TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. • 185 



sis, L.), Mundubi oil from the seeds of" the Arachis 

 hi/pogcea, L., ivory, sulphur, and some gum Arabic. 

 These two latter articles, and salt, are the chief 

 imports from the Cape de Verd Isles. The imme- 

 diate trade of Rio with the East Indies, has become 

 considerable since the arrival of the king, as several 

 of the first mercantile houses at Lisbon settled 

 here, and endeavoured to give more activity to 

 their intercourse with India and China, to which 

 they were so much nearer, which, on the other 

 hand, caused a great deduction from the trade of 

 Lisbon. These ships commonly touch at several 

 English ports in India, and also at Macao, and 

 perform their voyage in eight, ten or twelve months. 

 Goa, and the other Portuguese possessions in the 

 East, the importance of which has been greatly di- 

 minished by the influence of their powerful neigh- 

 bours, are seldom visited on these occasions. The 

 chief imports from those possessions are many kinds 

 of cotton goods, which are re-exported to Portugal, 

 and to different ports of South America. The 

 imports from Macao are fine muslins and printed 

 cottons, silk stuffs, porcelain, tea, Indian ink, cin- 

 namon, pepper, and some camphor. Rio is the 

 general staple for all the numerous small ports on 

 the Brazilian coast, northwards to Bahia, and 

 southwards to Monte Video, which send thither 

 their produce for exportation to Europe, or home 

 consumption. The quantity of provisions in par- 

 ticular, annually imported from all these places 



