344 Voyage of the No vara. 



On the 10th we hauled the frigate into the small inner 

 harbour, in order to facilitate the shipping of stores. The 

 entrance is rather winding, owing to the numerous shoals, and 

 it is with some little difficulty that one can find a comfortable, 

 commodious berth among such a crowd of shipping. We 

 only saluted the flag of the dominant nationality — a customary 

 courtesy — and were replied to by the batteries on shore. 

 An officer of the frigate was then dispatched to announce our 

 arrival to the governor of the station — a major in the 

 English army. This gentleman seemed not to think it incum- 

 bent on him to put himself in the least out of his way 

 for us. Indeed, we even experienced some little difficulty 

 in procuring a sufficient supply of drinking water for shipment 

 as stores ; but we must at the same time add, in justice to the 

 representatives of England in distant countries, that during 

 our entire voyage this was the one solitary instance in which 

 English military official men did not display that universal 

 readiness to oblige, which, to their credit, is so conspicuously 

 and so kindly displayed by them in their intercourse with 

 foreign nations. 



