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Passing point Toque Toque at noon, we entered the strait of 

 St. Sebastian. Its width is about three leagues, the land on both 

 sides is bold and steep, and being well cultivated has a very grand 

 and rich appearance. The varied foliage of the trees, and the dif- 

 ferent shades of verdure in the enclosures, combined with the ro- 

 mantic situations of the houses dispersed among them, presented a 

 view worthy the ablest pencil ; we had full leisure to enjoy it, for the 

 wind being still adverse, our progress depended on the toil of our 

 wearied boatmen. Several vessels, going the contrary way, passed 

 us %t full sail, the crews of which added to our chagrin by iro- 

 nically wishing us a pleasant voyage. At four in the afternoon 

 we arrived at the town of St. Sebastian, situated on a low tract of 

 ground about three hundred yards from the beach. The inhabi- 

 tants, amounting to two or three thousand, are an indigent and 

 not very industrious people ; they subsist chiefly on fish, which was 

 the only food we could procure during the three days we staid 

 among them. There are some inconsiderable plantations in the 

 neighbourhood, where a little indigo is made, and some tolerably 

 good tobacco is grown. This town is noted (and forn>erly was 

 much more so) for its very large canoes scooped out of the solid 

 timber ; some of them I have seen of almost incredible dimensions. 

 The civil government is entrusted to a Captain Mor, whose autho- 

 rity is supported by a garrison of ten or fifteen soldiers under the 

 command of an ensign. At the house of the latter we took up our 

 abode, while waiting for an opportunity to hire a large canoe to 

 carry us to Zapitiva, near Rio de Janeiro. The people with whom 

 we had to bargain, used every petty means to thwart and impose 

 upon us, and our host shewed no disposition to protect us against 

 their chicanery, so that we encountered many vexatious delays ere 

 we could accomplish our purpose. 



This place is by no means a desirable, or indeed, a tolerable resi- 

 dence for a stranger; it is exposed to all the inconveniences pecu- 

 liar to low and sandy situations ; the hot unwholesome weather, sel- 



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