CA ARA'C TERS, 
the roads, and the searcity of ship- 
_-wrights, very fine vessels, equal in 
_ Size to an English 74 gun-ship, have 
_ been constructed at Bahia or St. 
_ Salvador, and sent afloat, at the ex- 
‘pence of about fifteen or sixteen 
pounds a ton, which in England 
‘would have cost from twenty four 
to thirty-four pounds a ton. 
Wheat, barley, Guinea corn, mil- 
Tet and all the European and tb pital 
Grains are produced in the greatest 
_ abundance ; and all species ‘of pro- 
visions and supplies for victualling 
and storing ships, and fitting them 
out for actual service at sea, are 
_procurable at moderate rates in 
almost all the ports of the Brazils. 
At Rio de Janeiro alone a navy 
might be built, equipped, and fitted 
with every necessary for a sea voy- 
age, sufficient to command the navi- 
gation of the southern Atlantic ; 
_and the fisheries, by proper encou- 
coment, would create a never- 
failing supply of seamen. Both the 
_ black whale and the spermaceti are 
ee rarul on every part of the coast. 
’ 
_ Account of a Theatrical Entertain. 
ment at Cochinchina. From the 
Same. 
_ The ambassador had not as yet 
handed at the town of Turon; and 
as the principal officers of that place 
were extremely desirous of testifying 
their respect by a public entertain- 
ment to be given on the occasion, 
his lordship fixed on the 4th of 
June for celebrating, with the Co- 
chinchinese on shore,, the anniver- 
sary of his majesty’s birth- day. 
Whether through accident, or in. 
consequence of former suspicions, 
or to give eclat to the entertain- 
ment, did not rhpears but on the 
Vou. XLVIU. 
865 
evening preceding we observed an 
unusual bustle about the place, an 
increased number of troops in and 
about the town, besides several huge 
elephants of war. We therefore, on 
our part, took the precaution of 
sending the two armed brigs up the 
river opposite to the town, to make 
a retreat, if necessary, the more 
secure. The day, however, passed 
over iu harmony and conviviality. 
We were conducted from the place 
of landing to a temporary building, 
on a larger scale than that which we 
had hitherto occasionally occupied. 
The two pitches of its roof were 
supported by a row of bamboo poles 
which, running down the middle, 
divided the building into two parts. 
The sides and the roof were covered 
with thick double matts, and lined 
within with coarse Manchester cot 
tons, of various patterns. These 
prints appeared to be new, but 
damaged, and were probably the 
refuse of the China market, carried 
thither by the Portuguose trader. 
In the first compartment of the 
building was a long table covered 
with linen, and laid out with plates, 
knives and forks, in the manner ang 
style of Europe. Our Portuguese 
friend, it seemed, by way of making 
some atonement for the injury he 
had nearly, though perhaps not 
maliciously, done us, had prevailed 
on the Cochinchinese to allow him 
to be master of the ceremonies 
for the day, concluding in his own 
mind that, as the eating and drink- 
ing would be considered by us as the 
best part,of the entertainment, he 
would be able to suit our taste in 
these respects better than the Coe 
chinchinese ; and under this impres- 
sion, to do him justice, he hag 
spared neither trouble nor expence 
in making his digner as complete a9 
