Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-09-26

exportah)e produce. and .hey were with |
out rivals IN the trade. TneiY tobacco is |
markabably coed, though not raised III !
such large quantities 4 in the u States.
The Por,rguese had bseu in possession of
Brasil 2 Icing time beiors they discovered |
the treasures al gold and dianoads which
have ST cr made ~ So considerable. Their |
fleets ren,czvous in the Bay of All Saints,
to the amcun. Of lCO sail o. large ships, in
the month oil May or J;ae, and carry to
Europe cargo iinle ioierior in value To
the treasures of the Spanish fota and gal,
Icons The GOLD a!onS, grcatpar. OF which
is coirsd IN imerica. amounts to near
+,CQD eo0i. sterling hut part of this is
brorTht FROM their colonies in Africa, to-
xetber with ebony md ivory.
The city Of San Salvador, or, as il is
now Coivmorlv called Bahia, on the cas-
tern size o. the entrance or the great bay OF
Todos Santos, was long the most commercial,
& may still be regarded as the captal city
OF Pe:'.@Sutee Amer ca, though the mircs IN
the south have conferred new Importance
on Rio Iareirc. IT is funded on a rocky
and unequal situation, often 500 feet above
q c sea- and mostly impracticable for car.
Tiafes, whence the chief people go in pa
j. rGc,ns carried by two negroes on their
shoulders This strong situation IS also well
fcriift d, butthe garrison & artillery are ngiep
inadequate. The imports are Chiefly linen,
wooi!crs,. silk, hats, wheat, vice, aonr,
lort " ne. ferniture, negroes, oil. cheese,
eot. IN return tor geld, sugar, tobacco, Bra
Gil wood, skins, halsam of Ccpaiba; jpeca-
ouanha, and oLlicr drugs. l he mob pos
scss Upoh pride, but the othgr classes are
courteous and The women used to live
more retired than in Portugal, seldom go
jig -cut except to hear mass on SUNDAYS ana
ef 'IheV.s are ahOnt 9QQD. houCau
mostly Of stone, Some planters have 500
slaves. WIN are so much worked ard so III
fed, that itthev survive seven years, j. is
esteemed y miracle. The cathedral IS of
toleral,ie architecture, and most richly de
Corated From = platform in front, there
is q bFautifO view IF the superb bav
with rs Islands ard lively commerce.
San Salvador is en- Archepiscopal See.
] lie Portuguese GavcTnoient IS lea lous OF
tie commerce, and does rosfpermit the IN
ttnsicn Of strangers. nc inhabitants o.
bahia have bvcr com1u,sd b. MIR. LiHdsy
at1C0 o"0 Including the suburbs 30, 900 be-
icF whites. notwithstanding the irregu.
lar and irconvenent situation, S.. Sa va.
dor is one ns Ile ciest trading cities in
this ocuPtry. and we ssy add, hat it con-
tributes much TO tho strength of Il, so that
with small cypcnse It might be inside
imprs enable, nature having formed bitches
and ut works faIking one another in such
a manner that the ground might he dispu.
t6d inch by inch. lhe cas-; side of S5.
Salvador is almost inGccessible; the rest
ere well fortified both by art and nature,
ind tie avenues guarded by several forts,
particularly that of ST, Peter, which is I,
yeeular ietragon ci earth faced with stone,
SURROUNDED with ditch; Of st. Diego or
J--..eg. luch Of tho rnl and matte
iiais, but without bitches Cesa de la Pull
vera or powder magazine, another strong
tetraSops eight distinct magEz mes, vaulted
ord covered pyramldicaly, the fort OF st.
Antony, Of the same .orm, i'ut larger aud
s7patcd on the rorlh side exactly ovcr the
Watering place, s. commondingthe road on.
the other: that oi.N,ustra Segnora &c V,cto-
r'a, situated about half cannon-shot from
the last fhat OF St. Bartholomew. which de
fends lJ,ie harbour, where ships may ca
Jcen;h iestlv, that of Mo1tserrat. besides
thcS" whlch command the entrance $50 that
upon The whole, there seems little else want
ihf' &c render it mace ssihle 10. the enemy,
bly kecring Observation-Disclosures ihbetter re
rairy rctn ldins some nthers gone TO ruin.
ard luz ishng those forts with better can.
non, and greater supplies of amuH;ntion,
then IRE commonly found in them Both
town and FcTis are gaTrisoned by regular
forces mam'aineo by the King Of Portugal,
all we'll armed, disciplined, clothed, and
paid
Rode JAneifo, in the province Of that
rsne, and called also Sebastian, is. now
deemed the principal city of Brasil
ind the description of it by Sir George
Siaui ton 10 which we refer our readers, is
tie ost modern end authentic
Al Val Longo, part of the harbour. are
warehouses for the reception and sale of
s av's from Angola and Bengueia on The
coast of AFRICA. Out of 90 600. purchased
srrui lly for the Brasils, RIO COX 5000 Of
Thith the average price was 2ol. sterling
tfch The Queen of Portugal receives
@ q. per anrum, into her pr:yy purse,
by du.Y of 10 30 rees om each slave. (
l,to' { thPy are shipped from Africa
.. Tie original ifhabtants OF Brasil are
low IN sIaluTe, muscular, stout and active
ola lebt blown compicxion, Straight black !
hsi, buIe beard, long dark eyes, but with I
tSkens Of intellect. They entertain an
iEpl' cable antipalny to the invaders OF |
Their country: ti'ey shun the settlements I
Of 'be Portuguese butfmassscre inGivIdu. ,
SIS without rtmorse, wherever they are (
found scattered or unprotected.
Rin i projected ~ several srnr', gor.s I
and batteries, So detached as to impede /
The p'ogrcss ot an enemy. It's military /
est biishmcnt consists, including rwo bat .
taliets Of Disciplined mliiia, az 10 600 (
Nc II &c usiVC Of q utrnrt.~te "a