R I O 



which the high country affords to the low. It is one or 

 the circumftances that has added much to the marvellous 

 height of the cataract ; as the height is naturally fuppofcd 

 to be great, that carries one at once from the temperature 

 of Europe, and one where the thermometer is fometimes at 

 the freezing point, to that of the torrid zone. Although 

 the river lofes a great part of its water in falling, which is 

 reduced into vapour, the rapidity of the lower current 

 forces the obferver to keep at the diftancc of 150 yards from 

 the bafin dug out by the fall. The folitude of the place, 

 the richnefs of the vegetation, and the dreadful roar that 

 ftrikes the ear, contribute to render the foot of the cataract 

 of Tequendama one of the wildeft fcenes that can be found 

 in the Cordilleras. (Humboldt's Refearches, &c. tranflated 

 by Helm M'Williams, Lond. 1814.) — R. Bueno, ariver of 

 the ifland of Jamaica, which runs into the fea on the north 

 coaft, N.lat. 1 8° 30'. W. long. 77 19'.— R. de Ccdros, 

 a river of South America, which runs into the Pacific ocean, 

 N. lat. 2°30 f . — R. Col/re, a river of Jamaica, which paffes 

 by Spanifh Town, and runs into the fea, 4 miles N.W. of 

 Kingdom — R. del Conches, or de Salinas, a river of Mexico, 

 which joins the Brava at its mouth. — R. Dolce, or Fre/Jj- 

 water river, a river of Brazil, which runs into the Atlan- 

 tic, S. lat. 19 20'. — R. Dolce, or Dulce, a river of South 

 America, in the province of Tucuman, formed by the con- 

 fluence of feveral rivers. After pafiing by St. Yago del 

 Eftero, &c. and purfuing a courfe of about 300 miles, it 

 lofes itfelf in a fait lake, S. lat. 30 40'. — R. de los Doraces, 

 a river of Mexico, which runs into the Spanilh Main, 

 N. lat. 945'. — R. dos Efmeraldas, ariver of America, on 

 the ifthmus of Darien, which runs into the Pacific ocean, 

 N. lat. 2° 42'. — R. dos Efmeraldos, a river of Peru, which 

 runs into the Pacific ocean, N. lat. o° 57'. — R. Ftifco, a river 

 of Africa, which runs from the Ivory coaft into the Atlan- 

 tic, N. lat. 5 8'. W. long. 5 55'.— R. dos Galinas. See 

 MAGUALBARI. — R. Grande, a river of South America, 

 which runs into the Spanifh Main, between Carthagena and 

 St. Martha. — Alfo, a river of the ifland of Jamaica, which 

 runs into the fea, on the N. coaft, N. lat. 18° 15'. W. long. 

 7 6° 14'. — R. Grande, or Civdad Nova, a town of Brafil, 

 in the jurildiction of Fernambuco, formerly the feat of a 

 jurifdiftion. S. lat. 5 44'. — R. Grande, ariver of Brafil, 

 fcarcely deferving the name, the mouth of which is fituated 

 in S. lat. 3 z'. — Alfo, a river of- Africa, which paffes the 

 coaft of Zanguebar, and runs into the Indian fea, forming 

 the iflands of Patta and Lamo at its mouth. S. lat. 2° c'. 

 E. long. 41° 30'. — Alfo, a river of Africa, navigable for 

 boats near 400 miles from the mouth, which lies on the At- 

 lantic, N. lat. ii°. W. long. 14 36'. — Alfo, a river of 

 America, which rifes in the ifthmus of Darien, and runs 

 into the Pacific ocean, three miles \V. of Panama. See 

 alfo Vermkjo, Patiw, and Hacha. — R. Hondo, ariver 

 of Yucatan, which runs into the bay of Honduras. 



Rio de Janeiro, a jurifdiftion or independent government 

 of Brafil, lo called by the Portuguefe when they became 

 mafters of the country, from the river Janeiro, which runs 

 through the middle of it ; and the river probably derived 

 its name from its having been difcovered on the day of the 

 feaft of St. Januarius, or on the 1 ft day of January, in 151 6, 

 by Solis. The province and tike river are called by tin- 

 natives " Gcnabara." At the mouth of tin- river, on the 

 call fide, is the fort of Santa Cruz, and on the welt, that of 

 St. Jago, together with tin- capital. The rivers in this go- 

 vernment are few, and none of them large, except the Ja- 

 neiro, which is rather a fait bay or gulf than a river, and 

 two rivers that difcharge themfelves into this bay. At the 

 mouth of it are feveral imall iflands, that render its entrance 



Vol.. XXX. 



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fomewhat difficult and dangerous. Although the foil oi 

 this province is for the greateft part rich and fertile, the 

 inhabitants manifeft little induftry either in the cultivation 

 of the foil or the improvement of the country. It con- 

 lifts chiefly, at lead near the capital, in railing garden 

 vegetables for the whites, and rice and manioc for the blacks. 

 Wheat is found to grow in other parts of the Brafils, 

 with an increafe beyond what is known in Europe. A corn- 

 mill, diftinguifhed by the fimplicity of its ftrufture, at- 

 tracted the notice of fir George Staunton ; and he haw 

 thought it worthy of being defcribed. A wheel, a few 

 feet only in diameter, was placed horizontally, much below 

 the current of a ftream, as it fell from a fteep bank, and 

 was received in hollows, 10 or 12 in number, fo obliquely 

 fcolloped into the upper rim of the wheel, as to impel it to 

 a quick rotatory motion, while its upright fhaft, pafling 

 through an opening in the centre of an immoveable mill- 

 ftone above the wheel, but of a narrower diameter, was 

 fixed to a fmaller mill-ftone, which, forced round with the 

 motion of the wheel and dependent fhaft, cruflied between 

 it and the larger ftone beneath, the grain infinuated between 

 them from a hopper. Thus that effeft was produced by 

 one wheel only, which is generally the refult of a much 

 more expenfive and complicated machinery. A fimilar mill, 

 it is faid, is in ufe in the Crimea. A foreft, not far from 

 the capital, was found, by fir George and his affociates, to 

 abound in palms and mallic wood ; alfo mango and gouyava 

 trees are found growing to the fize of trees, befides many 

 other vegetables, never obferved before by thofe who were 

 then travelling through it. The ipecacuanha plant is faid 

 to grow at St. Catharine's within the government of Rio. 

 The fize and vivid hue of many of the flowers throughout 

 the foreft, and the gaudy plumage of the birds, which came 

 occafionally in fight, were very itriking. The woods, it is 

 faid, abound in makes, fome of which are extremely large 

 and formidable. But their hiffing noife puts thofe who hear 

 it on their guard, and they feldom, without provocation, 

 advance to an attack. The foreft now mentioned led to 

 the cultivated valley of " Tijouca," fituated, as it were, in 

 the bottom of a funnel, being furrounded on all fides by 

 mountains, excepting to the fouthward, where a fmall 

 opening admitted an arm of the fea. The valley was watered 

 by a clear ftream, which, upon firft entering it, was preci- 

 pitated down a fteep and broad rock of granite, forming a 

 magnificent cafcade. Very little labour appeared neceffary 

 in the plantations of Tijouca. Indigo, manioc, coffee, 

 cacao, and chocolate-trees, fugar.canes, plantains, and 

 orange and lime trees, were commonly feen all growing pro- 

 mifcuoufly, and fome fpontaneoufly, in the fpace of 20 lquare 

 yards. Coffee and indigo were the principal objefts of at- 

 tention. The temperature of the valley was exccflively 

 hot, on account of its confined iituation, and the reflection 

 of the fun's rays from the fides of the mountains, which in 

 many places were very rocky. Fahrenheit's thermometer, 

 about four in the afternoon, flood, in the fliade, at 88°. 

 Several dillri&s of the government of Rio produced cotton, 

 fugar, coffee, and cacao or chocolate, rice, pepper, and 

 tobacco, in great abundance. That of Rio Grande yielded 

 plenty of excellent wheat. The vine grew in great per 

 feflion ; but the grape is not fuffered to be prelled for wine, 

 as fuch a proccii might interfere with the fale ot the fame 

 article from Portugal. But probably leis caution may he 

 exercifed in this reipeel fince the removal of the Portujrucfe 

 government to the Braids. Molt of the land, as far as Cook 

 and his companions had an opportunity of obferving it, was 



laid down ingraft, upon which cattle were, pallured in great 



plenty ; but tli > were fo lean, that an Eiiglifhruaii wou|3 

 P p fi ireery 



