220 A VOYAGE TO Book IX. 



the French frigates to go in, and under Englifh co- 

 lours, in order the better to conceal their courfcj and 

 in cafe wc found any ihips of the enemy, to lake the 

 beft precautions in their power for defence. But to 

 our great fatisfaflion, we faw, on our approach, two 

 forts with the Portuguefc flag flying, and a brigantine 

 with an enfign and long pennant of the fame nation. 

 We were the more furprized at this, as according to 

 all the accounts we had received, the ifland was a de- 

 fart, having been forfaken by the Portuguefe as not 

 fufceptible of tillage : but on our arrival we were in- 

 formed, that the French Eaft-India company had made 

 a fettlement on it as a convenient place for their ihips 

 . to put in at for refreíhments : but the court of Portu- 

 gal being unwilling that cither the French or any other 

 nation ihould have a fettlement fo near the coail of 

 Brazil, obliged them to evacuate it. This refolution 

 was taken about feven years fince, after which, thefe 

 and other forts were ereóled, and a colony fettled on 

 the ifland *. 



VVe now began to conñder whether it was pofiiblc 

 to procure any true account of the ftate of affairs in 

 Europe; or whether Portugal, in the prefent war, 

 might have gone farther than a neutrality. But as 

 this could not be immediately determined, it was 

 thought advileable for the three frigates to agree on 

 fignals of certain import to be made at going into this 

 harbour. In order to get in it is neceíTary to weather 

 the ifland on the north fide, as the force of the current 

 to the fouthward is fuch, that it cannot be done at 

 leai^ under four or five days or more, beating to wind- 



* In this ifland there is only a garrifon of fjldiers (which is 

 relieved every fix months from Peniambuco) except m ilc felons, 

 who are tranipoited from the coait of Brazil hither, where their 

 nations are no better than llaves to the garrifon ; unlefs they may 

 be proper to aft the part of Noevolus in Juvenal's ninth Satire, 

 for here it may be faid 'AuVoV sfi^y.srsii dvÍ§C(.-/.¡vaiSo; , as there is 

 not a woman on the ifland. A. 



ward 



