DEC. 1768 RIO DE JANEIRO 



33 



Portuguese custom of naming their discoveries from the 

 saint on whose feast they are made. 



It is regular and well built after the fashion of Portugal, 

 every house having before its window a lattice of wood, 

 behind which is a little balcony. In size it is much larger 

 than I could have expected, probably little inferior to any of 

 our country towns in England, Bristol or Liverpool not 

 excepted. The streets are all straight, intersecting each 

 other at right angles, and have this peculiar convenience 

 that the greater number lie in one direction, and are 

 commanded by the guns of their citadel, called St. 

 Sebastian, which is situate on the top of a hill overlooking 

 the town. 



It is supplied with water from the neighbouring hills by 

 an aqueduct upon two stories of arches, said in some places 

 to be very high ; the water is conveyed into a fountain in 

 the great square immediately opposite the governor's palace. 

 This is guarded by a sentry, who has sufficient work to keep 

 regularity and order among so many as are always in wait- 

 ing here. "Water is laid on in some other part of the town, 

 but how it is brought there I could not hear ; the water 

 there is said to be better than the fountain, which is 

 exceedingly indifferent, so much so as not to be liked by us, 

 though we had been two months at sea, in which time our 

 water was almost continually bad. 



The churches are very fine, with more ornaments even 

 than those in Europe, and all the ceremonies of their 

 religion are carried on with more show ; their processions 

 in particular are very extraordinary. Every day one or 

 other of the parishes has a solemn procession with all the 

 insignia of its church, altar, and host, etc., through the 

 parish, begging for whatever can be got, and praying in all 

 forms at every corner of a street. While we were there 

 one of the largest churches in the town was being rebuilt, 

 and for that reason the parish had leave to walk through 

 the whole city, which was done once a week, and much 

 money collected for the carrying on of the edifice. At this 

 ceremony all boys under a certain age were obliged to 



