The inhabitants, which are very numerous, consist of Portuguese, negroes, and Indians, the original natives of the country.  The township of Rio, which, as I was told, is but a small part of the capitanea, or province, is said to contain 37,000 white persons, and 629,000 blacks, many of whom are free; making together 666,000, in the proportion of seventeen to one.  The Indians, who are employed to do the king’s work in this neighbourhood, can scarcely be considered as inhabitants; their residence is at a distance, from whence they come by turns to their task, which they are obliged to perform for a small pay.  The guard-boat was constantly rowed by these people, who are of a light copper colour, and have long black hair.[74]

[Footnote 74:  Mr Barrow says, that it is with some difficulty so many as twelve Brazilians can be obtained to row the governor’s barge on certain solemn occasions.  The Portuguese apostles who went over to this country in order to convert the inhabitants to their faith, commenced their labours by endeavouring to reduce them as fast as possible to the condition of slaves, as if no other promised a suitable foundation for the fabric of superstition.  These incorrigible and misguided pagans, it should seem however, disliked the process, preferring liberty and error, darkness and death, to the whips, the chains, and torches, so kindly held out to them by their zealous visitants.  The consequence was plain and summary:  These wretched creatures were soon almost totally extirpated, so that it became necessary to procure other beings to cultivate the soil:  And who so proper a substitute, as the black crispy-hailed animals of the opposite continent?  These, according to Mr Barrow, have been comparatively well treated; but, not-withstanding, he says, it requires an importation of no less than 20,000 negroes annually, to supply the loss of those who are worked out in the service of the very devout Portuguese!  In Cook’s time, it is likely, from what he mentions afterwards as to the number of negroes imported, that things were even worse then than they are now.  It is scarcely conceivable indeed, that any people so closely connected with Europe as the lords of Brazil, should not have acquired humanity, or at least improved in its notions of good policy, in half a century.—­E.]

The military establishment here consists of twelve regiments of regular troops, six of which are Portuguese, and six Creoles; and twelve other regiments of provincial militia.  To the regulars the inhabitants behave with the utmost humility and submission; and I was told, that if any of them should neglect to take off his hat upon meeting an officer, he would immediately be knocked down.  These haughty severities render the people extremely civil to any stranger who has the appearance of a gentleman.  But the subordination of the officers themselves to the viceroy is enforced with circumstances equally mortifying, for they are obliged to attend in his hall three times every day to ask his commands; the answer constantly is, “There is nothing new.”  I have been told, that this servile attendance is exacted to prevent their going into the country; and if so, it effectually answers the purpose.