The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-07-19

- =, WAshINOfoN July ..
RIO JAnEI.o.-The following extract of a
letter from gentleman in Philadelphia to his
friend in this city, dated une 20, 1871, affords
rio:
81 wish could satisfy your curiosity respec-
ting Rio de Janero. Strangers who reside but
10 tew weeks i'm a country, and without perfect
knowledge Of the language. must be very IN
competent to such task; the iabors Of WsIsh
convince me of this. was ut Rio only from the
Sd Jan. to I4sh March. The weather Suiing
tia, time, for the greater part, very hot ha-
wing broken my thermometer can't be certain
OF the heat think the average would be above
90 deg. aud yet found great moisture in the
air, owing presumed to the mountains ~ the
foot OF which the city of St. Sebastian stands,
and the nearness to the sea, for it is but short
distance, although the harbori is spacious and e.
quail TO any thing that can be imagined. The
houses in general well built and streets wide
aad we'll paved I; but the city is badly supplied
with fresh water |; aud sfshougb by digging on.
ly or feet you come to water, 1t is not drink
able. That for uae is brought IN kegs on the
heads q slaves and sold through the streets ;
but even this is thought to be nawholesome
and Il produce complaints in the bowels, swell.
ed legs and testicles, Etiphantisss &c. All those
diseases are common, from whatever cause they
may proceed, as also Erisifelss and species of
itch That perva1es the whole body, and few ain
told escape this last complaint.
Query, whether the nearness OF the water
to the surface Of the earth, which prevents the
digging OF cellars, does not cause danpDess
in the houses and render The city unhealthy. and
if the bowel complaint does not in part arise
from that causef found also great want of
vegetables, and the few / got were bad. In a
hot climate the want Of vegetables is cSnceiye
serou; their fruits except iimes and or
ranges, found very inferior TO the same fruits
~ o,,l-,
want OF culture, for the laad in the interior
am told is good, that round the city is sandy.
light and very indifferent rs far SO could Judge
Commerce was oyerdone that I SCARCELY
know how to speak of it every article carr.
ed sold under the cost, The British merchants
presume would sink 80 per cent. oil their CAPT
tai, some say more, on the winding up Of thlir
arcounts- The difficulty az the custom house is
great, ana duties sxiravsgsnt were they mod.
Grated and duly proport.oped, and facilities gran
ted to the merchantG,y the revenue. might bs
greatly augmented while the duties would be
iessened. The PEOPLE expected attention would
be paid 10 this, and tina. IN general facilitles
would be granted to commerce on the arrival of
the Prince in that quarter but the reverse has
been the case. AID 1t discontents the people
40 yettbs Prince has done little 70 render him
self popular in South America. His Attendants
are provided for at th- expence Of the former
inhahitaIts, not only IN bestowng the Offices on
and ere ating appointments for them, but by pro-
vidng item houses by the dispossessmg of the
proprietors that is, literally ordering them to
quit their houses Quilt by and for themselves)
in order to accommodate those whe followed
him from Portugal, and he and they holding out
the idea that they viii return as soon as they
can with safety this greatly prevents building
and improving in the city arid operates proper
tionslly on The improvements in the country
this preference creates q Jealousy and discomfort
and is Injurious to the prince. 1t causes like
wise much discomfort in the people in general.
The prince is equally jealous Of them--and APP
psrently fears their convivialsassesbiiesa are for
the purpose ofcabals against the government, &
they have been informed such meetings are Of
fersive to the "ourt, which exacts at the same
time servlc homage which hurts the feelings
OF the people The country round the city is pic
turesque.and beautiful beyond description, but
far from under that state Of culture that expec.
ted 10 had it. The want of vegetables in the
market is proof of this. The meat is poor and
ill-tasted poultry is plenty but dry,peor & nsi-
Pid to the taste fish is rather plenty than other.
wise but is of an inferior quality. Indeed the
heat is great that it is difficult to keep it fresh
from the morning till the hour of dinner. Oys-
tiers are plenty but the Portuguese dislike them
so that few are brought to market The same
may be said of turtle. Prawns are plenty and
very fine crabs both sea and land plenty. but
small and bad Ths produce OF the country is
sugar, coffee and cotton indigo and Coo hneal
can De produced, but as yet little Of either is
trougut to market and the quality of each inie.
rior The greater part of the sugar, coffee, cot.
ton, hides and tallow shipped from Rio Janeiro
are brought from different parts Of the COAT to
ind = market; this causes a far more consid.-
raoie coasting trade than had supposed and this
would greatly increase If commerce was more
encouraged ; the cultivation of sugar, coffee and
cotton would increase rapidly If ready market
could be found and ell are Of a good quality, &
particularly coffee and cotton The combining
tho export Of dyes (royaIties) to Kings licences
IS bad plan il lessons the exports of 7-8tbs OF
what Il nigh; be. They dono want for slaves
and the importstions Of late have been rather
beyond the demand for them, the price on an a.
verage when was there was l25 dollars.a head |;
ih!s increase probably was owing to that trade
being abandoned by the British The Portuguese
ocheye were the on;y purchasers the coast
and 1t IS to be lanenied there should be any,
They do not work their slaves severely but they
feed and clothe them worse than any nation in the
West Indies.
g This is short sketch and more you could
rot we'll expect from me. will only add
that the country is capable Of great Improvement
but thstit requires JihFerent form Of govern
mert and fear different kind Of people A
change ofooe possibly nigh, produce a change
of the other.
In the Gscal department the Prince appears
to have taSen a lesson from the Bank OF England.
Spanish dollars worth $50 ress but by re STAN
ping them, he issues Them from the Mint a,
$40 ress--gsin 100 ress. This 10 a miserable
scheme e nnt n Oor,,fs, nna