Major semple lisle. 270 



Viceroy, two regiments of regulars, and a bat- 

 talion of artillery, who, though far better in 

 appearanee than thofe in Portugal, are not to 

 be compared to the militia. Thefe confift, be- 

 fides whites, of a black and a mulatto regiment ; 

 and the laft, in appearance, exceeds any thing I 

 have fecn. At prefent, however, they are ho- 

 liday foldiers, and almoft without difcipline ; 

 but a hard campaign or two would, in all pro- 

 bability, make them good troops. It mull: be 

 i^emarked,. that the mulatto militia arc all men 

 of fome property, and drefs at their own ex- 

 pence; they wear light bluc^ with red facings, 

 and gay fpangle filver lace, which gives them a 

 remarkable fhowy look. 



The reafon why the regiments of colour are 

 fo much more fplendid than the whites is owing 

 to this circumftance ; the whites are a promif- 

 cuous affemblage of all the males, poor and 

 rich, whereas the others confift only of fuch as 

 are rich enough to have been able to purchafe 

 their own freedom ; befides, when once free, 

 they, through fuperior induflry, acquire inde- 

 pendance much quicker than the others. 



The principal produce of the country is cot- 

 ton, coffee, dyeing woods, fugar, hides, gold, 

 and tobacco. With thefe they load a hundred 

 and fifty, or two hundred fiiips, which ufed to 

 rendezvous yearly at Bahia dc Todos os Santos^ 



T 4 and 



