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tom-house are disposed to allow is such, as to render that nefarious 

 practice unnecessary. 



It may not be improper in this place to describe the consequences 

 produced in Rio de Janeiro by the excessive commercial specula- 

 tions into which our merchants entered, immediately after the emi-^ 

 gration of the Court of Portugal, and which could only be equalled 

 by those which followed our expeditions to the Rio de la Plata. 



Owing to the incredible competition or struggle among our mer- 

 chants, who should send most ships and cargoes to a country, whose 

 civilized population, exclusive of slaves, does not exceed eight hun- 

 dred thousand souls, (one-third, at least, of whom may be said ta 

 make use only of what their land produces,) it is natural to suppose 

 that the market would be almost instantly overstocked. So great 

 and so unexpected was the influx of English manufactures into Rio 

 de Janeiro, within a few days after the arrival of the Prince, that 

 the rent of houses to put them into became enormously dear. The 

 bay was covered with ships, and the custom-house soon overflowed 

 with goods : even salt, casks of ironmongery, and nails, salt-fish, 

 hogsheads of cheese, hats, together with an immense quantity of 

 crates and hogsheads of earthen and glass ware, cordage, bottled and 

 barrelled porter, paints, gums, resin, tar, &c. were exposed, not only 

 to the sun and rain, but to general depredation. The inhabitants of 

 Rio de Janeiro, and more particularly some of the Creolians and 

 strangers from the interior, thought that these goods were placed 

 there for their benefit, and extolled the goodness and generosity of 

 the English, who strewed the beach to a great extent with articles 

 for which their own countrymen had heretofore charged them such 

 high prices. It is true that the gentlemen entrusted with these va^ 

 luable consignments did apply for centinels to be placed to guard 

 the articles thus exposed, and their request was immediately com- 

 plied with. The result was such as might easily have been antici- 

 pated from such watchmen, many of whom did not fail to profit 

 largely by the appointment. In the course of several weeks the 



