10 



Rio*, near the isle of St. Sebastian, the Paper 

 Nautilus, and other fine shells, are frequently 

 met with. About six years ago, after a gale of 

 wind, a spring tide ebb left a reef of Nautili and 

 other shells along the coast of Bahia, mutilated 

 by the surf of the conflicting elements: a Go- 

 vernment-ship was at the same time loading with 

 timber. On her return to Chatham, I received 

 intelhgence from an officer on board, that he had 

 collected a quantity of them. I sent a person 

 dowTi, who purchased to the amount of twenty- 

 five pounds. A similar circumstance occurred 

 under my own observation, at the moutli of the 

 Guadalquiver, near Cadiz, from whence I select- 



* At the Royal Farm, Santa Cruz, about forty miles from 

 Rio, where I held an official situation, (first administrator), 1 

 directed some expert negroes to pick up what snail shells and 

 curious animals they might meet with : these they left at my 

 house as they passed, and, by allowing them a small compensa- 

 tion, I obtained many fine shells, insects, birds, reptiles, and 

 small animals of the monkey, ape, and hedge-ho^ species. 



