188 NARRATIVE. 



Governor's brother-in-law snatched his sister's letters from her 

 hand, and refusing to give them up, most provokingly read parts 

 of sentences, which only served to heighten her curiosity and 

 anger. I almost envied the general feeling, and so many happy 

 faces would have been a gratifying sight, but for the interruption 

 to the universal harmony, by the ex-governor of Bissao, who had 

 been removed from his command by the Constitutional Govern- 

 ment, for having too openly dealt in slaves, but who had expected 

 his re-instatement. He would neither go away, nor sit down to 

 table, and at last became quite clamorous : Senhor Martins, with- 

 out regarding him, ate his dinner with his usual coolness, and the 

 Governor vainly read, and shewed him the passages in the despatch 

 expressing universal satisfaction, but he raved on, tiU the Gover- 

 nor's lady condescended to soothe liim into tranquillity. A mar- 

 riage was to succeed this good news; and which I confess I should 

 have liked to have witnessed, as I understood the ceremonies in 

 our host's family to be very original. 



I have been tempted to make this digression, by the general 

 ignorance that prevails respecting the Cape de Verd Islands, and 

 to prevent future travellers from being deceived, as we were, by the 

 accounts given of the splendour of Senhor Manoel's establishment; 

 accounts which are very generally received and propagated, people 

 being too apt to blend magnificence with power, and, certainly, his 

 influence at these settlements is complete. But it is time to return 

 to ourselves. 



Mr. Bowdich having claimed Senhor Manoel's first promise of 

 forwarding his views of discovery, was told, if he would wait a short 

 time, he would have many opportunities, not only of visiting Fogo, 

 but also the whole group of islands. Five different plans were laid, 

 and each suddenly altered, or set aside. Mr. Bowdich tried to 

 beguile the tediousness of expectation, by inspecting Bona Vista 



