4 < 
RIO DI JANEIRO. 
came to an anchor near the fortress of Santa Cruz, at the entrance of Rio 
di Janeiro, they looked in vain for something which might differ from all 
that they had hitherto seen ; and they were no otherwise struck with the 
magnificent scenery that surrounded us, (its wild shaped mountains, 
clothed to their very summits with the richest vegetation,) than by saying, 
it looked like their own jungle in Mazanderan. Persians in general take 
no delight in woody scenery, and the word jengel, which they use to 
denote it, inspires them with the same ideas that we may have of a 
wilderness. 
The Regent of Portugal politely intimated his wish, that the two Am¬ 
bassadors and their suites might be his guests during their stay, and 
ordered that a house should be got in readiness for their reception. His 
Royal Highness’s kitchen, cellar, servants, horses, and carriages, were 
placed at their disposal, and the whole conduct of the Portuguese court 
on this occasion was in every way handsome. We were conducted to our 
audience by His Majesty’s Minister, Lord Stfangford, and were much 
gratified by our reception. The Prince reminded the Persian Ambassador, 
that the Portuguese had formerly been the near allies of his country; that 
he was happy to be able, through his medium, to offer to the Persian 
Monarch a renewal of that friendship which had existed between their 
two states. Indeed, the relations between Portugal and Persia were 
at one time very intimate ; for when the Portuguese held great sway in 
India, they were also possessed of the islands of Ormus, Kishmish, 
Larak, and Bahrein, in the Persian Gulph: on the Persian shore, the 
ports and fortresses of Bender Abassi, and Congo, also belonged to 
them; but these possessions they lost between the years 1610 and 1625. 
As for a considerable time afterwards they occupied Muscat in 
Arabia, the possession of which was of great consequence to their 
commerce in the Persian Gulph, they agreed to cede all their preten¬ 
sions to their possessions on the coast of Persia, provided they might 
have a right to fish on the pearl banks of Bahrein, and to receive half 
of the custom-house duties levied at Congo, a port about three days 
distance from Ormus. 
