SOUTH AMERICA. 



183 



United States. Brazil has no competitor with respect 

 to its valuable woods, of which there is the most won- 

 derful variety, adapted to cabinet work and ship build- 

 ing.^ The tick wood and cedar, are equal to any in 

 the world; Brazil excels all other countries in the fa- 

 cilities for building vessels; an art which is rapidly 

 improving here. The valuable fisheries on the coast, 

 and the coasting trade, daily increasing, will in time, 

 furnish seamen to navigate an immense navy. 



CHAPTER II. 



DEPARTURE FROM RIO PROVINCES OF ST.^PAUL, ST. CATHERINE^ 



AND RIO GRANDE ISLAND OF FI.ORES ARRIVAL AT MONTE VI- 

 DEO, 



Having no further business at this port, and the 

 ship being supplied with every thing necessary for the 

 prosecution of the voyage to La Plata, the commodore 

 announced his intention to put to sea. It had pre- 

 viously been intended to proceed to St. Catherines, 

 for the purpose of procuring a tender to ascend the 

 La Plata. The great draft of water of the Congress, 

 (upwards of twenty- two feet,) rendered it impossible 

 to carry her up to Buenos Ayres. Besides the season 



* Mr. Hill, our consul at St. Salvador, presented commodore 

 Sinclair with upwards of a hundred specimens, equal in beauty 

 to any I ever saw. 



