diately the Portuguese master came aboard to see me, to whom I
returned thanks for his civilities; and indeed I found much respect, not
only from this gentleman but from all of that nation both here and in
other places, who were ready to serve me on all occasions. The place that
we anchored in was about two miles from the harbour where the ships
generally ride; but the fear I had lest my people should run away with
the ship made me hasten to get a licence from the governor to run up into
the harbour and ride among their ships, close by one of their forts. So
on the 25th of March about ten o'clock in the morning, the tide serving,
I went thither, being piloted by the superintendent there, whose business
it is to carry up all the King of Portugal's ships that come hither, and
to see them well moored. He brought us to an anchor right against the
town, at the outer part of the harbour, which was then full of ships,
within 150 yards of a small fort that stands on a rock half a mile from
the shore. See a prospect of the harbour and the town as it appeared to
us while we lay at anchor.

Bahia de todos los Santos lies in latitude 13 degrees south. It is the
most considerable town in Brazil, whether in respect of the beauty of its
buildings, its bulk, or its trade and revenue. It has the convenience of
a good harbour that is capable of receiving ships of the greatest burden:
the entrance of which is guarded with a strong fort standing without the
harbour, called St. Antonio: a sight of which I have given as it appeared
to us the afternoon before we came in; and its lights (which they hang
out purposely for ships) we saw the same night. There are other smaller
forts that command the harbour, one of which stands on a rock in the sea,
about half a mile from the shore. Close by this fort all ships must pass
that anchor here, and must ride also within half a mile of it at farthest
between this and another fort (that stands on a point at the inner part
of the harbour and is called the Dutch Fort) but must ride nearest to the
former, all along against the town: where there is good holding ground,
and less exposed to the southerly winds that blow very hard here. They
commonly set in about April, but blow hardest in May, June, July and
August: but the place where the ships ride is exposed to these winds not
above 3 points of the compass.

Beside these there is another fort fronting the harbour, and standing on
the hill upon which the tow