} wsi ■ f P >: E I I y U6RARY UNivtas.'ty Of NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE TO PATAGONIA AND TERRA DEL FUEGO, THROUGH THE STRAITS OF MAGELLAN, IN n.M.S. ADVENTURE AND BEAGLE, IN 1826 AND 1827. BY JOHN MACDOUALL, R.N. " Zounds, I '11 print it ! Your int'rest Sir.. LONDON : RENSHAW AND RUSH, 350, STRAND. MDCCCXXXIU. LONDON: PUISTllD n\ W. WILCOCKSON. W ;| ITKin I AT.?. PREFACE. I DO not find much difficulty in explaining the motives which induced me to offer this Nar- rative for publication. '\'\liether it will be well or ill-received, I cannot possibly determine. I hope for the best. I have written it not only with the view of gain (always pleasant, though sometimes fallacious, as the mirage of the desert to the thirst-parched pilgrim), but also, I am justified in adding, with that of ridding myself of the remarks of certain kind-hearted people, yclej)t friends, toujour s pret at pointing out what ought to be done on all possible occasions. These benevolent personages were continually worrying me in my joyous ruminations with the reiteration of their kind wishes and wonderings, usually rounded off with a " why don't you iv PREFACE. puhlisli ?" followed by the good-natured remarks ol" " no rtsolution — want of energy — vague aspi- rations — et id (jenns otniie." Should I not at- tempt, I shall be upbraided and vilified, or failins; in the attempt I shall be laughed at : a pleasant alternative. The latter, however, in common with my superiors and my more practised brethren in the art of writing, I must be content to endure. Criticism claims it as a right to tind or make lur virtiiiis. A fine (tpporttmit} is now ollered for any aflluent and high-minded individuals to exercise the influonce with which a happier fortune, and it may i)e more stcrliucj deserts, have invested them in lavour of one whose visit to Port Ftunine, and some time residence on tJiat inhos- l)itable coast, have left no wish of /r-visiting it, really or metaphorically — *' I lack advance- nunt." NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE TO PATAGONIA AND TERRA DEL FUEGO, IN 1826 AND 1827. His Majesty's surveying vessels. Adventure and Beagle;, left Plymouth Sound on the 22d May, 1826, destined to survey a part of the great continent of South America, not only comprising the unfrequented part of Patagonia and Terra del Fuego, but more particularly to determine the practicability of a passage through the Straits of Magellan : a voyage which had hitherto nearly baffled the skill and calculations of the preceding navigators, Bourgainville, Cor- doba, and Wallis, and proved so fatal to a part of the ship's company of H. M, S. Wager, on their voyage homeward through these desolate and cheerless straits. Such had been the B 2 WIlItATIVE « xtreiiie hazard in passinj; llie various terrors tMicoiintert'tl bctwtcn the rugged shores of Pata- gonia and Terra del Fuego, that most coni- iiiaiulers had been intimidated from proceeding homeward through tliese famous straits ; and they had been generally considered as presenting too formidable a prospect for attempting, and lot)ked upon alnu)st as unnavigable. After a fine voyage of eight days we made ihr Islantl of Madeira, a place not requiring nnich description at the present day ; and well known, from the salubrity and genial tempera- ture of its climate, to be nmch resorted to by the sickly and consumptive. It" a Portuguese merchant has occasion to be absent from Ala- (hira for a short i)eriod of time, he hurries his loving and weeping wife to an institution, re- markable for its dreary appearance and barred uindous, where she is secreted and watched, mut h against lur oi)inion of the propriety of it. until his return ; ami, like the maid servant in many good worldly lamilies, is not allowed any followers. She is to be seen as the cvt ning sets in \\'\{\\ a pale nu lan» Imlv fiu <• at iIh ^ratid OF A VOYACiE, E'J'C. 3 windows, casting many a wistful look upon the Plaza, and sighing, like Yorick's starling, " I can't get out." If the ladies of this island are accused or suspected of entertaining too great an inclination to gallantry, does not the restraint laid upon them by their husbands in a great measure contribute to it ? " Danae, though shut within a brazen tower, Felt the male virtue of a golden shower ; But chaste Penelope, left to her own will, And free disposal, never thought of ill." An instance tending to illustrate this position occurred during our stay at Madeira, which shows that they sometimes, on their release, suf- ficiently revenge themselves for their rigorous punishment, but with such peculiar secresy and cunning as seldom to subject themselves to the unwelcome intrusion of their suspicious hus- bands ; although it generally happens that there is some well-wishing person ready to whisper to the husband the tricks of his pretty wife, otherwise he is generally the last to know it. A lady of some consideration in the island took it into her head to make an Irisli gentleman, a h2 4 NARRATIVE resident there likewise, the object of her better clioice ; now, as it is one ofthe whims of a Portu- guese lady to possess, at any risk, what she ad- mires, provided she is not slighted, she soon contrived to convince this person of her par- tiality, and he, being a gallant man, treated her with a bccomiiig politeness. The lady suddenly grew very reli.<;i()us, and was so fond of going t') mass and to implore the protection of " Nossa Senhora," that the husband — good, unsuspicious man — secretly congratulated himself on possess- ing a lady so sensible and good, and who made him the hapi)iest man in the world. It was one of those irhisperings before alluded to that startled him, and made him ask the lady, on her return, the reason of her quitting home so very often. " 1 go." s^iid she, with nmch humility in h«T look, " to kneel before Nossa Senhora." Houivcr. the next time she went out, he followed the palanciuin and the steps of his tripping wile, not to the cathedral, but to a house in the su- burbs of the town — he gained admittanee. ap- proaclird flic rooiii <) tparabl(^ hauteur so habitual to them, and their actions partake of the gross supersti- tion so connnon among the inhabitants of Ohl Spain, and some instances of which may be consideri'd as absurd enough, such as crossing • It is well known that the Spanish ladies have n perfect lan- j;ungc with the fan. ami ran convey, by their manner of using it, tlitir sentiments cither of esteem or dislike. OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 11 themselves when they cliance to gape to prevent the Devil going down their throats, or, should they happen to sneeze, the " muchas gracias," (many thanks) given to a stranger for crying out " Jesus," for the same reason ; and herein they seem to act in accord with our old custom of responding " God bless you" to such sternuta- tory salutes. A national indolence and disin- clination to any exertion during mid-day, a bib- bing of coflee, and the siesta, form their luxuries, while some, with sedate and Quixotic counte- nances, practise the Turkish system, in the en- joyment of their own ideas and a cigar — indeed, without one of the latter, a Spaniard appears to be lost. They seem happy and content as long as they can blow a slow, steady stream of smoke, which gives way only for the theatre, the ball, the serenade, and the intrigue ; and I believe they do not pretend to a superior degree of purity in that respect. The hotels are large and well conducted, and the rooms are on a very extended scale and furnished with a pecu- liar neatness ; but, although the living here is good and cheap, it takes some time before you 12 NARRATrV-E tan rclisli their L^arlic and grease. You meet with a good deal of civility, induced, no doubt, by the expectation of the ready-money system ; and here, indeed, they seem to understand, per- fectly well, the character of the English sailor, who never appears satisfied unless he is allowed to make more noise than any other person, and is ciiarged double the price that would be asked from an individual of any other nation. After a short stay here, we bore away for the Cape de Verd Islands, experiencing nothing on the voyage but fair weather and sunny skies. On our arrival at St. Antonio the heat was so suf- focating and oppressive (while lying-to under the lee of the island) that all on board were gasping for breath and becoming plaguy ill- tempered. Our ship now began, as it were, to stink most confoundedly, and the captain and oflicers on board were very busy in endeavour- ing to find out the cause. In \ain was brim- stone burnt and gunpowder exploded, the stench continued, " a very ancient and fish-like smell." Every one on board thought at first that it pro- ceeded fruni (he uun-rooiii, the oflicers beim; of OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 13 the same opinion themselves, and accordingly all the store-rooms were rummaged for the da- maged provisions, and the gun-room steward was indefatigable in searching, unpacking, and re-stowing their stock ; but although there was a rank compound of villanous smells in their store-room, yet nothing was found bad enough to occasion the stench which affected the whole ship's company. While thus en- gaged, the poor steward was so unlucky as to throw down and break some bottles of ale be- longing to the purser, a man fond of " ortolans and green peas," in short, an epicurean, by whom he was not likely to be forgiven. At last one of the lieutenants, an excellent-hearted, jocose, good-humoured fellow came to the " Middy's berth," determined in his own mind to overhaul all the lockers. In vain we protested it could not exist with us ; he proceeded to rouse out everything, and at one of the cupboards, as he continued the search, we observed his nostrils dilate amazingly, and on turning round to look at us, observing we were all upon the broad grin, he thrust his arm down and brought up a 14 NARRATIVE keg of pickled fisli (purcliased at Plymoutli), uliicli the hot weather liad rendered putrescent; tliis, with a cask ol" Irish butter, had occasioned the nuisance. As there was a great necessity for lia\ ing them thrown overboard, it was done innnediately, not witliout regret on our part; for when we came to consider the tedious voyage across the Atlantic, as this was the chief part of our private stock, it took us some time to be reconciled to the event. However, we aft'ected nuich mirth, jollity, and unconcern, and, with the ordinary comforts of gin, and biscuits and cheese, proceeded merrily enough, notwithstand- ing; the cookery of our steward, " a wretched ragged man," \\ Jio seemed to have a great at- tachment to dirt. To ijive the coup de (jrace to our situation, the clerk, "he seeks no better name," bein::^ ^\anti(l upon deck, was suddenly arousrd iVoiii sleep, (for all in (nu* Ix rtli liked to sleep alter dinner), and jinnpirig trom the loektr upon which he was reclining, stood iij) in a barrel containiii,'" (Hunchback,) the height of which abo\e OP A VOYAGE, KTC. 19 the level of the sea is 2,300 feet, and it forms the highest point of land, excepting the Tejuca, seen from the harbour. The streets in the town are dirty and narrow ; and at the corner of most of the principal is to be seen the figure of the Virgin Mary (precious image), or other saint ; and, to prevent the influence of a vertical sun upon her sweet countenance, they are con- siderate enough to encircle her during the day with painted curtains, where she remains "per- due," until evening, when slie is most splendidly surrounded with lamps. The Virgin is made to smile most benignantly upon the bowing hypo- critical Portuguese, a benefit which the base and shaven-crowned friars most piously enjoy while prostraling themselves before her. These people have little to do ; they solicit alms the whole day, and at evening assemble to carouse and revel on the spoil obtained by begging and imposition. " Por la noche nos Juntdhdmos, y nos relamos de los que se habian compadtcido de fiosotros por el dia." — GiL Blas. The principal squares are the Campo de St. Anna, the Constitution, and that of the Palace. c2 20 NAiii'iA'iivi: The Canipo. iiiucli the U\rg;est of the throe, is in lenj^th about four hundred yards^ and in breadth three hundred. In this square is the hospital for vaccination, which is open every feast day to any person wishing to be vaccinated gra- tuitously — all slaves on their arrival are vac- ^ mark ol prrfiTcnce, for she always smiled n)ost gra- ciously, and curtsied most gracefully her thanks OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 23 for the homage paid to her talents. But, alas I Louise got married and lost her slim shape ; and one day, while talking to English Mary, in the rua d'Ouvidor (and what young officer has not stopped on his cruize to win a smile from kind-hearted English Mary?) she suddenly burst into tears, and said how foolish she had been to get married, for she knew very well that she never would be able to dance again, or gain any more Vivas from the English officers. She was however mistaken, for, some months afterwards, I left her pursuing the tee-totum system with as much eclat as ever. There is one circumstance which particularly strikes an Englishman, — but whether it proceeds from ancient custom or the habitual jealousy of the Brazilians, I cannot pretend to say, — that no females are permitted to enter the pit. There is an institution in this city perhaps worth remarking for its singularity : any person desirous of providing for the consequences of his amours, proceeds to the Foundling Hospital, and places the infant in a perpendicular box, which moves on a pivot in the wall, and ringing 24 NARRAlIVi: a bell which is placed there for that puqiose, the box is turned, and the child disappears for ever. If it should be a male, it is left to the foundling's option, when jrrowii up, whether he would pre- Itr the army or navy, or like to move in the more humble sphere of an artizan ; and if he should make choice of the latter, he is ap- prenticed to the trade he prefers, and is after- wards set up in it. On a female's attaining the age of thirteen or fourteen, there are certain days in the year w hen any young man, desirous of matrimony, can enter this place and make choice of any of that sex whom he considers likrly to promote his happiness ; nevertheless, il the lady does not evince a reciprocity of feel- ing, she is at liberty to decline his advances ; but if she expresses no disinclination, they are married. However, previous to the ceremony taking place, it is required that the person shouKi convince the superiors of the institution that his pursuits in lite are adequate to the maintenance of a wiie and family; a good sum is then gi\cn as a marriage portion. This institution is maintained partly l)y the emperor, and the in- OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 25 habitants of Rio support it by voluntary con- tributions. Not far from one of their gaols is the slave- market. The slaves of both sexes are exhibited in large rooms hired for that purpose. I went to see them, and my heart was touched with wonder and with pity : they are seated like the audience in the pit of a theatre ; the higher benches are occupied by the elder and maturer Africans of the ages of thirty and forty, the middle seats by others from fifteen to twenty, while the lowest are thronged by infants of the tender ages of four and five ; and the slavers seem to give the preference to children of such early years, as they are by far the most nu- merous. Those from fifteen to twenty ap- parently are utterly regardless of the motives for which they are brought there, but regard you with a vacuity of countenance almost ap- proaching to idiotcy ; the elder seem more acutely to feel the horrors of their situation, and recog- nize in you immediately the slightest expression of kindness : as long as you remain in the room their eye never ceases to follow you — it fixes 2fy NMtn.vnvE upon you its gloomy and inquiring gaze, but on tlie least contraction of your brow, or an indica- tion of anger in your face, it is immediately witlidrawn, and they seem to shrink from further observation, so feelingly are they alive to the least trait of unkindness, and so well can they distinguish between gentleness and ferocity. A great many, however, both male and female, of the middle age, a})pear to evince a happy in- dilference as to their future fate — they wear a gayer aspect, and to them the horrors of slavery are as nothing ; at any rate it did not afl'ect their appetite, for I beheld in one room nearly a hundred in high good humour, and all very busy round diljerent bowls, containing bananas and farina, which they conveyed down their throats (their hands serving for spoons) with great com- posure and tranquillity, chatting to each other with such a peculiarity of wilil gesture and tone, that I determined to ask the ill-conditioned Bra- zilian, ulio apixared to have the care of them, what they were talking about. On my putting the question to him in Portuguese, he fixed his snuill sunken eyes upcni me, and .saiil, " Nao OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 27 entiende,^^ giving it the full nasal sound : at the same time he hurried away, as if fearful of any more questions. He now spoke in a loud voice to the dingy throng, and in a moment they were as silent as the grave, not a whisper was heard among them, while the slaver seated himself on a small bench, and eyed me with such scrutiny, and with such " a lurking devil in his sneer," as convinced me he would have had much pleasure in selling me at half price. There were upwards of fifty rooms filled witli these poor wretches, and, on a moderate calculation, I did not see less than two thousand. I was one of the merely curious, and had set out determined not to be intimidated by the manners of these slave mer- chants. It was there I saw, for the first time in my life, this traffic in human flesh carried on with something worse than the sordid feelings that prevail at a horse fair. When a bargain is struck, in many instances their hands are tied, and away they are led. From 150 to 200 dollars is the usual price, but varies according to age and physical ability. When young, they readily acquire the Portuguese language ; but those who 2S NARRATIVE have reached the maturity of life, never tho- roughly learn it. If tliey are fortunate enou<;h to be purchased by masters who treat them kindly, they cheerfully and faithfully finish the allotteil task, and have a look of tranquillity which bespeaks contentment. The followincr oc- currence, however, would show, that sometimes they are capable of committing the deepest vil- lainy. A Portuguese had a settlement in a dis- tant and retired part of the country, and, indeed, was the only inhabitant and master of a place altogether remote from any other estate : he had reared from infancy a slave, named Jose, and had always treated him with a generosity and kindness that seemed at variance with the gene- rally debased nature and custom of a Portuguese. It happened one day that the master had oc- casion to chastise Jose for some neglect of duty, and from that instant the African sought the readiest and most diabolical method of satiating his dark revenge ; nor did he wait long for an opjjortunity. His master was one afternoon re- pairing a boat, and while in the act ol stooping to take up a hauunt r, Jose clove his skull with OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 29 an axe, and dashed his brains, mingled with his grey hairs, upon the ground, hacking the body ahnost to pieces ; he killed the mule upon which his master used to ride, set fire to the house, and fled to the fastnesses in the mountains, there to join the other runaway negroes, who, from the ill treatment of their masters, or their own per- verse dispositions, are continually resorting thither. Slaves committing murder at Rio (for no one is ever hanged there for that crime) are dis- tinguished by parties of them being chained together by the neck and legs, and are employed in carrying water, in wooden buckets, to dift'er- ent parts of the town, the whole day, and in all other severe and laborious drudgery. Whilst thus employed, they are in custody of two of the Brazihan soldiers, armed with bayonets ; and as these criminals are allowed to beg, you are fre- quently accosted by them in the streets. Most of the poorest classes (living in straggling vil- lages within ten miles of the city) have no better habitations than small thatched huts, plastered tooether with clay, and built of sticks and poles : 30 NARRATIVE and of an evonini; are often seen women, of a tawny and squalid aspect, squatting outside the doors, eitlier combing their own heads or search- ing for vermin in the lieads of their chiUlren (but there is no occasion to go so iar out of town to see this, for in Rio such a sight is common enough), and if you talk to them, they still con- tinue their employment, and destroy them, very unceremoniously, before you. Not unfrequently, in the interior of the country, you find a Bra- zilian settler paired off with a strapping negress, and a family of naked mulatto children frisking before the house: '• Turtles and doves, of difTerent hues, unite, And glossy jet is paired with sliinirg white." Pope's Siipi>ho and Phaun. The sliip " Real Principe," Mhich conveyed the royal family from Portugal in 1S28 to the Hrazils, was converted into a prison-ship, and contained as abandoned and degenerate a race as could l)«' found in any country in the known Avorld. On ascending the side of the ship to the lower (l(>(k, it j)resenteil a sight which bailies all drs( ription. Here were to be seen, in pro- OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 31 miscuous and filthy disorder, the male and fe- male convict dragging on a life of supreme wretchedness ; some employed in mending their torn and ragged apparel, others in washing and cleaning themselves, in cooking their dinner, or combing their head. The haggard and squalid mechanic burnishes a gun or a sword, the profit of which is to procure him his wretched mess ; whilst others, at their respective trades, silently and slowly pursue their respective work. Many, wrapped in the noisome rug, endeavour to sleep away their hunger, others, rendered desperate by reproach or disease, quarrel with their fellow captives, and are only silenced by the appearance of the heavy chains or the sword at their throat, most of them being doomed to linger out their lives in this rank and loathsome place. On the upper deck are confined those convicted of lighter crimes, but it presents the same wretched scene, at which human nature shud- ders. The busy hum and low murmuring sound of those employed in the most menial otfices, or in watching and cooking their scanty fare ; the gloominess and stench of the place, and the 32 NAlJHVriVE poor, emaciated, hollow-eyed creatures tliat are seen crowded topjether on all sides, sufl'ering iVoiii leprDsy and other diseases, unpitied and unheeded by the armed sentry, cannot fail to excite an Englishman's pity and cortnnisera- tion, and make him acknowledcje the superiority of his own mild and paternal government over that of all other nations. The daily pittance allowed in the prison-ship is too scanty to sup- port nature, and were it not for the wives of some of the felons (who are allowed free ingress to their husbands), their time would pass most wrctclit'dly. The starved appearance of these women, and their yellow, lean visages, forcibly tell the extreme privation they undergo. It was in the cabin of this ship that I saw the as- sistant-master of H. M.S. Redwing, suflering a vexatious imprisonment in 1.S26. I forget the circumslaiices which led to his capture, but I believe he had been taken at sea (by a Brazilian Iri^^ah'), ou board some briij tir schooner (of Aviiich lit- had been put in (oiniiiaiKh. and not having any i)apcrs with him, was brought into W'uK a!id kept oil board this ship uiilil iiirpiiry OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 33 could be made into it. I understood this young man died on his passage to England some months afterwards. The following adventure, which occurred to a gay and gallant friend of mine, perhaps re- quires some apology to the reader, but I can- not resist the inclination I feel to insert it, from its comicality. One night, about 12 o'clock (and the streets, at this hour, are deserted and lonely), he met a party of Brazilian ladies and gentlemen, who were apparently returning from some place of amusement ; but there was a young lady form- ing one of the company who very soon attracted his attention, and she was walking a little behind them, followed by a little black girl (her servant.) As he passed close to her, he saw, or thought he saw, her smile ; but being in some doubt about it, he turned his head round, and was looking after her, when the little girl came by him, and it was impossible not to perceive the large white teeth of this dingy attendant, who smiled, or rather laughed, in a very agreeable manner ; and as he continued to look after them, he observed « that they both turned their heads to look back D 34 NAHRATFVi: on liini. and lie therefore rather quickened his pace, and was iiuUiced to follow, whieh he did silently and cautiously, not wishing to be ob- gerved by the persons who were in company. After walking some time, the whole party stopped at a house in the Rua , and one of the i^en- tlemen took the lady who had captivated my friend under his care, and they })roceedeil to a more distant part of the town. He followed close for fear of losinp; them (as the streets are miserably dark), and the little black slave kept frequently turning her head, to observe whether he was following. They at length stopped at a genteel house, where the gentleman bade her good night, and set off at a quick pace ; lie noted the house, and went on boai'd. The next tlay he came on shore and passed the place, and he saw the little negress at the window, who. on recognizing him, instantly withdrew, and in a few minutes the young senhora herself ai)i)eared and seated herself by the parlour window. He sauntered leisurely by, and said in I*ortuguese, as he passed, that " he should come again at H) o'clock lh;»t niLrht." and then walked quickl\ OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 35 away, fearful of being observed talking to her. At the hour mentioned, he went accordingly ; the house was closed, but he could hear within the sound of the guitar and revelry. He loitered about until 11 o'clock, when three gentlemen, wrapped in large cloaks, left the house. In about half an hour he saw the door open just wide enough to permit the black woolly head of the young slave to peep out, and when she per- ceived him, she withdrew her head, and left the door upon the jar, and he immediately went for- ward and stole in unperceived. Without speak- ing a word, she shut the door, which she fastened instantly, and he was left in complete darkness. He caught hold of her, however, upon which she said, Espera un jjoco (wait a little), and he was left by himself to ruminate on the chances of his being kicked out for his impudence. His sooty conductress soon returned with a candle, and beckoned him to follow, which he did, but not without some fear of being laid hold of by two or three stout negroes, ready to give him some severe admonition ; however, his fear soon vanished when he was shown into a room, where, d2 36 NAKHArivi: seated on a sola, he belielil his fair enslaver, who appeared to be as youn<; and beautiful as his imagination had })ainted. The table was spread with a jjrol'usion of fruits and sweetmeats, and a niaj^nuni of vi/i/io porta stood on a sniali sideboard at the other side of the room. As he had a tolerable knowledj^^e of the Portufjuese languaj^e, he was enabled to compliment his fair entertainer, and to express his happiness in being so fortunately introduced to her acquaintance. The little slave, after rolling her dark, eyes about , and giving him one of her facetious grins, left them together, and hiid herself down upon a mat just outside the door, and soon fell asleep. As near as he could recollect, it was about half- past two in the morning, when he was awoke by a h)ud knocking and kicking at the ih)or, when the lady started ofV the couch, exclainung, O, rruz, O, rriiz ! )iieii iiuir'ido, men tiiarido! and by the liglit of a small lamp which wa^ dindy burning in one corner, she quickly snatched ii|) \w< clot his and darted out of the room, be- seeching l.iin to loUow , which he did in so clumsy a manlier. th;if ht> trod ii|)on iind stundjled o\ er OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 37 tlie naked legs and feet of tlie sleeping black wench, and measured his length upon the floor. The poor black girl, finding herself so rudely assaulted, began crying out also, Cruz, cruz ! in a very piteous tone of voice. His nimble con- ductress quickly opened some kind of recess, and throwing in his clothes, pushed him in after them, and shut the door, locked it, and withdrew the key. Being thus shut up in this dark cup- board, he was soon assailed by some very unplea- sant reflections, and he could have w ished himself in his hammock ; but what were his sensations Avhen he found some kind of reptile crawling up his legs, and two or three large winged insects settled at the same time on his face and neck, and running all over him ; but he was still more startled to hear a most outrageous quarrel be- tween the lady and a hoarse-voiced gentleman, and he felt much anxiety and trepidation for her fate as well as for his own ; yet he was pleased to find that slie maintained her ground with a determined spirit in their battle of words ; but he presently heard him several times pronounce 38 NAiuiAiivi: the word mato (kill), and his apprehensions in- creased af;ain at these tearful sounds, and being locked up and unarmed, he expected the door to be burst open, and a lonoj knife thrust into his vitals. He had, however, determined to defend himself and his fair mistress manfully, although he eould find no weapon at hand ; but he needed no other than the senhora's tongue, and he con- cluded her wit had furnished her with the best defence, for, after having been kept in this sus- pense for more than two hours (during which time they did not cease to quarrel), he heard the outer door slam violently, and in a n)inute after- wards the young senhora unlocked the door, and waving her linger to and fro, said. No fare mal. She was exceedingly pale, and her long dark hair was unloosed and hung over her face ; but she would not allow him to waste time in imavailing caresses or sorrow, but told him to dress and ora vamos, par amor de ileo.s (depart (|iiiekly. f«)r (mxI's sake), an intimation he llioiinht too piiKJeiil to be neglected. She hustilv told jiiiii that on his entrance the fir.^l OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 39 object he cast his eyes upon was his large straw hat, which in her hurry she had forgotten to put out of sight, and he then went ofi'like a rocket. An Italian gentleman, who was in company when this was related (and he had had some ex- perience in such matters), said a gallant ought never to suffer the door to be opened, as it was always the safest and best to keep an adversary outside the house. I therefore recommend this practice to all who may be placed in a similar predicament. He did not lose sight of this young person, for he had afterwards many op- portunities of renewing his acquaintance, which he continued until he left the Brazils for Eng- land. Our armourer on board was, perhaps, one of the ugliest-featured men imaginable, and he would often amuse his shipmates by some sin- gular distortions of visage, which would, per- haps, have rivalled a Turkish grimacer, or even, at humble distance, approach Grimaldi's. It chanced that one of the marines, somehow or other, had got confoundedly drunk — indeed, he was in a state of frenzy from the effect of liquor — 10 NAKKATINK ;in(l in this cundition he uas lyin^^ on his back ujK)n the lower deck, just under the armourer (who was then iii)on the sick-list, and in his hanunock), anti, possibly, being annoyed by the boisterous noise of the marine, lolled his head over the sides of his hanunock, and looked down upon the prostrate *' Joe," who kept uttering incoherent sentences about seeing the Devil, when the armourer commenced making the most (rightful faces at him, saying, "Here's the Devil." The poor marine had no sooner fixed his staring eyes upon the distorted features of the armourer, than he went into a strontr fit, crying out, " I see the Devil; I see him, I see him !" and it was with great difliculty that he was got ui)on the forecastle, as he raved and struggled in a violent manner, from the fear occasioned by the ugly phiz of the old armourer. After remaining in the harbour nearly t\so months, we ilepartedfrom this chaste city, and en- countered, a few days afterwards, a pai/tptrfi, which is a tremendous gale of wind, accompanied withtlnnuler and lightning, that isparticularl\ ter- rili<- and \i\i(| \\'e sometimes fell in uilh some OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 41 swinging Buenos Ayrean privateers, who were constantly cruizing in these seas in the hope ol" picking up some of the Brazilian craft. After a boisterous passage of thirteen days, we an- chored in the harbour of Maldonado, Rio de la Plata, and found lying here H.M.S. Ranger, w hich ship sailed the next day for Monte Video. The Spaniards at this place were rejoiced to see two English ships come in, and the next morn- ing we could perceive a number of people with horses upon the beach, for the conveyance of any person to the town who chose to come on shore. As soon as an opportunity occurred, we visited the town of San Francisco, which is wretchedly built, and situated about two miles inland. We were well received by Donna Francisca de Re- varo, who keeps a smaW fonda or hotel (the only one ill the place) ; she is about fifty years of age, and couiplexioned '* like the copper pot in the kitchen," but, in her own opinion, she still pos- sesses charms, for she was fancifully attired, and her head was decorated with a profusion of roses, and she handled a large dOauico (fan) with even more grace than her daughter, who 42 NAHUATIVi; soon made lier ajjpearance, "' at oiue a slattern ami a co(iiiette." She was about tour feet liiglj, ami lat uitlial, ami possessed that interesting kind oi walk that we see displayed by our En- glish niilk-wouitu when they shuflle along \\ith the yoke and pails. Donna seemed to be aware ot the taste de lus Ingleses, for she produced for dinner an unmeasurable beefsteak, the only thing, indeed, worthy of commendation, for hard boiled eggs and skinny fowls fonned the rest of the eatables : the wine is execrable (Catalan.) There is some good shooting to be had iiere, there being plenty of deer about eight or ten miles from the town, and the partridges are of a very large size. Vou also meet with ducks and teal, the horned and whistling plover, doves, cranes, and numerous other birds. On the 1st of November, a Brazilian frigate, and some brigs and schooners, stood into the harbour, and anchored close in shore ; ami as, at this time, a war of extermination existed be- t\\<('n the Brazilians and Buenos Ayveans, \\v expected some disturbance, as the Maldonadians (win n the Bra/ilian >liips appeared) hoisttd the OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 43 Spanish Hag ; and as there were quartered in the vicinity ol" Maldonado upwards of two hun- dred " Gauchos," a determined, and, to the Brazilians, a dreaded foe, we thought that if the Brazilians attempted a landing, they would meet a formidable opposition. The frigate soon com- menced firing upon the town, more out of bravado than in the idea of a shot reaching it, for, as I before observed, it is some distance from the anchorage, and this system of warfare was kept up during the greater part of that and the following day. The Maldonadians were not idle, for they soon mounted on the beach an old twenty-four pounder (the only gun they had) ; but they were at a loss for ammunition, par- ticularly shot, as they always returned those fired from the frigate. About four hundred yards from the beach we could perceive a considerable force of Gauchos, crouching down behind the difierent hillocks and banks, to shelter themselves from the showers of grape and cannister poured in upon them by the schooners and brigs. To give some idea of the cowardly behaviour of these Brazilians, a boat pulled off from the frigate. 44 naiskatim: will maiinrd, aiul rowed towards East Point, in ordtr to land and t'ttcli oil" some cattle which had stra\ed there. This intention being per- ceived on shore, only two Oauchos rode along the beach, ant! quietly awaited the arrival of the boat's crew, who, not caring to approach too near, rested on their oars when they had arrived at two jmndred paces iVoni the shore, and com- menced firing at the horsemen, who, nothing daunted, rode down to the water's edge, and returned their shots, and afterwards llouiished their swords over their heads, defying them to huid. This was quite enough, the boat pulled back again, and the (Jauchos returned to their (piarters. There had been left upon tiie Island of (loritti two sheep, belonging to the gentlemen of the Ranger man-of-war, and a party of these Bra- zilians had landed on the island, and had worried these poor animals a good deal, until they were iiiaile to desist by a party of our men. who were emplo) ed on shore ; and the next day a letter \\ as s« nl to Captain King, from the captain of the iVi- gate, putlina an interdict u|)on all lurlhcr eoni- OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 45 munication with the main-land, thereby cutting ofi' our supplies of " beef and vegetables." This letter calledforth a replication from Captain King, in which (I heard) was stated, that every facility was given to ships on a voyage of discovery, even in time of war, by all nations, and also remarking that it would be more to their credit to go and spike the gun on shore than to make war upon a few poor harmless sheej). We heard no more after this about not being suf- fered to land, and we continued our rambles on shore in spite of this bombardment, which lasted four days, until the frigate and her convoy were fairly compelled to sheer off, being driven out of the harbour by the pelting of the twenty-four pounder. Some of the crew of the frigate and schooners were wounded, and one of the Mal- donadians had his arm shattered by a grape shot. About six miles from Maldonado is situated the small town of San Carlos, which our party visited, and were received very politely by the Spanish young ladies, who exclaimed, " Viva los I/i(jleses," and waved their white handker- 46 N \HI{ ATIVl, chiefs, fjreetinor our arrival. On our road back, we called in, as usual, at Donna Francisca's, and found a party of Donnas enjoying their "matte," which is a sort of herb, put into a small cup, with suj;ar ; hot water is then poured on it, and it is imbibed through a long tube (and some are of silver) at the end of which is a round strainer to prevent the herb getting through ; and as it is reckoned a piece of politeness to offer the matte to strangers (the ladies first using the tube, and then presenting it to the gentlemen, who must sip some up likewise, but without wiping it,) we were somewhat surprised that it was not offered to us, which Doima im- mediately perceived, and she said that she had observed " that most English gentlemen were not partial to that Spanish custom;" but we over-ruled this, and all of us had a suck at the hot niattt, old Donna first preparing the tube, by indulging in a Uttle suction, previous to its being offered to us : I believe it is not generally known that wiping the tube alter its having been sucked by any lady is one of the greatest affronts that can be olfrred them. The irreatcr part of OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 47 the men at tliis place wear long knives, stuck in the girdle, on the right side ; and boys of a very early age are armed in the same manner. Beef is very cheap, and a bullock may be purchased for a few dollars. Their horses likewise are good ; and the Maldonadians are excellent horse- men, and are seldom to be seen without the 1^90, which is a long thong of leather with a sliding noose at the end of it, and with this they are sure of securing, even when at a full gallop, either horses or bulls, by the head or feet. The Beagle was now ordered to Monte Video, the Adventure remaining at Maldonado, where we arrived without any adventure occurring worth relating. The inhabitants here, like those of Teneriffe, are not very highly educated. The lower classes indulge themselves in the pleasing pursuit of getting money, and trouble themselves little about any thing else. The mediocre, and particularly the younger part of a family, go slip-shod about the house of a morning, in a glorious dishabille ; and the preparation for an evening party will occupy them three or four hours ; and the style 48 N \K1{AT1\ 1-: of dressinfij tlieir liair, and entwinint; the roses with a jiuliciuus (It'licacy and taste, to ensure a good eil'ect, is not the least of the ditliculty. Upon no consideration \sill the Spanish female at Monte Video admit a stranger to an interview unless she is prepareil to set ofl' the fine sym- metry of her figure in an elegant dress and a silk stocking, coiilfiir dc rose, to ilisplay the shape of as pretty an ancle as you would wish to see ; while the neat small foot (in a shoe of cerulean blue) chastens the whole appearance. The brilliancy and darkness of their eyes, and the tone of their persuasive guitars, have proved too attractive for many of the young Brazilian oflicers, who lavish their time and money at this harbour. The introduction to the families of the young senoras is not diflicult ; and should he chance to be a young man who can make liiiii- self generally agreeable in company, and be very fond of singing, he cannot fail of getting himself into an intrigue and a hobble at the same time. However, in Monte N'iileo, the greater nuinhcr «)f tilt' Spanish girls are not handsome: Toh-la T<»rr»s. Ironi Lima, i.s (he belle nf tli<^ pbu c I OF A VOVAGK, ETC. 49 have seen more than one lieutenant walk by her side, on tiptoe, whispering soft expressions, and " sighing like a furnace." I wish her every suc- cess, this native of Lima. On the cathedral the marks of the shot are still visible, received during the memorable siege of this place by the British forces ; and one of the cupolas is still wanting, having been carried away at the time of the bom- bardment. The centre aisle is spacious, and many families, with their attendant slaves, are seen piously kneeling before the altar ; and it has rather an impressive effect to behold so many persons, in the meridian of life, couchant on their carpets, " where the silent circle fan them- selves ;" but the soft and merry glances of their eyes told plainly enough that they were rather more fond of love and music than the sound of the tinkling bell which is rung by the padre as a signal for all to pray. Without the fan, a Spanish lady would be quite rjavche ; and their manner of using it is one of the most graceful movements imaginable. The silence of the cathedral, and the continual whirring sound occasioned by the opening and shutting of the fan, produces an E TiO NAKHATIVE tfl'ect peculiar enougli. Tlje jet-black hair of the Doiizella, partly concealed from view by the red shawl which gracefully covers her head, is ill contrast with the woolly covering whicli na- ture has placed on the skull of the slave. The high-minded Donna and the came seche (drieid beef) eating mulatto — the mustachioed Brazilian officer and the steady, scheming, old money-get- ting Don (who, out of the cathedral, would will- ingly cut each other's throats) alike squat down, cheek by jowl — tlicir religion reducing them all to an equality in this place. In short, the most wretched and desperate characters that lurk about Monte Video, both male and female, beg- gars, and the haut ton, are mingled together, presenting a singular assemblage of rags and finerj'. At the signal given by the padre, all pra} ntost loudly, and strike and beat their bosoms with their lists, in rapid succession. INI any < ast their eyes upon a favourite saint to invoke protection ; and negroes, likewise, solicit the notice of a gaunt black image, placeil in a corner of the cathedral. The padre all this time is very busy at the altar, repeating divers OK A VOVAdE, ETC. 51 prayers, and giving himself a good deal of trouble about the welfai-e of the souls of those assembled ; but more particularly, be it under- stood, is his attention paid to the young senoras ; nor do his assiduity and trouble go unrewarded, for he retires from the fatigue of the morning service to solace himself in the conversation of some of the prettiest girls of the place. There are some highly respectable families in Monte Video ; of course it is eligible for those who have daughters ripened into womanhood, to get them married as soon as may be, not only to make room for the younger branches just bud- ding forth, but also to prevent their chances of success being reduced by falling prematurely into the " sere and yellow leaf," which most Spanish ladies generally do after they arrive at twenty-four years of age. The heyday of life with them is between the respective ages of thirteen and twenty-five. They are a heavy supper eating race, and the civility and good-will with wliich they discuss an olio of turkey, omelet, sweet- meats, salad, oil, and spices, would scare the delicacy of a bread-and-butter-nibbling Miss of e2 r/2 NAHWATFVi: tlie lashioHable world ] hope ] sliall not be ac- cused of harshness towards these yoving ladies, if I venture a remark, upon the general routine of education adopted in most Spanish families ; but the innate talent, which they possess in an emi- nent degree, is not sufliciently cultivated, and a superficial knowledge of the essential branches of education, and a few novels for amusement, embrace tlie whole extent of their studies. Their passions, either of love or hatred, are intense ; and nothing would screen a person from the vengeance of a iemale, if trifled with. There are not wanting, in Monte Video, many characters who, for a ])ittance of a few dollars, would speedily carry any revengeful design into effect ; and should a person unfortunately cultivite an " honest friendsliij) with a married woman" (^as there is no law in force there against crim. con.), his lurther stay (if discovered) WDuld be ex- tremely unsafe : the cuchillo would, some night when he least expected it, find its way to his heart, and satisfy the vindictive temper of the SpiiMiard l)y the death of the iiulivi(hial. I ran ahnost venture to pronounce with saiely, that OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 5S out of the many young ladies who enliven the gay Tertulia with their presence_, but very few could be found capable of penning a letter ; and such is the ruinous system of education pursued even from their earliest childhood, that ere they can well walk, the aged and indolent Aya, who IS entrusted with the care of their persons, ac- tually teaches them to lisp the name of the newest Spanish waltz before that o( Nuestra Senora — that more pains are taken in teaching them dancing and music than any thing else; and certainly they all are accustomed to walk with a singular delicacy of step : and their dress, too, is not neglected, for " Curl'd, scented, furbelow'd, and flounced around, With feet too delicate to touch the ground, They stretch the neck and roll the wanton eye, And sigh for every fool that flutters by." Cou'per. They possess the most cheerful tempers, and to a stranger are generally hospitable. Most naval officers find amusement and an asylum at their houses. Without saying much upon their mo- rality, it yet requires a thorough acquaintance before you can venture to oiler them the usual 54 NAIlHATlVi: attentions of pjallaiitry. Few people are more cautious of strangers; and such is the reserve manifested sometimes on a casual interview, that a person, not accustomed to their manners, would tjud himself sufficiently uncomfortable when seated among a party of silent young wo- men. On visiting frequently, all this formality is thrown aside, and the whole secret of their character bursts upon you — blindman's buft', forfeits, hunt the slipper, and laughing and waltzing, are the favourite amusements of an rvening ; and the elderly people are particularly e)i avmit in these games, and intermingle tlieir " childish treble" with the jocund sound of the younger, giving an idea of one of Rochefou- cault's observations, that " Vivacity increased by age, falls little short of frcn7y-" In conclusion : as the very soul of a Spanish girl is placed in dancing, music, and singing, it will prove no slight introduction to their tavour if you approach them ro7i amore. It is advisable never to look serious ; and if you cannot speak Spiinisii. speak in Knglisli. or in any language. OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 55 SO that you keep up a continual talk. Never mind the gravity of their countenance, and the having no rejoinder but yes and no for the first five minutes, for when the waltz commences, " Seductive waltz, though on thy native shore, E'en Werter's self proclaim'd thee half a w — e," all formality is thrown aside, and she steps forth a laughing Hebe, and will accompany you through so many dances during the evening, that you may safely reckon, if unaccustomed to them, on a good head-ache in the morning. The theatre is a most wretched place ; the worst of our provincials is better decorated. The benches in the pit are dirty, and partitioned off and numbered, that you may, on paying for your entrance, occupy the same seat in the pit as the one marked on your ticket of admission. The boxes have no seats at all : generally a family or a party take a box among them, but find their own chairs — a difficulty that puzzled the whole of our party, for the practice of bring- ing chairs we had no idea of. This alarmed our interpreter, a very worthy and intelligent Ger- man, much more than it did any of us — the ne- 50 NARRATIVE cessity of having such furniture he entirely over- looked till then. " \\t had better not go into the pit, however," said the German, "it is full of fleas." " Well, we must all go into the gallery." " Vou must not go there, indeed," said he, " it is full of women ; and, besides, they will not al- low you to remain, as the gallery is set aside purposely for ladies, and no men are sufTered to pass ; and if you observe attentively, you will perceive it is as I represent." This I accord- ingly did, and there were seated a numerous iiiixture ol" iimlatto, MJiite, and black girls, and each seemed to be in particular good-humour, and their dresses so extremely gaudy, that each might be said to be tinselled and bespangleil like any of their saints : — " but tlicre All likfiicss ends between the pair." Don Juan. Not being able to procure seats tor the boxes, wr descended into the pit; and, I believe, felt iiiiK li Ifss incommoded by the gand)ols of a few skippincj harndess fleas, than by the appearance ol iiiiiiiv Rraziiian nudalto oflicers attached lo OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 57 the army and navy. They are hated by the Ame- ricans, loatlied by the Spaniards, spit on by the French, and laughed at by the English ; and they seem to be so aware of their o'vn degeneracy, as sincerely to despise and abominate each other. The lower tier of boxes is on a level with the pit, and in these were to be seen some of tlie handsomest of the Spanish ladies, with the usual display of dark luxuriant hair entwined with roses. The ornaments on the outside of the boxes consist of coloured papers, as variegated as a harlequin's jacket ; and the lighting up of the theatre is after the manner of Scowton's show — to one of the beams is affixed a rope, to which is attached a circular piece of wood, con- taining a galaxy of candles. The musical force of the establishment consists of a hw fiddles, a ramping horn, and a drum ; and the actress (for they have but one) is about forty years of age, and unfortunately " sans teeth ;" however, she possesses a very agreeable lisp, and the manner in which she goes through an evening's performance, which generally consists of a tragedy, dancing, and a farce, proves that slie 58 NAURATIVE Jjas had some experience in her day. I happened to ii;o behind the scenes one night, and I beheld this Prima Donna sittinj; upon the knee of one of the actors, indulging in a little ^ Aquadenie," but, " I protest Against all evil speaking, even in jest." Dun Juan. After our return from Monte Video to IMal- donado, the Adventure sailed for the former place, but remaining there longer than she had determined upon, we sailed up to join her ; and on our passage made our number to H.3I.S. Ranger, and soon afterwards fell in with the Adventure about mid-channel. The Adventure had found the English packet (King Fisher) on shore on the English bank, and had succeeded in getting her off. ^^ e also met some Brazilian frigates ami brigs standing for the islaml of (loritti, in order to fortify it, and to aimoy the Maldonadians by every possible means. We now made all sail along the great coast of Pata- gonia; and on the 28th of the month, the ships Milind the IJay of, and anchored off, Port St. OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 69 Elena. Here we found good anchorage for several ships, but it is exposed to a heavy swell from the south-west ; this we fully experienced, for a tremendous sea, occasioned by heavy squalls, rolled in upon us and exposed us to the danger of being driven upon the rocks, which lay within a cable's length of us. The sur- rounding country is of frightful sterility and barrenness ; no trace of vegetation can be met with; a universal chaos seems to reign, and nothing can be heard on the land but the harsh cry of the water-fowl and the roaring of the foaming surf on the dark and rugged rocks which line the shore. There is nothing indica- tive of its having been visited by any human being from the interior, and the whole country for miles round is such a wilderness as would prove most distressing to any crew who were so unfortunate as to be wrecked on this coast. Numerous herds of the wild guanacoe range in undisturbed possession of this trackless waste, and they are so docile as to allow of your near approach, although in some instances it required much manoeuvring to get them witliin range of 00 NAHKATIVE the musket. The flesh is rather coarse, but when made into a sea-pie is enticing enough, and particularly after a day's shooting at Port St. Elena, for at this anchorage you meet with no berries or fruits, and, moreover, there is a great scarcity of fresh water, and all the ponds are brackish, and for miles up a sort of marsli it hati tliat taste; this, added to the intolerable heat, and a walk of eight or ten miles, make you glad enough to get on board, and take a libation of" swiggle/' where, at your ease, you can d — ^n the climate, the brackish water, and the long hollow valleys, and also view your cut arul su oln lip in the glass of your dressing-case (} our nu'ssnuites laughing all the while), the sad conse(iuence of the recoil of your gun in endea- vouring to bring down the guanacoe at a long shot, ^'()u here meet the ostrich, and venomous snake, the eight-banded armadillo, and the cavee or fox. Hawks, owls, and buzzards, and va- rious kinds of sra-fowl are the only remaining iidiabitants of this wilderness. From tilt' (iiKuidly of wood thrown up high upon the btacli, it appeared (hal a wreck had OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 61 taken place at this port, but no doubt the survivors had got away from this desolate abode and put to sea. We found a piece of wood pointing out the grave of one of the party, with this inscrip- tion (but without date) ; " John Myers, Ar- mourer, Commodore Decatur, New York," and as time had not made much havoc on this me- mento, it is probable that the wreck had taken place about five or six years previous to our arrival. We conveyed most of the wreck on board for fuel. From want of better amusement, some gen- tlemen of the Adventure set fire to the long dry grass and withered stubble (which covered some acres of ground), and the wind carrying the flames into the deep valleys, raised an immense fire, which spread over the country to a great distance, and blazed away most furiously, making us think very little of the consecrated bonfires we had previously seen blazing in the streets of the city of Rio. This illumination, we afterwards ascertained, was observed at sea from a distance of fifty miles, and was the only inducement for a cutter. 63 NARiJvriM-: which we had previously fallen in with, to haul in for the land, her captain conjecturing that some casualty had happened to the ships. One day, on the landing of a shooting party from the Beagle, we perceived three ostriches, and it may be imagined that the ostriches per- ceived us, for they commenced a sort of trot towards some rising ground which skirted the sea beach, and without turning their heads to see if we were following, disappeared in a mo- ment. On our arrival at the top of the hill, breathless and anxious (for we expected the ostriches to be quietly waiting our airival on the other side of it), no trace of them was to be seen, and nothing was discernible but a waste of country for miles a-head, although scarcely three minutes had elapsed from the time when we first saw them. We ga^ed at each other as much as to say, where the devil are they ? The wind having veered to a desirable point, we weighed and made sail on the 4tii December. The next land ofl" which we anchored was Cape Fairweather; yet, notwithstanding its in\iling name, we experienced severe south-westerly OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 63 gales, which raged incessantly. This land is not so mountainous as that of Port St. Elena, but from the sea it bears equally as desolate and isolated an aspect. The cape is said to be much like the South Foreland, and the line of coast resembles that of Kent. The country in the distance has a green appearance, but nearer the coast there is plenty of grass, which is burnt and scorched by the influence of the sun. In- numerable herds of guanacoe are to be seen scattered over the distant plains, and they are so tame as to be approached within a few paces. The brown eagles, startled at the appearance of man in this forsaken place, keep incessantly whirling over your head, heedless of shot, and seem inclined to pounce down upon you. The guaguar, or South American tiger, was seen prowling and skulking among the rocks near the beach, but on our approach it quickly made off, sometimes stopping and looking round, and then making away for the interior of the coun- try. From the quantities of bones which lay bleaching in the wind, it would appear that these savage animals continually prey upon the timid 64 NAiuivTivi: and lianiiU'Ss p^uanacoe. There are quantities of shrubs <;r()\vinp: here bearing a red berry, which s(( nt the air to a great distance by their peculiarly sweet and genial fragrance. No vestige of a human being could be met witii ; and the whole of this part of the coast of Patagonia, from Port St. Elena to Cape Virgins, presents tlie same cheerless and wild appearance, and in a space of nearly one thousand miles not a tree or bush is to be seen ; and the continuation of tlie land to the northernmost entrance of the Straits of Magellan bears the same bleak and wild aspect. At the time we were oft' Cape Vir- gins, a reef was distinctly visible, running out about a mile into the sea. This cape is said to resemble the land off Cape Vincent in Spain. It was at this anchorage that we first i)cr- ceived the land of Terra del Fuego just per- ceptible above the horizon. The tirst land that strikes the eye upon entering the straits is a mount, designated " Mount Dinero." very imu( h in appearance like JMonte Video, and about the same sizt«. The next land is Point Possrs.^ion, which is rather high and blulT, and in this bay or A VOYAUE, ETC. ()(* the two ships came to anchor on the 19th. We weighed again on the 21st, but meeting with a direct contrary wind, we were obliged to anchor nearer in land, having previously brought up at five or six miles oft' shore. We remained here several days unshelterd from the prevailing s. w. winds, which blew very severely, and the tide is particularly strong and rapid. Most of the time that we lay here we had a succession of these S.w. gales, accompanied with heavy rain and cloudy weather. On the north side of the bay are four rather conically-shaped mounts, called by Sir John Narborough (one of the preceding navigators), " Amon and his four children," and named also by him " The Ass's Ears," from the resemblance which they certainly bear to tlie upper part of the head of that animal. The best anchorage is about two or tiiree leagues from Amon. On our weighhig, we found the anchor and cable were as bright as silver, and for these shores the chain-cable is the safest to use. Whilst at this anchorage Christmas-day arrived, and our private stock, of provisions was put in requisition to furnish a good dinner iu F ()(i NARRATIVi: honour of it. What we lacked in fish and flesh we made up in puddings and pies, and our table was amply furnished with such fare ; we were all merry and happy, and notwithstanding our being in the Bay of Possession, with a heavy swell on, we had each taken, before two o'clock, a sutticiency of grog to compose us very quietly to sleep. Our next attempt was the passage of the Narrows of the Hope, and this day we had made some way through them ; but the prevail- ing s.w. winds, assisted by a tide running against us at the rate of six or seven miles an hour, compelled us to return into the Bay of Possession. We here again encountered some furious winds, but on the 28th of December we made our second attempt, and with some dif- ficulty accomplished the intricate navigation of the Narrows, having weighed anchor this day at eight o'clock, and we had passed them by eleven. The day preceding our second attempt, a great smoke was visible on the Fuegian shore, apparently a great way inland, but no natives could be perceived through tlie telescope. The distance between the shores of Patagonia ami OF A VOVAOE, ETC. 67 Terra del Fuego, at this Narrow, may be com- puted at four or five miles, the shores approach- ing each other nearer at this place than at any other passage of the straits. This land is tole- rably high, but not striking or picturesque. The guanacoe at this place are extremely wild, and fled immediately they perceived the ship standing in shore ; for, in tacking, to get through the Narrows, we frequently came within a few hundred yards of the land. The smoke of a large fire was now seen on the Patagonian side, but at a considerable distance up the country. The coast, until you arrive at the " Bay of the Thousand Virgins," is not marked by any pecu- liarity ; the highest land is on the southern shore. The coast on the Second Narrows is remarkably bold and rugged, and continues in a line, gra- dually vanishing into the Bay of Possession. We came-to in the Bay of the Thousand Vir- gins, having in sight Point St. Gregory and Port San Isidro. On the 1st of January we again made sail, and anchored in St. Gregory's Bay, in thirteen fathoms, about five or six miles from the Second f2 68 NAHUAI'IVl-: Narrows. This is an excellent anchorage, and well sheltered from the prevailing severe winds, which are constantly veering from s.w. to w.s.w. and S.S.W. At this place we saw another great cloud of smoke, appearing at a considerable dis- tance inland. The shore here is more pleasing than any from Cape Virgins, the general appear- ance of the coast until you arrive here being solitary and gloomy. A long tract of mountain is occasionally seen, covered with heath and ver- dure ; but generally dark and ragged precipices, and overhanging clifls, destitute of any vegeta- tion, intersect the land on both shores. Captain Stokes and Lieutenant Sky ring, the assistant- surveyor, and a midshipman, landed at this bay, with the chronometers, which were left in charge of the middy, while the captain and Lieutenant Skyring proceeded to a rising ground, about a mile distant, for the purpose of making observa- tions. \Vhilst the midshipman was thus K-isurely waiting their return, he perceived a large and savage-looking animal uu\king way towards the place where he stood, snulling the ground as he tame along. This was rather an uncomfortable OF A VOYAGE, ETC. f)9 sight for Llewyllin (a sobriquet given him by his messmates), Avho now commenced quickly loading the musket, which he had luckily brought with him, and by the time this four-footed stranger had arrived within two hundred paces, the middy had fired a shot to make him bring-to. The ball struck not very wide of the mark, but had no other effect than causing the animal to pursue the same manoeuvres as the lion was said to have acted towards Don Quixote when that valiant knight waited for him at the open door of his cage. The midshipman now lay down, and resting the musket to steady his aim, the second shot whistled over the head of the crea- ture, who now seemed determined to cultivate a nearer acquaintance, and kept advancing to- wards him at a quicker rate ; but on arriving within fifty paces the third bullet struck the earth close to his head, when he immediately stopped and kept looking at Llewyllin, who ensconced himself in the grass and fired again, when the animal wheeled suddenly roimd and made oft", much in llie same leisurely manner as it had approacJied. 70 NAKIlATIVi: On sailing hence, we fell in with a schooner, which stood in to the bay, and anchored close in-shore : she proved to be the Eliza and Ann, of Stonington, North America, and had been in the Straits some months npon a sealing expedi- tion. The captain of her reported tlie Patagonian Indians to be friendly (having spoken witii them a short time previously), and much inclined to traffic ; this piece of information diflVred very much from the account given by some of his -Yankee seamen, who told our men that the na- tives were exceedingly ferocious, and very much inclined to cut the throats of all strangers, but more particularly of the English ; and then fol- lowed a tale of a boat's crew from an English vessel having lanilcd upon the coast, some months before, and fired upon the natives, who, in conse- quence, were determined to iminlcr all who came in their way. All who are acquainted with the Yiuikees are well aware of their inventive genius ; but the cai)tain of the schooner, however, told the truth in saying tliat the Indians were fricmll} ; and this seemed the more strange, for these pre- cious lia(hn^ ^'ald^.ecs possess neither honour OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 71 nor common honesty, nor one single idea beyond tlie price of cotton and dollars ; in fact, our bro- ther Jonathan may be defined to be in character an Englishman grafted on a Jew, as the name we have ingeniously conferred on him evinces — John Nathan. Towards evening, a large fire blazed forth on the point wliich extends out of Cape Gregory, and the next morning, two horsemen were seen upon the beach, pacing to and fro, and appeared as if inviting us to land. All on board were now anxious to get on shore, and the more so when we perceived a boat shove off from the Adven- ture, and proceed in the direction of the Indians. All the telescopes on board were in immediate demand to observe the first meeting with tlie Patagonians. As the boat neared the land, one of the horsemen came down to the beach, and met the lieutenant, who, on landing, advanced towards him with a musket on his shoulder : the other Indian seemed much more cautious, for, as the boat came close in-shore, he receded about a hundred paces from the other, and there stood with his horse's head turned from the boat's rZ NAKHATlVi: crew, as iJ doubting whether lo remain or go. Captain Stokes now ordered a boat off from the Beagle to hind the assistant-surveyor, and in w hich I was so fortunate as to get a passage. When set on sliore, having been landed farther -ing three large baDs of granite attached to them, sewed «p in hide, and are used for catching wild horses aad ostriches. Their method of using them u OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 79 by holding in tlie hand one of the balls, whilst the other two are swung round the head until they acquire a certain impetus, they are then thrown at the object ; the balls making a rotaiy motion, entwine round the legs of the pursued horse or ostrich ; they are thus thrown down and taken at leisure. Although we had not an opportunity of accompanying them in the chase, yet they showed us the manner of using these " ballas," and also of the " la^o," which they also had with them. The women ride astride like the men, and their saddles (for some few had them) are exactly of the same construction as the recado or recow, consisting of a piece of wood, curved to lit the horse's back (something in the style of the English pack-saddle), w ith a hole made on each side to admit the stirrup- leatlier ; two or three skins are put over it, and the whole is secured by a broad piece of hide tied under the horse's belly. The bridles are of hide, and the bit is of wood, confmed to //c, Port Gallant), of which the decayed wood siemed to have been a part, on his return to the straits for the second survey. Leaving Port Gallant on or about the 21st .l;uiii;n\. Captain Stokes, in his haste to get ihrou'rh the straits, had foruotten to take on OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 97 hoard several of the boarding-pikes which had been arranged along-shore, and to which were affixed silk handkerchiefs, for the purpose of survey. They were consequently left there, though he intended to remove them on his re- turn to the harbour. We moved on to the west- ward, occasionally encountering those heavy squalls off the land which blow with such an overwhelming force from the south-west. Smoke was visible on both shores, but we did not bring- to to speak the natives. The line of coast from Cape Notch to Cape Providence, on both shores, presents a chain of snow-capped mountains rising to a great height ; intermingled among them are dark cavities of rocks, others rising in conical shapes, and forming a thousand different figures, which, with the trees and forests occasionally breaking upon the sight, give some idea of the wilderness in this part of the world. Having anchored under Cape Providence, we found it to be tolerably good holding ground, but rather a dangerous harbour to run into, particularly in squally or foggy weather, as there are various rocks visible just above the water. H 9S NARRATIVE We liad now passed a stretch of country of nearlj' two liundred and fifty miles, the wind having been directly contrary the whole distance. The almost incessant rain and damp and cold atmosphere began to have its efl'ectupon our crew, and some of our strongest and most able-bodied seamen were fast sinkin'jj under a constant exposure ui)on deck, which continued gales of wind made absolutely indispensable. To particularise the daring and detemiioed attempts made for the last few days by Captain Stokes to reach Cape Pillar (then about thirty-five miles from us) would be perhaps a tedious narration of gales of wind blowing with unrelenting fury right a-head, and only to be appreciated by those who have been beating to windward at the mercy of a heavy sea and the wind blowing a perfect hur- ricane. Neither was Captain Stokes of a dis- position to lay cpiietly under Cape Providence waiting for fair weather ; he was none of your " fair weather Jacks ;" but with a resolution and energy hardly to be surpassed, he boldly and fearlessly braved the dilliculties which thick- ened iiroMiid liiiii ; lrustin and he did not seem inclined to withdraw it, until some of us moved the basin, and placed his hands on either side of it, when he raised it to his mouth and drank the whole off. He now refused to take more grog, but observing him eyeing the sugar, we placed a quantity of it be- fore him ; on tasting it, his eyes glistened with delight, while he testified the greatest gratifica- tion by sucking and licking his fingers : he now pointed to the basin for more tea, which was given to him until he had emptied it six times ; he then fell-to upon some ship's beef and biscuit, which, with a large piece of plum-duff, he very soon conveyed down his throat ; but, while thus gloriously stuffing himself, he did not forget the children, for he occasionally placed pieces of beef and pudding under his jacket, next his skin, as he said, for the petites. But what he appeared to relish full as much as the pudding, was several " purser's dips" which we gave him ; these he finished with an evident " gust," swallowing cotton and all. The candles, how- ever (to use a nautical phrase), " choked his luff:" we then made him a tumbler of very sweet l2 Il(j WKUATIVK grog, ulii( h \\r drank of!', scraping up ^vith Lis fm<;er tla- undissolved sugar that liad settled at the bottom of the glass. Whilst he was thus agreeably engaged, he contrived to secrete every spoon upon the table ; some he placed under his arms, and others up his sleeve. We then gave him a small looking-glass, in which he surveyed himself very steadfastly, and turned the glass to observe what was on the other side, and not seeing his face, he fumed it round again, and was a good deal puzzled when he again saw himself; however, he continued to gaze on, till raising his head, and putting on a most ludicrous smile, he looked attentively at every one in the berth, indulging,'at the same time, in a low nuir- nmring gabble, which at length burst out into rheuj), clieop, and suddenly hid the glass in the usual depository, exclaiming petites, pef/fex. and huddled himself up. as if fearful of having it taken away from him. I showed him some drawings of the Patagonians. but he did not seem to recognise them. The time having ar- rived when it became advisable to put him on shore. I made an attempt to recover my flushing- OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 117 jacket, but he had concealed under it such an oho of beef, pudding, sugar, candles, and bis- cuit, that it was prettily bedaubed, nor was he at all inclined to relinquish it. Before placing him in the boat, we stuck on his head a red night-cap, so that he looked like a large ourang- outang ; we also made him presents of beads, spoons, and knives, with all of which he was highly pleased. As he went on shore, he amused himself (as was reported) by eating the arming of grease off one of the sea-leads employed in sounding. On the following day, the younger Indian, on perceiving the boat making towards the shore, set up the cry of che-ree-cow-icow , and made his way down to the party with great celerity, running over the rocks with a surprising swift- ness, and took his seat in the boat, where he waited very patiently until they pulled off to the ship ; on being brought into the berth, and the door closed, he displayed great uneasiness, hammering with his hands until it was opened : we treated him in the same manner as we had the elder Indian, but he proved not so voracious IIS NAURATlVi: a feed»'r. Before coniiiii; on board, he liail painted liis nose and face ; his eyes, which were small and black, did not want lustre ; and had it not been for his coarse ragged hair, which hung down the sides of his head and face in lank and dishevelled masses (except over the front of the head, where it was cut smooth, and just long enough to conceal a forehead " villanous low"), \\c would have looked like a Spanish youth. His features were regular ; his wide mouth was well furnished with teeth as white as ivory, and his hands and feet were small and well formed. .As he had come on board only with the seal-skin covering, we rigged hini out in a flannel waist- coat and shirt, and one of the marines gave him an itld red jacket and a pair of canvass trowsers, so (hat he looked a respectable member of society, and giving him also presents of beads, knives, and looking-glasses, he departed equally pleased and (Irlighted as the elder Indian. The next (lay being out on a shooting-party, we paid a \ isit lo the wigwam; the [ndians no sooner lieard us coming through the bushes, than they ran Dut to meet us, the younger Indian OF A VOYAGE, ETC. J 19 resumed his tattered seal-skin, and Old Cheop appeared in " cuerpo," with the shirt and flannel waistcoat torn in pieces, rolled round his middle. On entering the wigwam, we saw nothing of the rest of the clothing that had been given to them, except the red cap. After much trouble we succeeded in obtaining some spear heads, made probably from the bones of the seal and otter ; also some shells, which serve them to drink out of, and likewise several wicker baskets of a rude construction. We could not ascertain the method they used to obtain fire, and in order to discover it, we were about to extinguish the one they had in their wigwam, but no sooner did they perceive our intention, than they rushed in to prevent us, and appeared so earnest that we deemed it prudent to desist. Around their hut were scattered a great quantity of muscle and limpet shells and seal-bones ; they use the club to kill the latter animal, as we discovered by pointing to that weapon, when the elder Indian struck the ground several times, and pointed to the sea, at the same time blowing and snufting, as if to give us an idea of the noise made by the ]•>{) wnnvrwE seals. At this tiiiu tlie younger made an attack upon tlie tyebrows of Mr. Bynoe, usin^j a niuscle- .slull as a pair of tweezers. We left them soon afterwards, and saw them no more. They were buildint; a canoe while we were with them ; it was formed of several pieces of some kind of Ijark. along the edges of which were made se- veral holes, and fastened or sewed together with seal-giit. Nature seems to have endowed these people with much ingenuity and perseverance, lor the labour required to build these canoes must be very great, sharp muscle-shells being their only implements. Among the variety of trees which compose the woods at this harbour, the birch is the largest, growing to from twenty- five to twenty-six feet in height, but generally very crooked ; in the building of small vessels it might be rendered serviceable. The winter bark (ol uhieh there is an abundance) is distin- guished b\ its haves resembling those of the laurel ; it grows very straight, and is in height about thirty feet, the dimensions rarely exceed twenty inches, ajul the square nine or ten. There arc idsd other bushes, bearin;r a while blossom. OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 121 eight or ten feet high, of a singular hardness ; and also the Barberry tree, whose stem and branches are of a warped and irregular growth, and there are no other trees of size, in the woods at this anchorage, worthy of attention or re- mark. On the 20th of February we again got under way, and came-to amidst an archipelago of islands not laid down in any chart ; indeed I was given to understand that the coast from Cape Providence to Cape Victory is but very imper- fectly laid down by preceding navigators : these rocks bore to the east, s. E. by s. and to the west S.S.W. On the 22d we again weighed, the wind blowing fresh ; at about thirty mmutes past nine we saw the Evangelists, and as it now blew much fresher, we bore up for Separation Harbour. On the 24th and 25th we were ofl' the Evan- gelists, the centre of them bearing W. 2 S. and on tlie 24th the captain went on shore at Cape Victory to fix its latitude. The weather at this time was particularly fine and pleasant, not a cloud was to be seen, " Ocean slumbered like an unweaned child," and harmony and good- 1 22 NARRATIVE Itllowsliip reigned among us. We liad met with no savages since leaving Separation Har- bour, nor could any traces of their huts or wig- wams be found on the land about Cape Victory, or in any of the coves or bays where we touched ; we therefore concluded that this part of the coast is but little frequented by the natives. As we were now upon our return, I shall speak briefly as possible of the difl'erent lagoons, coves, and harbours we met with, for I appre- hend that a full description of them would be tiresome to the general reader ; and I have avoided, for the same reason, an account of the dilferent depths of water, and the rise and fall of the tide, aiul all geographical descriptions, as there are some well-penned relations by the preceding navigators upon that head, and I have fhcrefore consideroil any notice from me upon these nuitters altogether unnecessary ; and if in litis narrative I should be found to differ from oUurs in any former account of the Patagonians and Terro del Fuegians, it will be remeniljcred that, " I speak not to disprove what Hrutus spoke, but here 1 am 1o speak what I tlo know." OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 123 On the 27th we weighed from Port Tuesday oil our return : standing over to the northern shore, we brought up in an immense bay, where there is a good anchorage, and called by the captain. Cape Parker. It is an open roadstead, having three low flat islands at each side athwart its mouth. The northern side of this bay is very shallow to a great extent ; and the interior of the country partakes of the usual desolation, swampy grounds, cataracts, and large ponds of water. This bay seems to have escaped the notice of all the preceding navigators, as it is not laid down in any chart of the coast. Captain Stokes and Lieutenant Skyring were engaged the whole afternoon, mid-deep in water, in making a survey of the northern part of the anchorage ; and not- withstanding the weather was cold and rainy, they pursued their observations with unremitting activity and perseverance. While Captain Stokes was thus engaged. Lieutenant ShoU and myself rounded a sandy beach at this part of the bay ; on proceeding onwards we heard a roaring of water, and on breaking our way through the 121 NARRATIVE forest, we catne to a large cataract rolling its foaming course over a steep bank, above which the country appeared to be divested of wood. Having witli sonic dillicuKy crossed this torrent, we came to an open plain, about two hundred paces in breadth and half a mile in length ; on either side of this treeless space the mountains rose to a great altitude, thickly wooded with trees of all sizes, some withered and bleached by age, others of a green and lively verdure. A deadly silence reigned in this solitude, if we ex- cept the now fainter sounds of the waterfall, wliose distant nuirnmrings served but to iieigliten the effect of the surrounding desolation. As we walked along, we came to a natural pond of about thirty yards in circumference. I tasted the water and found it very sweet and good. On regaining the beach, we discovered among some bushes a quantity of muscle and limpet shells, and a few steps further in the forest we came ujjon a regular kraal, or village of de- strtfd wigwams of various sizes. The natives must liave renuiined here some time, for on all sides of these skeleton liuts were strewed a "feat OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 1 25 number of well-picked bones, we supposed of the seal and otter, although some of them ap- peared like the thigh-bone of a child. We searched all the wigwams in hope of nieeting with some shells, but all these drinking cups had been removed. There must have been rare feasting at this place ; and I strongly suspected them to be cannibals and a little wolfish in their appetite, from an incident which occurred in the wigwam of Old Cheop at Separation Har- bour. I had one morning paid a visit to the wigwam, and being seated inside I had taken off my jacket for the younger Indian to admire, and having my shirt sleeve above my elbow, I proceeded to search round the hut for some spear heads, when Old Cheop suddenly clutched me by the elbow with one hand, while with the other he clawed and rubbed my naked arm. Whether he was struck by the difference of complexion from his own brown pelt, or fan- cied a broil (there was a good fire at the time in the wigwam), I know not ; but certain it was that he talked to the younger savage very ear- \'2(i NAKirVTIVH nestly, who also seizeen in her, belonging to a schooner, (the Prince of Saxe Cobourg,) Captain Brisbane, that had been wrecked on the 19tli of December, in P'ury Harbour, at the south entrance of the Harl)ara Channel. These men had been dis- l)atched by Captain Brisbane towards the western entrance, in the hope of falling in with a South- Sea whaler, and it proved a lucky circumstance to them that they chanced to meet with tlie Beagle, as no vessel had hove in sight during our stay in that latitude. They rei)r(sriited the situation of Captain Brisbane as extronuly peril- ous, the Fuegians becoming daily nu)re numerous, and displaying hostile inclinations. The na- tives, when but few in number, are civil enough, and you may strip and leave them bare with im- OF A VOYAUE, ETC. 129 punity ; but I do not consider it at all sale to fall in with them when they have a manifest ad- vantage, as you may get knocked on the head for the sake of a string of beads or a few buttons, although, in some instances, the crew of the whale-boat had met with particular kind treat- ment from some of the families and tribes at the diflerent lagoons wherein they sheltered for the night, for they soon made up a fire, assisted in drawing up the boat, and brought thein plenty of fish, limpets, and muscles ; but this was not always the case, for meeting one day with a number of large canoes full of these savages, they instantly gave chace to the whale-boat, shooting after them with their bows and arrows, and throwing their spears, and, with some dif- ficulty, she escaped by the quickness and su- periority of her pulling. Captain Stokes consequently lost no time in proceeding to Port Gallant, in which we were moored on the 4th instant, and found that since our departure from this harbour the natives had paid it a visit, and had erected several wig- wams ; they had, however, quitted the place, K I.'{(l N \l!|{ \TI\ !•: and lind taken with tliciii the boardiiiG^-pikps wliich we liad left standin*;; on the beach. The next day. Lieutenant Sholl ^vas disjiatclied in the whale-boi\t to Port Famine, witli four men. victualled for twenty-one days, with dispatches for Captain Kint;, to prevent any uneasiness wliieh mii^ht arise in consequence of remaininp; absent from the Adventure for a nnicli lonp:er jjeriod than had been calculated upon. The same day Captain Stokes, the master, and Mr. Kirke, midshipman, with tlie six shipwrecked seamen and some of our own crew, proceeded in the launch and cutter to the relief of Captain Brisbane, at Fury Harbour, about seventy miles distant trom I'ort (iallant. They returned on the 8th, bringing away Captain Brisbane and the rest of the shipwrecked seamen. Mr. Kirke related to me a few particulars of their passage. About midway in the Barbara Chaimel, they en- countered a great many Indians in their canoes, who endeavoured to keep up with the launch and cutter, ami as the boats neared any of the na- tives oceiip\iiig the rocks and headhmds (wliieh in a <^\r;\\ mail) |)l.i(«s were throned l)> lliem). OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 131 they, as the boats passed undcrneatli, set up a halloo, and discharged their arrows and spears, which, however, fell greatly short of the mark ; but how great was the surprise of Captain Stokes and the rest of the officers, to behold some of these naked savages running along the beach, holding in their hands the identical boarding- pikes which had been missed Ironi Port Gallant on our return. These pikes they flourished over their heads in a formidable manner, and this con- duct made the captain still more anxious to make all haste to the relief of Captain Brisbane. Our party were happy to find, on their arrival at Fury Harbour, all of them in perfect safety, although they had been terribly alarmed by the report of one of their men, who was stationed on an adjacent mountain upon the look-out for the return of the whale-boat. This man, per- ceiving two large boats at a distance pulling to- wards Fury Harbour, was seized with a panic, and running down the mountain, he rushed into the tent, erected by Captain Brisbane, crying- out, " The Indians ! the Indians !" In an in- stant they all armed themselves, in the idea that iv 2 l;;i NARRATTVE the Iiuliaiis wrrc attackiiis;- tlifin en /nassr ; and what made this supposition the more probabh', was their conduct a day or two previous, when they made an attack upon the stores, thievin<; every thing they coukl lay their hands on. and were only prevented entering the tent by the de- termined resistance of Captain Brisbane and his crew. As they had departed suddenly. Captain Brisbane conjectured they might return in greater numbers, and expecting an attack, he had made preparations for blowing them up with gun- powder, having ])laced three or four small bar- rels mar their usual landing-place. Our party fouiiil on their arrival the place in a good state of defence, and had the Indians commenced hos- tilities, they would not have had much the best of the fight ; however, the shipwrecked ])arty were agreeably surprised on discovering their mistake, and nmnifested the greatest joy at their unexpecti il diliverance. As the party were returning, they landed where a great many Indians had collected, most of whoui were jjainled or daubed over the face and l)(nl\. r( d and wliilr, and sucli was the 0[- A VOYAGE, ETC. 133 miserable state of .some of these tri).>es, that they hardly appeared the figures of men ; however, they were very friendly, and a good many lances and bows and arrows were obtained from them, in exchange for beads, knives, &c. ; also two of their dogs, which are a breed resembling a fox, all but in colour, which is of a dirty grey cast ; the head is sharp, ears long, and the tail bushy. Belonging to our ship's crew there was a black man, who had gone in the cutter, and he no sooner landed among the natives than they all gathered round him, astonished at his black face, and uttering strange sounds, pointed at him with their fingers, and kept touching his face and pulling his woolly head, laughing loudly, and indulging in many extravagant gestures, as if delighted at his sable appearance ; nor could they believe for some time that it was his real colour ; when, however, they became satisfied of this fact, their joy was unbounded, and they began to dab him with a sort of red earth, which they carried with them in a seal-skin bag. But " blackey" not relishing the metamorphose, he broke tlirouiili the swarm which encircled him, \'M NAItHMIVi: ami made lor the boat, info w liicli lie jiniij)e(l, concealing liiinsclf Ironi view at the bottom of it ; nor e»)ultl lie be persuaded to venture anionrj them afjjain, althou<;h they followed him to the boat, and beckoned him to come on shore, hold- injj out their bows and arrows as an induce- mtiit ; but it was all to no purpose, so they amused themselves by pointing and laughinrr at his woolly head whenever he raised it above the sides of the boat. We left Port Gallant on the 10th, and the same day joined the Adventure in Port Famine, having been absent from her fifty-four days. At our approach she nuinned her yards and gave MS three cheers. It is needless to express the joy manifested on our return — " The smile, the question, and the quick reply, And tlie heart's promise of festivity," — lor our lengthened absence from the ship had created in Captain King and all his ollieers a most painful anxiety. The Adventure had been newly i^ainted. and looked exceedingly gay, and the JJeagIc also was OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 135 smart enough when she first sailed out of Port Famine ; " How like the prodigal doth she return with ovcrweathered ribs, and ragged sails, lean, rent, and beggared by the strumpet wind." — JMcrchant of Venice. All on board the Adventure remarked an altera- tion in our personal appearance, and I believe none of us looked much the fatter for our excur- sion ; we were, however, glad to see them looking so well, and their society and a little good cheer soon made us forget the fatigues and difficulties we had undergone. During our absence, they had manned two boats, in which the master, second mate, a mid- shipman, and clerk, had proceeded to the oppo- site side of the strait, facing Port Famine, upon a shooting excursion, and having remained there a day or two, had arrived nearly mid-channel on their return back, when they were overtaken by one of those severe squalls so prevalent in these straits; and from the tempestuous weather which had now set in, accompanied by a heavy tumbling sea, it required the greatest caution to prevent their bcini; swamped. One of the boats i;}f) NMJltATIVK liad sli(tt a considerable distance a-liead when, MM looking back, they perceived the cutter keel iipprnnost. and their unfortunate companions strn^j^^linj; with the waves; they quickly bore down to their assistance, and the cutter having righted, they saw Mr. Ainsworth (tlie master) and Mr. Hodgskin (the clerk) succeed in getting into her, when she was again upset, and they had to renew tiie struggle lor their lives. The other boat neared them fast, and Mr. Ainsworth and Mr. Hodgskin and the crew were observed clinging to the sides of the cutter, almost ex- hausted. Mr. Williams (second mate) hallooed to encourage them still to hold on ; in a minute afttruards tliey were alongside — but too late. Poor Ainsworth had linally sunk, but not before he liad saved the lite of Mr. Hodgskin, who having lost his hold, exclaimed, *' Oh, Ains- worth, save me !" when the noble fellow at once reached to him om- hand, holding on \vith the other ; his sinking companion seized it, ami was thereby enabled to regain his hold of the cutter. A lew minutes altirwards. poor Ainsworth sud- dt nls disappc-.ircd, being unable longer to sustain or A VOYAGE, KTC. 137 (he weight of his heavy boots and flushing dress, in the pockets of which were several pounds of shot. Mr. Hodgskin was dragged into the other boat, more dead than alive. Three of the men were also drowned, but had it not been for the skill and coolness displayed by Mr. Wilson (midshipman) and Mr. Williams, the whole party would inevitably have met a similar fate. After this lamentable disaster, the survivors thought it most advisable to bear up for the nearest point of land, and running in-shore, landed in a cove, where they passed the night. Early the next morning they set sail and arrived on board the Adventure. Poor Ainsworth ! his good companionable qualities had endeared him to his brother officers, and his loss was much regretted ; soon after- wards. Captain King caused a memento of this unhappy event to be erected on a conspicuous part of Port Famine. This place on our first arrival abounded in snipe, two or three brace flying up every ten paces, but the surgeon of the Adventure (a most excellent shot) had made such havoc amon^ I3S NAKKATIVi: lluin, that they were soon much thinned ; 1 there- lore extended uiy researches alongshore for some miU .s, bivouacking in tlie gipsy style ; and not wanting materials lor making a fire, a teal or a wild duck often made an excellent repast. One >'alKT confessed to us. sometime afterwards, what we hail all alon;^: suspected, that he luul setn no suake, hut that he had said so purposely to have some fun with his shipmates, not sus- ]>ectin:;. at the time, tliat Lieutenant Sholl wouKt interfere ; but seein«:j him take so much interest in the affair, he was fearful of undeceiving; him, lest he shoulil be jjunished. ^Ve kept tlie secret accordinjjly. Durinj; our stay at Port Famine wr were not visited by the natives, althou2;h on the opposite side of the strait the smoke of larjje tires was visible. One afternoon, Mr. Flinn ami Dr. IJowcn went over to meet the inhabit- ants, and succeeded in obtainind>< ; and re<(»l- l)F A VOYACiE, ETC. 145 lecting that I had stepped over a small brook on first entering the forest, I followed the course of this stream, which fortunately for me pursued its course to the sea shore, and in about half an hour brought me (to my no small satisfaction) at the very spot where I entered the wood. The time drew nigh, when a diimer was to be given on shore by Captains King and Stokes, to the officers of the expedition, and the tables which had been erected in the largest tent groaned under a profusion of roast and boiled, and other tender and savory meats, and of an infinite number of wild fowl, together with vast quanties of tongues and hams, and also some tureens, which put some of us in rapture when w^e knew these to contain mock turtle soup, made from an old pig which had been on board some time, and had had the range of Port Famine for a long period. This rich soup, with a plenty of puddings and pies, formed our repast. The wines also were rich and good ; and a number of decanters of port and sherry, Tene- rift'e and Madeira, were distributed about the L 146 NAKKATIVi: table. It was nut in the nature ol some in our berth to view these preparations without feelinj^ an eager anxiety (which we concealed as well as we could) to connnence operations; and by the time the dinner hour had arrived, we were in excellent spirits to do justice to so ample a dis- play. Ca))tain King was the president, on the right hand of w honi sat Captain Stokes, and on the left Mr. Atrill (w hose allections seemed en- tirely captivated by the tureens, which he sur- veyed with evident pleasure). Lieutenant Sholl officiated as vice-president ; and now the soup- ladles were never still, and Captain King was sufficiently employed in distributing it quick enough. Mr. Atrill pronounced it to be " ex- cellent soup," and he came in for a good share of the forced meat balls, while the rich grease ran down the sides of his mouth and glistened upon his chin. Everj' person seemed to enjoy the dinner, and the various dishes were not long without customers: as for me, I was ashamed of eating so much, but looking round and see- ing all as busily engaged as myself. I no doubt escaped observation. After the cloth was re- OF A VOVA(JE, ETC. 147 moved the wine circulated pretty freely, and the healths of many distinguished characters were drunk. Several songs were sung, and the greatest conviviality prevailed, and on the health of Cap- tain King being proposed, that gentleman re- turned thanks in a neat and elegant speech, as did, likewise. Captain Stokes upon a like occa- sion. But nothing could equal the good-humour of our vice-president, who harangued the com- pany with considerable talent, and by his own peculiar hilarity contributed much to the good fellowship of the evening ; and in the plenitude of his joy he did not forget to eulogize the charms of young Maria, the belle of the Pata- gonians, and all of us wished once more to have a look at her Indian phiz. I could perceive that more than one of the gentlemen gave evi- dent signs of being Bcicchi plenus, and the purser by this time had some difficulty in pre- serving his equilibrium. Captain King (who had been conversing with Captain Stokes) now turned round to make some observation to Mr. Atrill, but the purser, not waiting to hear what he had to say, suddenly fell backwards off' the l2 148 NARRATIVE form, giving the table a kick with Lis feet as lie fell. Being quickly raised up by some persons in attendance, he resumed his seat, saying " he thought tliere had been backs to them :" it was all to no purpose ; two minutes afterwards he fell over in the same manner, and was dragged out underneath the tent. The clerk, who had observed him vanish so unceremoniously, stag- gered out to look after him, and the purser per- ceiving him said, " won't you support the but- ton ?" upon which the clerk caught hold of Mr. Atrill to keep him up, but unfortunately he somehow or another rolled into a ditch, drag- ging the purser in after him. The clerk, on getting out, was heard to say, " I 'ra not drunk," but it was said a great many believed otherwise at the time. The vice-president, who had often 'e accordingly dejiarted Iherue, and the ships made the best of their wa> OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 187 to Rio, where we arrived somewhere about the end of May. Although this month is considered cool at Rio, still I could not find it out ; perhaps having recently breathed the pure air of Para- guay, made the heat appear more oppressive, and all in our berth very soon began to exhibit evident symptoms of increased perspiration. It is not every person who has been so fortunate as to be in the Middy's berth of a ten-gun brig, and particularly in a climate where the thermo- meter is above 95° in the shade ; but they may imagine five or six persons crammed in a small space, laying in plenty of hot soup, followed by a curry as hot as the weather, and the air, which is only admitted through the gratings of the pa- tent bull's-eye, veiy often prevented from enter- ing by some of the sailors (employed upon deck) heedlessly placing their naked feet over the ventilation ; but when this was the case, we never failed to disturb them by a gentle push with a fork. Soon after our arrival at Rio, some gentle- men from the Middy's berth of the Adventure proposed an excursion up the country in a boal. 188 NARRATIVE and as I was always glad ot an opportunity ol accompanying them (for they were most excel- lent companions), I obtained leave of absence for a day or two, and as they had provided abundance of provisions of acknowledged and approved flavour, we departed with great spirit and vivacity, and in less than an hour we had reached the villa of Francisco (formerly cox- swain to Sir Sydney Smith, but now a getter- up of linen to the navj',) whom we had often threatened with a visit. On our arrival at his house, we soon spread ourselves over the grounds without ceremony, and coming to a spot where a nund)er of laughing negresses were standing, above their knees in water, employed in wash- ing (which is performed here by stamping upon the linen and afterwards beating it between largo stones), we renmined gazing upon these curious figures, who pursued their daily toil with many noisy splashings and evident cheerlulness. It happened that one of our party (possessed of great ^\arnlth of imagination"* was seized with an inclination to be very attentive to one of th«' flink 1)1 iiiljcs. and was bold enough, consider- OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 189 ing it was liis first attempt, to place his hands on each side of her sooty face, and admire the broad smile, which disclosed the usual supply of strong white teeth defending a mouth of very un- usual dimensions. As his advances seemed to be favourably received by the dingy Blanchisseuse, we began to entertain ourselves with some of the others, and succeeded, for they were by no means averse, in promoting among them a great deal of fun, frolic, and amusement. I suppose we must have made some noise in our gambols, for in the midst of our innocent hilarity Mrs. Fran- cisco rushed in among us, and instantly the black wenches set up a sort of halloo, and fled away with affi'ight and terror ; indeed, all of us at first thought of making a handsome retreat, but having nothing in our heads but a love of fun, we stopped to admire the angry gestures, and listen to the uproarious talk of Mrs. F., but as she could not speak English, and none of us being au fait at scolding in Portuguese, the beauty of the harangue was lost upon us, although we could fully appreciate the force of 190 NARRATIVE the delivery. This was much a^^aiiist our en- tertainment at the house ; for Francisco himself arrived at the spot, and, possibly, vexed at our poaching upon his manor, and set on by his wife, began to be so unreasonable as to wish our immediate departure ; and his wife even re- fused to make an omelet for the clerk, although he told her that he had a great penchant for one at that time. After some angry discussion, we thought it best to get into the boat, but we had not rowed many paces when we were all seized with an inclination for dinner, and we accordingly anchored immediately opposite to the house. Having displayed our provisions (which consisted of a turkey and ham, and a profusion of fowls and tongues, with plenty of foaming bottled ale,) to the sight of Francisco, who kept surveying us from the veranda of his house : we imagined that we could perceive hiui smack his li))s at the abundant repast. After having made a libation of a few bottles of claret, we did not lose time in beating about, but the wind being lair we proceeded further OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 191 up the country, and about five o'clock in the afternoon we made for a large bay, and ran boldly in for the shore. The place where we now landed appeared to be the estate of some Portuguese nobleman, for, about two hundred yards upon the uplands, stood a delightful country-house, having a fine grove of orange trees in the front, with large coffee plantations and vineyards in the rear. Having left the boat in care of the men, we deemed it harmless to rest ourselves in one of the alcoves or arbours, which were interspersed about the grounds, expecting that the proprietor of this spot would shortly arrive, or send and invite us to walk in and refresh ourselves. We waited as long as our sanguine dispositions would allow, and, attracted by the odoriferous perfume of the place, we walked towards the house, but were greatly surprised by not meet- ing with either a Jose or Antonio (most slaves are so named), or hearing any hostile note either of man or beast. When we arrived at the lawn we stopped to consider the propriety of going any further ; but the Devil, or the liquor, one or 192 NARRATIVE the other, put it into our heads to walk in (for the door stood most invitingly open) and seatour- selves in a neatly-furnished room, in one corner of which stood a large and chubby figure of St. Antonio, and a beautiful image of the Virgin Mary, which was surmounted by a costly chain, to which was affixed a crucifix of gold. Being thus self-introduced, and having admired every thing in this room, and refreshed ourselves with a draught from a calabash of fine cool water, we began to cough loudly, to apprize the inmates that they had visitors who required their at- tention ; but the house was perfectly still, not a sound was heard, and considering that some- thing might have happened to the family, we determined to ascertain, if possible, the cause of this inauspicious silence. On ascending the stairs we came to an elegantly furnished room, in the centre of which stood a table provided with an excellent assortment of liqueurs, and numerous bottles of orgeat, tamarina, lemonada, capillaire, and strong waters. A double-bar- relled gun and a pair of red slippers, lay upon one of the chairs ; a set of mosquito curtains and a OF A VOYA(iE, ETC. 193 formidable tobacco-pipe, graced the sofa ; and the sideboard presented a quantity of glass, candlesticks, and goblets. Notwithstanding we endeavoured to set a guard upon our behaviour, yet this was a temptation not to be resisted, and therefore, without venturing a step further in search of the inmates, we arranged ourselves about the table, and passed such a busy and happy half-hour, that now there appeared some danger of the bottles being mulcted of more than one half of their contents. In the height of our enjoyment a door suddenly opened at the farther end of the room, and a thin, spare figure, wrapped in a loose dressing-gown, stalked, with great solemnity, into the apartment, and surveyed us, with a face as pale as ashes, from a mixture of consternation and fear, presenting a fine con- trast to the broad gleam of satisfaction which had spread over the countenances of all our party. On the entrance of this apparition we all arose, and kept making profound bows, but he did not honour us with any salutation. At last, one of us addressed him in Portuguese, when he pronounced, with great significance of o 194 NAHRATIVL voice and gesture, Nao entiende ; words ^vllicli applied to more tluui one meaning, that he did not understand what we said, nor the reason of our being there. Considering silence better than attempting any explanation, we bowed again, and walked leisurely down stairs, leaving our Portuguese host immoveably fixed in the centre of the room, and, no doubt, wondering at the companionable qualities we had evinced at his expense. When we had suflSciently amused our- selves in the orangerie, we got into the boat and sailed among some small islands, upon which we sometimes landed, and proceeded to the various cottages built upon the beach, but not meeting with any novelty — for it was nothing new for us to observe, at the windows of these dirty habita- tions, a gross mulatto woman extracting (a pretty evening's amusement) large piolhos from the heads of her young family — we sought other inland parts, which we hoped would afford both information and amusement. The night began to set in dark, when we stood into a sort of creek, which ran between large plantations, but long before we had reached the centre of it there OK A VOYAGE, ETC. 195 fell a very heavy mist, which wetted us to the skin in a very short time. We began now to pull in good earnest, in order to ascertain, first, whither we had got to, and then to get shelter for the night, if there was a possibility. It now rained very hard, and shortly afterwards the boat grounded, and remained fast upon a bank. After having used vain exertions to get her oft", it was agreed that I should mount on the shoul- ders of one of the sailors, and be carried on shore, which was at a short distance, and make inquiries for the nearest hotel. The sailor had not taken many steps when (whether my weight rendered him top-heavy, or the unevenness of the ground made him reel, I know not,) he staggered some paces to leeward, and not being able to recover his equilibrium, he fell like a dead weight. On witnessing my downfall, all those in the boat recovered their good humour, which had partly vanished as the rain descended ; but for my ow n part, I directed my course towards some palings, which appeared to be the boundary of a small plantation, and getting over them, I was surprised to find myself by a roadside, and in o2 19() NARRAllVE the vicinity of a few miserable liabitations. I was about to knock at one of tlieni. when I observed a pidperia (a grog-shop), within a few yards of me ; thither I soon bent my steps, and quickly ascertained, from tlie staring and wondering in- mates, that the nearest hotel wasat PrayaGrande, from which place we were distant about three miles. Having made my companions acquainted with the welcome news, they hastened on shore. but in so doing they met with much the same drenching as that to which I had been subjected. As there was not the least chance of putting up at this place, we supplied the sailors with a sufficiency of grog and what provisions the pulperia afl'orded, and it being decided that they should remain by the boat (which was now hauled up upon the shore) while we should pro- ceed to the Hotel Francaise, and as a Portu- guese de Liahoa, who came up at the time, undertook to be our guide, we instantly set for- ward, telling the men we would join them the first thing in the morning. About eleven o'clock a< nigh( we arrived at the hotel, when setting our ijuide down to a bottle of Bourdeanx and a OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 197 dish of stewed camaroes (prawns), which stunk abominably of garlic, we went up stairs and soon forgot, in the noble carouse that followed, the disagreeables of the early part of the even- ing. The next morning we hurried down to the spot where we had left the boat, when we were told that a strong party of the policia had visited the sailors in the night, and suspecting them to be stragglers from some man-of-war, had used them rather roughly. However, the men succeeded in making them understand the true reason of their remaining, and they had at last departed, but not before they had contrived to steal out of the boat several of our mess mugs and a knuckle of ham. As I begin to fear the reader will be tired, if he is not so already, should I relate some other incidents which oc- curred before we returned to the ship, I shall not therefore trouble him, but merely state that we found our cruize turn out very little to our emolument, for the BraziUans find (what does not take much penetration or sagacity to dis- cover), that the English navy make sufficient amends, and abundantly compensate for any I9S \\I!I{ATIVI. Tioise, or luireasoiialile (listurbance. \\liiili llie) may cliance to create. In a very few days alter tliis trip I began to discover undoubted symptoms of a wish to seek for a little amusement among the uumde of St. Sebastian ; and it was on a pleasant evening in the month of June that I determined to cool my- self by a walk on shore. If I say 1 did not feel inclined to betake myself to the connnon resources found at the Hotel du Nord, it w as because I began to tire of the monotony ; and and to know the utter impossibility of gleaning any information by remaining there, as I had done formerly, swallowing bad claret and listen- ing to the frantic inirth of the German and Bra- zilian ollicers. It was eight o'clock, and the houses and purlieus of this city were beginning to vomit forth their party-coloured and tawdrily dressed inhabitants. Already the fat and deep- bronzed nudatto, in a dress of virgin ^\hite, was to be seen waddling along in all pomp and nicety with her dark doldrum head uncovered, attended by a sleazy young negress, carrying a pink imihrelln, \\\\\\ Ik r niniith traniinrd fidl of OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 199 banana, who kept gazing upon the numerous fireworks which were exploding in front of the different churches, for this happened to be a feast day, and the Rua D'ereita was one blaze of light. Many large bonfires, at certain dis- tances from each other, burnt fiercely, and around the flaming wood gambolled a number of half-clothed mulatto and negro children. Nu- merous flights of rockets ascended and de- scended (as our showmen have it) in all parts of the city. The loud tolling of the bells, from most of the churches and convents, were inter- mingled with discharges of musketry, and a number of officers of almost all nations, and the dark-haired, pale-faced senhoras, attended by their families, stepped leisurely forward among the motley group, occasionally incommoded by a string of heavily-chained negroes, who came along clanking their fetters in horrible unison with the general noise and tumult. Perhaps this scene was rendered still more striking by the glare of numerous torches, which are car- ried by the procession of the Host, and as this 200 NARRATIVR approaches every one is uncovered, and all the wretched-looking beggars, as well as the me- fliocre of both sexes, fall upon their knees and remain praying until it lias passed. As I made my way through the busy multi- tude, 1 avoided the crowd by walking up an- other street, which presented a contrast to the scene I had just witnessed. In vain did I peer up at the windows to catch a glimpse of any of the inmates — all was still, silent, and motion- less; and the only signs of occupancy which presented themselves were the forlorn negro servants, sitting on the threshold of the doors, singing the Avild airs of their native land in a mournful and pleasing cadence, accompanying their voices upon an instrument of a singular construction, which sends forth a melancholy and cheerless sound. Some of these unhappy wretches play well upon the guitar, and it seems to afford them great amusement to sit at the doors of anight and pour forth Iheir wild me- lody ; and not uufrequently do they exhibit the .strange dances of Iheir countrv. rnlivrned bv OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 201 the sound of the strmn, strum, and the music of the hanyer'^. As I passed by I asked one of them (in the Portuguese language) how long he had been in Rio, and from whence he came. He told me that he had been in this city ever since he was ten years of age, and that he was born a great distance (muito longe) from Ben- guela, in Africa. Upon my asking whether he had ever seen a white man at the place of his nativity, he answered in the negative ; and on my wishing to know what they would do with a white man in his land, he laughed very heartily, and looking at me significantly, passed his finger across his throat. This question of mine seemed to please him very much, and I left him giggling and chuckling over the phrases of Brazellero nao 'sta bom — Meu terra 'sta bom — Ingleses, 'sta mucto bom. At the end of the street I came suddenly upon a swarm of persons who were chanting and screaming before a large waxen figure, gaily festooned with lamps and wreaths of flowers. It was the vesper service. ' An instnuiicnt soiiicwliat similar to the mandolin. 202 NARRATIVi: Upon this occasion they took great pains to make as niudi noise as possible ; and as this asseniblaf^e consisted chiefly of old white-headed, bare-ler!:sed black-a-moors and dolorous-visaged mulattos, throwing up the ^\hites ol their eyes, their countenances undergoing so many changes, and their throats sending forth such jangling notes that it was enough to discompose the gravity of any virgin upon earth. A sepulchral- voiced friai* rolled out the first lines of the prayer, and the " ready chorus" seemed to be made up of as many diflerent sounds as there were persons among them. I am fully sensible that my abilities are in- adequate to the task of conveying an exact idea of the various characters 1 met with that even- ing ; for now was to be seen the gaunt, long- armed, turbaned negress, swinging along with a basket of fuming savoloys, and this shoeless dealer would stop in her career to gaze at the leprous corse of a mulatto infant, which was carried upon a bier. A profusion of roses en- circled the head of the child; the hands, hold- ing a cross, were raised in an attitude of prayer ; OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 203 and its mouth was stuffed full of cotton. The crab-like progression of the numerous cripples ; the friai'S of all the different orders ; the noisy slaves running to and from the public fountains, carrying upon their heads buckets of water ; the ludicrous appearance of the black venders of eggs and vegetables in the different markets ; and the grizzle-headed, paunchy negro women, who supply sweetmeats and aquadente to the canaille, are mingled with the gay throng, and perhaps serve to set off", by their own whim- sical look and dress, the true symmetry and figure of the chaste, the beauty, and the well- born, who enliven the strange promenade. It was past midnight : the streets were partly hushed, except when the sound from the melo- dious guitar of the serenader broke upon the silence, and the distant trampling of the horses of the armed policC; who scour the streets all hours of the night. By this time I had strolled to a remote part of the town, when, as I passed the latticed window of a small house, I heard confused sounds of people talking together in the room. As I listened attentivelv. I distin- 204 NARRATIVF guislied certain pathetic laineiitations and dole- ful cries, whicli led me to suppose that the in- mates hatl met upon some sorrowful occasion. I took, advantage of a pause (being determined to ofl'er my assistance if it were necessary, and knocivcd gently at the door, which was inune- diately opened by a middle-aged woman dressed in white, who first surveyed me with some scrutinj', and, to my great surprise, without any inquiry, said, " Entre, seuhor, entre." On my entrance, I found myself in the midst of a crowd of senhoras, and many lights were gleaming from a side table, upon which also stood some bottles and glasses, partly tilled with wine ; and although some kind of perfume was burning, it did not allay the strong smell of garlic and onions which pervaded the room. It is needless to mention, that I was surveyed by all present with some surprise, but they were a very polite circle, and some of them advanced with an easy gentility, and asked me, in Portuguese, if I was not an English surgeon ; l)ut witiiout waiting for my reply, they hurried me towards a corner ol (he rtpailmcnt, \^licre 1 luhcld. rxtendeil on a OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 205 mattress, the shrivelled form of an old woman, who appeared to be in a dying state. Although I knew about as much of medicine as I did of measuring a curved line, yet it was easy to per- ceive that the old lady was in danger of suffo- cation, not only from the oppressive heat of the room, but also from the officious attentions of the women who crowded round the couch, and counted with great devotion the large beads of their rosaries. Into the right hand of the dying person was thrust a large image of St. Antonio, which, in her agony, she had grasped by the throat ; while in the left hand she crushed a long tallow candle, which I was given to under- stand was placed there as a passport to heaven. Many images of Saints (some of them niaimeti and noseless) lay in confusion upon the bed, and the pale face of Nossa senliora das Merces was reclining upon the neck, more than moderately brown, of the expiring Brazilian, The reader will be mistaken if he thinks that I felt at all abashed at the novelty of my situation ; but, as they seemed to solicit an exercise of my skill, I gently felt her pulse, and began to meditate. 206 NARRATIVi: wliicli has always a line ellect, and then uiy first consideration was to make the crowd fall back to the further end of the room, and the next was to order the doors and windows to be thrown open, for, to confess the truth, the apartment required a little ventilation. One of the young women, whom I afterwards ascertained to be the daughter of the sick lady, then came forward to assist me, and began to wipe the deluge of perspiration from the puckered forehead of her parent, who trembled excessively, making me think that her numerous friends had frightened her very much. I had no sooner found means to make her relinquish the candle than St. An- tonio was subjected to additional pressure, for her hand, moistened by tallow, seized the legs of the Saint, and thus grasped by the head and feet she held the figure before her, and prayed to it most earnestly. Whether it was the fresh air, or some diluted wine which I gave, or the prayers to St. Antonio, I know not, but she so far recovered as to raise herself up ami iaj hold of me, apparently with the generous intention of an ( nihracc, but I pjontly avoided tlio fa\ (U" by OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 207 restricting her to the horizontal position. As 1 perceived that the wine she had taken had acted as a powerful restorative, I ventured to admi- nister a little more to her, but she had no sooner drunk it than she perplexed me very much by falling into a deep sleep or a swoon. I recollected that Gil Bias, when he attended the grocer's son, encountered a little swarthy physician, called Dr. Cuchillo, with whom he fought, and hearing that the old lady was at- tended by a Medico equally swarthy, I began to feel uneasy, and I resolved to depart ; but they would not allow me, for the daughter or- dered the door to be closed, and brought me a tumbler of vinho porto, which she handed to me on a plate, with the sleeves of her dress tucked above her elbows. And now my view was regaled by a table well furnished with dishes of fish and stewed prawns, flanked by omelets ; sausages and onions, and other messes, well gar- licked, were also placed upon the tables. I do not know that I am remarkably liable to be cap- tivated by a good supper, but I nevertheless yielded to their entreaties, and down I sat among 208 NARRATIVi; lliem. As I was accoininodated with a knife and silver fork (the only one the house afforded), I appeared to be singular, for tlie rest dexterously pinched ofi' pieces of fish with their fingers ; and there appeared to be a great advantage attached to this mode of feeding themselves, for the contents of their plates very soon vanished, and the onions were eaten as if they had been apples. But perhaps the reader will imagine that the wine did not circulate freely, that was not the case, and although they did not lose their sobriety of manners, they all drank a suf- ficiency to become rather noisy than otherwise, and gave me a proof of the hospitality of their dispositions, by pressing on me the delicacies of the table, and inviting me to drink ; and this latter invitation, in particular, I never sufl'ered them to repeat, for I always considered it a piece of ill manners to refuse any otters of that kind. As they seemed only to follow the dictates of their own goodnature, I made myself as free as if I had known them many years ; and it may occasion some wonder when I say that they gave way to a remarkable degree of sprightliiiess. and OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 209 tlie old lady seemed to be entirely forgotten, which I thought very odd. And now, perhaps, my readers may laugh at or condemn me, for I shall relate in what manner this adventure ter- minated, and if the latter, earnestly entreat them to act more wisely themselves on a similar occa- sion. I shall content myself, therefore, with this short observation to the phlegmatic and cautious, and return to my narrative. The greater part of this assembly had departed, and I was left with the daughter and a bulbous-nosed elderly lady, and we drank " potations pottle deep" in great friendship and harmony, until I began to fear I was trespassing on their civility, and I accordingly got up to go away ; but thereupon ensued a round of courtesies and compliments, which, as they would be uninteresting to detail, I shall merely say, that at the conclusion the daughter of the invalid had prevailed upon me to stay, and her elderly friend busied herself in spreading upon the floor a mattress and white coverlid, and then resumed her seat at the table, after having trimmed the candles and pointed to the mattress, to signify that I might repose my- 210 NARRATIVE self it"! iVlt siuli inclination, and I was persuaded to recline upon it, for I began to feel symptoms of somnolency creeping over me. But my com- panions seemed determined to make a night of it, and proceeded, with astonishing vivacity, to tako olf a few more bumpers (which was par- donable enough, considering their spirits had been a good deal dashed) ; but I suppose both of them, feeling the effects of their per- severance, soon arose from the table, and the dishes being removed, the elder took off the table-cloth, which having wrapped around her, she snuffed the candles out, leaving only a small lamp burning ; they then flung themselves on each side of me and fell into a deep slumber. I soon followed so desirable an example : but this was too good a situation to last long, for I was awakened in about an hour afterwards by a clat- tering at the window, which was quickly thrown open, and a swinging fat fellow tumbled into the room. As he appeared rather the worse for liquor, I expected that he would fall athwart the mattress, and crush the peaceful trio ; but he stajTcrered to an old sofa in one corner, and OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 211 dropped upon it like a tired bullock^ and after several ill-suppressed eructations he seized my straw hat (which chanced to be tliere), and crumpling it up, placed it under his head by way of a pillow, and with great unconcern fell asleep and snored like an Ogre. As I had, but a day or two previous, purchased my chapeau de paille in the Rua D'ouvidor, I was con- foundedly vexed at seeing it administer to the comfort of this fine fat-headed fellow, and I felt much inclined to disturb the composure of his brawny frontispiece by smacking into it the re- mains of an omelet, but my attention was diverted from so rash an act by a heavy groaning, which proceeded from the sick old lady, and on look- ing towards her, I perceived that she struggled considerably, and by the distortions of her face I imagined there was no time to be lost for her friends to pursue the candle system. I there- fore shook and jogged them with much per- severance ; but all my efforts to awaken them were inelFectual, so deep were their slumbers, in consequence of the wine which they had drunk. Meanwhile, the old lady became worse ; I there- p2 212 N.\i;u\Tivi: Inn; puiidu'd tlicin nahhatim: the siglit ot us, lor men, women, and children gathered around, and the characteristic humour of tlie Irisli here shone in all its native and irre- sistible vivacity. While we testified our surprise that so fine a body of men should be made the victims of the machinations of interested persons, it was proposed by the Irish officers that we should adjourn to their quarters in the barracks and taste the whisky, some of '* the real Simon Pure," an offer we readily embraced, and jiut ill i)ractice immediately. After passing some time in this very agreeable occupation, Moreau, for that was the name of our new acquaintance, became elated, and launched out in tlie praise of whisky, of which he gave an analysis, and what quantity of alcohol a quart of whisky con- tained ; he also swore it was a great purifier of the blood, and tlitn ended his luu-angue by drinking off a large glass of it and damning the Hourbons. I soon ascertained that he had been an officer in the French service, and had served MiKJer the Emperor Napoleon in manj' cam- paigns. He also told me that ho had devoted .some time to the sfuHv of lantruaires. and that OF A VOYAGE, ETC 217 he was a tolerable musician. Having requested a sioecimen of his minstrelsy, one of the Irish officers presented him with a flute, upon which he played several of Moore's Melodies with such a melancholy and tender pathos, that all of us were quite enthusiastic in our praise. After he had executed many passages from Mozart and Rossini with a brilliancy and tone little in- ferior to Drouet or Nicholson, he finished with Erin go bragh. Soon afterwards he entered upon military affairs, and showed his skill in field tactics to Captain H . His manoeuvres were altogether lost upon me, but not upon the captain, whose attention was entirely absorbed, and Moreau and he were very shortly engaged both in column and the extended order. But we were now disturbed by a loud clamour, and we were given to understand that the men's dinner hour had arrived, and the mess was about being served out. I have heretofore observed, that the counte- nances both of soldiers and sailors (at their dinner hour) look brisk and cheerful, but on descending to the place where the provisions were ready 21S SAUUATIVi: for distribution, I saw none but discontented, pale, meagre faces ; and the faded complexions of some of the women, who, on their arrival, looked the picture of health and contentment, tilled us with synipathy and compassion. Se- veral of tiiem approached me with a pail of wash intended for soup, but what had been used as a succedaneum in making it I could not dis- cover, for it was a most nauseous mess. As one of the Irishmen, who carried a large wooden platter upon which was placed a few small pieces of beef, happened to pass, I asked him if he would not have some soup, when he exclaimed, in a very piteous tone, *' To be sure, and I'll be with the Lord if I take a bowl of it ;" and on my expressing a curiosity to know how he liked the beef, he immediately reiilied, " Taste it yourself, sir, and then you'll know all about it." I, however, was not tempted by the ap- pearance of this dish, and therefore declined the invitation; but I endeavoured to alleviate his complaints, by pointing out the privations we were sometimes forced to undergo on board of a man-of-war ; and although the present usage OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 219 of himself and countrymen was discouraging, yet, in a very short time, they would possibly be well fed and receive their pay. He seemed to listen attentively to what I said, but he de- clared that he wished himself at home again, and told me that he bitterly regretted the day when he left " ould Ireland" to sail for Brazil ; and he might have added, " May that hour stand for aye accursed in the calendar." How long these people were condemned to languish on such provisions, for even the bread looked unwholesome, I know not ; but this treatment certainly induced among the Irish an antipathy against the Brazilians, which, on their arrival, existed only on the part of the latter towards themselves. They were promised much, but these promises were not of sufficient efficacy to prevent a great many from becoming distem- pered ; and I had an opportunity of seeing a number, both male and female, extended on their miserable pallets, and destitute of every con- venience necessary for people in their helpless condition. As we were departing I looked round for Moreau, when I observed him sur- '220 NAHRATIVi: rounded by a crowd of the emigrants, who were shaking hands with him, and many of the women ran forward and gave liiin several hearty kisses. I soon observed that his hand was full of milrea notes, and he endeavoured to alleviate their distresses l)y offers of money, but they all rejected this proof of his benevolence. Some months afterwards I ascertained 3Ioreau to have been wandering through the country nearly de- stitute and sine nnmmo ; but he never failed, on his approach to any habitation, to take out his flute, and his great skill in music seldom failed to procure him a lodging for the night> and whatever fare the house afforded. We this day adjourned to the French iiotel at Bota-fogo, where we passed our time ver^ comfortably, and on one of the Irish gentlemen being asked how he liked the Brazilians, he complained of the treatment which he had re- ceived, and observed that amongst other dis- agreeable methods of showing their ennnty, they had thrown something down upon him from the windows. Upon hearing this, ^Moreau observed that lie was not aw arc of the custom, for it was or A VOYACIE, ETC. 221 a decided mark of particular favour and esteem if any lady threw roses or flowers upon an indi- vidual as be passed under the veranda. The Irishman allowed the observation to be perfectly just, but, added he, with great humour, " By the holy Jasus God, there 's a deal of difference be- tween a flower and a brickbat," for it appeared that instead of roses he had been saluted with such missiles. After having entertained ourselves like reasonable creatures (it being by this time pretty late), and prevented Moreau from strang- ling several Frenchmen, for v/e found out that he was a perfect " Alcide," we bade adieu to the Irish officers, who returned to their qaurters, and we proceeded on board, and thus ended this day's adventure, over which I lay revolving in my hammock before I fell asleep. The inhos- pitable reception by the Brazilians of the Irish, a people so proverbially hospitable themselves, was carried to a great length, and I could not help pitying the poor officer who received brick- bats from the senhoras where he might have expected roses. However, soon afterwards I became acquainted with an officer, who, to pal- 222 NARRATIVE liate in some degree their behaviour, related an adventure, which went certainly so far as to prove that the other portion of his majesty's liege subjects were not equally out of favour with them. He had been but a short time in Rio, and was a proficient, I believe, in every- thing but the language. He was a great lover of the opera, and having plenty of money at his command, he on every night of performance took his seat in one of the boxes on the second tier, not from any dislike of the pit, but merely for the pleasure of being near the person of a young and beautiful senhora, who consorted with a venerable and discreet lady in the next box. As he was what is termed a good-looking fellow, and, when dressed to the best advantage, made no despicable appearance, it may be ima- gined that this young damsel wished to extend her conquests, for he certainly perceived that behaviour in her which he reasonably enough interjjreted as an encouragement to many per- suasive looks which his admiration had induced him to give her. 1 have said that the boxes at Kio are partitioned oil"; he had therefore no OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 223 very convenient access to her, but as slie re- clined close to the partition on one side, and lie on the other (through the force of attraction I suppose), their arms came occasionally in con- tact, but the pressure was so gentle, and so innocent, that it may be supposed the young lady was not aware of the circumstance, for she did not alter her position, but suffered her elbow to remain resting on the velvet cushion. My friend felt not a little flattered at this instance of her condescension, and while he was thinking how to bring about an assignation with this graceful beauty, she turned her face full upon him, and her eyes, " so large and languishingly dark," beamed with an expression similar to that of Widow Wadman, when she made an attack on my Uncle Toby ; not that I mean to associate such an experienced campaigner as the Widow Wadman with this fascinating sen- hora, for she as far surpassed the widow as greatest does least. At this " leer of invitation" he felt his affection increase to such a degree, that he nearly yielded to his transports, and was almost tempted to serve the delicate arm of 224 NARRATIVE this innocent creature in the same manner as Tom Jones did the muff of Sophia. And now I am fearful that the reader will, when he has read the end of this adventure, blame mj- friend very much for his want of "' tact" (vile phrase), or whatever name may be considered more suit- able, for as soon as the senhora perceived the gentleman ogling her with unabated ardour and vivacity, she, with a modest deportment and downcast eyes, withdrew a diamond ring from her finger, and placed it with great circum- spection and secrecy, beyond the partition, on the edge of the velvet covering of my friend's box. But, alas ! his evil genius presided at that hour; for, from some unaccountable feeling (and which certainly will render him liable to a charge of stupiility), he suffered the ring to re- main glittering before his eyes, and, without offering to take it up, remained gazing at it Avith astonishment. Whether the young lady considered herself slighted by his not innne- diately removing it, or fearful of discovery, I know not, but certain it was that she very (luickly snatched the ring away, and having OF A VOYAtJE, ETC. 225 darted at my amazed friend a look of reproach and anger, she spit down by the side of her (a most sovereign mark of contempt among the Brazihans), and hid herself from view. At this unexpected behaviour my friend sunk back in his chair, and remained for the space of a few minutes overwhelmed with shame and confusion, but wishing to retrieve this sad mistake, and trusting that his case was not quite hopeless, he ventured to lean forward, and prepared to give her a most redeeming sort of ogle, but to his great regret and chagrin he found that she had quitted the box, and that her place was oc- cupied by a lady, who in age and dress more resembled Tamehamalu, the Queen of the Sand- wich Islands, than the beauty he was in pursuit of, only this lady was on a much larger scale, and had a nez retroussh, with a face of the colour of a well-burnished warming-pan, and eyes like Dame Leonarda, that " flamed in purple." In short, she was so much the reverse of the indignant unknown, that he instantly made a safe and quiet retreat, and went in search of the maiden, not doubting that if he Q 226 NARRATIVE could meet with a convenient opportunity, he should be able to bring the adventure to a fa- vourable issue. But he lound, to his great sor- row, that she had left the theatre, and although he visited the opera many times afterwards, he never saw her again. Captain Stokes now received orders to sail from this harbour ; their general tenor was, tiiat he should proceed to Santos, on the coast of Brazil, and then make the best of his way to Paranagua, and after touching at the Island of St. Catherine, to proceed to Monte Video, and return from thence to Rio Janeiro. Being by this time well manned, the Beagle, on the 17th of June (leaving the Adventure at anchor), sailed from Rio, and without any event worthy of ob- ser\ation, arrived ofl' Santos on the 21st instant. When we came in sight of the fort, they fired a gun, and we observed two vessels bearing down upon us, and in a short time we perceived the largest to be a twenty-gun ship, the other was a schooner, and her deck was literally crowded with men. On looking towards the beach, opposite the fort, we saw, to our great OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 227 astonishment, numbers of people running about in the greatest possible disorder ; but, never- theless, some of them contrived to bring two or three twenty-four pounders to bear upon the Beagle, for by this time we had come within range of the fort, and sailed very quietly into the harbour. We were totally at a loss to know what all this could mean, and, indeed, were some- what distressed at seeing them take so much trouble on our account. As the ships neared us amazingly fast, we were not long in suspense, for we were hailed by the largest ship, and having answered her inquiries, she sent her boat on board with an officer, who told us that the ship he came from was the Pampero Brazilian brig- of-war. It happened that they had mistaken us for a Buenos Ayrian privateer, for not unfre- quently these privateers were cruizing oif the harbour, and as they had observed the supposed Buenos Ayrian stand into the bay, they had em- barked a number of men from the fort, deter- mined to give her warm reception. It was almost impossible to help laughing at the ridi- culous-looking faces of the mulatto soldiers on q2 NARRATIVE board of the smaller vessel ; and, doubtless, all these men were very happy to find that we were peaceably inclined, for they have a very great dread of fighting, and particularly at close quarters. The " Pampero," as well as the fort, now made great despatch in saluting, and the usual number of guns were fired by the Beagle. Lieutenant Sholl, waited on the governor of the fort, to mention our intention of anchoring off the town of Santos (which lays about three miles up an arm or creek as broad as the Thames), which the governor readily permitted, but it was evident that he had not recovered his composure, for he looked very sallow and uneasy, and did not offer to Lieutenant Sholl any particular civility. A^ hen we had arrived half way up the creek, a boat came alongside, in which was the commandant (a quick and in- telligent person), who coming on board, re- quested that Captain Stokes would not salute the fort immediately on his arrival off the town, for they were by no means prepared to return it, as the guns were out of order, but in a few hours they would be in readiness, and he would OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 229 make a signal to that effect. Captain Stokes having acceded to this request, we anchored within a cable's length of the town. In a day or two after our arrival, Mr. Kirke and myself obtained permission from Captain Stokes for an excursion into the interior of the country as far as the town of St. Paulo, which is reckoned distant from Santos about twelve or thirteen leagues. Early in the morning we went on shore, but after the most persevering efforts we were unable to procure horses, and we there- fore proceeded to the house of Senhor Whittaker, his Britannic majesty's vice-consul, and meet- ing there with a Mr. Kilkenny, who officiated as his clerk, he kindly offered to direct us to a person who kept good horses, and he advised us to be well mounted, as it was generally con- sidered a tedious journey. We accordingly passed through the neat and quiet town of San- tos about a mile into the country, where we entered a house inhabited by a tall, thin figure of a Portuguese, and a capacious-bodied woman of the middle age, and at the end of the room sat a swarthy young man picking his finger- 230 NAHI{ATlVi: nails with a silver-liaiuUed dirk or knife, which he quietly on our entrance put into his bosom. Mr. Kilkenny soon explained the nature of our visit ; but they could or would not muster any nvilas that day, but at seven o'clock the next morning they would be ready. Having no alter- native, we closed with him for the morrow, and with some feeling of disappointment, we pro- ceeded back to Santos, and passed the remainder of the day in viewing the town. The general appearance of the streets was clean and healthy, and the inhabitants appeared to be quiet and inoffensive. The Rua D'ereita is the best and longest street, for the houses are generally two stories high ; and I was extremely glad to per- ceive that the ladies do not here, as at Rio, keep themselves screened from observation, but seem to have a wish to exhibit their pleasing faces to the view of Englishmen ; indeed, the ladies of Santos are really handsome and well-behaved. There appeared to be very few padres in this town, at least 1 saw but two or three, and one (•ftlitin was a cheerful paunchy-looking fellow, and iiad a lace pufTed out like a glassblower. OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 231 Most of the churches are of extremely plain architecture, and neither rich in gilding nor plate. There is no hotel, but many better sort oi pulperias are to be found in all parts of the town. The campo or square is not large, and in some places was covered with grass. I soon had an opportunity of becoming so far acquainted with the inhabitants as to ascertain that their minds were entirely given to mercantile pur- suits, and that no person had been guilty of making any collections in zoology, mineralogy, botany, or conchology, their knowledge being confined to the price of sugar, the rate of ex- change, or the means of smuggling a cargo of matte safe to Buenos Ayres ; but when I learnt there was not a Scotchman in the town or vicinity, I began to fear that Santos could not be a very desirable or improving settlement. The militia were numerous, and were often- times seen crawling about the town, and most of them appeared to have been born with a cigar in one hand and a bottle of aquadente in the other. On the following morning Ave were told that 232 NAHKATlVi: Mr. Whittaker was that day to accompany Cap- tain Stokes and Lieutenant ShoU to St. Paulo, therefore Mr. Kirke and myself determined to precede them, and we accordingly set ofl" to the habitation of tiie Portuguese muleteer. We were given to understand, the day previous, that the ride to St. Paulo generally occupied two days ; and that, moreover, we should require a guide, also that the roads were sometimes dan- gerous on account of the runaway negroes, who found a safe retreat in the surrounding forests, and sometimes practised a little robbery and murder upon travellers to and from Santos ; and we likewise received a hint to keep clear of any Brazilian soldiery whom we might chance to meet upon the tramp towards St. Paulo, for such people were as much to be dreaded as the runaway slaves. By the time we arrived at the muleteer's it was eight o'clock, and being pro- vided with tolerable ponies we trotted off to get breakfast at Cubertam, a towii three good leagues from Santos, and where our Portuguese i'ricnd told us we should meet with every con- venienre and luxury. The apprehension of not OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 233 meeting with a good breakfast at Cubertam would certainly have had its effects upon our spirits ; but as it was, we set forward in the joyful anticipation of superior accommodation, which had such an effect upon the buoyant spirits of Mr. Kirke, that he dashed off at a quick canter, and I now found that he was far better mounted than myself; for the mule on which I rode had a plaguy rotundity of stomach, inasmuch that I found it impossible to keep my legs in a comfortable attitude, for they flew out on each side in an oblique and graceless manner. The morning was beautifully fine, and the road, which is excellent, is on each side encompassed by thick and impenetrable forests, and numerous rivers intersect the country for miles around. We passed over a well-made wooden bridge thro wn across a rapid stream (which, indeed, forms an island upon which Santos is built). As we were approaching to cross the bridge, our atten- tion was arrested by a ragged negro boy, having on his head a basket filled with some kind of provision, who told us that he had been sent forward as our guide, but not wishing the assist- 234 NARRATIVi: ance of this sable conductor, we told biin to return ; but as be said tbat he lived at St. Paulo, and was then on his way, we threw bira some vinteens, which made the poor creature grin with delight. There are some huts built by the side of this bridge, and the inmates support themselves by fishing and growing mandioca, depending a good deal upon the orange, plan- tain, and banana which grow spontaneously here. Every person we met upon the road in- variably took off his hat, although we could willingly have dispensed with this polite custom, for our arms fairly ached, a!id my straw hat was compressed into various forms. After riding some time, we inquired of some peasantry how far it was to Cubertam : the answer was, " Two leagues." We therefore rode briskly forward for half an hour, when meeting a party of muleteers we made the same inquiry, and these people said that Cubertam was " two leagues and a half." Aliout a mile from this party we met others, who now said that Cubertam was " three leagues distant." These answers not meeting our ideas of progression, we set for- OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 235 ward at a good round pace, and in twenty mi- nutes came to another wooden bridge, extending across a swift river, of considerable breadth, on the other side of which, we gladly ascertained, was the anxiously sought Cubertam. On pass- ing over the bridge, a wan mulatto sentry re- ferred us to a small house, a good deal in the style of our toll-gate, at which place a corpulent Portuguese demanded fourteen vinteens for a passport. We took this opportunity of stating our intention of reaching St. Paulo that day, and also of getting breakfast at Cubertam ; and judging, from the bluff and florid look of this keeper of the toll-gate, that he was familiar with the best eating-houses, we asked him to direct us accordingly. In answer to this request he observed, that Cubertam, as long as he recol- lected it, could never boast of a hotel for accom- modation, and was at all times, particularly for an epicure, badly provisioned. The well-fed look of our informant certainly somewhat belied the assertion. However, that we might not linger under the torments of uncertainty on this point, he called his servant and told him to pre- 236 NARRATIVE cede us into the town, and assist in obtainina; such delicacies as the place afforded. On our approach to it, " though no ghost, we might have taken his word for a thousand," we found the town to consist of about one hundred miser- able huts, wretchedly built of sticks and poles, and the inhabitants the undoubted representa- tives of extreme poverty. On making appli- cation at one of the hovels, pointed out as one usually found to be the best provisioned, we had the mortification to discover that neither coffee nor bread, nor, in fact, any thing was obtain- able ; and after being for some time bandied about from one house to another, we found to our discomfort that success was not to be ex- pected. We then thought of proceeding further, but on being told that the intermediate villages between Cubertam and St. Paulo were in in- finitely worse circumstances, we, as a last re- source, entered a filthy-looking cabin, where a party of muleteers were regaling themselves off fried pork and farina, which, however, sent forth such a savoury odour to persons in our laniished condition, that we soon came to the OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 237 determination of requesting the liost to furnish us with a rich mess of the same, for our appe- tites by this time were whetted to a clamorous anxiety ; and on being told that in half an hour this said tantalizing dish would be ready, we sauntered forth to view the town. Before most of the doors were seated women of a meagre and dejected appearance, and some of these tawny creatures were employed in the disgust- ing manner I have before had occasion to notice, which induced the wish that I could extend to thera the benefit of some ivory instrument to facilitate their lab oui's. Smoking tobacco seemed to be also a favourite amusement, for many of these women had a cigar in their mouths, and kept watching their dusky children, who were frisking about, almost in a state of nudity, among the muleteers and mules, for nearly five hundred mules at this time were resting in the square. These useful animals were laden with arobas of sugar, which are sent from St. Paulo, and generally make the journey in two days. A great many of the muleteers were armed with a brace of pistols, and all had a long knife stuck 238 NARRATIVE in a belt on the right side of the back. They are thus armed to protect them on the road ; for they told us of a robbery and murder com- mitted a year or two before, and ever since then they had travelled in the manner described. The character of these muleteers is belied by their appearance, which is ferocious in the ex- treme ; for their scowling dark, visages shaded by large straw hats, their cloaks scarcely long enough to conceal the pistols and long knife, and some having a huge cutlass dangling by their sides without a sheath, gave them more the appearance of banditti than a harmless and civil people, for such they are, and such we found them on our journey. The inhabitants of the square at this time presented a very novel appearance, and we here met with a great variety of vagabonds running about bareheaded and without either shoes or stockings, and it is amusing to observe the very tattered and torn of society treat each other with extraordinary ceremony, never failing on meeting to exchange compliments, by raising their hats (should they happen to have one) and bowing for some time OF A VOVAOE, ETC. 239 reciprocally. A lame old negro leaning on his crutch (with one of his legs as thick as a mill-post, and bandaged with dirty cloths, and the other leg blessed with a lateral curve) would stop to ex- change a polite morning salutation with a mu- latto woman, her hair (escaping from beneath the folds of a red striped cotton handkerchief bound round her head) hung half way down her back, and carrying in one hand a wicker basket filled with oysters and sugar-cane, and in the other a bundle containing bananas and plantains. Many young girls, of a yellow and copper hue, were standing in the square, show- ing their dirty, yet small and pretty, feet, and talking in a loud tone to the muleteers ; and I also saw many black wenches amusing them- selves by tearing the rind from the sugar-cane with their conspicuously white teeth, and after- wards sucking the juice with great satisfaction. The ordinary provisions are dried fish, oysters, dried beef, pork, eggs, farina, and aquadente. Having returned to our rendezvous, for I will not call it an hotel, we were supplied with a greasy and smoking dish of pork and farina, and 240 NARRATIVi: a few biscuits and oranges were also set iipou tlie table. The knives and forks seemed to have been " slubbered through the general knife- cloth/' but this we soon remedied. We seemed to attract the attention of every person, and I have no doubt they considt'red us to be of ex- traordinary look and appearance — it was quite reciprocal. Our host, naturally loquacious, told us, with much indiflerence, that an Englishman lived within a few doors ; rejoiced at this, we immediately started up and walked to his house (which was two stories high) and were so lucky as to meet him coming out of the door. He re- gretted not having sooner heard of our arrival, and as he informed us that he was then coming in search of us, we were exceedingly glad to prevent him any trouble of that kiiul. To his inquiries about our acconunodation, we con- fessed the extremity to which we were reduced, the unacceptable feast of farina and pork, at which relation he laughed heartily ; and he then said, that being perfectly aware of the enter- tainment wc should meet with, lie had i)repared a breakfast, wliicii was now rrady, and only OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 241 waited our arrival. As I thought he spoke in a very sensible manner, in order to show how much we valued his attention, we thanked him for his politeness, and accepted his invitation. After passing an hour at breakfast very agree- ably, we bade adieu to Mr. Smith (who, by the by, was a Dane) and his good hospitality, and mounting our mules again, set forward on our journey. After leaving Cubertam, the roads began to get bad, and by the time that we arrived at the foot of the Serra it had become very rugged and uneven. The height of this mountain is said to be nearly four thousand feet, and the ascent to the top is reckoned at two leagues. Here we had to trust to our mules, who seemed to under- stand the business they were upon, by the energy and sagacity with which they pursued this rugged and winding track, bounded by precipices, and obscured frequently by so dense a mist, that we were compelled to stop until it had cleared away. The mournful dashing of the waters, that rush in torrents down the various cliffs and through R 242 NARRATIVE the caverns, cause a romantic and gloomy feel- ing. In some of the many and narrow defiles we frequently met companies of mules, laden with su<2^ar, descending by slow and cautious steps, and unless you are careful in passing them, it may be productive of mischief, for I was more than once nearly thrown down by their coming in contact with me, for the mules, on meeting you, crowd close together, and de- scend very rapidly ; consequently, such a col- lision would be much better avoided. The sharp- visaged muleteers were very civil, and gave us many vivas, so habitually ceremonious, that I believe if either of us had rolled down a pre- cipice, it would have been attended with a " Viva, senhor," and the head uncovered. I have said that they are a most savage-looking set, but we had nothing to fear from their long knives ; but the heavily-laden mules gave us every annoyance. Within a mile of the summit you have an extensive view of the surrounding country, and Santos, d la distance, appears a compact and pretty town. Various combina- OF A VOYAOE, ETC. 243 tions of rivers are seen spreading and meander- ing in all directions, but I cannot say that " Here Ceres' gifts in waving prospect stand, And nodding tempt the joyful reaper's hand," for nothing meets the eye but forests of trees, displaying a wildness of country, and such a depth of woods, that agriculture is quite out of the question, and impracticable. Half way up the Serra my mule stopped, and all my beating and banging was of no avail ; not a step further would she move. At this time some muleteers passed, and one of them, taking a whip from his pocket, applied it so successfully to the sides of the animal, that her obstinacy was soon over- come. I purchased this convenient whip, but he told me that the mula was wo 'sta bom, and would not reach St. Paulo that evening. On reaching the highest point of our journey, there is a low hamlet, at which you may obtain some qu(Eso (cheese) and aqiiadente. The descent of the Serra proved far less troublesome, and the surrounding country and roads were wild and irregular ; for not unfre- r2 244 NxuHATivi: quently did the roail descend through deep and narrow defiles, wliere the overhanging woods being lofty, and the branches thickly interwoven, threw a deep obscurity around, and rendered the path dreary and romantic. As we rode along this silent pass, we observed a large cross erected in a deft of the rock ; it iiail been roughly made, and was fast mouldering to de- cay. Not a great distance from this spot an- other large crucifix met our sight, but in a much better condition than the former, and we now recollected the circumstance of the murder told us by the muleteers at Cubertam ; and as the Portuguese generally erect a cross upon the spot where such a crime has been perpetrated, in all probability this was the place selected for the purpose, for the intricacies of the surround- ing thickets atlorded a safe rendezvous for lurk- ing desperadoes. At an angle of the road, and just after we had merged from this foarlul spot, we came suddenly upon a small detachment of mulatto soldiers at their bivouac. They were without shoes, and apparently unarmed. Some Were asleep, \\hile others amused themselves by OF A \ OVACi:, ETC. 245 playing at cards and smoking cigars. As we rode past, they took no other notice of us than merely begging a few vintins. Soon afterwards we came to an open view of the country, and a few low thatched houses on the brow of a hill (the trees for the space of two hundred yards having been cleared away for cultivation), and a demure negro wench, balancing upon her head a basket of eggs, and strolling towards the low hamlets, were the only objects which met our sight for some miles. The next village, I for- get the name, consists of three or four houses, wherfe the inhabitants, particularly in their cook- ing, are disgusting and nauseous, and we also observed a few disagreeable-looking hamlets in the vicinage. After leaving this place, we fell in with a Brazilian settler, who existed, I can scarcely say lived, at Fricasee, another poor village, notwithstanding its savoury name, a few miles from the one we had just quitted. On our arrival, the Brazilian undertook to provide some refreshment for ourselves, and he therefore placed before us some hard boiled eggs and cheese., which he y)ronounced to be 'sta hoin ; but to 246 NARRATIVE the mules he threw several pumpkins, which these animals seemed to consider very succulent and refreshing. Upon inquirj-, we found that in travelling it is usual to give them no other provision ; indeed, they liked the pumpkins better than the dry Indian corn, which was left untouched. The sorry animal upon which I rode, at this place seemed much inclined to remain, and as I had borne throughout the day, w ith some forti- tude, the stubborn whims of this precious vmla, I had no wish to risk his humour any further, particularly as the evening had set in, and we were still three good leagues from tiie city. I accordingly made application to the brazallero, who undertook to furnish me v,'\{\\ a better. In a few minutes he produced a " a high trotting horse," curveting and whisking about a long tail in such a numner, that I almost regretted asking for one, for I was rendered so fatigued by the uneasy pace of the mule, that 1 felt more inclined for the "ladj's pony" than this fiery Bucephalus. Bidding adieu to our host, we pursued our journey, and putting our horses to OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 247 a heavy canter for an hour, we gladly listened to the distant sound of the bells from the churches of the city ; but the ascent of rockets and other fireworkSj together with the explosion of guns, proclaimed that some rejocing was going for- ward at St. Paulo, the cause of which we had yet to ascertain. As we entered the square, up went a flight of rockets, loud vivas ! were screeched out by a numerous concourse of the polite natives and ragged mulattos, and other members of the garlic-eating rabble were running about with light tapers in their hands. Pistols and muskets were fired, and most of the windows were gaily festooned with lights. In a word, there was a vast vociferation, and a number of strange and ludicrous figures, of both sexes, were spectators of these rejoicings before the large figure of a saint, which was exhibited, glittering with tinsel and robed in white, on one side of the square. It was the Festa de St. Joao (Feast of St. John). A great many of the better sort of people were standing before the doors of their houses, and the young ladies of the family appeared to have 248 NAUKATIVli a great deal ol" good nature, lor tliey were laughing and talking with some jovial-looking padres, and we observed other priests walking about, folded in their long black garments, who evidently preferred the noise and clamour of the square to the dreary silence of the cloisters of the cathedral. We had no sooner arrived in the centre of the place than we were surrouiuleil by a number of the ragged ba^^lers, who car- ried the torches, and they seemed glad of an opportunity of showing their zeal before two strangers, for they renewed the shouts of Viua St. Jooo. In a mischievous moment, a hori- zontal rocket, or bit.scape, whizzed along the ground, and exploded \\ith a loud noise under 111} horse's feet, anil in an instant 1 had disap- peared of]' his back, for the animal gave a most ieartul plunge, and I was so unfortunate as to come to the ground in a very humiliating manner. Nevertheless, I was concerned to see a tall, straw-hatted Guy Faux looking fellow . at whose iVet I had fallen, instead of assisting; me to rise, start back several paces, as if he had received a kick in the mouth, no doubt frightened at suih OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 249 ail unexpected event. But 1 got upon my feet, and offered no apology for the fright I had occa- sioned him. On looking round for Mr. Kirke, I perceived him riding furiously after a shoeless mulatto boy, who was running away in great terror^ with his ragged hair flying about in con- fusion. The people in the square gave way on all sides, and so eager was Mr. Kirke to come up with the scared runaway, that I verily be- lieve he would have trotted over St. John had he stood in the way. Nevertheless, the urchin escaped, and Mr. Kirke came to my assistance, when he told me that the boy he had been chasing was the person who threw the rocket. Meanwhile I had been making inquiries for the French hotel (the house we had been directed to put up at), for I suffered much pain, and not being able to raise my arm from my side, I was fearful that I had dislocated my shoulder. On stating thus much to my friend, he, as well as myself, made repeated inquiries for Senhor Jaques, but we had the mortification to find, that no person knew him or the French hotel. For (lie space of half-an-hour did we remain sur- 250 NAHRATIVE rounded by these tender-hearted people, en- deavouring to make them understand, but all to no purpose ; their attention was absorbed in the contemplation of the fireworks, wliich glided through the air; and our voices were frequently drowned in the din of the musketry, and the loud outcries of Viva Sf. Jono. At this period a Portuguese approached, who, fortunately for me, was not so crazed and lunatic as those we had been speaking to, for he exactly comprehended our dilemma, and, taking the horses by the bridles, he beckoned us to follow him ; an in- timation I obeyed with great good-will, for the pain of my arm had become almost excruciating. In a few minutes we arrived at the hotel, and on the appearance of Senhor Jaques I made him ac- quainted with my mishap, and asked him to fetch a surgeon. At the name of surgeon he appeared much alarmed, and eagerly inquired, " Vat de matter ?" then holding up the candle to my face, he, with a woful countenance, exclaimed, " By Gar ! you look so ])ale." He then alarmed the family, and forward rushed his Portuguese wife and servants, and I was led iipstnirs to an ex- OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 251 cellent apartment. By the time I had finished a large tumbler of wine and water, I felt greatly revived ; and on asking for Monsieur, I was told that he had gone for a medico. He returned in a short time, and requested me " To go to my sleep for a leetel time," as the surgeon had gone into the country, but would return in something less than three hours. I cannot refuse myself the satisfaction of declaring, that the attentions I received from the honest Frenchman and his wife, were so humane and beneficial, that even if I had been their son I could not have met with greater kindness. In about an hour, to our surprise, the doctor attended, and on examining my arm he smiled, and said, Nada, nada, (no- thing, nothing) ; but I was not so credulous as to believe him, for my shoulder was much swelled, and the pain extended to my fingers' ends. I endeavoured to convince him that my arm would be the better for a little pulling and hauling ; but he laughed and shook his head, and still exclaimed, Nada ! nada ! nada ! During this altercation, Mr. Kirke paced the room with rapid strides ; the Frenchman's wife held up her 252 NARR\TIVE bands and exclaimed, Pobrt Inglise (poor Eu- gUshmanV. and the Frenchman stared in my face without uttering a syllable. As I continued to differ with the surgeon, who laughed at my in- credulity, he took his departure, having first ordered me to bed, and telling the Frenchman he would send me an embrocation. In this melancholy pUght I lay down sufficiently out of humour, and for a length of time I was in great torment, but suddenly my shoulder righted with a sbght snap, and I was no longer uneas}'. Al- lowing that I had been inclined to sleep, it would have been impossible, for there proceeded from beneath the window such a confusion and hal- looing, of Viva St. Joao, and the firing re- sounded through the streets in concert with the rattling of drums, the tolling of bells, and the shrill vivas of the delighted multitude, that I was fain to imbibe a sufficiency of vinto to enable me to withstand such a visitation ; for I did not beUeve the inhabitants of such a retired place as St. Paulo would be guilty of carrjing their fea5t-va<;k, K'ic. 2r>:i As we Ijad nieutioned to our host that Cap_ tain Stokes and other gentlemen were on their road, and in all probability would shortly ar- rive, he busied himself iu making every pre- paration, and he frequently entered the room, in great anxiety, to acquaint us with their non- arri\al — a circumstance we* began to wonder at ourselves, for it was now late. The next morn- ing I nmch regretted my inability to attempt a journey to the gold mines within ten miles of the place ; but I did not wish to prevent Mr. Rirke from proceeding — he, however, decHned going by himself. At breakfast we were made acquainted, that the population of St, Paulo was in proportion of fifteen women to one man ; and that the padres behaved with energj' and dis- cretion. And their conduct wi^l appear so much the more commendable when 1 declare that they are solely animated by a love of religion and morality, as every person will allow when they know, that three-fourths of their time is passed among the women ; and not unfrequently does the " lascivious pleasing of the lute" cheer the good men in their lonely cell. If a lady falls 254 NARRATIVE into a fit of melancholy, she sends for a padre. Should a padre be oppressed d la Chuny (the elephant), he sends for a lady, and thus do the padres pass their time in a manner which justifies a presumption that their complexion and habits are exceedingly devout, not at all licentious. Indeed, I heard say that they were particularly remarkable for instances of self- denial. Mr. Kirke and myself sallied out soon afterwards, in the expectation of meeting a num- ber of smiling faces, with sloe-black eyes and flowing locks, and we beat up successively every street in the town ; but I suppose the ladies must have been engaged with their padres, for, if I remember aright, we saw none but old women trudging about. Sometimes a small lilly-white hand would be waved through the latticed window, and a gentle voice would exclaim, Ah, Ingleses ! which salutation we would acknowledge by a piteous — ah. Senhora! The houses in this city are plain, generally two stories high, and have a light appearance. The churches are heavy, and not built in the best style of architecture. The streets are OF A VOVAGK, KTC. 255 clean, and the temperature of at this time was 65°. As we wandered some distance out of the town, Mr. Kirke recollected that there was then residing in it an English gentleman (whose name I am ashamed to say that I now forget), who had made some valuable researches in botany, which science he pursued with un- wearied perseverance, being constantly in the adjacent woods. As we had an inclination to call upon him, it was first requisite to know in what part of the town he resided, and with the intention of ascertaining it, we walked towards a number of sparkling-eyed senhoras, whom we observed parading before the doors of a handsome house. Approaching, therefore, with as genteel an air as possible, (Mr. Kirke turned out his toes, and divested himself, pro tempore, of the rolling walk of a seaman, and for myself I must have looked in- teresting with my arm in a sling,) we inquired for the casa (house) of Senhor . After some consideration, one of the young ladies tripped towards the window, at which was seated '27)() NARRATIVK a venerable-looking don, witli his head buried in a bro«n woollen cap, to whom she made known our application, ^Vhen we came near him, he observed us attentively, and without speaking a word he threw liimselt back in his chair, with his head lolled upon one side, bis mouth askew and open wide enough to exhibit a few decayed iangs, and closing one eye, with the other he looked up at the ceiling for some time, as if endeavouring to recollect the person. But what gave me a lively idea of the estimation in w hich talent is looked upon, or understood, at this place was the circumstance of tliis cele- brated botanist being designated by the old gen- tleman tin pintador (a painter), for suddenly recollecting himself he called a mulatto serv ant, and directed him to show us the house of the pintador. Having thanked this enUghtened don for his civility, and bowed to the ladies, we followed our conductor, and on arriving at the house of Mr. , he. unfortunately for us. was not at home, and we were consequently prevented OF A VOVAUE, LTC. 257 troin acquainting him witli tlie agreeable cog- nomen bestowed upon him, and which, doubt- less, would have occasioned him some mirth. Having occasion for a black silk handker- chief, I made inquiries for a mercador (for there are not too many shops or lenclas in this town), and one being pointed out, we walked towards the house. On our entrance, the master was happily engaged in playing at cards with some others, and he did not seem much inclined to leave the game to sell his goods. This man was a general dealer, for his shop was festooned with fiddles and guitars. He sold sugar, cheese, boots, hats, skyrockets, and rein-deer tongues. Can- dles (four, six, and ten to the pound.) were dan- ghng above our heads, and a few papagaio's de papel (kites) were waving to and fro by the side of them. The shelves were nobly supplied with checked cotton and amber beads for the ne- gresses, and black veils, flounced dresses, silk stockings, and gay shoes for the senhoras. There were numerous scented oils, from a la rose double to tnille fleurs ox jasmin, and, 0, rare merchant, a itv; bottles of Day and Mar- s 258 NARRATIVE tin's japan were also arranged for sale. How different are the sliopkeepers of Brazil from those in En£^land. In London, such is the happy ingenuity of the tradesmen, that should you enter his shop for the purpose of bu} ing a particular article, and he does not happen to have it, the master, by his persuasive tongue, induces you to purchase other commodities, which at your entrance you had not the slightest intention of buying. But in Brazil it is different, for they seem careless whether you purchase or not ; at all events, it is neither their assiduity or ci\ ility that will tempt you to deal with them. A\'e now returned to the hotel, expecting to lind our captain and suite ; but they had not arrived, and twenty surmises occurred to our minds of what might have caused their delay, and after bothering ourselves by wondering for three hours, we came to the detorniination of return- ing the next day, although my arm was still bad enough. Tiie honest Frenchman had already provided dinner, and I imagined that he never would have ceased removing our plates, for he kept continually bringing in such a variety of OV A VOYAGE, ETC. 269 viands, that we were obliged to beg him to de- sist. Had we met with such a supply in the Straits of Magellan, we never should have com- plained, but at St. Paulo this ceremonious pro- fusion far exceeded our wishes. Having dined, our communicative host, to give a zest to the wine, told us that the prison then contained a negro who had committed eleven murders, and that one was marked by great atrocity. As we expressed a desire to hear the particulars, he gratified our curiosity by a recital of the follow- ing story. "■ About four years ago (he commenced) there lived happily together, within a short distance of St. Paulo, a Branco and his wife ; and as it is customary to have a favourite slave, they had selected from amongst the rest of their black servants a negro in whom they placed much confidence, and named him Joaquim. Now, Joaquim was a villain ; but with that cunning and sagacity well known to exist among the negroes of Angola, he contrived to pass, in the house of his master, as a mild and inoffensive person, and he was generally considered to be s2 2()0 NARRATIVE of a meek and obliging disposition. In many instances, however, there was not onlv missing from off the estate a quantity of poultry, but, occasionally, a pig or a sheep would be found slaughtered, and a few turkies were sometimes prevented irom practising their noisy gobblings by having their necks twisted in a very singular manner. Although every precaution had been resorted to by the police and others, in order to discover this midnight destroyer, still the per- petrator remained undiscovered, and for a long time the Branco was apprehensive of an attack npon himself and family, and kept upon his guard accordingly. Early one morning, the 13ranco went out to look over his grounds, but what was his horror on beholding the corpse of a mulatto girl (an attendant on the family) stretched upon the ground, with her head almost severed from her body. He instantly gave the alarm, and, as may be supposed, every exertion was made by himself and st>rvants in going in pursuit of the murderer, in A\liirh Joaquim joined. But notwithstaniling the police aided in the hue and cry, no trace ol the assassin could OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 261 be found. Not a great while after this sad oc- currence, another singular and fatal attack was made upon the hens and. chickens ; and in the morning, when this was discovered, it was also found that Joaquim had disappeared from the house. Then, and not till then, did suspicion fall upon him. Many weeks had passed without any tidings of Joaquim, when, one morning (as the Branco and slaves were engaged on the grounds of the cJiacra (farm), and his wife was busied in her household affairs), the negro sud- denly rushed into her presence. I shall not mention the proposal Joaquim made to her, but she endeavoured for a long time to dissuade him from his brutal purpose, by reminding him of the many kindnesses he had experienced in the family. It was of no avail; Joaquim proceeded to force, which she resisted for a long time, al- though then enceinte, and kept screaming for assistance. As her defence was obstinate, he drew a knife, and severely lacerated her hands and arms, and having inflicted other severe wounds, he left her in a state of insensibility. In this piteous condition she was found by her 262 NARRATlVi: husband, who, ou hearing the name of the vil- lain who committed the outrage, rushed to the town and gave the alarm ; and such was the persevering search made in every quarter, that Joaquim was taken, after a desperate resistanace, and lodged in the prison. When there, he con- fessed to have committed eleven murders, and amongst others, to the assassination of the mu- latto girl, after having violated her person. The husband proceeded to Rio Janeiro, in the hope of obtaining an order for the hanging of this precious miscreant ; but his application could not be attended to, for murder is a crime not punishable by death in this part of the world, and after a great expense and loss of time, he returned to St. Paulo, where he died soon after- wards of sheer mortification. The widow," con- tinued the Frenchman, " is noAv alive, and resides a few short miles from this town. She is a cripple ibr life, having some of her fingers cut off each hand during her conflict with the black. I have not the least doubt you maybe permitted to see this praiseworthy slave, if you have cu- riosity enough lo go to the gaol : and about this OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 263 time/' said the host, pulling out his watch, " the officer of the guard is at the prison." As I was willing to see this " best o' the cut- throats," I forthwith sallied out; but I was not so fortunate as to gain admission, for they told me it was miiito tarde (very late), but if I came in the morning, I should be admitted, an offer, I regret to say, I could not accept. As I am fond of amusement, Mr. Kirke and I sauntered about the town ; but we did not find many per- sons abroad, and although only nine o'clock, the streets were miserably deserted and dull. On this evening, so unlike the previous one, there were no persons either to pity or admire, and we seemed to have the liberty of the whole city, through which we ranged, notwithstanding the darkness as well as silence of the streets. When we had sufficiently wondered what could have possessed the inhabitants to remain in doors upon such a fine night, and without passing much more time in tramping about, we were on our return to the hotel, when we perceived that we were followed by several tall persons, wrapped or rather rolled in long cloaks, who 264 NARRATIVE seemed to be actively ^^Htching us. We Lad already crossed the street to avoid tbem, when vre encountered a set of gentry, who were talk- ing with great warmth and smoking cigars. There is something unpleasant in meeting with strangers thus muffled up in sombre garments, considering that you may be certain that a long knife is concealed beneath them ; but as these individuals honoured us with a viva as we passed, I asked one of the party what had be- come of all the senhoras. At this question, these talkative senhors laughed outright, and in a jocose manner told me that at that hour they seldom appeared abroad, unless upon par- ticular occasions. I told them, that in England it was a very difl'erent afl'air, for there you met laches at all hours of the night ; indeed, there is .such a contrast throughout the Brazils, that the ditlVrence cannot fail to strike the curious tra- veller, for I dare venture to alhrm, that an in- dividual might walk about the towns of St. Sebastian, St. Paulo, and Santos for months, and not be spoken to Jirsi by a courtezan of any complexion or colour; ■Think of that. OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 265 Master Brook, think of that !" Having per- formed the ceremony of bidding them good night;, we returned to the hotel. Captain Stokes not having arrived, we deemed it certain some accident had befallen the party, which determined us to set off very early in the morning, although our host used many argu- ments to persuade us to remain. At supper, I was informed that a negro boy was making in- quiries for us, and on descending the stairs, to my surprise, I found our guide had arrived, who on seeing nie approach made several low bows. Guessing by this behaviour what he came about, I made the little sweepy fellow very happy in his mind, and he ran away capering with plea- sure — couchant or levant, we must jjay. When we had finished supper, the conversation, for want of a better subject, turned upon robbery and murder, when our vivacious landlord (and he is too good an authority to doubt) again amused us by a narration, which I shall here take upon myself to introduce. " A Portuguese, who resided at a cliacra at 266 NARRATIVE the foot of some mountains, no considerable distance from St. Paulo, had occasion to visit the nei<:;hbourhood of this town, in order to ar- range some dealings with another settler, about which there had been a misunderstanding. Be that as it may they quarrelled, and alter much abuse on both sides, the Portuguese, as he de- parted ill satisfied, muttered a good deal about cheat and rogue, which expressions the other did not seem to take to himself, and they parted without his being apparently at all disconcerted. Nevertheless, tlie Portuguese had not quitted the house many hours before the settler seized a long Spanish gun and ammunition, and thus provided he set out for a retired path in the woods, through which he knew the Portuguese must pass on his way home. In this concealed situation he remained y?i^ days waiting tlie re- turn of his victim, who having other visits to make about the country did not arrive sooner. when, as he rode past the spot where his friend was secreted, he fell dead on the otiier side of his mule, killed by a charge of shot which shat- OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 267 tered his head. For this cool and deliberate atrocity the settler was doomed to irons and repentance for the rest of his days." It was no sooner day than we prepared for our departure, and by ten o'clock we had quitted St. Paulo. I had confined my arm close to my side by tying round my waist a black silk hand- kerchief, but this contrivance did not prevent my suffering great pain and inconvenience from the motion of the horse, for we rode briskly, and in due time arrived at Fricasee. I here ex- changed the white horse for my sorry mule, and as the host seemed to be a good-tempered fellow, and expressed some sympathy (a rare quality in this part of the world) for my mishap, I paid him for the hire of his horse so far beyond his expectations, that not only he, but his wife gave us a very gracious reception. We tarried here but a short time, and again set forward cheerfully ; and we had scarce gone two leagues when, at a turning of the road, we came suddenly upon Captain Stokes, who was accompanied by Mr. Wliittaker, Lieutenant Sholl, Mr. Mogg, purser, and another gentleman, all on high- 268 NARRATIVE trotting horses. Notwithstanding we were punc- tual to our leave of absence, (for I was always fond of returning in time, not having broken leave above four or live times since the ships left England,) yet I could have wished that we had met them a little nearer to St. Paulo, for then our leave would possibly have been ex- tended for a day or two longer, but as we were then as near to Santos as St. Paulo, it was as advisable to proceed to the former place. The journey from Santos had occupied them two days (which accounted for their not arriving sooner), and after we had waited a sufficient time, and answered some questions concerning our journey, we finally departed, and rode some time without abating our pace. In an obscure corner of the road we observed a number of nmles resting, and the muleteers were erecting some tents, as if they were about to hall lor the day. It was a very busy scene, and while some of them were making a fire others were preparing a dinner, ami this em- ployment they seemed to undertake with vast pleasure. OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 269 Having gazed at these swarthy drivers, we again set forward at a good pace, and I began to flatter myself with the agreeable idea of reaching Santos without any further mischance, when my mule suddenly fell, and I flew over her head with great despatch, and saluted the ground with a thump, which had well nigh put an interdict upon my traveUing any further that day. The mule having rolled over and over got upon her legs in a twinkling, but I was in no hurry to rise, and I therefore reclined on the ground, covered with dust and sand. As I perceived by Mr. Kirke's face that he was only prevented from laughing by the apprehension of my being seriously hurt, I quickly unde- ceived him, and he freely indulged in a loud guflaw, with such a hearty good will that I could not resist joining in concert, and this duet was continued some time, to the great astonish- ment of a poor negro girl, who happened to pass at the moment. By the time we reached Cubertam it was dark, and as I found that I could not from fatigue keep pace with Mr. Kirke, I requested him not to wait for me, but 27 «> NARRATIVE to ride on and I would follow at my leisure. As soon as I had rested a short time, and given some rude assaults to a bottle of old port fur- nished me by the keeper of the toll-gate, I once more pursued my road to Santos. The night was extremely dark, and swarms of fire-flics flitted across the path, occasionally emitting bright rays from their splendid lamp. I met no travellers upon the road ; but I had not prucedt'd more than a league and a half when I saw a great light, which did not appear to be far ofl\ As I approached I found the light to proceed Irom the tires of a party of muleteers, who had halted lur the night on the road-side. They Mere in great numbers, and some were very busy in preparing supper, and they did not concern themselves about any thing else, for their attentions were devoted to a huge kettle placed upon a blazing fire, the contents of wiiich they kept continually stirring. A great lU al of baggage Mas streMed around the tents, and the mules Mere huddled together in packs, on the outside of these temporary habi- tations. The smoke of cigars was liberally dis- OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 271 tributed on all sides ; and as they reclined near the fires in loud converse and raillery, they strongly resembled a desperate horde of rob- bers at their evening carousal. My appearance checked for a moment their mirth, and as I passed through the busy file, we exchanged a great many vivas ! but I must confess I was not sorry to leave them as fast as possible. I reached Santos without further interruption. The streets of this town of an evening have a dark and lonely aspect, for the corners of them are not embellished with a smiling and illumi- nated Virgin. The grog shops were full of Brazilian, American, and English sailors, the latter possibly stragglers from ships at Rio, who had been detained when on shore on leave, made drunk, and afterwards kidnajjped on board some of the Brazilian men-of-war, a method a good deal practised at Rio by a desperate set of fellows who received a certain gratuity for every sailor thus entrapped : the Beagle lost a number of men in this manner. Some of these sailors become worthless and drunken characters, and are infinitely worse to 272 NARRATIVE meet in the streets ot a niglit tliiui tlie natives themselves. Tlicy are a bep^ijini!; and abusive set, and frequently get into rows with the tawny mililia, the efltcts of which are visible on the faces of both parties in the morning. On pro- ceeding to the beach, in the hope of getting ofl' to the ship, 1 found everj' canoe hauled up, and I then made the best of my way to a house of accommodation in the vicinity, the best the town afTorded, and kept by an ancient mulatto woman, who had been introduced to m)' notice by 3Ir. Kilkenny. The lady welcomed me with much cordiality, and guessing by my look that I needed both refreshment and rest, she stirred with her foot a sullen and awkward negress, who was fast asleep upon a mat in the corner of the room, and who raised herstll" slowly up nearly in the same state as Venus when she first arose tirom the sea, but not with the at- tractions of the Venus Corregio has painted so exquisitely — the lovely limbs kissing the trans- parent water — but more resembling the Hot- ttntdt beauty some years since imported into tlii>< achniring country. The table was soon OK A VOVACE, ETC. 273 spread out, and decorated with gallinhas (fowls) and other eatables, and a choice of wines and spirits. While I supped, the good hostess asked me many questions about St. Paulo (for she had never been out of Santos), all of which I an- swered with brevity, but with great fidelity ; but as I perceived she was bent upon hearing the whole particulars, I related all the incidents of the journey. However, frequently during the recital, I was much surprised, and somewhat piqued, to see this tawny listener rubbing her hands in a sort of ecstasy, and exclaim " Filho de piita Inglese," and I took occasion, looking serious, to explain to hsr that such words were not at all to riy ta<^te. Whereupon she told me what, until then, I had no idea of — that when a Brazilian h delighted with any person, those words are used as a compliment — a piece of information I afterwards ascertained to be correct. The hostess, taking the hint, by my eyes involuntarily closing, that I had remained up long enough, acted accordingly, and ordered the old negress to show me my bed-room, who led the way to a neat furnished apartment on T '27 \ NARRATIVK the ground-floor, ami there placing the caudle on the table, silently withdrew, casting at me a very singular look as she shut the door. As the room was small and confined, I opened the window, which looked out upon a garden, where orange-trees and llowers perfumed the air ; but I did not remain long to enjoy the fragrance, for overcome by fatigue, I threw myself on the couch, and, in spite of a formidable attack of mosquitos, soon fell into a deep sleep. But I did not long enjoy it, for I was awoke by finding myself encircled in the arms of the old negress who had conducted me to my chamber, and who, unhappily for me. had found her way in through tiuMviiidow : had she been twenty years younger, I possibly might have thanked her for her cour- tesy. In the morning I hastened on board, where I learnt that a ball had been given by a rich in- habitant, to which our officers had been invited. I wished that I had been there, having a great desire to see the manner in which the Brazilians at Santos conducted this amusement, of which they are passionately fond ; neither did I wait hin^ for an njiportunity. tor fortune introduced OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 275 me, quite unexpectedly, to a dance the very next evening. On mj^ entrance, I beheld a pleasing sight, for in the centre of a large room a number of buxom senhoras and gallant senhors were capering away to the sound of fiddles and violin- cellos. As it was pleasant enough to observe them, without taking a share in the bustle, I soon made my way towards the master of the Beagle, whom I saw seated next to as good- natured a lady as ever peeled a banana. With this lady he seemed highly pleased ; but he could not help expressing his uneasiness at her supe- rior method of speaking Portuguese, yet, as she condescendingly used the words si, si, to most of his questions, there could be little doubt but she understood all Mr. Flinn said to her. After the dancers had engaged in a sort of waltz, in which was displayed a great many difficult steps and figures, they all retii-ed to their places, and I observed some others of the party employed in coaxing a little fat figure of a lady to dance, which she declined; but her excuses were over-ruled by a great majority, and she advanced to the middle of the room, t2 276 N\Hl!ATIVn attended by a person whom I easily recognised to be the commandant who had boarded us in the river. When tliey had gone througli a few preliminary and grotesque movements, to the great delight of the whole company, they began their (huiee. As I have witnessed the bolero, this dance reminded me of it, only verj^ drolly burlesqued ; and although I have seen it executed by other persons at Rio, after some very awk- \\ ard tlforts, yet the couple before me behaved with much ardour and sj)irit. The lady, in par- ticular, was quite f/egaf/ee, and threw into the performance as nmch wriggle of body and snap- ping of fingers as was requisite to give eliect, and occasion the laughter of the delighted ob- servers, for in spite of her being " a dumpy woman," she possessed a considerable share of hadiii, and was decidedly the best dancer in the room. It was impossible to be fatigued with this society, for there was not a sad countenance among them ; in short, every performance of the above description seemed to excite their good- humour, and made each ))erson anxious to dis- jilay his talent in this ra\c)urite dance; indeed. OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 277 the Brazilians take great delight in this pastime, during which they are extremely vivacious. It was my fortune, however, this night to be a spectator of a dance of another description, and executed by a different company, for near twelve o'clock I had, attracted by the serenity of the evening, wandered from the ball-room to an open space near the outlets of the town, where I beheld, before a miserable shed, a number of negros and negresses standing together in a circle. I seemed to have arrived very apropos, for they were just commencing the dance of their country : for the benefit of the air and this di- version, I seated myself near them, and awaited patiently their circumrotatory amusement. For some minutes they behaved very rationally ; how- ever, the oddities that marked their character soon became manifest, for one of the throng (a female) appeared in the centre of the sombre ring, having her clothes bundled about her per- son, to give a greater freedom to her limbs, which were bare from the knee downwards, and commenced such lively capers, wriggles, and flings, that ^'Nannie," of Kirk Allow ay no- 27S NAKRATIVE toriety would liave been a mere Jiyura/ite by the side of her. Durinj^ her exertions the rest of her people remained stationary, clapping their hands and looking wistfully around as they uttired low noises. I could not discover A\liether my pi« sonce had any effect upon their move- ments, but when this Venus had finished she returned to her place, and another limber and active negrcss leaped forward, suitably equipped, and fully ecpialled the former in the variety as well as vigour of her coupes. When this per- son had sufficiently distinguished herself, she also retired, and her place was supplied by a tall, raw-boned negro, who, not content with dealing out (as he jumped about the circle) some heavy thumps on the heads of his comrades, but he also carried the freak so far as to kick up his foot so close to their faces, that had either of them po.sscssed a nose like a ** pudding's end,^ they would have received a formidable " upcut," but happily for them their noses w ere compressed flat to their faces, and consequently escaped the shock. By the time this gaunt black had worked him.solf up to a pitch of frenzy, he was joined by OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 279 another, who danced into the ring, and these two persons exchanged civilities by slapping each other on the face with great fervour. But this mania, in a short time, extended to the rest, for they began to pummel one another in a man- ner which, to me, appeared a great deal more like earnest than fun ; and I was not long in doubt, for the women, as well as the men, seized each other by the woolly skull, and bestowed so many unruly knocks there, that the blood streamed from their dilated nostrils ; and during this noisy conflict they all swore in good Por- tuguese, and their heads frequently came in contact, and rattled like pins in a skittle-ground. As there was no unfair advantage taken on either side, I did not believe I had any right to inter- fere, and I therefore remained very quiet, won- dering how this niidnight brawl would end, when suddenly a heavy tramp was heard ap- proaching, accompanied by a clang of arms. In a moment they had ceased fighting, and all were seen to scamper in various directions, for a party of the police arrived, and succeeded in lodging some of them in gaol. I was told by 2S0 WRRATIVi: the Guard, that instances Lad been, known, during these dances, of quarrels ensuing, in uhich they have fought \\ith knives most furiously, and that to prevent these combats they, are obliged to bestow upon the oflVnders a liberal allowance of pao (stick), which, like the bamboo of the Chinese, has a marvellous power in keeping them in awe. A wealthy Brazilian in Santos had been long ill : he applied to Captain Stokes, who requested our assistant-surgeon to visit him. In a few days the )uala(le (such was the beneficial result of Mr, Bynoe's attendance) was able to lay aside his < rutches. and dismiss his nurse. The fame of this disciple of Hippocrates soon spread in the town, and an oflVr was made to him to leave the service and settle among them — a certain sahny being guaranteed by a person of some note in the place. This proposition Mr. Bynoe thought lit to refuse ; and as he also declined all ))eruniar3 renmneration, we were surprised one morning by a canoe coming alongside, in which was a l)jack slave with a large basket upon his 1m ad, loviTtd with a while napkin. He was the OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 281 bearer of a present from the recovered Brazilian to the doctor, which consisted of some bottles of Avine and lengthy sponge cakes, of excellent flavour, besides a number of sweetmeats. This V was a very agreeable relish, for we were all fond of '■ sweeties," and at Santos it went hard with us, for there was no pastrycook in the town. Our carpenter, too, had an offer of em- ployment in the dockyard at good pay, but he, likewise, was averse to leave his " pound and pint" for any sinecure under this same govern- ment. There used to come daily alongside the ship a canoe furnished with bread, milk, fruit, and many other provisions^ for the convenience of the ship's company (if they chose to purchase). One morning our steward was absent, and having occasion for a variety of eatables, we asked a diminutive seaman named Lewis (who, when dressed in his blanket-jacket and trousers, had the appearance of a small white bear of Green- land) to fetch certain provisions from the canoe. As we sat in the berth, waiting his arrival, we were surprised to see a quantity of butter (which ■2H'2 NARKVniVK in tliis iliiuate is not verj' firm) come spank down upon the deck, and spread out like a pan- cake. This singular descent was followed by a rare shower of eggs, bananas, oranges, and small loaves, and last, not least, little Lewis rolled down head over heels, and lay amidst his purclu'.se in a most graceless situation. Upon inquiring into the cause of this singular behaviour he informed us that he had tilled his arms too full, and as he descended the ladder at the main hatch, keeping every thing steady with his chin, he heard the direful smack occasioned by tiie escape of the butter, w hich so unnerved him, that in his confusion he let fall the eggs and the rest of the pro\isioiis. and missing Ins footstep he came iloun alter them, most unwillingly, in the man- ner described. I sometimes met on shore (at the hotel kept by the mulatto woman) a tall, distracted-looking ^ ankee : whenever he saw me, he would always introduce himself by a " How d'ye do, sir; I intend, sir, to come on board, and visit your rooms'* (meaning the berth). As he was known to sniii(> of the ollicrrs on board. I said we should OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 283 be glad to see him ; but this day he annoyed me very much by telling me about the Americans, and wished to enter into a dispute respecting their navy and our own, which I thought ill- timed, there being some strangers present, but when he asked me what I thought of the Ameri- cans, I replied " that I never thought about them at all." This speech, I afterwards under- stood, offended him for life. The next day he came on board, and towards evening he visited " our rooms," when we regaled him with egg flip, and not being disposed to go on shore, he was accommodated with one of our hammocks. I have a habit of laughing in my sleep (although I sometimes groan, as my messmates well know), upon which the Yankee put a very singular con- struction, for the next morning, when I came into the berth, he said, " How d 'ye do, sir ; I calculate you got some gold-dust at St. Paulo, I do." " What makes you think so ?" " I guess you laugh in your sleep." In a few days Captain Stokes returned from St. Paulo, after having visited the gold mines and the cathedral, where Lieutenant ShoU, being •iS-l N\Rll\T[VF. incommoded by his lar^e straw hat, was seen very deliberately to roll it up and put it in his coat-pocket. This mode of disposing; of his straw hat was observed by some of the young ladies near him, and they could not resist break- iiii; out into a titter at tiie novelty, but their mirth was further excited when, on leaving the church. Lieutenant Sholl had occasion to put the hat upon his head, for it was by no means in its oriu^inal shape, and required some coaxing to look '* as well as ever." I began to be tired of remaining at this anchorage, although when on shore I made shift to anuise myself; but there were two things which surprised me very much, the first was that no skyrockets or other tire- works were exhibited during our stay, and the second that the *" chanticleers " of Santos crow with a very shrill note, which is prolonged for nearly half a miiuite. There was a little rough ft-athered bantam, liiat used to peck lU'ar the beach, who would stretch out his neck and crow for such an unusual time, as often to occasion a h.iiijh auu)ng the sailors on board. 3Ir. ^^'hit- l.tkcr lia\inL; occasion to visit Paranagua (our OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 285 next destination) he came on board, and we left Santos town on the 3d of July, and very soon cleared the river, and put to sea with a fair wind. The Pampero had sailed to convoy a number of small craft, bound to the island of St. Catherine, for this part of the coast was in- fested b3- a Buenos Ayrian privateer, who fre- quently " practised as a sea attorney," to the great detriment of the Brazilians. We had left the harbour but a few^ hours when it fell stark calm, and such numbers of petrels and other sea birds hovered in the wake of the sliip that we amused ourselves by catching them, which was accomplished by baiting small fish-hooks with a piece of fat beef, and casting them on the water. The birds were all eager for tlie dainty morsel, and such as were successful in seizing the bait we hauled on board. The most curiously feathered we preserved as specimens, all others were set at libert}', unless prevented by their having taken too powerful a gorge, which re- quired the hook being cut out. The weather con- tinuing fine, the men w ere exercised at quarters, at which they had become very expert, but ere we were two days old at sea (as Hamlet says) 2S6 NAHRVTIVr. we saw a sail to \\ imlwiucl, ami we presently observed she was in chace of us. This stranger could not have come down in better time, for our guns were loaded with round and canister, and the men, being exercised, were armed with cutlass and ])istols, and by the time she came within hail every man was at his station. She was a large tine brig, and now hoisted Buenos Ayrian colours, and we immediately run up the English flag, whereupon the privateer fired a gun to windward, and neared us amazingly fast. As the ship ran down under our stern. Captain Stokes, who was on the poop, surveyed them very cooly and answered their hail, and Mr. AVhittaker took this opportunity to go below and pull otr his summer jacket and put on his uniform coat. The Buenos Ayrian having come dose to us on the larboard bow, I observed that her deck was literally crowded with men, but she carried few guns, and had a famous long Tom in midships. Altogether she looked as if she meant nothing but fighting, and cut a most formidable a))pearance. " Mho would not brave the battle fire, the wreck, To move iho m(>narfh of" hor peopled deck." OF A VOYAGE, ETC. 287 The privateer sent her boat on board with two officers, one of whom informed Captain Stokes that the brig was the General Brandzen Buenos Ayrian Privateer, commanded by an American named Haidey, and that a day or two previous they had fallen in with a Brazilian twenty-gun ship and a schooner. The ship had sailed ofFvery fast, and left the schooner to fight, but they had taken her after a slight resistance ; and having sent on board the captured vessel an officer and some men from the privateer, she had sailed for Buenos Ayres. The commander and chief officer of the schooner were Frenchmen, and then prisoners on board the General Brand- zen, but Captain Haidey was desirous of landing them on the Coast of Brazil (having given to each a certificate of their courage in defending the schooner), and hearing that we were bound to Paranagua, he requested to know if Captain Stokes was willing to receive them on board and land then at that place. I need not acquaint my reader that Captain Stokes acceded to take the vanquished Frenchmen on board ; and while he held some further conversation with the chief 2SS NARRATIVE ofliccr. the other (who hail a cutlass by his side of a most forniiilable appearance) asked me if I had seen anythin:^ of the Pampero. I told him that she iiail just sailed from Santos towards .St. Catherines, and I was about to give an account of the small craft when I was prevented by Mr. Kirke, w ho cautioned me to keep quiet, and took an ojjportunity of telling me that we had no ri<;ht to give them any information — a circum- stance I liad quite overlooked, but which was certainly very true. The boat now rowed ofl'to tiu" j)rivateer, and in a short time returned with the tw o Frenchmen and their baggage, and these Ijentlemen having come on board, the otiicers of tlif privatct r hid us adieu, saying as they went o\