treatment; but they ordered him to be silent, and to march on along

with us, or they would tie him on horseback. We were conducted to the

Guard-house, and delivered (the officer being absent) to the corporal

on guard, a fiery old Spaniard, who ordered us into an inner room,

and placed two centinels at the door. The fellow was so stifled by

passion, that we could not get an answer from him; at every moment he

was drawing a long sabre which hung at his side, and venting his fury

in the most abusive language. After a full half-hour of expostulation

on our part, and menace on his, M. Godefroy obtained a hearing from

him, and, declaring he was a merchant, married and actually settled in

Monte Video, begged to know by what authority and under what pretext

he was imprisoned. The corporal, on learning this, sent a soldier to

the officer on guard, and while waiting his return, related that D’Iago

had described us as Englishmen belonging to a privateer, who had landed

with an intention to blow up the powder-magazines, kill bullocks, and

plunder the natives. It was evident from his manner that he was very

willing to believe this account, and that by treating us with severity

he hoped to display his zeal for the service, and obtain promotion. M.

Godefroy’s testimony being at length attended to, another soldier was

dispatched to D’Iago’s party, who were not yet embarked, with notice

that one of us affirmed himself to be a resident in Monte Video. This

they did not contradict, but persisted in their accusations of the

rest of our party; Mr. Ortiga denied any knowledge of Captain Collet,

probably imagining that, in case of our conviction, he should benefit

by the cargoes which the latter had consigned to him; and for me, whom

they denounced as a spy, no punishment in their opinion could be too

ignominious. On the return of the soldier, the corporal thought proper

to release M. Godefroy, who took our boat to cross the port to Monte

Video, with the intention of procuring an order for our liberation;

but they had scarcely sailed, when a gust of wind arose, and as he and

two boys he had with him could not manage the sails, they were nearly

overset, and after considerable danger were picked up by a ship in the

road. Meanwhile Captain Collet and I remained in strict custody, and

at every syllable of complaint we uttered, the corporal brandished

his sabre over our heads, roared out for the guard, and vociferated

the most opprobrious language against the English. Thus threatened

at every moment with assassination, we withdrew into a corner of the

room, and quietly waited until the officer on guard arrived, when we

were conducted in great form, between two men with drawn swords, into

the room where he sat to receive us. Nothing could exceed my joyful

surprise at recognizing in the officer an excellent and worthy friend,

whom I had often visited at his farm, and who had given me repeated

proofs of his liberal disposition and intelligent mind. His surprise

exceeded mine; for instead of plunderers or spies, such as report had

described us, he found an American merchant and a prisoner at large

under bail. He was deeply grieved and ashamed at the treatment we had

met with, liberated us immediately, mounted us on his own horses,

and appointed a trusty person to attend us to Monte Video, where we

arrived at eight in the evening. The disappointment of the corporal

appeared as deep as his rage had been violent; and the recollection of

his conduct operated on us as a warning against persons of his class,

who rarely see an opportunity of doing mischief to a stranger, without

a strong inclination to avail themselves of it.

During the time I was at large, I had leisure to acquire some knowledge

of Monte Video. It is a tolerably well-built town, standing on a gentle

elevation at the extremity of a small peninsula, and is walled entirely

round. Its population amounts to between 15,000 and 20,000 souls. The

harbour, though shoal, and quite open to the _pamperos_, or south-west

gales, is the best in the Rio de la Plata; it has a very soft bottom of

deep mud. When the wind continues for some time at north-east, ships

drawing twelve feet water are frequently a-ground for several days, so

that the harbour cannot be called a good one for vessels above three

hundred or four hundred tons.

There are but few capital buildings; the town in general consists of

houses of one story, paved with bricks, and provided with very poor

convenience. In the square is a cathedral, very handsome, but awkwardly

situated; opposite to it, is an edifice divided into a town-house, or

_cabildo_, and a prison. The streets, having no pavement, are always

either clouded with dust or loaded with mud, as the weather happens to

be dry or wet. In seasons of drought the want of conduits for water is

a serious inconvenience, the well, which principally supplies the town,

being two miles distant.

Provisions here are cheap and in great abundance. Beef in particular

is very plentiful, and, though rarely fat or fine, makes excellent

soup. The best parts of the meat may, indeed, be called tolerable,

but they are by no means tender. The pork is not eatable. Such is

the profusion of flesh-meat, that the vicinity for two miles round,

and even the purlieus of the town itself, present filthy spectacles

of bones and raw flesh at every step, which feed immense flocks of

sea-gulls, and in summer breed myriads of flies, to the great annoyance

of the inhabitants, who are obliged at table to have a servant or two

continually employed in fanning the dishes with feathers, to drive away

those troublesome intruders.

Of the character of the inhabitants of Monte Video, I am perhaps not

qualified to speak impartially, having been treated with unmerited

harshness, deprived of my property, and repeatedly persecuted on

the most groundless suspicion. These abuses, however, are solely

chargeable on the governor and on the persons immediately under his

influence; and I am bound in fairness to avow, that I did not perceive

any disposition in the generality of the people to injure or oppress

me. From individuals in the town I received all the assistance which

disinterested benevolence could afford to a person in my critical

situation; and were I, from the impulse of gratitude, to judge of the

whole by a part, I should say, that the inhabitants of Monte Video,

particularly the Creolians, are humane and well-disposed, when not

actuated by political or religious prejudices. Their habits of life

are much the same with those of their brethren in Old Spain, and

seem to proceed from the same remarkable union of two opposite but

not incompatible qualities, indolence and temperance. The ladies are

generally affable and polite, extremely fond of dress, and very neat

and cleanly in their persons. They adopt the English costume at home,

but go abroad usually in black, and always covered with a large veil

or mantle. At mass they invariably appear in black silk, bordered with

deep fringes. They delight in conversation, for which their vivacity

eminently qualifies them, and they are very courteous to strangers.

The chief trade of Monte Video consists in hides, tallow, and dried

beef; the two former of these articles are exported to Europe, and the

latter is sent to the West Indies, especially to the Havannah. Coarse

copper from Chili, in square cakes, is sometimes shipped here, as well

as an herb called _Mate_ from Paraguay, the infusion of which is as

common a beverage in these parts as tea is in England.

Sugar, coffee, and sweetmeats, are supplied from Rio de Janeiro and

other parts of the Brazilian coasts by small traders. Some articles

of jewellery are also brought from thence, and the returns are made in

dollars, hides, and tallow, which are forwarded generally to Europe.

The inhabitants were by no means opulent before the English took

the garrison, but through the misfortunes of the latter at Buenos

Ayres, and the losses of our commercial adventurers by ill-judged and

imprudent speculations, they were considerably enriched. The great

prospects indulged in England, before the expedition to the Plata, of

immense profits by trade to that river, have generally ended in ruin;

very few, indeed, of the speculators have escaped without considerable

loss. Property, once litigated, might be considered in a fair way for

confiscation; and in case of its having been deposited until certain

questions were decided, restitution was generally obtained at the

loss of one half. It frequently happened that goods detained in the

Custom-houses, or lodged in private stores in the river, were opened,

and large quantities stolen. The party on whom suspicion seemed most

reasonably to fall was the consignee, who, even with a few cargoes, was

generally observed to get rich very rapidly. Not contented with the

profits accruing from his commission, he seldom scrupled to take every

advantage which possession of the property afforded him, to further

his own interests at the expence of his correspondent. The dread of a

legal process could be but a slight check upon him, for in the Spanish

courts of justice, as well as in others, a native and a stranger are

seldom upon equal terms. Other circumstances have occurred to enrich

the inhabitants of Monte Video. It is a fact, which I afterwards

ascertained, that the English exported thither, goods to the amount

of a million and a half sterling, a small portion of which, on the

restoration of the place to the Spaniards, was re-shipped for the Cape

of Good Hope and the West Indies; the remainder was for the most part

sacrificed at whatever price the Spaniards chose to give. As their own

produce advanced in proportion as our’s lowered in price, those among

them who speculated gained considerably. The holders of English goods

sold their stock at upwards of fifty per cent. profit immediately after

the evacuation of the place.

The climate of Monte Video is humid. The weather, in the winter months

(June, July, and August), is at times boisterous, and the air in that

season is generally keen and piercing. In summer the serenity of the

atmosphere is frequently interrupted by tremendous thunder-storms,

preceded by dreadful lightning, which frequently damages the shipping,

and followed by heavy rain, which sometimes destroys the harvest. The

heat is troublesome, and is rendered more so to strangers by the swarms

of mosquitoes, which it engenders in such numbers that they infest

every apartment.

The town stands on a basis of granite, the feldspar of which is for

the most part of an opaque milk-white color, in a decomposing state;

in some places it is found of a flesh-red color and crystallized.

The mica is generally large and foliated, in many places imperfectly

crystallized. It is obvious that the excessive quantity of mud in the

harbour and throughout the banks of the river cannot have been formed

from this stratum. The high mount on the opposite side of the bay,

which is crowned with a Light-house, and gives name to the town, is

principally composed of clay-slate, in laminæ perpendicular to the

horizon. This substance appears much like basalt in texture, but its

fracture is less conchoidal; it decomposes into an imperfect species of

wacké, and ultimately into ferruginous clay, from beds of which water

is observed to flow in various parts of the mountain.

The vicinity of Monte Video is agreeably diversified with low gently

sloping hills, and long valleys watered by beautiful rivulets; but the

prospects they afford are rarely enlivened by traces of cultivation;

few enclosures are seen except the gardens of the principal merchants.

The same defect appears in a north-east direction from the town, where

similar varieties of hill, valley, and water prevail, and seem to want

only the embellishment of sylvan scenery to complete the landscape.

Some wood, indeed, grows on the margin of the _Riachuelo_, which is

used for the building of hovels and for fuel. There is a pleasant

stream about ten leagues from Monte Video, called the Louza, the banks

of which seem to invite the labor of the planter, and would certainly

produce abundance of timber[2]. It is to be remarked that the almost

entire want of this article here, occasions great inconvenience and

expense: wood for mechanical purposes is extremely scarce, and planks

are so dear that hardly one house with a boarded floor is to be found.

In this vicinity the farms are of great extent; few are so small as

six miles in length, by a league in width. Such is the scarcity of

wood, that the land-marks, when not already designated by nature in a

chain of hills, a rivulet, or a valley, are made by ranges of stones

of a peculiar form. The _quintas_ (or farms owned by gentlemen),

with the country houses built upon them, as rural retreats for their

proprietors, resident in Monte Video, were extremely pleasant and

agreeable; the gardens were full of fine flowers and fruits, and every

thing about these establishments indicated so much peace, harmony,

and good neighbourhood, as to make an impression on the mind of a

stranger equally pleasing and indelible. But the scene, alas! has been

changed through the intestine discords produced by a revolutionary

war; and the colony has been reduced from a state of happiness to one

of distress and wretchedness. The inhabitants of the interior, having

been instigated to plunder each other until nothing remained, ranged

themselves under the banners of the predatory chieftain Artigas, and

formed a desperate banditti, who robbed and frequently murdered all

they met; drove the peaceable inhabitants from their farms, plundered

their houses, took away their cattle, reduced the rich to poverty, and

the poor to wretchedness, almost so as to desolate this once florishing

colony. A man, who but a few months before possessed 100,000 head of

cattle, was driven from his estate, and obliged to purchase, at the

price of one shilling per pound, the meat which he had formerly left in

the slaughter-house, having killed his beasts merely for their hides;

so that the necessaries of life which were once to be procured almost

gratuitously, became extravagantly dear; and the horrors of approaching

famine were superadded to those of anarchy and spoliation.

Reverting to the former order of things, I could name more than fifty

individuals of Monte Video, whose estates were from twenty to fifty

miles in length, by ten or twenty in breadth, with cattle in such

numbers as are almost incredible. An estate of this kind, consisting

of a varied extent of hill, plain, and valley, is called a _fazenda_,

as distinguished from the _quinta_, which bears a closer resemblance

to the English farm, being a portion of land, generally selected near

the house, for the culture of wheat, beans, Indian corn, melons, fruit

trees, &c.

The farm house is almost destitute of furniture; the couch consists of

a raw hide, stretched and suspended, on which is placed a flock bed;

strangers most commonly sleep on a mat, or dried hide, spread upon the

ground.

At a small distance from Monte Video, herds of deer, and flocks of

ostriches are to be met with; the eagle is often seen, and sometimes

the tiger. Soon after the time when the troops of Artigas drove the

cattle from the mountain opposite, two tigers swam across the bay,

penetrated at night into the town, and killed two or three of the

inhabitants ere they were attacked and destroyed. They were supposed to

have been driven by hunger in search of food.

The country which was formerly so peaceable and so safe, that a

traveller might go to almost any distance, and meet with nothing but

hospitality, has been latterly so infested with banditti, that to

wander a mile or two from the town exposes a man to the danger of

being robbed and murdered; so that while anarchy and confusion prevail

within, there is nothing but plunder and destruction without the walls

of Monte Video. It has however fallen into the possession of the

Portuguese, who cannot be dislodged from so strong a fortress by any

force which their neighbours are able to bring against them. Indeed,

the Potuguese, availing themselves of the advantages afforded by the

disorganized state of Buenos Ayres, will, no doubt, incorporate the

northern part of the Plata with the captaincy of Rio Grande, and thus

extend to that distracted country the blessings of their own mild and

beneficent government. Artigas being at length taken prisoner, public

confidence will be restored in Monte Video, and the reign of peace and

security be there re-established.

The operation of ploughing, consists here of little more than forming a

small furrow, by running a sharp pointed stick through the soil. There

are no dairy farms, and scarcely is any butter or cheese made. Mining

is unknown; and little notice is taken of the small quantity of lead

ore which appears in limestone at Maldonado.

An estate, however large, seldom contains more than from ten to twenty

men, who are employed in domesticating cattle; and scarcely a woman

is to be seen, except the domestic negresses. Sheep are kept solely

for their wool, and pigs for their fat, an article much in request for

culinary preparations. The usual mode of travelling is on horseback,

and there are very few carriages in Monte Video.

The breeding of horses is less attended to than that of cattle, as

their hides sell at an inferior price. Herds of 500 or 1000 horses are

not often seen in this district, though those of oxen sometimes amount

to ten times the latter number. Cows are but seldom domesticated,

and then very few, and it is by mere stratagem in managing the calf

that any milk can be procured. Every kind of handicraft trade is

ill conducted. Though the Monte Videans have hides, they procure

their leather from Europe, as that which they make themselves is

comparatively worthless. Their carpenters and other artisans are bad

workmen; but I am told their barbers are men of superior skill in their

calling, and this distinction may, perhaps, be attributed to the great

beards of the Spaniards; the men of Paraguay having a stinted portion

of that natural ornament. The silversmiths are of so inferior a stamp,

that they might with greater propriety be called coppersmiths. The

common people excel most in catching cattle, either with the noose, or

the balls.

In the neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres and Monte Video, wheat alone is

grown. It is stored, until wanted, in hides; and when there is a great

demand for grain in Brazil, it is sometimes exported to Rio de Janeiro.

But of late years the inhabitants of the provinces of La Plata have

paid less attention than ever to this branch of agriculture; and the

supplies to Brazil have been chiefly derived from the Cape of Good

Hope.

CHAP. II.

_Journey to Barriga Negra.—Geology of the Country.—Limestone, and

mode of burning it.—Horned Cattle.—Peons.—Horses.—Defective

State of Agriculture.—Manners of the Inhabitants.—Dress.—Wild

Animals.—Monte Video taken by the British.—My return thither._

ON the arrival of General Beresford’s expedition in the river, I

was again ordered into close confinement, but my advocate obtained

permission for me to be sent into the interior, under a stipulation not

to approach within forty leagues of Monte Video. This removal seemed

for the moment to shut out all hope of obtaining my liberty, and at the

same time threatened to expose me to fresh dangers, but I derived some

consolation from the generous offers of shelter and protection made to

me by a worthy Spaniard named Don Juan Martinez, whose establishment,

not more than fifty leagues from the lake of Meni, was situated at

the full distance prescribed in the orders respecting me. A retreat

so remote and unfrequented offered few amusements to relieve the

tediousness of banishment, but it at least afforded the prospect of a

wider range for mineralogical observation, and of ampler leisure to

attend to this my favorite pursuit.

In the course of the journey thither, my attention was principally

engaged by the wild and solitary aspect of the country. About

twenty-five leagues north-east from Monte Video, I observed an

irregular ridge of granite mountains, in a direction nearly north and

south, and the country from this distance gradually assumes a rugged

appearance. Mica is very common upon the road, and in some places

quartz; on one hill I gathered several detached crystals of the latter

substance. The ravines of these stony wilds and the wooded margins of

the rivers afford shelter to many ferocious animals, such as jaguars,

(here called tigers), lions, and ounces. Here are also great numbers

of wild dogs which breed in the rocks, and at times make great havoc

among the young cattle. The farms in this district, for the most part,

include tracts of land from twenty to thirty miles in length by half

that extent in breadth, watered by pleasing streams. Vast herds of

cattle are bred upon them; it is calculated that each square league

sustains one thousand five hundred or two thousand head.

At the distance of about forty leagues from Monte Video, in the

direction above mentioned, the range of hills gradually lessens and

disappears; the country opens finely on the left, and is intersected

by numerous rivulets. After crossing several of these we arrived

at the head of a little brook called Polancos, which a few miles

below, assumes the name of Barriga Negra. It there receives several

small streams, and in the course of ten leagues is augmented by the

confluence of some others; becoming thus a considerable river, about as

large as the Trent at Gainsborough, it is denominated Godoy, but, on

passing into the Portugueze territories, it changes its name to that

of Sebollati, and flows into the Lagun Meni. Near the junction of two

rivulets that form the Barriga Negra, stands the great lime-kiln of my

friend, in whose house I took up my residence, and was received with

that kindness and sincere hospitality which in an instant dispelled

every doubt from my mind, and excited in me sentiments of gratitude

that were every day more deeply impressed in my heart.

Having become thoroughly domesticated in my new abode, I began to make

excursions into the surrounding district and the parts beyond it. The

country in general may be termed stony and mountainous, though its

inequalities do not exceed those of Derbyshire. No traces of either

volcanic or alluvial matter are to be found; the solid rock frequently

appears on the surface, and in many places projects in masses of

various sizes. The mountains and rocks are of granite; no veins of

metallic substance have hitherto been discovered, but fine red and

yellow jasper, chalcedony, and quartz, are not unfrequently found loose

on the surface. Some fossils of the asbestos kind, and some very poor

oxides of iron are likewise to be met with occasionally. The bases

of many of the conical mountains are overlaid with limestone of a

dull blue color; I found in this substance many capillary veins of

calcareous-spar, and sometimes crystals of pyrites. In one part of the

vicinity there is a plain about half a mile square, on the surface of

which are found large quantities of white stone in nodules; it is of a

very close texture and proves to be gypsum without water (Anhydrite).

The summits of these mountains are no where calcareous, excepting those

of one ridge, the singular appearance of which induced me to trace it

as far as was practicable. The limestone on these summits is of a close

compact kind, united to transparent quartz in a tabular form, standing,

as it were, in laminæ perpendicular to the horizon, and thus presenting

to the view a number of upright slabs, somewhat similar to the

grave-stones in a country church-yard. This singular ridge apparently

commences at a mountain of very unusual form, and, extending about two

miles, in which it crosses two or three valleys, and terminates in a

ravine of considerable depth. No vestige of calcareous crystallization

appeared in this limestone[3]. It is singular to remark, that the

cavities formed by the laminæ afford refuge for reptiles, particularly

rattle-snakes; the person employed by Mr. Martinez in getting the

stone, destroyed upwards of twenty-seven serpents of that species in

the course of a few weeks.

The limestone is loosened by the wedge and lever, and brought away

in large slabs to the kilns, where it is broken into fragments of a

convenient size, and burnt with wood. The kilns are very capacious,

but so badly constructed that the process of calcination is very slow

and tedious. The lime, when slaked, is measured, put into sacks made

of green hides, and sent in large carts, drawn by oxen, principally to

Colonia del Sacramento, Monte Video, and Buenos Ayres.

Barriga Negra is distant about 160 miles north-east from Monte Video,

about 120 from Maldonado, and 90 from the town of Minas. The country

around it is mountainous, well watered, and not destitute of wood. The

banks of the streams are thickly covered with trees, rarely, however,

of large size, for the creeping plants, interweaving with the shoots,

check their growth and form an impenetrable thicket. Here are numbers

of great breeding estates, many of which are stocked with from 60,000

to 200,000 head of cattle. These are guarded principally by men from

Paraguay called Peons, who live in hovels built for the purpose at

convenient distances. Ten thousand head are allotted to four or five

Peons, whose business it is to collect them every morning and evening,

and once or twice a month to drive them into pens, where they are kept

for a night. The cattle by this mode of management are soon tamed; a

ferocious or vicious beast I never saw among them. Breeding is alone

attended to; neither butter nor cheese is made, and milk is scarcely

known as an article of food. The constant diet of the people, morning,

noon, and night, is beef, eaten almost always without bread, and

frequently without salt. This habitual subsistence on strong food would

probably engender diseases, were it not corrected by frequently taking

an infusion of their favorite herb _Mate_, at all times of the day,

when inclination calls for it.

The dwellings of the Peons are in general very wretched, the walls

being formed by a few upright posts interwoven with small branches of

trees, plastered with mud inside and out, and the roof thatched with

long grass and rushes. The door is also of wicker-work, or, in its

stead, a green hide stretched on sticks and removable at pleasure. The

furniture of these poor hovels consists of a few skulls of horses,

which are made to serve for seats; and of a stretched hide to lie upon.

The principal if not the sole cooking utensil is a spit or rod of iron,

stuck in the ground in an oblique position, so as to incline over the

fire. The beef when spitted is left to roast until the part next the

fire is supposed to be done enough, then its position is altered, and

the change is occasionally repeated, until the whole is cooked. The

juices of the meat, by this mode of roasting, help to mend the fire,

and indeed the people seem to think that they are fit for nothing else.

The meat, which is naturally poor and coarse, being thus dried to

a cake, bears little affinity to the boasted roast beef of England.

Fuel, in some parts, is so extremely scarce that the following strange

expedient is resorted to for a supply. As the mares in this country

are kept solely for breeding, and are never trained to labor, they

generally exceed, in a great degree, the due proportion; a flock of

them is frequently killed, and their carcasses soon becoming dry, are

used as firing, (with the exception of the hides and tails), which,

when properly prepared, are packed for exportation.

The Peons are chiefly emigrants from Paraguay[4], and it is a singular

fact that, among the numbers that are here settled, very few women

are to be found. A person may travel in these parts for days together

without seeing or hearing of a single female in the course of his

journey. To this circumstance may be attributed the total absence of

domestic comfort in the dwellings of these wretched men, and the gloomy

apathy observable in their dispositions and habits. It is true that the

mistress of an estate may occasionally visit it for a few months, but

she is obliged during her stay to live in great seclusion, on account

of the dreadful consequences to be apprehended from being so exposed.

The dexterous mode in which the Peons catch their cattle, by throwing

a noose over them, has been frequently detailed, but certainly no

description can do full justice to their agility. They throw with equal

precision and effect, whether at full gallop or at rest. Their method

of catching horses, by means of balls attached to leather thongs,

is similar to the former but more unerring; scarcely an instance has

been known of its failure, except in those frequent trials which are

requisite to acquire perfect skill in the practice.

They have a very singular and simple way of training mules and horses

to draw light carts, coaches, &c. No harness is used; a saddle or pad

is girted on, and a leather thong is fastened to the girth on one side,

so that the animal moving forward, with his body in a rather oblique

direction, keeps his legs clear of the apparatus which is attached

to him, and draws with a freedom and an agility that in a stranger

excite great surprise. A similar contrivance is used in the catching

of cattle. The Peon fastens one end of his _lazo_[5] to the girth of

his horse, who soon learns to place himself in such an attitude as to

draw the ox which his rider has caught, and even, should the latter

dismount, to keep the thong on the stretch.

The horses in this country are very spirited, and perform almost

incredible labor. They seldom work longer than a week at a time, being

then turned out to pasture for months together. Their sole food is

grass, and the treatment they endure from their masters is most harsh

and unfeeling. They are frequently galloped until their generous fire

is spent, and they drop through exhaustion and fatigue. The make of the

bridle is alone sufficient to torture the animal, being of the heavy

Spanish fashion. They are never shod. The girths of the saddles are of

a curious construction; they are generally formed of shreds of green

hide, or of the sinew of the neck; the middle part is twenty inches

broad, and each end is terminated by an iron ring. One of these ends is

made fast to the saddle by its ring; to the other side of the saddle is

attached a third ring and a pliable strap, which, being passed through

it and the girth-ring three or four times, affords the rider great

purchase, and enables him to gird the saddle very tight, which is thus

kept so firm in its place that a crupper is unnecessary, and indeed is

never used.

Trained horses sell here at from five to seven dollars each; horned

cattle, in good condition, by the herd of a thousand, at two dollars

a head; mares at three rials (1s. 6d. sterling) each. Sheep are very

scarce and are never eaten; they are kept by some families merely for

the sake of their wool, which is made into flocks for bedding. It is

worthy of remark, that, in the remote parts of the interior, where

no settlements have been made, the cattle are found of a dark brown

color, except on a small part of the belly, which is white, but when

they become domesticated, they produce breeds of a lighter color, with

hides beautifully spotted and variegated. The fine herds bred in many

parts of this district, have often tempted the Portugueze to make

predatory incursions; and the country being accessible by fine open

passes to the frontier, as well as to the north side of the Plata,

these violations of territory have been carried on to a very serious

extent. So frequent were they at one period, that it became necessary

to appoint a military force to parade the boundaries and to defend the

Spanish settlements against these inroads.

[Illustration: PEON CATCHING CATTLE.]

[Illustration: PLOUGHING FOR WHEAT.

OSTRICH NEST.]

In taking a general view of the country, a stranger cannot but observe,

with regret, that while nature has been profuse in her blessings, the

inhabitants have been neglectful in the improvement of them. Here is,

for instance, abundance of excellent clay and plenty of wood on the

margin of the rivers, yet it is rare to meet with an inclosure, even

for a kitchen garden, much more so for a corn-field. They generally

choose their grounds for tillage by the banks of a rivulet, so as to

have one side or sometimes two sides bounded by it; the remainder is

fenced in the most clumsy and bungling manner imaginable. Ploughing is

performed by the help of two oxen yoked to a crooked piece of wood,

about four inches in diameter, and pointed at the end. After the ground

has been rooted up, the wheat is sown, without any previous attempt to

clear it from noxious seeds. While it grows up, it is never weeded; so

that wild oats, poppies, and other pernicious herbs, thriving among it

in wild luxuriance, obstruct the sun’s rays and hinder it from ripening

kindly. Indian corn, beans, melons, &c. are all treated in a similar

way. The wheat, when ripe, is cut down with sickles, and gathered

into heads or sheaves. A circular pen of from forty to sixty yards in

diameter is then formed with rails and hides; in the centre of this

enclosure is placed a quantity of about one hundred or two hundred

quarters of wheat in the straw. The pile is so formed as to have the

ears on the outside as much as possible. A small quantity is pulled

down towards the circumference of the circle, and a herd of about

twenty mares is driven in, which, being untamed, are easily frightened

and made to gallop round. At this pace they are kept by means of whips

for four or five hours, until the corn is trod out of the ears, and

the straw is completely reduced. Another parcel of the sheaves is then

pulled down, and a fresh herd of mares is let in, and this operation

is repeated until the whole heap is reduced, and the straw is broken

as small as chaff. In this state it is left until it blows a brisk

gale; and then the winnowing is performed by emptying baskets of the

mixed grain and chaff at an elevation of eight feet from the ground.

While the chaff is borne away by the current of air, the grain falls,

and at the close of the operation, is sewed up in green hides. In this

state it is sent to Monte Video, where it is ground for consumption,

or exported. It is obvious, that by the above mode of separating the

grain, a considerable quantity must be lost by abrasion, and by mixture

with a large portion of earth which cannot be blown away by the wind.

The climate and soil are equally favorable for the growth of grapes,

apples, peaches, and in short every species of fruit belonging to

the temperate zone, but these are known here only as rarities. That

inestimable root, the potatoe, would thrive abundantly, if once

introduced; but, though much has been said in recommendation of it,

the people remain totally averse to this or any other proposal for

improving their means of subsistence, and seem to wish for nothing

beyond the bare necessaries of life. Indeed the state of society among

them weakens those ties which naturally attach men to the soil on which

they are accustomed to subsist. The Peons, brought from Paraguay in

their infancy, grow up to the age of manhood in a state of servitude,

uncheered by domestic comfort; at that period they generally wander,

in search of employment, toward the coast, where money is in greater

plenty. There is no specie in circulation in the interior; their wages

are paid monthly in notes on Monte Video. The men, for the most part,

are an honest and harmless race, though quite as liable, from the

circumstances of their condition, to acquire habits of gambling[6], as

the higher classes of the people, numbers of whom fall victims to that

seductive vice. The various evils hence resulting are multiplied by the

lax administration of the laws; even in case of murder the criminal

has little to fear if he can escape to a distance of twenty or thirty

leagues; he there lives in obscurity, probably for the remainder of

his life, without ever being brought to justice. I know not whether

this want of vigilance in the magistracy be not a temptation for the

numerous refugees who seek shelter here, such as European Spaniards,

who have deserted from the service or have been banished for their

crimes. These wretches, loaded with guilt, flee into the interior,

where they seldom fail to find some one or other of their countrymen

who is willing to give them employment, though frequently at the peril

of his life. By the corrupt example of these refugees, the innocent

Creole is soon initiated in vice, and becomes a prey to all those

violent passions which are engendered and fostered by habitual idleness.

The common dress of the people is such as might be expected from their

indolence and poverty. They generally go without shoes and stockings;

indeed as they rarely go on foot, they have seldom occasion for shoes.

Some of them, particularly the Peons, make a kind of boots from the

raw skins of young horses, which they frequently kill for this sole

purpose. When the animal is dead, they cut the skin round the thigh,

about eighteen inches above the gambrel; having stripped it, they

stretch and dress it until it loses the hair and becomes quite white.

The lower part, which covered the joint, forms the heel, and the

extremity is tied or sewed up to cover the toes. These boots, when

newly finished, are of a delicate color, and very generally admired.

The rest of their apparel consists of a jacket, which is universally

worn by all ranks, and a shirt and drawers made of a coarse cotton

cloth brought from Brazil. Children run about with no dress but their

shirts until their fifth or sixth year. Their education is very little

attended to, and is confined to mere rudiments; a man who is able to

read and write, is considered to have all the learning he can desire.

Among the many natural advantages which this district possesses, are

the frequent falls in the rivulets and larger streams, which might be

converted to various mechanical purposes, if the population were more

numerous and better instructed. Some of these streams, as was before

stated, join the various branches of the Godoy, and flow into the lake

Meni; those on the other side of the mountains in a northerly direction

empty themselves principally through the Riachuelo and the St. Lucia,

into the Plata.

The want of cultivation in this vast territory may be inferred from

the numbers and varieties of wild animals which breed upon it.

Tigers, ounces, and lions are common. The former are heavy sluggish

animals; their chief prey is the young cattle, which they find in such

abundance, that they rarely attack a man. Hence little danger is to be

apprehended from them by any person travelling on horseback[7], unless

when inadvertently approaching the haunt of a female with young. The

ounce has the same character, and the lion is considered less vicious

than either. There is an animal of the pig kind, called the pig of

the woods, (_Pecari_),[8] which has an orifice on its back, whence it

emits a most intolerable stench when closely pursued. If on killing

the animal, the part be instantaneously cut out, the flesh affords

good eating, but should that operation be neglected, even for a short

period, the taint contaminates the whole carcass. The domestic pigs are

by no means good; they feed so much upon beef, that their flesh is very

hard and coarse. There is an animal of the opossum kind, about the size

of a rabbit, called a _zurilla_, the skin of which is streaked black

and white, and is considered of some value. When attacked, it ejects a

fetid liquor, which is of so pungent a nature, that if it falls on any

part of the dress of its pursuers, there is no possibility of getting

rid of the stench, but by continual exposure to the weather for some

months. The _zurilla_ is very fond of eggs and poultry, and sometimes

enters a house in quest of its prey; the inhabitants immediately

hasten out and leave their unwelcome visitant in quiet possession, as

long as she chooses to stay; well aware that the slightest attempt to

drive her out, would expose them to an ejectment from the premises

for ever. Eagles both of the grey and blue species, as well as other

birds of prey, are found in great numbers. Here are also parroquets in

immense flocks, pigeons, great red-legged partridges, small partridges,

wild ducks, and wild turkies. Ostriches of a large species are very

numerous; they are so fleet and active, that even when well mounted I

could never get near them but by surprise; the stroke of their wing is

said to be inconceivably strong.

Here are considerable herds of small deer, which in this fine country

would afford the sportsman excellent diversion; but unfortunately

the dogs are good for nothing, as there is no attention paid to the

preservation and improvement of the breed. The rivers produce tortoises

and other amphibious animals, but they are chiefly noted for a variety

of singularly ugly fish, which afford tolerable but by no means good

eating.

During a residence of six months in this remote district, as a

prisoner at large, or in fact as a welcome guest at the house of

a most hospitable man, my life passed away in an equable tenor,

uninterrupted by those vicissitudes that elsewhere befel me, and

therefore a narrative of it is little calculated to interest the

reader. Rather than occupy his attention by relating my various hopes

and disappointments, as the prospect of liberation became more or less

favorable, I have chosen to present him with the result of some general

observations on the country, made during the daily excursions which

I enjoyed through the liberality of my friend. The longer I resided

in his house, the greater was his kindness to me in allowing me those

indulgences, and the more did he and his family strive to render my

exile agreeable. An event at length occurred which at once delighted

and distressed me; because while it afforded me hopes of immediate

deliverance, it destroyed for a time the harmony which had so long

subsisted between me and my protector. I allude to the taking of Monte

Video by the British troops under Sir Samuel Auchmuty.

On hearing of the surrender of the place, I solicited Mr. Martinez

to liberate me, as I thought myself no longer a prisoner. He seemed

much astonished at this, and gave me to understand that I continued a

prisoner, because, not being actually at Monte Video, I was still in

the power and under the jurisdiction of the Viceroy of Buenos Ayres.

This worthy man’s mind was so distracted by the fall of the town, and

by the disgrace of the Spanish arms, that he secluded himself from

society, and avoided all communication with me. In these circumstances

I was advised to attempt my escape, but I felt great repugnance at the

idea of thus wounding the feelings of a man who had humanely released

me from confinement, and had ever treated me as a brother. Averse to

such an act of ingratitude, I intreated his amiable wife to intercede

for me, and to suggest that, on returning to Monte Video, it might be

in my power to be of service to him. But he rejected the proposal in

the most vehement manner, and forbade any one to talk to him on the

subject. I now thought that my liberty was unreasonably denied me, and

as I saw no probability of obtaining it but through my own exertions,

I determined at all events to make the attempt. After deliberating for

some days, and consulting with two men who had frequently mentioned

the subject to me, I decided on my plan of escape, and gave them six

ounces of gold to provide horses and every thing necessary. On the

appointed night, all was in readiness, the horses were saddled, and the

men waiting to escort me. This moment was one of the most melancholy

in my life; I reflected with compunction, that, while striving to

regain my freedom, I was apparently abusing the confidence of a man of

honor, who had done all in his power to merit my friendship. Agitated

by these emotions, and oppressed by a sadness which the thick gloom

of the night rendered more heavy, I was walking to and fro in the

neighbourhood, on the spot appointed for my guides to meet me, when a

voice, with which I was familiar, accosted me. The person was very near

me, but owing to the extreme darkness I could not see him. He asked me

what I was doing there. I replied, “only walking about.” “Don Juan,”

said he “you are going to escape to-night.” I answered, “indeed I am

not.” He replied, “you are; and the men whom you have chosen for your

guides are to murder you, to seize your money, and to bury you in a

ravine about a league distant. The man in whom you have most confided

has a knife concealed in his saddle, with which he is to give you the

fatal blow.” This so staggered me, that I was unable, at the moment,

to make any answer. I felt confident that no one knew of my intended

departure, except the two men and myself. On asking, “how do you know

this?” he replied, “I overheard them talking of it.” He added, “you

know they are both gamblers, and one of them killed two men last year.”

Ere I had recovered my surprise, so as to speak again, the man went

away. While meditating on the choice of evils, namely, whether to run

the risk of being murdered and thrown into a ravine, or to abandon my

design and remain a prisoner, one of my hired Peons came to inform

me that the horses were waiting. I told him I had a violent pressure

at my stomach and could not ride. He treated this very lightly, and

urged me with great earnestness to mount at all events. Considering

at this moment that money was of little value in comparison with my

life and liberty, I offered to give him two ounces of gold if he

would perform a piece of service for me, which I would explain to him

through my room-window at midnight. He still used every argument to

persuade me immediately to set out, but finding that I persisted in

alleging my indisposition as an excuse, he at length acceded to my

proposal. Having reached my chamber, I wrote to a magistrate at Monte

Video, who, I knew, would, if he had survived the assault of the town,

send an order for my liberation. When I had finished writing, the man

appeared at the window according to agreement; I gave him the letter,

charged him to convey it to Monte Video, and presenting him with two

ounces of gold, promised him another ounce if he should bring me an

answer. He departed unknown to any of our good family, and on the

fifth day following, in the forenoon, returned, to my inexpressible

joy, with a paper signed by Don Francisco Juanico, the magistrate to

whom I had written, stating that I was free, and ought immediately to

proceed thither. On receiving this welcome intelligence, I hastened

to Mr. Martinez, and joyfully embracing him, gave him the paper to

read; after examining its contents, he observed, that it was nothing

official, but would avail me as a reasonable pretext for going away,

to which he cordially acquiesced. He immediately ordered three Peons

and a trusty old Creole to accompany me, with twenty-five horses, that

we might perform the journey with greater expedition. The best dinner

was provided which the time would allow, and while partaking of it I

received the sincerest congratulations on my liberation from my worthy

host and his amiable lady. I then took an affectionate leave of every

branch of this good family, expressing my warm acknowledgments of the

many obligations they had conferred on me. Having joined my guides, we

each mounted a horse, and, at three in the afternoon, set off at full

speed, driving the rest of the cattle before us. My first horse bore me

forty miles, and I changed him at ten o’clock. The night was fine, and

after a rapid but pleasant journey, we forded the river St. Lucia and

halted at two in the morning, half way on the route to Monte Video. At

the house, into the _corral_ of which our horses were driven for the

purpose of changing them, I procured a slight repast of dried figs,

after which we again mounted and travelled tolerably fresh until six

in the morning, when we were again obliged to change, having proceeded

about one hundred English miles. Our horses now began to lose their

generous spirit, and were much distressed. As our progress became

slower and our changes more frequent, my anxiety increased, because I

was aware there were Spanish parties scouring the country about Monte

Video, and stopping the passage of all provisions from the interior. To

avoid suspicion, I rode in the dress of a Peon, with the lazo coiled

up and hung at my saddle. At eleven o’clock the heat of the day became

oppressive, and our horses flagged exceedingly. To add to my distress

I had a violent hæmorrhage from the nose, and could obtain no water to

drink or wash with, so that, through thirst and the coagulation of the

blood, I was nearly suffocated. On arriving within six miles of Monte

Video, our horses were nearly worn out; but no rest could be allowed

for either them or the men. At noon we reached an English piquet-guard

on the out-posts; after the usual questions I was conducted by a

soldier to the officer on guard, and having explained some particulars

to him, I rode to General Lumley’s tent, and afterwards into the town.

No language can describe my emotions on beholding an English flag

on that tower in which I had been so often confined, and, on seeing

English soldiers in possession of a place where I had experienced so

much injustice and oppression. The joy I felt made me forget my fatigue

and the dangers I had passed through. I rode up to my friend’s house;

all was barricadoed, and I feared the worst might have happened; but,

on advancing to the window, I observed one of the ladies, who instantly

recognized me. All the family welcomed me most cordially, and invited

me to dinner, after which I went, in my Peon’s disguise, to visit some

of my friends. On taking possession of Mr. Martinez’s house, I found my

chests, &c. undisturbed, (although the town was taken by storm), and in

the same condition as when I left them on going into the country.

CHAP. III.

_Expedition against Buenos Ayres.—Account of the Population of the

Country, and of the various Classes which compose it._

WHEN the expedition against Buenos Ayres was ready to sail, I obtained

General Whitelocke’s permission to go with the army, under the hope

of recovering the property I had in that city, and offered my service

to the commissary-general, whom I accompanied. As the details of that

disastrous enterprise have been long before the public in an official

form, and as my own observations on the occasion are of no general

interest, the reader will excuse me if I forbear all mention of them,

and confine myself to some general remarks on the colony.

The population of Buenos Ayres and its immediate suburbs, exclusive of

the country in its vicinity, has been ascertained to amount to upwards

of sixty thousand souls. The proportion of females to males is said to

be as four to one, but if we take into consideration that many men are

almost daily arriving from Europe, as well as from the South American

provinces, and that under the old government neither the militia nor

the marine was recruited from the mass of the population, we shall

find reason to conclude that the proportion of the sexes is not so

unequal. In the interior, the excess of males is very great, for as

the lands are granted in large tracts only, and but poorly cultivated,

there is no encouragement for the laboring classes to marry and settle

upon them. The poor are compelled to remain single, from the very bare

resources on which they depend for subsistence, and are accustomed

to consider the married state as fraught with heavy burthens and

inevitable misfortunes. It is not uncommon to find estates, larger than

an English county, with hardly more than an hundred laborers upon them,

who subsist upon the sale of a little corn, which each is permitted to

grow for himself, but only to such an extent as a single man can plough.

The various races which compose the population are as follow:

1. Legitimate Spaniards or Europeans. In Buenos Ayres there are about

three thousand; in the interior the number is very trifling, except in

Potosi, which, being a mining country, contains many.

2. Creoles; legitimate descendants from Spaniards or Europeans.

3. Mestizos, the offspring of European and Indian parents.

4. Indians, almost all of whom have some mixture of Spanish blood.

5. Brown mixtures of Africans and Europeans.

6. Mulattos of various degrees.

All these races intermix without restraint, so that it is difficult

to define the minor gradations, or to assign limits to the

ever-multiplying varieties. Few families are entirely exempt from

characteristics of Indian origin, physical as well as moral. It is well

known that in the Spanish colonies little regard is now paid to purity

of blood; the various regulations for preserving the races distinct

have gradually become obsolete. This may be regarded as a momentary

evil; but may it not be conducive in the long-run to the good of

society, by concentrating the interests of the various classes, which,

in remaining separate, might one day endanger the stability of the

government, as has been the case in the French colony of St. Domingo?

In describing the orders of society in Buenos Ayres, it is necessary to

premise that I mean to class them, not by degrees of birth, rank, or

profession, but by the relative estimation in which they stand in point

of property or public usefulness.

According to this scale, the first which comes under consideration is

the commercial class. Every person belonging to it, from the huckster

at the corner of the street, to the opulent trader in his warehouse,

is dignified by the appellation of merchant; yet few individuals among

them can lay just claim to that title, as they are wanting in that

practical knowledge so essential in commercial dealings. They are

averse to all speculation and enterprise; the common routine of their

business is to send orders to Spain for the articles they need, and to

sell by retail, at an exorbitant profit; beyond this they have hardly a

single idea, and it has been said that their great reason for opposing

a free trade with foreign nations, is a consciousness of their own

mercantile inexperience. The more considerable houses are almost all

branches of some European establishment; few of the Creoles have any

regular trade. Those among them, however, who engage in it, are much

more liberal in their transactions than the old Spaniards, and are

observed to make less rapid fortunes, for their manly and independent

character makes them spurn a miserable economy, and disdain to assume

that church-going hypocrisy which must be practised twice or thrice

a-day by those who would enrich themselves through the patronage of the

opulent families. Among the inferior tradesmen, those who gain most are

the _pulperos_, the warehousemen, and the shopkeepers. The _pulperos_

retail wine, brandy, candles, sausages, salt, bread, spices, wood,

grease, brimstone, &c. Their shops (_pulperias_) are generally

lounging-places for the idle and dissipated of the community. In Buenos

Ayres there are about seven hundred of them, each more or less in the

interest of some richer individual. The warehousemen sell earthen and

glass ware, drugs, various articles of consumption, and some goods

of home-manufacture, wholesale and retail. The shopkeepers amount

to nearly six hundred in number; they sell woollen cloths, silks,

cotton goods of all sorts, hats, and various other articles of wearing

apparel. Many of them make considerable fortunes, those especially

who trade to Lima, Peru, Chili, or Paraguay, by means of young men

whom they send as agents or factors. There is another description of

merchants, if such they may be called, who keep in the back-ground, and

enrich themselves by monopolizing victuals, and by forestalling the

grain brought to market from the interior, much to the injury of the

agricultural interest.

The second class of inhabitants consists of the proprietors of estates

and houses. They are in general Creoles, for few Europeans employ

their funds in building, or in the purchase of land, until they have

realised a fortune to live upon, which commonly takes place when they

are far advanced in life, so that their establishments pass immediately

into the hands of their successors. The simple landholders derive so

little revenue from their possessions, that they are generally in

debt to their tradesmen; their gains are but too commonly engrossed

by the monopolists, and having no magistrate to represent them,

they find themselves destitute of effectual resources against wrong

and extortion. So defective and ill-regulated are the concerns of

agriculture in this country, that the proprietor of an estate really

worth 20,000 dollars can scarcely subsist upon it.

Under the class of landed proprietors, I may reckon the cultivators,

here called _quinteros_ or _chacareros_, who grow wheat, maize, and

other grain. These men are so depressed and impoverished, that,

notwithstanding the importance of their calling, and the public

usefulness of their labors, they are ranked among the people of least

consequence in society.

The third class is composed of handicraftsmen, such as masons,

carpenters, tailors, and shoe-makers, who, although they work hard

and receive great wages, seldom realize property. The journeymen are

usually people of color; the masters for the most part Genoese, and

universally foreigners, for the Spaniards despise these trades, and

cannot stoop to work along with negroes or mulattos. Many of the lower

orders derive subsistence from these and other employments of a similar

nature; here are lime-burners, wood-cutters, tanners, curriers, &c.

The free porters constitute a numerous body of men; they ply about the

streets to load and unload carts, and carry burdens, but they are so

idle and dissolute, that no man can depend on their services for a

week together; when they have a little money, they drink and gamble,

and when pennyless, they sometimes betake themselves to pilfering.

These habits have long rendered them a public nuisance, but no

corrective measures have hitherto been taken, nor does there appear, on

the part of the higher orders, any disposition to reform them.

Persons employed in public offices may be comprehended under the

fourth class. The best situations under Government are held by native

Spaniards; those of less emolument by Creoles; the former are regarded

as mere sinecures, and the persons enjoying them, are considered as in

no way serviceable to the community, except by spending their large

salaries within it.

The fifth class is the militia or soldiery. Previous to the invasion

of the English, the officers were not much noted for military science,

or for that ardor which leads to the acquisition of it; their chief

ambition was to obtain commands in towns and villages, especially

those on the Portuguese frontier, where they might enrich themselves

by smuggling. The privates were ill-disciplined, badly dressed, and

badly paid. The effective force which the crown of Spain maintained

in these possessions, was one regiment of the line, which was to

consist of 1200 men, but was reduced to less than half; one regiment

of dragoons, amounting to 600, two of cavalry called _blandengues_,

600 each, and one or two companies of artillery. With the exception

of the _blandengues_, all the troops were originally sent from the

Peninsula, but not having for the last twenty years been recruited from

thence, their ranks were gradually filled by natives. By eminence they

were called veterans, but they have been of late disbanded, and their

officers have passed to the command of the new corps which were formed

on the English invasion. The force of these corps may be estimated at

nine thousand men.

The sixth class is the clergy, in number about a thousand. The seculars

are distinguished by their learning, honor, and probity from the

friars, who are in general so grossly ignorant and superstitious, that

they render no real service to the public in any way, but rather tend

to disturb the minds of the honest and well-disposed.

Every observation I was able to make, gave me a favorable idea of

the general character of the people; they are tractable, prudent,

and generous; and doubtless, had they been under a milder and more

beneficent government than that of the Spaniards, they might have

become a model to other colonies; but it is lamentable to add, that,

in points of morality, they cannot be considered as much superior

to the other inhabitants of America. This is attributable to the

want of a proper system of education for youth, to the pernicious

example afforded by the vices of the Europeans, and, in a word, to

the prevalence of an intolerant system, which, by aiming to make men

what they cannot be, causes them to become what they ought not to be.

The intolerant rigor exercised by the ministers of worship as well

as by the government, for the suppression of immorality, defeats its

own end; it is like the unskilful practice of a physician, which,

directed solely against the external symptoms, aggravates instead of

removing the disease. Thus, while open profligacy is discountenanced in

Buenos Ayres, libertinism of a more dangerous kind is connived at, if

not tolerated; the peace of the most respectable private families is

liable to be destroyed by votaries of seduction, who respect neither

the purity of female virtue, nor the sacred rights of matrimony. This

evil pervades all classes of society, and is the source of domestic

disputes, which often lead to serious consequences.

In thus attempting to describe the state of Buenos Ayres, as I found

it in the year 1807, I have purposely avoided all discussions of

a political nature, and have declined entering into a detail of

the events which led to the present struggles of the people for

independence.

CHAP. IV.

_Voyage to St. Catherine’s.—Description of that Island, and of the

Coast in its Vicinity.—Arrival at Santos, and Journey thence to S.

Paulo._

ON my return to Monte Video, I lost no time in putting in execution

my purposed voyage to Rio de Janeiro; and as advices had arrived,

stating that considerable difficulty might attend the entrance of an

English ship into that port, I bottomried a Portuguese vessel, called

the Vencedor, and was joined by a party of gentlemen, whose business

required them to visit the capital of Brazil.

In the beginning of September 1807, we had just embarked our stock

for this voyage, when an order for the immediate evacuation of Monte

Video by our troops was unexpectedly issued. As it had been generally

believed that a prolongation of the time for giving up the place had

been agreed on, the greatest hurry and confusion prevailed in embarking

the troops and stores, as well as the baggage of individuals. About

mid-day the whole was on board; a signal-gun was then fired for the

Spanish troops to enter, and about three in the afternoon we had the

mortification to behold their flag hoisted on the ramparts of this

important military post and commercial depôt, which the British forces

had, a short period before, so bravely and so dearly won.

Having still some purchases to make, I returned on shore, with two

of my friends, about four o’clock, but we had soon reason to repent

of our temerity, for on passing the mole we were noticed as enemies

and threatened severely, so that we found it necessary to pass into

the more private streets, in order to avoid the malignant and hostile

taunts of those very men who had of late expressed themselves our

friends and well-wishers. Desirous of expediting our several affairs

as much as possible, we separated, and I was not able to rejoin my

companions until eight in the evening. I found them in great anxiety

for my safety; the Spaniards had fired a feu-de-joie from the citadel

and fort St. Joseph, and were now preparing for bonfires[9] and

illuminations, and my friends, though they did their utmost to avoid

the riotous crowds that paraded the town, had several narrow escapes

from being plundered and stripped by the soldiery. We all got safely

on board by ten o’clock, congratulating each other on having happily

avoided the dangers to which our rash confidence in the amicable

disposition of the inhabitants had exposed us.

On the 11th of September we sailed from the Rio de la Plata; the

vessels bound for the Cape of Good Hope were then nearly out of

sight, and as we beheld them we felt a melancholy but proud delight

in reflecting that, after such grievous and unexpected reverses, our

brave countrymen were once more within their wide undisputed empire,

the ocean. After a voyage, in which nothing worth relation occurred, we

made the island of St. Catherine’s, on the 29th, at sun-rise, and we

were delighted with a grand and picturesque view of its conical rocks

rising abruptly from the sea, embellished with the lofty mountains of

Brazil, covered with wood, in the back-ground. This sublime scenery

interested us the more from the contrast it formed with the extensive

and woodless plains of Buenos Ayres. This island is situated in 27° 29′

south latitude, and is separated from the continent by a strait, in

some places not half a league wide.

Entering the port of St. Catherine’s by the north, we passed several

islands, on one of which, westward of the entrance, stood the

respectable fort of Santa Cruz. After running a few miles in shoal

water, we sailed into a narrow passage, guarded by two forts, which

forms the harbour. From the anchorage, and more particularly from

the landing-place, which is at the bottom of a verdant slope of

about five hundred yards, the town has a most beautiful appearance,

and the perspective is nobly crowned by its fine cathedral. The

green is interspersed with orange-trees, and forms an agreeable

parade. Immediately on entering the town, we discerned in its general

appearance, and in the manners of its inhabitants, a striking

superiority over those which we had of late visited. The houses are

well built, have two or three stories, with boarded floors, and are

provided with neat gardens, well stocked with excellent vegetables

and flowers. The town consists of several streets, and may contain

from five thousand to six thousand inhabitants. It is a free port.

The produce of the island consists in rice, maize, mandioca, coffee

of excellent quality, oranges, perhaps the finest in the world, and a

variety of other fruits. Sugar and indigo are likewise produced, but

in small quantities. A profusion of the finest flowers indicates the

genial nature of its climate; the rose and the jessamin are in bloom

all the year round.

The surface of the island is varied with mountains, plains, and in some

places swamps; here is found a stratum of excellent red clay, which

is manufactured into jars, culinary vessels, large water-pots, &c.

which are exported in considerable quantities to the Plata and to Rio

de Janeiro. The lands capable of cultivation are under considerable

improvement; a great extent of them was formerly covered with large

trees, but as great quantities have of late years been cut down and

used for ship-building, good timber may now be considered scarce. They

grow flax here of a very fair quality, of which the fishermen make

their lines, nets, and cordage. The sea hereabouts produces an abundant

variety of excellent fish, and some fine prawns; so large is the supply

to the market, that a quantity of fish[10], sufficient to dine twelve

persons, may be had for a shilling. Meat is much the same in quality as

at Monte Video, being rather hard and lean; its general price is about

three halfpence per pound. Pigs, turkies, ducks, poultry, and eggs, as

well as fine vegetables and excellent potatoes, are plentiful and cheap.

The trade of this place is inconsiderable, as the produce does not

much exceed the consumption of the inhabitants, who are in general

far from rich. It affords an agreeable retirement to merchants who

have discontinued business, masters of ships who have left off going

to sea, and other persons, who, having secured an independence, seek

only leisure to enjoy it. Few places are better calculated for such a

purpose than this; it is enlivened by the numerous coasting-vessels

from Bahia, Pernambuco, and other ports, bound for the Plata, which

frequently touch here; and it is amply provided with artisans of all

descriptions, such as tailors, shoe-makers, tin-workers, joiners,

and smiths. The inhabitants in general are very civil and courteous

to strangers; the ladies are handsome and very lively, their chief

employment is making of lace, in which they display great ingenuity and

taste.

The mountains of the interior, and the rocks on the coast, are of

granite. Close to the fort, on the left hand of the entrance to the

harbour, is a vein of green-stone in various states of decomposition,

which ultimately migrates into clay of a superior quality to that

generally found in the valleys. The soil in the interior, being rather

humid, is surprisingly fertile. It consists principally of a rich

vegetable decomposition, on which shrubs and plants grow in great

luxuriance. Myrtles appear in all parts, and a most beautiful variety

of the passion-flower is found in equal abundance. Here is also a

profusion of roses, pinks, rosemary, &c.

The animals are chiefly opossums, monkeys, and armadillas; there are

various serpents, among which is the beautiful coral snake. Of birds,

there are cranes, hawks, parrots, of various species, humming birds and

toucans, the latter of every variety in great numbers.

The climate is serene and wholesome, its solstitial heats being

moderated constantly by fine breezes from the south-west and

north-east, which are the winds that generally blow here; the latter

prevails from September to March, and the former from April to August,

so that a voyage to the north, during one half of the year, is slow and

tedious.

The island is divided into four parishes: 1st, Nossa Senhora do

Desterro; 2d, St. Antonio; 3d, Laguna; and 4th, Ribeiraõ. The

divisions of the opposite part of the continent are likewise under

the jurisdiction of the governor of St. Catherine’s, who is subject,

in certain cases, to the captaincy of S. Paulo, and in others to the

government of Rio de Janeiro. These divisions, are 1st, St. José; 2d,

St. Miguel; and 3d, Nossa Senhora do Rosario; the entire population of

the island and its dependencies amounts to about 30,000 souls.

Of the fortresses which defend this island, the most considerable is

Santa Cruz before mentioned; there are four others, Porto Groed, Ratoé,

Estreito, and Conceição. Off the former there is safe anchorage for a

fleet of men of war, and the harbour which it protects may be entered

by ships of 300 tons, if not of a heavy draught of water. Ships passing

the channel are required to send a boat on shore at Santa Cruz before

they proceed.

To the west of the island, on the opposite coast, is an almost

inaccessible barrier of lofty mountains, thickly covered with trees and

underwood. At a small port in the vicinity, called Piripi, which has

a very pretty river, an immense quantity of fish is caught, dried, and

exported. They are extremely fat, and very soon become rancid.

On the continent, opposite the town of St. Catherine’s, stands the

pleasant village of St. José, the inhabitants of which are principally

occupied in sawing timber into planks, making bricks, and growing

rice. The net gains of a poor family here are incredibly small, but

the necessaries of life are cheap, and they have few incentives to

curtail their present enjoyments for the sake of improving their future

fortunes. Near this village is a lovely vale called Picada, thickly

studded with white cottages, embosomed in orange-groves and plantations

of coffee. The gently-sloping hills which enclose this spot, give a

picturesque effect to the bold rugged scenery beyond them. This valley,

and others contiguous to it, form the extremities of the territory

habitable by the Portuguese, for on the land to the westward, though at

a considerable distance, dwell the Anthropophagi, here called Bugres.

These savages live entirely in the woods, in wretched sheds made of

palm-branches, interwoven with bananas. Their occupation is chiefly

hunting with bows and arrows, but they frequently employ these weapons

in hostilities against their neighbours. A party of them will sometimes

way-lay a Portuguese[11], whose residence is solitary; they have even

been known to attack and destroy whole families. No regard to humanity

seems indeed to be paid by either party in their encounters; they are

mutually bent on a war of extermination.

There is much low swampy land in the island, over which causeways,

supported by piles, are made to a considerable extent. These lands, on

account of their humidity, are very favorable to the growth of rice.

The palm-trees, seen at intervals in every direction, have a very

pleasing effect. The whole coast may be said to be almost uninhabited.

There are, indeed, some few settlements; but families scattered at the

distance of ten or fifteen miles from each other can scarcely be called

a population.

Our stay at St. Catherine’s was prolonged by some unforeseen

circumstances, and we had time to make various excursions into the

interior of the island and to the adjacent continent. On one of these

occasions I happened to be absent, but the adventures which attended it

being rather amusing, I am tempted to relate them in the words of one

of my friends who formed the party. “Having hired horses and negroes

we set out early in the morning for the river Tavarinha. The road for

three leagues lay through thick woods, along which we passed without

any material accident, and arrived at the end of our journey about two

in the afternoon. We dined with Captain Leaõ, who entertained us very

hospitably, and would have persuaded us to prolong our visit, but we

determined to return that evening over the mountains. We travelled

for a league through a level, well-cultivated country, clothed with

orange-groves and coffee-plantations, and tolerably populous. At

sun-set we arrived at the foot of the mountains, and began to ascend

a steep and dangerous road, in the intricacies of which we were soon

bewildered, and had great difficulty to regain the most beaten path,

which led homewards. Night suddenly overtook us, and we had still three

hours’ journey over the mountains, without guide or attendant, along

a perfectly alpine road, winding on the edge of horrible precipices.

In this part of the journey two of us, having advanced a little, the

rest of the party were suddenly alarmed by a dreadful shriek, which

excited great apprehension lest some one should have been precipitated

down the gulph, but we were agreeably undeceived soon after by the

whole of the party joining us. We now heard a noise like hammers, which

proceeded from persons beating cotton, and in a little time arrived

at a house, where, on enquiry, we were informed that the town was ten

miles distant. We were proceeding, when a voice cried out in English,

‘but will not you stop and have some grog?’ It may be easily imagined

that to be thus suddenly hailed with one of the most familiar phrases

of our native English, while benighted in a strange land, operated like

an electric shock upon us; we immediately alighted at the house whence

the voice seemed to proceed, and found a Mr. Nunney, the English

interpreter, who furnished us with a guide; we now continued our way

with greater confidence, and reached the town about midnight. This Mr.

Nunney, as we afterwards learnt, receives a dollar _per diem_ during

the stay of every English or American ship that touches at this port,

whether his services are wanted or not, and by these means, with the

profits of the sales of provisions which he makes to such ships, he has

acquired a little fortune and a pretty estate. His profits, indeed, are

exorbitant, for he charges the articles 100 per cent. higher than they

can be procured at from any other dealer in the place.”

While at the town of St. Catherine’s, we visited some of the gardens

with which its vicinity is embellished. They are laid out with great

taste, particularly one belonging to the vicar, another in the estate

of the late excellent and able General Soares Coimbra, and a third

the property of Colonel Gama. At Barragros, near the village of St.

José, we visited a gentleman of the name of Caldwin, who collects and

preserves insects. He showed us his grounds, which occupy a space

of eighty-five fathoms along the beach, and extend a mile inland,

containing orangeries, coffee, rice, and mandioca, in a fine state of

culture. These well-watered plantations, together with a neat house

and garden, he offered to sell for a thousand crusados (about £125

sterling).

This was not the only instance we remarked of the low value of landed

property here. About two miles from the town of St. Catherine’s, a neat

house, a small orangery and ground clear of brush wood, capable of

forming a pretty plantation, was offered at 100 dollars. An excellent

house, in one of the best situations in the environs of this town, with

a garden of about two acres well and tastefully planted, was offered to

be sold for £400 sterling. The building of the house must alone have

cost that sum and it was in perfect condition. In short, money appeared

so valuable, that a large landed estate might be purchased for a mere

trifle.

On contemplating the many natural advantages of this island, I could

not but be struck with its importance, and was tempted to wish that it

were annexed by treaty to the dominions of Great Britain. Emigrants

might subsist here at a very cheap rate; and the isle is tenable

against any force so long as we remain masters of the sea. Ships would

trade to it from the western coast of America, and from the eastern

coast of Africa, and in our hands it would soon become an emporium

of commerce. It is adapted to almost every variety of produce; the

highlands are capable of cultivation, and the plains and valleys are

fertile even to luxuriance. The climate is humid, but its general

temperature is moderate and salubrious. If colonized by English, the

isle might be made a perfect paradise. Though not situated within the

tropics, it produces indico, rice, sugar-cane, pulse, and the finest

oranges in the world.

Our excursions to the main land were not confined to the districts

immediately within the jurisdiction of St. Catherine’s. Proceeding

northward from St. José, we entered some fine bays, the shores of

which were studded with houses pleasantly situated amid bananerias,

orangeries, and plantations of rice, coffee, and mandioca. After

having passed several well-peopled parishes, we arrived at Armação,

a village at the extremity of a bay about nine leagues distant from

St. José, and four leagues north of Santa Cruz. This village is a

fishing station for whales, which were formerly very numerous on

that coast, and in the bays that indent it. The fishery is farmed by

government to a company under the superintendance of a _Capitao Mor_,

and a number of inferior officers. About 150 negroes are employed on

this station, but the number of whales now caught is not so great as

formerly, when the average was three or four hundred in a season[12].

Their conveniences for flinching or cutting up the fish are extensive

and well-contrived[13]. Several fine piers project from the shore into

eighteen to twenty feet depth of water, on which are erected capstans,

cranes, and other requisite machinery. Hither all the fish caught on

the coast are brought. The boiling-house, tanks, &c. are far superior

to any thing of the kind at Greenland-dock, and indeed to all similar

establishments in Europe. To give an idea of their magnitude, it is

sufficient to say, that in one range there are twenty-seven very large

boilers, and places for three more. Their tanks are vast vaults, on

some of which a boat might be rowed with ease. We obtained a view of

these great works through the civility of the commander of the place,

Capitaõ Mor Jacinto Jorge dos Anjos, who lives here in a princely

style, and possesses a very considerable property, which he diffuses

with great public spirit and liberality. All who have visited Armação

can bear witness to his, affability and urbanity to strangers.

We crossed this peninsula by a mountainous road of four leagues to the

Bay of dos Ganchos, commonly known by the name of Tejuco. Here land is

of little or no value; any one may take as much as he pleases of what

is unappropriated, provided he make a proper application for it to

the government. We passed two sugar plantations with conveniences for

making rum; and observed numerous huts interspersed in the vicinity.

The contrary side of this peninsula forms the bay before named. The

poor cottages of the people here present a curious picture of rural

irregularity; some are built on the summit of conical mountains, the

passage to which is frequently obstructed by clouds; others stand on

the sides of gentle acclivities; but the greater number of them is

situated almost in contact with the ocean, which often flows to their

very doors. The bay is from two to three leagues across, and extends

about the same distance inland; it is well-sheltered, and affords good

anchorage, and fine situations for loading timber, with which the

mountainous country around is thickly clothed, and large quantities

of which are felled and embarked for Rio de Janeiro and the Plata.

Canoes are made here, at a cheaper rate and in greater numbers than in

any other part of Brazil. The inhabitants grow rice in considerable

quantities, as well as some coffee and sugar; but such is their

indolence and poverty that they use only hand-mills, consisting of two

horizontal rollers, in manufacturing the latter article.

Into this bay fall several streams formed by the mountain-torrents and

springs, and two tolerable rivers, the less called Inferninho, and

the larger Tigreno. They both flow through low swampy land, subject

to inundation, and overgrown with mangroves and an immense variety of

trees. The insalubrity of this tract might be corrected by clearing

away the underwood and draining the soil, but the arduousness of such

an undertaking might deter a more active and skilful people than this.

In the rainy season it is inundated to a great extent, and in summer

it is infested with terrible swarms of mosquitos and burachala flies,

which render it almost uninhabitable. The bay of dos Ganchos is a

most desirable place. The timber cut and shipped for Rio de Janeiro

might form, together with some of the sugars and spirituous liquors

made here, an advantageous article of export to the Cape of Good Hope;

but unfortunately there exists no stimulus to this sort of commercial

speculation. Here are no small vessels fitting out for cargoes, nor

will any person risk the equipment of a vessel to a distant part, where

there is so little certainty of returns. So common an enterprize as

that practised by ship-owners, in England, of sending out vessels to

wait for cargoes (up the Baltic for instance) is here unknown; and this

is a sufficient proof of the low state of commerce and shipping.

Along the beach of this bay I found the shell of the murex genus, which

produces that beautiful crimson dye, so valued by the ancients. It is

here called _purpura_, and to my great surprise, its use is in some

degree known to the natives, one of whom shewed me some cotton fringe,

dyed with an extract of it, though ill-prepared. The shell is about the

size of the common whelk, and contains a fish, on whose body appears

a vesicle full of a pale yellow, viscid, purulent substance, which

constitutes the dye. The mode of extracting it, is to break the shell

carefully with a hammer, so as not to crush the fish, and then let out

the liquor in the vesicle with a lancet or other sharp instrument. I,

for greater convenience, used a pen, and immediately wrote my initials,

&c. on a handkerchief; the marks in half an hour after were of a

dirty green color, and on being exposed to the air a few hours longer,

changed to a most rich crimson. The quantity produced by each is very

small, but quite sufficient for such an experiment. The best time for

making it, is when the animal is in an incipient state of putrescency.

I have not a doubt that if a sufficient quantity of them were taken,

and the dying matter, when extracted, were liquified in a small degree

with gum-water, a valuable article of commerce might be produced. At

least the trial is worth making. The liquid is a perfect substantive

dye, and of course resists the action of alkalies.

On the rocks, and in greater abundance on the trunks of old trees, I

observed a variety of lichens, some of which produced tints of several

shades of colors. The continual decomposition of vegetables here adds

greatly to the richness of the soil; it is not uncommon to find trees

lying on the ground with their interior substance entirely decomposed,

and a great diversity of plants growing on them in high luxuriance.

Among the numerous tribes of birds that frequent this region, the

aquatic afford good eating, as do also the smaller parrots. The woods

are filled with monkeys; and on the banks of the rivers are found

capivaras in considerable numbers.

In coasting along this shore, it is customary for strangers to visit

the chief person in command at every station, whatever may be his

degree or rank; he, on being requested, will furnish guides, and afford

every assistance in his power. I always experienced the greatest

attention and civility from these gentlemen, and have reason to believe

that they uniformly pay the same regard to all who visit them for

permission to see the country.

Ten leagues north of this place is the fine and capacious harbour of

Garoupas, with its handsome town; the anchorage is equally good as

in that of dos Ganchos. The inhabitants here pursue the same mode of

living as their neighbours in Tejuco. They have a fine climate, and a

soil which yields a hundred-fold for whatever is sown or planted in it,

and is noted for its delicious fruits. The cotton of which their common

clothes are made, is grown, spun, and woven among them; they build

their own houses, and form their own canoes, which they are dexterous

in managing, and prefer to boats. It may indeed be said that every man

is more or less an artisan; but I am sorry to observe that they prefer

ease to care and industry, and are by no means so good husbandmen

as those of Tejuco. This bay, as far as I could observe, during my

short visit to it, presents to the view a greater diversity of hills,

valleys, and plains, than the one before mentioned. Both are esteemed

fine fishing-ground during the whale-season, which is from December to

June.

From hence northward is the fine harbour of San Francisco, in the bay

of the same name. It has three entrances defended by forts; that to the

south is most frequented. The land here is very flat for several miles,

and the rivers which intersect it are navigable for canoes as far as

the base of the great chain of mountains, where a public road, begun

at incredible labor and expense, leads over that almost impassable

barrier. This road will soon be a work of national importance to

Brazil, as through it the finest district in that country, and indeed

one of the finest in the world in point of climate, the rich plain of

Coritiva, will be connected with the ocean. The ridge of mountains is

more than four thousand feet above the level of the sea, and there is a

regular ascent for twenty leagues from their inland base, to Coritiva.

On this fertile tract are fed large herds of cattle for the supply of

Rio de Janeiro, S. Paulo, and other places; here are also bred mules

in great numbers. Its soil and air are so genial, that olives, grapes,

apples, peaches, and other fruits, grow to as rich a maturity as in

Europe, though they are here almost in a wild state. It is divided into

many parishes, but its population is small, compared with its extent; a

circumstance rather surprising, since every necessary of life is here

so cheap and in such great plenty. Its distance from the coast and

from the chief towns, and the hitherto bad road, may have contributed

to deter settlers; it is principally occupied as a breeding district,

and supports no more inhabitants than what are barely competent to

manage and tend the cattle, which are chiefly purchased by private

dealers, and sometimes by commissioners from government, who come

hither occasionally for the purpose. The road from hence to the city of

S. Paulo, distant about 80 leagues, is tolerably inhabited, especially

in the vicinity of Sorocaba, something more than half way, which is a

great mart for mules and horses[14]. Near this place is a well-wooded

country called Gorosuava, abounding with fine limestone, where a

considerable quantity of rich iron ore is found. How deplorable is

it that the people should yet have to learn the application of such

valuable resources!

The neighbourhood of Coritiva is watered by fine rivers, which flow

into the Paraná. Many of the streams produce gold, particularly the Rio

Verde; and one called the Tibigi is rich in diamonds, as the few good

families in its vicinity have reason to remember with gratitude. More

to the westward it is dangerous to travel, since in that direction live

the Anthropophagi, who were driven from these boundaries a few years

ago. The country to the north is very full of wood.

From its great elevation above the level of the sea, the climate of

Coritiva is peculiarly congenial to Europeans. Its soil is in general

rich, and the hills are peculiarly well adapted for the grape, which

here thrives as luxuriantly as in any part of Europe. On the low lands,

particularly those bordering on rivers and rivulets, are woods of

considerable extent, containing timber of enormous size, and fit for

almost any purpose. This immense tract of land is thinly peopled; the

few inhabitants that are scattered over it, occupy themselves chiefly

in the rearing of cattle, which, as it requires little or no trouble,

is almost the only business which is followed. At Sorocaba there are

held various market days and fairs, for the sale of horses, mules, and

horned cattle, which are attended by dealers from S. Paulo, Santos,

and more distant parts of Brazil. From this market mules are sent to

the Rio, and even to Villa Rica. Many smiths are employed at Sorocaba

in making shoes for the cattle, and a considerable number of men gain

a livelihood by training and domesticating these animals, for which

recourse is had to very severe methods. A fine mule, which has been

thus rendered tractable, will sell for four or five times the price of

one not yet “civilized;” the cost of the latter, if the animal be full

grown, and from two to three years old, will be about four dollars.

The horses, which are usually of the same value, are in general

handsome, with fine manes and tails, short necks, and in height about

fourteen hands. They are trained solely to the saddle, and are not used

as mere beasts of draught or burden.

At the Rio, a good pair of carriage-mules will often sell at the

enormous price of 150 or 200 dollars; such is the difficulty of

rendering these animals tractable. Horses alone are used for the

saddle, the mares being reserved for breeding.

Coritiva is not reported to contain gold or diamonds, yet, both these

valuable products are found in some parts of the district; a fact known

to but a few persons, who have profited greatly by keeping it secret.

This fine country, therefore, offers few attractions to the great mass

of emigrants to Brazil, who are commonly tempted by the very name

of the gold mines to settle in them, or are allured by the profits

accruing from plantations of cotton, sugar, or coffee, and look with

indifference on the pursuits of what is termed common agriculture.

Although the soil of Coritiva is capable of producing the finest

wheats, the inhabitants, for obvious reasons, persevere in cultivating

mandioca. Wheat requires a series of preparations before it can be fit

for food; it must be thrashed or trampled from the straw; it must be

ground to flour, and afterwards divested of the bran, and must then

undergo the elaborate process of panification. Mills and ovens are not

among the first articles of convenience introduced into a territory,

newly colonized and thinly peopled; but on the contrary, any substitute

for the food, which they are instrumental in preparing, will be

preferred, if it demand less care and labor. Hence the mandioca obtains

the preference; it requires less culture than wheat, and when ripe,

may be converted into nutritious _farinha_ in half an hour; indeed

I have gathered, prepared, and eaten it as food in a less space of

time. It is therefore no matter of wonder, that the inhabitants should

continue to subsist on this aliment, and on pounded maize, rather

than on bread made of wheat, which demands so much greater a share of

attention and industry. Maize, or Indian corn, is grown in considerable

quantities, for the express purpose of feeding pigs, which constitute

a staple article for consumption. In every _fazenda_, salt pork, as

well as fowls, is invariably to be found; and bacon is cured in large

quantities, and sent to S. Paulo.

The breeding of horned cattle, is left in a great measure to nature,

and is much less attended to than that of mules. Few cows are

domesticated; and the little cheese that is made, if I may judge of the

specimens I saw at S. Paulo, is of a quality almost disgusting. I did

not see any butter made here, and indeed the few products of the dairy

that are obtained, are considered of no manner of importance.

The inhabitants lead an easy kind of life, in a great measure free

from the molestation of fiscal and municipal officers; they pay their

tythes with great cheerfulness, in kind, specie being rarely seen.

Their sole wants seemed confined to salt and iron; and it is much to

be lamented, that from the distance of the nearest sea port, and the

badness of the roads, these commodities are with difficulty procured.

From the same causes, the improvements which this delightful country

might derive from commerce have been retarded, and it is as yet very

inadequately provided with the means of exchanging its superfluities,

for articles of the first necessity.

The chain of mountains which bounds the plain of Coritiva, is washed

at the base by a lagoon, communicating in a direct line with the

fine harbour of San Francisco, where many merchant-ships have been

constructed of the finest timber.

In this place, although rather in anticipation of the regular course of

the narrative, it may not be improper to state, that, at the request

of his Excellency the Condé de Linhares, I submitted to the Court a

paper on the advantageous situation of Coritiva and the sea-port above

mentioned. Among other points, I suggested that an establishment might

there be formed for the joint purposes of rearing live-stock, and of

salting and curing beef and pork for the royal navy; that the culture

of wheat, and the manufacture of bread might be encouraged; and that a

depôt might be formed at San Francisco, from whence grain with other

articles of consumption might be shipped to any part of Brazil. Indeed

no other part of the country offers such temptations to agriculturists;

nor could a colony of them planted here fail to florish, if directed

by common prudence and moderate industry. The climate is salubrious;

the land consists of a beautiful diversity of hill, mountain, dale,

ravine, and woodland, watered by numerous streams, which take their

course, not toward the sea, but in an easterly direction, and flow

into the great river Paraná. Here are beasts of burden in unlimited

numbers, and a sea-port within two or three days’ journey. Here is land

of the finest quality where a plough was never used; here are mules and

horned cattle to be had on the cheapest terms; and yet the operations

of making butter and cheese are either unknown, or are practised in

such a slovenly manner, as to render the articles unpalatable. Here is

the finest timber; here are fruits of every kind, except those peculiar

to the tropical climates. What more then is wanted? An enlightened

and industrious population to improve the blessings which nature has

lavished on this district with so bounteous a hand. If agriculture, in

the miserable way in which it is now practised, produces sufficient

to exempt the people from want, what wonders might it not produce in

Coritiva, if followed according to the improved system of Europeans!

A numerous and industrious population would soon adopt this, and all

the other useful arts of life; the silk worm would be propagated;

the hidden stores of the precious products would be explored, and the

interest of posterity might be excited by the exhibition of silk, gold,

and diamonds, from the banks of the same river. Another luxury might

be superadded; since, from what I have seen of the grapes grown here,

there can be no doubt, that, where rocky lands occur, “the generous

vine” would thrive in great abundance, and Coritiva might in no long

period of time become the vineyard of this vast continent.

The cattle at Coritiva sell at various prices; oxen, much fatter and

in better condition than those of the Rio de la Plata or of the Rio

Grande de S. Pedro, may be bought for about 14s. or 18s. a head. The

horses are in general finer than those of Buenos Ayres; mules for the

pack-saddle sell at about 40s. and those for riding at from three to

six pounds. There is, however great fluctuation in the prices, owing to

the occasional scarcity as well as the occasional abundance of specie.

But to return from this digression to San Francisco. The chief

occupations of the inhabitants are the cutting of timber, and other

labors connected with ship-building. Vessels of large dimensions, and a

number of small craft for coasters, have been built here by merchants

of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, and Pernambuco. When this trade is brisk,

there is a great demand for the various classes of artisans whom it

requires, and many negroes are employed. The wood used is so strong,

and holds the iron so firmly, that ships built of it endure many years,

and are in greater esteem with the Portuguese and Spaniards than

those built in Europe. On this account, the harbour of San Francisco

is likely to become of considerable value to Brazil; and as it is

connected with Coritiva, the cattle of which have been found superior

to those of Rio Grande, there is every probability, that at no distant

period the Portuguese navy will be here supplied with salt provisions.

This must, however, depend on the completion of the great road over the

mountains, to which the present administration have laudably directed

their attention, with a degree of zeal commensurate to the importance

of the work in a national point of view.

I must not omit noticing another production in this district, which

will rise in utility and value as the port of San Francisco improves.

Toward the north there are woods of fine large pines, exceedingly hard,

tough, and full of resin. They constitute a singular variety of the

genus Pinus; the boughs branch off from the upper part of the tree

only, and have tussocks of leaves at each extremity. A tree eighty

feet high, for instance, will appear without branches to the height of

about fifty-five feet; the branches there extend horizontally in every

direction, with leaves at their extremities, the lowest and largest

to a distance of fourteen or fifteen feet from the stem, and the

higher ones gradually diminishing in length towards the top, which ends

in a tuft of leaves, as a crown for the whole. These trees are very

picturesque, and indeed beautiful; they grow to a sufficient size to

serve as masts for ships of two or three hundred tons; I was told there

were much larger ones to be found.

Resuming our voyage, we left San Francisco, and, passing the port of

Cananea, arrived near the entrance of the harbour of Santos. The coast

along which we sailed is low and flat, and on its verge are some poor

fishing-huts, which rather add to the dreariness of its appearance. It

is covered with lofty trees, which also fringe the mountainous scenery

beyond it. Several rivers occur, of little note in geography, but

highly advantageous to the settlers, as they pass the very doors of the

dwellings, and afford easy means for the transport of produce from the

interior. On nearing Santos, we passed several bold rocks, called the

Alcatrazes, and a ledge or reef on which the sea broke furiously. The

main land is very elevated and mountainous, so much so that the low

grounds which extend from its base are scarcely perceptible from the

heights next beyond them.

The harbour of Santos has a safe entrance, and is very secure; it is

a strait, having the island of S. Vicente to the left, for the extent

of half a mile, when it takes a different direction. Here is situated

the port, which has good anchorage, with regular soundings towards

the shore, which shoals gradually. The currents and eddies cause some

inconvenience, and the high land occasions much variation in the

winds, which perplexes mariners on their entrance into the narrows,

but as the water is not deep, and the current far from strong, a ship

is safe the moment her anchor is let go, and by means of a boat and

kedge she may be placed in any situation the pilot chooses. The part

called the narrows, is defended by two forts, on passing which there

is a kind of lagoon of three or four leagues in length, almost full

of mangroves, terminated by the town of Santos, one of the oldest

European settlements in Brazil. In common with S. Paulo, it owes its

origin to the first shipwreck on the island of S. Vicente. The river

or lagoon has three or four fathoms water and a muddy bottom. Santos

is a place of considerable trade, being the storehouse of the great

captaincy of S. Paulo, and the resort of many vessels trading to the

Rio de la Plata. It is tolerably well built, and its population,

consisting chiefly of merchants, shopkeepers, and artificers, amounts

to six or seven thousand souls. The situation is by no means healthy,

as the country around it is low, woody, and frequently deluged with

rain, by reason of the high mountains in its vicinity, which impede

the passage of the clouds. Several rivulets flowing from the foot of

these mountains intersect the land in various directions, and unite in

one great river a little above the town of Santos. The rice of this

district, which is grown in great quantities, is considered the best

in Brazil, and the bananas are equally noted.

From this port the Spanish territories, as well as Rio Grande, receive

several vessels loaded with sugar, coffee, rice, mandioca, &c. in

return they bring chiefly hides and tallow, which are generally

exported hence to Europe. The Portuguese send much of their produce to

the Spanish colonies, and are generally ill paid, but the shortness

of the voyage, and the want of other markets, tempt many young men to

speculate, notwithstanding the heavy duties and the numberless petty

obstacles with which their neighbours have impeded and encumbered

this commerce. A Spaniard in his own country rarely allows even a

shadow of justice to a Portuguese; he uses a thousand artifices for

procrastinating the decision of a cause at issue between them, till

the latter, when his patience is completely exhausted, finds that

he is likely to derive nothing from the contest but immense piles

of law-papers, frequently written on the most trivial points in

litigation, and paid for at an exorbitant price. If he persevere after

all this disappointment, it generally happens that another _alcalde_

or judge is appointed, and then the business is laid on the shelf.

The injured Portuguese, after so much waste of time and money, is

threatened with worse consequences, and frequently is obliged to leave

the country in ruin and disgust.

As Santos is the embarking port of S. Paulo, its intercourse with that

town is very considerable. In the course of a day several hundred

mules frequently arrive, loaded with the produce of the country,

and return with salt, iron, copper, earthen wares, and European

manufactures. For the traffic of it’s immediate vicinity, it has the

convenience of water-carriage, its river being navigable about twenty

miles, up to Cubataõ, where an officer with a guard of soldiers is

stationed to receive the king’s duties for the repair of the roads and

other public purposes.

The governor of Santos being subject in all cases to the governor

of S. Paulo, we applied to him for permission to go thither, which

was immediately granted. It was now eight in the evening, and we

were without an asylum for the night. I had several letters of

recommendation, not one of which procured us any civility, and we

found that the inhabitants were far from being courteous to strangers.

We were willing to impute this to want of convenient accommodations,

but it may be generally observed, that along the whole coast the same

shyness prevails, while in the interior the people vie with each other

in acts of hospitality. Perhaps in all countries this duty is most

practised where the occasions for its exercise most rarely occur.

Being unable to procure a bed at Santos, we were obliged to engage

a canoe to convey us up the river to Cubataõ, where we arrived at

two in the morning, and were introduced into the guard-house for a

lodging. The corporal being called, he accommodated us as well as he

was able; we lay down on the softest planks we could find, and made

pillows of our portmanteaus, but though much wearied we found ourselves

little disposed to sleep on so uneasy a couch. At sun-rise, when we

got up, an extraordinary and busy scene presented itself; before the

guard-house was a large space of ground enclosed by the storehouse and

other out-buildings, and here a hundred mules were in the act of being

harnessed and loaded; the gentleness and tractability of these fine

large animals pleased us much, and the expertness of their masters,

particularly of the negroes, in placing and replacing the burdens, was

truly surprising.

From the good corporal, who was commanding officer here, we received

every attention, and much more civility than we had reason to expect

from having experienced the unaccommodating disposition of the people

in Santos, in much better circumstances than himself. He procured us

a good breakfast, and furnished us with saddle-mules for our journey,

at the rate of ten shillings each, the distance being eight leagues.

Having obtained a guide we mounted, and proceeded about half a mile,

when we reached the foot of the stupendous mountains we had to

cross. The road is good and well paved, but narrow, and, on account

of the rugged acclivities, is cut in a zig-zag direction, with very

frequent and abrupt turnings, continually on the ascent. The trains

of loaded mules which we met on their way to Santos rendered the

passage disagreeable, and at times dangerous. In many places the road

is cut through the solid rock for several feet, in others along the

perpendicular sides, and it leads frequently over the tops of conical

mountains, along the edge of precipices, down which the traveller is

liable to be thrown into an impervious thicket full thirty yards below.

These dangerous places are secured by parapets. After ascending for an

hour and a half, during which time we made innumerable turnings, we

arrived at a resting place, near which, at a spot a little lower than

the road, we found water. This place, as our guide informed us, was

only half-way to the summit; we were astonished at the intelligence,

as the clouds were already so far below us that they obstructed our

prospect. During our progress hither, we observed that the mules travel

as quick on an ascent as on level ground; they much excel the horse in

uneven roads with sharp turnings, and still more so in bad roads.

To attempt the geology of mountains so covered by vegetable matter

would be a difficult task; the component parts of those along which

we passed appeared to be granite, and frequently soft, crumbling,

ferruginous sand-stone. Some picturesque streams bursting from their

high sources form fine cascades, and in crossing the road force their

way through many detached and round masses of granite. The woods are so

thick in every part, except where the mules tread, that no soil can be

seen; the branches of the trees in some places meet and form an arbor

over the road, which shades the traveller from the heat of the sun, and

shelters him from rain.

After resting for about twenty minutes we again mounted and resumed

our ascent. The road presented at times four or five zig-zags above

us at one view, and gave us fresh reason for astonishment at the

completion of a work so fraught with difficulties. The millions

of crowns which must have been expended in clearing the woods and

thickets in its course, and in cutting through the solid rock for a

considerable distance, as well as in paving it through the whole extent

of the ridge, afford no mean idea of the enterprising spirit of the

Brazilians. Few public works, even in Europe, are superior to it; and

if we consider that, by reason of the scanty population of the district

through which it passes, the labor bestowed on it must have been

purchased most dearly, we shall hardly find one in any country so well

completed under similar disadvantages.