Bullock's Six Monlhii^ Residence in Mexico. 



G^U 



is believed, have nevt-r been well con- 

 <hictcd here, notwiihstaiuling whicii, 

 tnnrc tliati one tliuiismid six liuiidrcd 

 millions' sidling lia\c been issued tiuiii 

 tbo treusTiry. 



Nothing is now wanting, in my o|)i- 

 liion, to ie-estKl)lisli llie prosperity of 

 lliis fine country, but an acknowledg- 

 ment oi' its iiiiie))endciiC(; by Great 

 Britain. 'i'hat it is tor ever severed 

 from tiie mollier-oountry 1 bavc not the 

 smallest doubt : but in its jirescnt stale 

 it may yet linger, from the debility to 

 which it is reduced by llso rev<j!uiioir, 

 for years, unless cherished by our 

 assistance, with wliieli it would sliorlly 

 rise and be again in opuknce and pro- 

 •Inctiveness — ilie result of which, to 

 Great Britain, can scarcely be calcu- 

 lated. 



THE HAVANNAH. 



We proceeded for tlie Havannah, 

 and a lew ilays' fine whid brought us 

 under the guns of the celcbraied Morm 

 Castle, and we cast anchor in (he 

 beautiiul harbour opposite the capitid 

 of Cuba, at which I landed in the 

 evening with Dr. Maekie, and remained 

 onshore ten days, 'i'he llavannali is 

 so well known, that a descripliou of it 

 is unnecessary. I shall only say that 

 the place itself, and liie manners of its 

 inhabitants, present a very difli rent 

 appcatauce from ("lose of any part vi' 

 Mexico, although peopled from the 

 same country. lis churches and public 

 buildin:;s must not be compared with 

 those of (lie capital of New Spain, but its 

 .shops and streets e.shihit more opulence. 

 The ladies, elegantly dressed, are con- 

 .stanliy seen at the windows on the 

 jriound-floor, and in the evenings many 

 liundreils of excellent one-horse car- 

 nages, like our covered gigs, driven 

 by negroes in handsome liveries, are 

 sported in the public rides and on the 

 Iliads in the vicinity, tilled with fashion- 

 ably dressed persons of both sexes, 

 'i'be IJolanic garden near the city is a 

 new establishment, fmely laid out; and, 

 although not yet finished, contains 

 many cnrioas pUnts and trees. On 

 passing some Inw Im-hes, iii a wet 

 hituation, my attention was attracted 

 by the singular carved or enibossi'd ap- 

 pearance of (he leaves ; but on endea- 

 vouring to reach one, to examine it, I 

 was greatly surprised at the whole dis- 

 appearing in an i^^tHnt, and discovering 

 that the raised ornament was occasioned 

 by A numerous family of beautiful little 

 frogs, which had attached tlieni.>ti:l\cs 

 tn the Ibliagc, and on my approadi hud 

 Icnped into the water. 



The T?ishop's Palace is reoommended 

 ns deserving the attention of sttaugcrs. 

 It is ahoiit three miles in the country, 

 the situation very line, and the ro.id, 

 through piaiitulions of the cabbage tree, 

 cocoa, date, and a species of bread- 

 fruit, is deliglitful to an European ; but 

 IIk! bouse and garden, with the excep- 

 tion of some noliFe clumps of bamboos, 

 are not woitii seeing. 



The slave trade is still continued 

 hcre^ but the slaves in the town aj)pcar 

 to ho well treateil. Tile niuiket for 

 tliem is just vvitliout the city gate-s; 

 nm\ ships for procuring new caplivfa 

 from Africa arc openly fitted out at 

 Regia, a siiiail town in the harbour- 

 Several sailed during OUT stay, avowedly 

 for tiiat purpose, but we were inrorineil 

 that piracy was most probably their 

 object — indeed mai:y of tiie merclianls 

 here are very much slandered if tlK-y 

 arc not deeply concerned in both thesa 

 kinds of transaction. The heat of the 

 climate is excessive, and a residence 

 in the city considered very dangeroux 

 til Europeans. 'J'ho strcits are close, 

 ill ventilated, anil unpaved ; durinsrlhc 

 heavy rains they are so Hooded as to bo 

 almost impassable, except for tlie car- 

 riages before mentioned. Tlie theatru 

 is large, and in every department better 

 than that of Mexico; and it was well 

 attended on tiie only night I saw it. 



AZORES. 



We were obligetl to put in at the 

 Island of St. Michael's, one of the 

 Azores, where we remained two days, 

 taking in water, live oxen, an<l vege- 

 tables. St. Michael's is really a most 

 charming place, ami its principal towu 

 contains a number of iinglish familie.«i. 

 My reception here was very gratifying. 

 Englishmen meet wilh the greatest 

 hospitality and attention, the clim:ile is 

 like the finest jiart of Italy, and the 

 markets abound with every thing re- 

 (juisite for the enjoyment of life. I 

 visited some of the extensive gardens, 

 which produce the celehrated oranges 

 for the supply of the English maiket. 

 7'he wines made here nearly equal those 

 of Madeira. I went to several of the 

 I'ortuguese convents and monastericit. 

 'J'he nuns arc celebrated for their urli- 

 ticial flowers, composed entirely of 

 feathers; our young goitlemcn pur- 

 chased largely of them, and had inueli 

 umusement in their bargains with thp 

 holy si>ters, who receiveii their <;oarsti 

 jokes on the state of perpetual celibacy 

 with great good ininionr. Much as I 

 longtd for home, I could ba\e upciU 

 &otne tima here with |dea.<)ine. 



me. 



