in the passage between small islands, but room enough and bold.  It is the second cove, under the first high mount, round behind the first-seen point, after getting in between, the two islands.  This is the cove at which we watered; and we sounded all the passage going in, having seldom less than ten fathoms.  There are other two very good coves, but we had not time to sound them.  The town is N.E. from this cove, about three leagues distant.

Isla Grande is about nine leagues long, consisting of high land, as in the main, and all near the water is thickly covered with wood.  The island abounds with monkeys and other wild beasts, and has plenty of good timber for various uses as well as fuel, with excellent water; and oranges, lemons, and guavas grow wild in the woods.  From the town we procured rum, sugar, and tobacco, and the last is sold very dear, though not good for smoking, being too strong.  We got also fowls and hogs, but the latter were scarce and dear; likewise maize, or Indian corn, bananas, plantains, guavas, lemons, oranges, and pine-apples are in great plenty; but they have no bread except cassada, which they call faranada pan, or bread of wood.  Beef and mutton were cheap, but no great quantity to be had.  We had fine pleasant weather most of the time we were here, but hot like an oven, as the sun was quite vertical.  The winds we did not much observe, as they were little and variable, but commonly between the N. and E.

I had Neuhoff’s account of Brazil on board, and from all the enquiry and observation I could make, I found his description of the country, with its animals and productions, to be just.  I particularly enquired respecting the monster called the liboya, or roebuck-serpent, thinking it fabulous; but the Portuguese governor assured me that they are sometimes found thirty feet long, and as big round as a barrel, being able to swallow a roebuck at one morsel, whence it has its name; and he told me that one of these enormous serpents had been killed near the town, a short time before our arrival.  The principal products of Brazil are red wood, bearing the name of the country; sugar, gold, tobacco, snuff, whale oil, and various kinds of drugs; and the Portuguese build their best ships in this country.  Brazil has now become very populous, and the people take great delight in arms, especially about the gold mines, to which people of all kinds resort in great numbers, especially negroes and mulattoes.  Only four years ago [in 1704] these people endeavoured to make themselves independent, but have now submitted.  Some men of repute told me that the gold mines increase fast in productiveness, and that the gold is got much easier in them than in any other country.