138 



TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



sailors of all nations. Captain Cook was mistaken 

 when he expressed doubts of the goodness of this 

 water for long voyages ; for Portuguese captains 

 have, by way of making the experiment, taken 

 this water to India, and brought it back to Rio de 

 Janeiro, when it was found to be still uncorrupted. 

 New fountains continue to be erected in the city, 

 and during our stay, measures were taken to pro- 

 vide the great square of S. Anna with a foun- 

 tain, and to lead a new aqueduct to the south-west 

 part of the city. In such a hot and populous city 

 the attention of the government is justly directed 

 to the obtaining of an ample supply of cool water 

 fit for drinking, but the distribution of it by un- 

 cleanly negroes, who offer it for sale in open ves- 

 sels or in skins {horachlos)^ which are often ex- 

 posed for hours together to the heat of the sun, 

 requires to be altered by the Board of Health ; in- 

 deed the government would do a great service to 

 tbe inhabitants by causing the water to be con- 

 veyed into many private houses. 



The bay of Rio de Janeiro, one of the finest and 

 most spacious harbours in the world, and the key 

 to the southern part of Brazil, has been long since 

 carefully fortified by the Portuguese. The sudden 

 capture of the city by the French, under Duguay 

 Trouin (I7IO), who imposed on it a contribution of 

 ^46,500,464- rees, perhaps first made them sensible 

 of the necessity of defensive works. The entrance 

 is protected principally by the fort of Santa Cruz, 



