Opposite to this Island on the low point on the south ^{^ East} side of the Bay is the Battery of S^t Domonica of 7 guns - a little without this Battery on the East side of the Bay is a small, but high Island close to the Shore on the top of which is the Church of Bonn Voyage, about half way down the clift below the Church is a Battery of 3 guns. Neither the one nor the other of these Batterys are of much consequence, they serve indeed to force Shipping coming into the Bay between two fires and hinder them from anchoring on that side untill they are silenced.

The next Fortification is that on the Ilha dos Cobras, the East point and North side of which consists of a Rampart, Bastion and a Parapet faced with stone and mounted with cannon, but no ditch which is not much wanting as the Works are built on the edge of the riseing ground: an the other side next the Town hath no other in closure but a plain Wall without any Guns - It is said that the works on this Island are in bad repair on account of being so extensive that they would take more men to defend them than they could spare and placeing no dependencey in str their strength let them go to decay- the ground on which the Monistry of Benidictines Stands commands the works on the Island: Over the South end of the City Stands the Castle of S^t Sebastian, it is seated upon a hill and Commands the whole town and this is all I know of it, only that it is not counted a place of any great strength. For the defence of these Forts and the town the King of Portugal Maintains Seven Regments of Regular Troops, those I saw were well cloathed and in a good condition but this as I was told was not the case with the whole: besides these troops are three Regments of Militia two of Horse and one of foot, these consist of the of the principal inhabitants of the place Who serve without pay, Muster and Exercise in times nine months in the year on which account they rank with the regular Troops.

The City of Rio de Janeiro is in the Lat. Of 22° 50' South and Longitude of 42°..15' West from Greenwich according to Observations made at Sea; It is seated on a plain close to the Shore on the west side of the Bay at the foot of several high Mountains, it is neither ill designed nor ill built, the Houses are mostly of Stone generally one and two Story high, with Balconys to the most of them, the Streets are of a convenient bredth and cross each other at right angles and the whole City may be about 3 Miles in compass. It is Governed by a Governor appointed by the King

Voyaging Accounts