erted from Luiz
do Rego; with these troops, such as they are, they had marched towards
Pernambuco, and last night they had attacked the two main points of
Olinda, to the north, in four different places, and Affogados to the
south. They were, however, repulsed by the royal troops, under the
governor, with the loss of fourteen killed and thirty-five prisoners,
while the royalists had two killed, and seven wounded. This morning the
alarm of the town's people was increased by finding several armed men
concealed in the belfreys of the churches, whither also they had
conveyed several stands of arms. Luiz do Rego is a soldier, and attached
to the royal cause. He served long with the English army in Portugal and
Spain, and, if I mistake not, distinguished himself at the siege of St.
Sebastian's. He is rather a severe man, and, especially among the
soldiers, more feared than loved.--Great part of the regiment of
Cacadores has left him to join the patriots, and formed the most
efficient corps in the attack last night. The towns-people have been
formed into a militia, tolerably armed and trained. The town is pretty
well supplied with mandioc flour, jerked beef, and salt fish; but the
besiegers prevent all fresh provisions from coming in. All shops are
shut, and all food scarce and dear. Most people who have property of
value, in plate or jewels, have packed it up, and lodged it in the
houses of the English merchants. Many persons with their wives and
families have left their homes in the out-skirts of the town, and have
taken refuge with the English. The latter, who, for the most part,
sleep, at least, in country houses in the neighbourhood, called sitios,
have left them, and remain altogether at their counting-houses in the
port: every thing, in short, is alarm and uncertainty.

_23d._--The night passed quietly, and so indeed did the day. Many
messages have passed between us and the land, but I could not go on
shore: we have excellent oranges, and tolerable vegetables from the
town, and have been quite enough amused in observing the curious little
boats, canoes, catamarans and jangadas, that have been sailing, and
paddling, and rowing round the ship. The jangada resembles nothing I
have ever seen before; six or eight logs are made fast together by two
transverse beams; at one end there is a raised seat, on which a man
places himself to steer, for they are furnished with a sort of rudder;
sometimes the seat is large enough to admi