NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



85 



The Military Hospital stands about two-thirds up the Eastern face 

 of the hill of St. Sebastian, adjoining the platform lately mentioned. It 

 is above the effluvia of the city, enjoys the full freshness of the all- 

 reviving sea-breeze, and cheers the spirits with the view which it presents, 

 of the roadsted, the bay and its entrance, and the shipping in both. The 

 house is large and substantial, but, like all the rest, betrays a gross 

 inattention to cleanliness. Near to it is an important guard-house, placed 

 on the most elevated look-out, which the city contains. At no great 

 distance, is the house of Sir Sydney Smith, an officer, to whom the 

 British in Rio are highly indebted, and whom the court and the people 

 appear sincerely to regard. The spot is appropriate to its inhabitant ; 

 beneath lies the British fleet ; and all the signal posts of the place, as well 

 as the noble prospect just described, are in view. 



The Navy of Portugal may, very properly, be considered as trans- 

 ferred to Brazil, for the principal part of it came over with the Royal 

 Family. There are nowhere seven sail of diflerent descriptions; some 

 of the first rates are fine vessels, but three of them are old, and will pro- 

 bably never again leave the harbour, for there are here no means of repair- 

 ing them, neither slips nor docks, no stores nor storehouses. There is 

 no stock of timber, cordage, and canvass ; neither are there any means 

 of procuring them. The shipwrights are very few, and there is a great 

 deficiency of sailors. Even merchant vessels cannot find supplies, when 

 they are wanted ; much less, a fleet of transports or men of war. The 

 Arsenal is a small place under the hill of St. Bento, the front of which is 

 much exposed, by being open to the water. It consists of a miserable 

 workshop or two, and a line of sheds, under which a few boats are laid 

 up, and where a mast may be repaired. Cordage is made here, in a small 

 quantity, from strips of hide, which are spun in the manner of hemp. 

 Workmen say that it answers well ; masters of ships assure me that, 

 though it may serve for running rigging, it is improper for shrouds, and 

 for all ropes, which support a constant tension, for it is apt to stretch 

 when moistened. The cables are called Bass ones, being made of the 

 fibres of some vegetable, extremely like coarse horse hair. They are 



