[Footnote 71:  It seems pretty obvious that the form and position of the water-cask, were accommodated to this known practicability of getting conveniently at its contents.  But how such a method should have become familiar to these fishermen, it is difficult to conjecture.  Some accidental observation of a reed or similar body containing water when one of its ends was pressed close, had, in all probability, furnished them or their ancestors with the hint.  Man, when necessitated to exertion, is essentially a philosopher; but when his natural wants are by any means supplied, he dwindles into a fool.  Hence his discoveries are often invaluable in their consequences, whilst his reasonings in explanation of them are absurd and childish.  A contrasted collection of both would be a most amusing, and at the same time a humiliating picture of the inconsistency of human nature.—­E.]

We stood off and on along the shore till the 12th, and successively saw a remarkable hill near Santo Espirito, then Cape St Thomas, and then an island just without Cape Frio, which in some maps is called the island of Frio, and which being high, with a hollow in the middle, has the appearance of two islands when seen at a distance.  On this day we stood along the shore for Rio de Janeiro, and at nine the next morning made sail for the harbour.  I then sent Mr Hicks, my first lieutenant, before us in the pinnace, up to the city, to acquaint the governor, that we put in there to procure water and refreshments; and to desire the assistance of a pilot to bring us into proper anchoring-ground.  I continued to stand up the river, trusting to Mr Bellisle’s draught, published in the Petit Atlas Maritime, vol. ii.  N0. 54, which we found very good, till five o’clock in the evening, expecting the return of my lieutenant; and just as I was about to anchor, above the island of Cobras, which lies before the city, the pinnace came back without him, having on board a Portuguese officer, but no pilot.  The people in the boat told me, that my lieutenant was detained by the viceroy till I should go on shore.[72] We came immediately to an anchor; and, almost at the same time, a ten-oared boat, full of soldiers, came up, and kept rowing round the ship, without exchanging a word:  In less than a quarter of an hour, another boat came on board with several of the viceroy’s officers, who asked, whence we came; what was our cargo; the number of men and guns on board; the object of our voyage, and several other questions, which we directly and truly answered:  They then told me, as a kind of apology for detaining my lieutenant, and putting an officer on board my pinnace, that it was the invariable custom of the place, to detain the first officer who came on shore from any ship on her arrival, till a boat from the viceroy had visited her, and to suffer no boat to go either from or to a ship, while she lay there, without having a soldier on board.  They said that I might go on shore when I pleased; but wished that every other person might remain on board till the paper which they should draw up had been delivered to the viceroy, promising that, immediately upon their return, the lieutenant should be sent on board.