The second Lordship Rio de Janeiro, formerly by the French call’d Ganabara, was discover’d Anno 1515. by Juan Dias de Solis; but the French first Setled themselves here forty years after Dias de Solis: for setting Sail from Havre de Grace with three well Mann’d Ships, Commanded by Nicholas Durandus Villegagnon, they arriv’d at Rio Janeiro in November, and at the Entrance into the River, which is about half a League broad, built a woodden Fort of a hundred Foot long, and sixty broad, and giving it the Name of the French Admiral Coligni, put several Guns into the same to secure the Entrance, inclos’d on each side by two steep Mountains. In the River, which is very broad, lie several wooddy Isles, on one of which, near the Fort Coligni, Villegagnon Setling himself, suffer’d great Inconveniences for want of Water, because he durst not Land on the Main, for fear of being surpris’d by the Natives. Here he stay’d a year and a half in a deplorable Condition, when Philip Corguileray and Du Pont set Sail with three Ships from the Haven Honfleurs; but they also, though they had many Men, yet were ill stor’d with Provisions, insomuch that Hunger increas’d amongst them daily: wherefore Villegagnon return’d home without any farther Exploits.
Jean Leri his Description thereof.
Jean Leri, who went with Corguileray, describes Rio Janeiro after this manner:
“The River (saith he) lies twenty three Degrees Southward of the Equinoctial Line; the Inlet of the Sea, twenty four thousand Paces broad, and in some places broader, is hemm’d in by hills; the Mouth of the Inlet is somewhat dangerous, by reason of three rocky Isles; beyond the large Bay is a narrow Channel, on the left-hand whereof there rises a high Mountain, which the French call’d Le Pot de Beure, because it resembles a Butter-pot. Somewhat farther lies the Rock Ratier, where Villegagnon thought to build a Fort, but the Water in stormy Weather washing over the Rock, he was forc’d to give over his Design. Half a League farther is an Island a thousand Paces in length, and a hundred and fifty in breadth, surrounded with Rocks, on which the French resided: at each end of the Isle rises a Hill, and from the middle a Rock sixty Foot high; on the Hill Villegagnon pitcht his Tent till he had built him a handsom House on a Rock; the other Houses were built in the Valley. Three Leagues and a half farther lies a fruitful Isle nine Miles in circumference, inhabited by a salvage People call’d Touoebinambauti: there are several other Isles, on which breed good Oysters with little Pearls, which stick so fast to great Stones, that they can scarce be pluckt off. The River Janeiro abounds with Fish.”
Towns and Places of chief note.
The French once possess’d this Island, but were dispossess’d by Emanuel de Sa, Governor of Brasile, for the Portuguese.
The City Sebastian, which contains three hundred Houses, is built on the Southern Point of Janeiro; opposite to which, on the Northern Point, lies the Fort; a large Church, the Jesuits Cloyster, and two Sugar-Mills, give no small lustre to the City, where the chief Trade consists in Brasile Wood and Cotton. The French Storm’d this Town Anno 1581. but march’d off without any success. Dirk Ruiters, an Eye-witness, gives us this Description of Sebastian:
“The Town (says he) lies two Leagues up the River Janeiro, in a Bay, about which it is built like a Semi-Circle in a sandy Soil along the Water, and is about a Mile long; at each end rise steep Mountains, besides which it hath neither Walls nor Gates; but its strength consists of four Forts, the chiefest whereof stands towards the East on a Rock in the Mouth of the River; the second towards the West, an Isle which on the South-East rises with a Mountain resembling a Sugar-Loaf: the third crowns a Rock South-East from the Town; and the fourth, in the North-West, a high Mountain. The Natives, call’d Tououpinambauti, are very serviceable to the Portuguese.”
Besides the fore-mention’d Towns Coligni and St. Sebastian, some make mention of another in this Præfecture, call’d Angra de los Reyes, twelve Leagues distant from St. Sebastian Westward.
The Burroughs of the Natives are populous, but neither strong by Nature, nor fortifi’d, and so not by any one thought worthy the naming.