1808. ] 
gree of awe from the idea of total seclu- 
sion, which strikes upon his mind, and he 
must be persuaded that at whatsoever 
period, or bys whatsoever denomination 
of men this work was performed, supe- 
rior judgment has been shewn in the 
planning of av object, which, situated as 
it is, affected by’its simple greatness: 
and ‘he must feel a-high idea of the in- 
fluence necessary in thnes so remote, to 
unite a body of men suihcient to execute 
xr : 
General Vallancey remarks (page 41) 
that the banks of this inclosure are turty- 
five feet high, and twelve broad at top; 
the area of the tein ple five hundrea and se- 
venty-nine feet in diameter; one may 
form some idea of the immense number 
ofpersons which might be contained with- 
in this inclosure, when we learn that the 
area of Stone-henge, which measures but 
one hundred and eight teet. in diameter, 
would contain ¢ ‘allowing a square yard to 
each) six thousand men, Most temples 
of this kind were demolished on the 1; 
troduction of Christianity. The learned 
author calls to his assistance the power 
of etymolugy; no feeble supporter, if, as 
Dr. Johnson observed, language is the’ pe- 
digree of nations, and, ‘according to Four- 
mout, Des Brosses and other eminent 
scholars, down to Horne Tooke, ‘“ dan- 
guage cannot lie.” - (p. 164). 
A. strong resemblance is pointed out, 
between the ancient Irish, and the Bend 
and Pehlw. ‘The eevee: of the first 
Persian empire, (says Sir William Jones) 
was the mother of the Sanscrit, and conse- 
quently of the Zend and Parsi, as well as 
of the Greek, Latin, and Gothic’? Ge- 
neral V allancey shews that the early in- 
habitants of Ireland:made use of oriental 
terms in grammar, astronomy, in legisla- 
tion, in the classes and ranks of men; in 
manufactures, arts and sciences, and in 
topography :—terms perfectly unknown 
to the Celts, or any northern nation or 
western people. (p. 164.) 
The general antiquary, as well as those 
who devote their studies to the local his- 
tory of these islands, will find a conside- 
rable fund of instruction and entertain- 
ment in this volume in which the inge- 
nious author has adduced a great variety 
of proofs that the ancient Irish were the 
Cuthi, or old Persians of sacred scrip- 
ture, and the Aire-Cotit of Dionysius Pe- 
riegetes, whom he found on the river 
Indus, “and who, according to Irish his- 
_ tory, mixed with the Boly or Bolouges, 
seated on the same river: ee with ‘hie 
men of Oman, of the Persian gulph, and 
afterwards with the Tuatha Dedan, ox the 
Account of Rio-Janetro, 
‘witha variety of trees. 
389 
learned, scientific Dedanites of Chaldea, 
forming one body of people, known to the 
Greek historians by the name of Jndo- 
scythe; who for the sake’ of commerce, 
settled on the Pontus and Kuxine, and 
thence migrated to Spain,and to the Bra- 
tish Isles. (p, 2). Your's, &c. 
AGRICOLA, 
eee ETM — 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
ACCOUNT 0f RIO-JANEERO s by @ NAVAL OF- 
FICERIn ‘he SERVICE of the EASTINDIA 
COMPANY; who wisited that ciry in 
1800, 
{O-JANETRO is the richest’ settle- 
ment the Portuguese have in South 
America. - From it “they a annually in- 
port diamonds, topazes, and other gems 
to an immense value; besides a great 
deal of gold and silver, Whe city is situa* 
ted on the west side ofa spacious har *bour, 
the entrance to which 1s about a mile 
broad, defended on each side by masked 
batienics and a fort on an eminence call- 
ed Santa Cruz. The harbour to where 
it begins to narrow, is about twelve miles 
long, and nearly as broad. There are 
number of small islands in it, upon 
which gre nunneries and other build- 
ings. 
The climate is both agreeable and 
healthy, being free from many incon- 
veniences that are incident to other tro- 
pical countries. Although situated under 
the tropic of capricorn, the alr is but sel- 
dom immoderately hot, as the sea-breeze — 
regularly begins to blow in the morning, 
and continues til night; when it is suc- 
ceeded by a pleasant lend: The 
surrounding country is the most ro- 
mantic imaginable. Some of the moun- 
tams are execedingly hich, and covered 
The vallies are 
adorned with some grand country seats; 
they also contain plantations of sugar- 
cane, Indian corn, rice, pease and beans 
of different kinds, robacco, yams, and a 
species of the red potatoe. All the tro- 
pical fruits are to be had here in ereat 
abundance, mostly growing sponta- 
neously ; a circumstance which is very 
agreeable to the inhabitants, who are not 
the most active. 
The gardens in and about the town, 
are in general laid out with creat taste 
and are ‘heaumeee with some choice How 
ering shrubs. The public garden 3s 
worthy of particular notice: it is sar- 
rounded by a strong high walt plastered, 
and whitened; the gate Ct hich is guarded 
by a coirple of soldiérs) is ornamented 
on tle top with basso relieves of the late 
Kung and Queen of Portugal in bur- 
#e nished 
