30 RIO DE JANEIRO CHAP, n 



The banks of the sea, and more remarkably all the edges 

 of small brooks, were covered with innumerable quantities of 

 small crabs (Cancer weans, Linn.), one hand of which is very 

 large. Among these were many whose two hands were 

 remarkably small and of equal size ; these my black servant 

 told me were the females of the other, and indeed all I 

 examined, which were many, proved to be females, but 

 whether they were really of the same species as C. weans, 

 I cannot determine on so short an acquaintance. 



I saw but little cultivation, and small pains seemed to 

 be taken with that. Most of it was grass land, on which 

 were many lean cattle ; and lean they might well be, for 

 almost all the species of grass which I observed here were 

 creepers, and consequently so close to the ground that 

 though there might be upon them a sufficient bite for 

 horses or sheep, yet how horned cattle could live at all 

 appeared extraordinary to me. 



I also saw their gardens, or small patches in which they 

 cultivate many sorts of European garden stuffs, such as 

 cabbages, peas, beans, kidney beans, turnips, white radishes, 

 pumpkins, etc., but all much inferior to ours, except perhaps 

 the last. They also grow water-melons and pine-apples, 

 the only fruits which I have seen them cultivate ; the first 

 are very good, but the pines were much inferior to those I 

 have tasted in Europe ; I have hardly had one which could 

 be reckoned of average quality, many were worse than some 

 I have seen sent away from table in England, where nobody 

 would eat them. Though in general very sweet, they have 

 not the least flavour. In these gardens grow also yams, 

 and mandihoca or cassada, which supplies the place of bread, 

 for as our European bread corn will not grow here, all the 

 flour they have is brought from Portugal at great expense, 

 too great even for the middle-class people to purchase, much 

 less the poorer. 



27 'tli. On the boats returning from watering, we were 

 told that men had been sent out yesterday in search of some 

 of our people who were ashore without leave ; we concluded 

 that this referred either to Dr. Solander or myself, which 



