without being honoured with a single
bouquet, though nymphs and flowers were in equal and great abundance.

Among other public buildings, I had almost forgot to mention an
observatory, which stands near the middle of the town, and is tolerably
well furnished with astronomical instruments. During our stay here, some
Spanish and Portuguese mathematicians were endeavouring to determine
the boundaries of the territories belonging to their respective crowns.
Unhappily, however, for the cause of science, these gentleman have not
hitherto been able to coincide in their accounts, so that very little
information on this head, to be depended upon, could be gained. How far
political motives may have caused this disagreement, I do not presume to
decide; though it deserves notice, that the Portuguese accuse the Abbee
de la Caille, who observed here by order of the King of France, of
having laid down the longitude of this place forty-five miles too much
to the eastward.

Until the year 1770, all the flour in the settlement was brought
from Europe; but since that time the inhabitants have made so rapid a
progress in raising grain, as to be able to supply themselves with it
abundantly. The principal corn country lies around Rio Grande, in the
latitude of 32 deg south, where wheat flourishes so luxuriantly, as to
yield from seventy to eighty bushels for one. Coffee also, which they
formerly received from Portugal, now grows in such plenty as to enable
them to export considerable quantities of it. But the staple commodity
of the country is sugar. That they have not, however, learnt the art
of making palatable rum, the English troops in New South Wales can bear
testimony; a large quantity, very ill flavoured, having been bought and
shipped here for the use of the garrison of Port Jackson.

It was in 1771 that St. Salvador, which had for more than a century been
the capital of Brazil, ceased to be so; and that the seat of Government
was removed to St. Sebastian. The change took place on account of
the colonial war, at that time carried on by the Courts of Lisbon and
Madrid. And, indeed, were the object of security alone to determine
the seat of Government, I know but few places better situated in that
respect than the one I am describing; the natural strength of the
country, joined to the difficulties which would attend an attack on the
fortifications, being such as to render it very formidable.

It may be presumed that the Portuguese