326 VOYAGE TO THE 



CHAP, several persons upwards of a hundred years of age, 



k. ^t while in Tepic there are very few above seventy-two. 



March, The Spaniards are fully aware of this difference of cli- 



1828. 



mate, and often send invalids from Tepic to Xalisco to 

 recover their health ; yet they continue to reside, and 

 even to build new houses in the unhealthy spot their 

 ancestors have chosen. 



I had the good fortune to procure at this place, 

 through the kindness of a gentleman who was re« 

 siding at Tepic, a curious hive, constructed by bees, 

 which had never been described, and of which an ac- 

 count will be found in the Appendix by Mr. Edward 

 Bennet, to whom I am also indebted for his remarks 

 upon the fishes we collected, which will appear in the 

 natural history of the voyage. 



The 1st of March was the day appointed for the 

 embarkation of the specie at San Bias ; but it was the 

 6th before it arrived, and the 8tli before we could put 

 to sea. On my way to the southward it became 

 necessary to call at Acapulco for the purpose of 

 securing the bowsprit previous to the passage round 

 Cape Horn, as this could not be done conveniently in 

 the open road of San Bias. While we were at anchor 

 we received very distressing accounts of the state of 

 aiFairs at Acapulco, and several vessels arrived from 

 that place with passengers, who had been obliged to 

 seek their safety by flight. It appeared that shortly 

 after the revolt of Bravo, the Spaniards, with certain 

 exceptions, were expelled from the Mexican teritory ; 

 and that Montesdeoca, a republican general, who was 

 deeply indebted to some Spaniards at Acapulco, took 

 advantage of this proclamation to liquidate his debt by 

 marching against the town with a lawless troop of 

 half-cast Mexicans, and by obliging the Spaniards to 



