1054 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



This work is extremely copious in 

 the details of its foundation as a 

 colony, its successive governors, its 

 churches, monasteries, and convents ; 

 but in its natural history, produc- 

 tions, commerce, and, in short, 

 every point of useful information, is 

 brief, cramped, and deficient ; it is 

 ■written also in the most bombast 

 and enthusiastic style : yet the Por- 

 tuguese goTerniiient in a few years 

 publicly ])rohibited its being read 

 under the severest penalties, and it 

 is now only to be met with (care- 

 fully secluded) in the cabinets of the 

 curious. 



" Voltaire and the Abbe Rayn:;! 

 have also dillnsedly written on 

 Brasi! ; the former in many respects 

 erroneously, while the politiciil and 

 arithmetical calculations of !he hitter 

 are certainly unfounded, though de- 

 tailed in the most specious and amu- 

 sing manner." 



To remedy, in some degree, (his 

 want of information, Mr. Lindloy 

 professes to be his motive "for the 

 publication of this work, although, 

 we rather think it has been dictated 

 by a sj)iritof resentTnent against the 

 Portuguese government, which had 

 condemned his vessel and imi)risoned 

 him, for an attempt to engage in a 

 contraband trade, first with the go- 

 vernor, and afterwards with others 

 of the inhabitH!i(s of Porto Siguro, 

 one of the most valuable of the Bra- 

 silian provinces. 



In the introduction, the author 

 enters into a long, and, we confess, 

 unsatisfactory statement of the 

 causes of his imprisonment, and 

 tedious detention (with his wife,) in 

 Brasil, whence he at length escaped ; 

 but totally failed, on his arrival in 

 Europe, in obtaining from the 

 Portuguese government any restitu- 

 tion or recompcnccj for what he 



3 



terms the injuries he had in so many 

 respects sustained, " in his feelings, 

 his health, his time, and his pro- 

 perty." 



The period, however, which Mr. 

 Lindlcy thus unpleasantly spent, 

 we will not say in unmerited cala- 

 mity in Brasil, was filled up by the 

 writing his diary, here given to the 

 public; and, by far the most interest- 

 ing part of the volume before us, a 

 detailed description of the jirovinces 

 of Porto Seguro, and of St. Salva- 

 dore. — To relieve the tedious 

 personality of the former part of his 

 work, the author has interspersed it 

 witli sketches of tlie country, its in- 

 habitants and manners, from which 

 we shall make such occasional ex- 

 tracts as mu}' amuse or instruct the 

 reader. 



Upon the detection of Mr. Lind- 

 ley's coinmarcia] project^, his vessel 

 was ordered under detention from 

 Carevellos to Porto Seguro, where, 

 after the usual formalities, he was 

 himself imp-.i'^oucd. I3y particular 

 favour, Mrs. Lindley was allowed to 

 accompany liim. They were con- 

 dueled along tUt' bcacii and up the 

 hill to (ho common [jrison, and were 

 then shewn into an upper room, the 

 trap doo.^ of which was opened, a 

 ladder put down, and they descend- 

 ed to some depth into a dungeon, 

 below the surf.tce of the earth, and 

 which emitted an intolerable stench. 

 Disease, of body and distress of 

 mind speedily followed this disaster, 

 and both husband and wife were 

 nearly the victims. — After a fort- 

 night's residence in this wretched 

 hold, they were at length permitted 

 th-j iiccommodution of a smaH deal 

 partitioned apartment, with liberty 

 of walking in a larger one adjoin- 

 ing ; each bad a ■vvindorf- without 

 bars, and free circulation of fresh 



ttir. 



