passed by any in the world, resembling a large lake rather than a harbor, expanded majestically, bordered by high woody mountains, interspersed with rocky peaks and precipices; their ridges or spurs sloping down to the water's edge, in some places terminating abruptly, in others leaving narrow vallies and a thousand beautiful coves or recesses, with sandy beaches. The ridges, or broken grounds, below the mountains, are covered with convents, churches, and beautiful gardens, while the little indents or sandy bays are occupied by elegant country seats; a great many of them constructed by Portuguese noblemen, since the estab lishment of the court at this place, or by English merchants who have grown rich since the opening of trade. A range of much higher mountains is seen to the north-east, probably at least forty or fifty miles distant. The city of Rio Janeiro or St. Sebastian, is built in one of the coves just mentioned, under the mountain, the houses much crowded together; and independently of the buildings perched on heights, or raised on the neighboring vallies, it would not possess a very imposing appearance: but the quantity of shipping gave proofs of a busy and active commerce. The ship was scarcely moored in front of the city, when an officer dressed in rich uniform came on board; but he had no sooner set his foot on deck, than he became as familiar as if he had been acquainted with us for twenty years. He spoke very good English, and strutted about, repeating the expression, "dd fine. ship, sir-very fine ship indeed." He went below with very little ceremony, and required no pressing to refresh himself with a glass of wine. This lively fellow after cracking his jokes, took the liberty of put

ting a few queries to the commodore, such as the name of the ship, the length of her voyage, her destination, and her object in touching at this port. Suitable answers having been given to these he took his departure, expressing great admiration of what he had seen. We learned from him that the Ontario, captain Biddle, had sailed from this place about a month before our arrival. A few days afterwards I saw this important personage sitting very soberly in a room in front of the palace, where he is employed I understand, as a kind of messenger, or in some office to which we have nothing analogous in our country. According to previous arrangement salutes were fired, first twenty-one guns for the king, which were returned by one of the forts, and afterwards fifteen guns for the admiral, which he returned from his ship, a seventy-four, lying between us and the shore, at the distance of a quarter of a mile. The Portuguese appear to be extremely fond of expending their powder; hardly an hour of the day passed without the sound of cannon in some direction or other.

We were soon after waited on by the commander and several officers from an Austrian frigate, which had brought out the princess Leopoldina to espouse the heir of the Brazilian throne. These officers spoke French, and appeared to be extremely desirous of examining our vessel. The admiration with which they saw every thing, could not but be highly gratifying to our pride of country. The Congress is perhaps one of the finest vessels in the world; she was at this time in excellent order, her crew in fine health, and dressed in clean white shirts and trowsers; so that she ap

peared to great advantage. We were afterwards visited by captain Hickey of the Blossom; a frank, lively sailor, with whom we were all much pleased; and a few days after our arrival by captain Shireff of the Andromache, a much younger man, of a more shewy exterior, and as we suspected better supported by court favor at home, as he was the superior officer of. the two, although but a midshipman when Hickey was a captain. They were both however, officers of liberal and gentlemanly deportment, and manifested a wish to cultivate a good understanding with us, by the exchange of civilities and friendly offices. They invited the commodore and the commissioners to dine with them, and were invited in turn. The truth is, that a similarity of manners, and identity of language, are the best foundations of social intercourse, while the laws of good breeding forbid the bringing to recollection, circumstances unpleasant to the feelings of the parties. We could easily see one thing, that secretly nourished our pride, which was the homage universally rendered to our superior excellence in nautical concerns. This could not be concealed; we could see it in every look and action of our proud cousins of the family of John Bull; and as to the Portuguese and others, they pretended no competition. Never was national pride more fully gratified than ours, at the noble and distinguished figure made in a foreign distant port, by this admirable representative of our national sovereignty.

I felt impatient to set my foot once more on the fixed and stedfast earth, as well as some curiosity to behold this great city, now the capital of the Portu

guese empire.* In the afternoon a boat put off for the shore, and some of us took the advantage of this opportunity. Our ship lay about a mile off, and we had to pass the vessels of war, of which the Portuguese have a number of various sizes, but not in the best order, and badly manned. The merchant vessels lie higher up towards the fortified island, dos Cobras; on the other side of which is the inner harbor, at present filled with shipping. We discovered several American flags, and from the feelings which they excited in us, I would almost be tempted to say, that we are the most rational people in existence. The circumstance of our being a solitary republic, and therefore a continual tacit censure on monarchy, perhaps induces us to believe that kings can have no cordial feeling towards us; and for this reason we cling more closely together. It would be useless to conceal the truth; every American who goes abroad, has a contempt for royalty and its attendants, and he is only restrained by prudence or good manners from expressing it.

The harbor of New-York alone can bear any comparison to this place, in indications of commercial prosperity. A noble spectacle is exhibited by the number of vessels, a great proportion English, lying at the wharves or anchored in the stream. Great numbers of small boats were continually moving about, rigged in a very awkward, clumsy manner, or rowed with a slow and solemn stroke, as if to the tune of the dead march in Saul. The watermen seemed to be chiefly Indians; they wore very broad straw hats like the

* Rio Janeiro became the capital of Brazil in the year 1763, Ba hia, or San Salvador, being then stripped of that honor.

Malayes, but their physiognomy bore a strong resemblance to the aborigines of our country. On ǎpproaching the queen's stairs, the usual landing place, we passed a yatch superbly gilt, rigged like a sloop of war, and armed with brass swivels. This childish miniature, is kept for the use of the queen, or rather for the sake of pageantry, for I could not learn that it is ever used. Another object attracted our attention and excited our disgust; some distance to the left of the stairs, the quay terminates in a prodigious dung heap, the accumulation of ages from the stables of the city. A moment's reflection suggested to me that from the extreme fertility of the soil, manure is not required; but certainly one would think that a regard to the police of the city, would require a different disposition to be made of this offensive mass.

A motley collection of people attracted by curiosity were lounging about the quay, their looks directed towards the American frigate as the principal object of their curiosity. 1 shall not attempt to describe their dress or looks; nothing could be more unlike our countrymen. The English or French fashions do not appear to predominate. Among these people I felt myself indeed a stranger; their countenances made a very unfavorable impression on me, though by no means disposed to judge hastily, for I have been too often taught by experience the danger of condemning people by wholesale, merely on account of their looks. 'The complexions of the middle and lower classes are generally dark, their features coarse, and their persons in general inclining to corpulency. A number of them were distinguished by ribbons and baubles attached to their button holes, many wore enormous