Ill 



A VOYAGE TO 



six miles out, of various sizes and appearances. 

 They seem to be small detatched knobs or hills, gra- 

 dually sloping on every side to the water^s edge, 

 with a tliick covering of shrubs and vines, and their 

 summits crowned with palm trees. They are uninha- 

 bited although some of them are several miles in cir- 

 cumference. The largest vessel may sail with per- 

 fect safety between them, as the water is, with scarcely 

 an exception, bold and deep. 



Early next morning the pilot having come on board, 

 more for the sake of complying with every necessary 

 precaution than because his services were necessary,' 

 we passed into the spacious harbor of Rio. The 

 entrance is about a mile wide, and probably the safest 

 and easiest in the world. We passed on the right, 

 fort Santa Cruz built upon a shelf of the rock, with 

 several tier of guns and most formidable in its appear- 

 ance. Strong works are also erected on the steep 

 i^ock behind it, from which it is separated by a singular 

 cleft crossed by a drawbridge. On the left under the 

 sugar loaf there is another fort, but comparatively of 

 not much consequence; as the best channel lies pretty 

 close to Santa Cruz. Vessels generally pass direct- 

 ly under its guns. We passed another small fort just 

 within the harbor. The place is said to be very 

 strongly fortified; it certainly possesses extraordinary 

 natural facilities for this purpose. It was forced 

 about the beginning of the last century by the cele- 

 brated French mariner, Dugai Trouin, who took pos- 

 session of the city, and laid it under contribution; but 

 its fortifications were in consequence greatly improv- 

 ed. As we entered the harbor, a most magnificent 

 scene opened upon us. The noble basin scarcely sur- 



