ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



1025 



not understanding the Spanish Ian- 

 giiage was rather an awkward cir- 

 cumstance : but the Canarian, 

 though he did not understand i^ng- 

 lish, had a smattering of French, 

 and contrived to make us cainpre- 

 hcnd that we should all be treated 

 as part of his family. He has a wife, 

 and two daughters, sprightly lasses 

 both : but our communication is all 

 in dumb shew ; very agreeablu 

 though, for all that. 



" We had not been settled above 

 an hour when an order came for 

 the three passengers to attend the 

 governor. We immediately com- 

 plied, and were conducted thither 

 by a guard of one subaltern and six 

 soldiers, all very slovenly accoutred, 

 and distinguished by nothing but the 

 extraordinary length of tJieirswords 

 and whiskers, and a most ludicrous 

 affectation of majestic gravity. We 

 found the governor, don Bias 

 D'llinojosa, taking a refreshment of 

 fruit aiid coti'ee, attended by two 

 negroes : he arose as wc entered, 

 and, slightly bowing in a very 

 stately manner, immediately re- 

 seated himself, and gave some orders 

 to one of the slaves, who left the 

 apartment ; and recently returned 

 with two .'Spanish gentlemen and an 

 oiTicer very fpleiddly dressed, who, 

 I observed, reganled me, during tlie 

 whole time 1 remained in the apart- 

 ment, with a stern and scrutinising 

 eye. After a slioit conversation 

 with the governor, one of the gen- 

 tlemen, in tolerable Engliih, asked 

 us several questions ; as, who we 

 were — whither we were going when 

 we left New York — and what had 

 occasioned our arrival at Monte 

 Video. As the discourse v. as chiefly 

 addressed to me, 1 answered for my- 

 self and companions, who were both 

 New Yorkists, and going on avoy- 



VoL. XLVII. 



age of speculation to Port Jackson. 

 When their curiosity was satisfied, 

 we were permitted to retire, and 

 were conducted back in the same 

 state as we had been brought thither. 

 The governor appeared to be about 

 f jxty years of age, of a pleasant 

 aspect, and, though he assumed a 

 gravity, there was a playfulness 

 about the month that indicated it 

 was not natural to him. He is mar- 

 ried, 1 find, and has a son and two 

 daughters ; the former is at present 

 at Cordovo in the province of Tucu- 

 man, where there is a line college 

 for education. On our return wc 

 found a plentiful repast provided by 

 our hospitable host ; consi^'ting of 

 new cakes, fruit, coffee, and several 

 sorts of wine. When we had re- 

 freshed ourselves, 1 proposed to my 

 companions that we should walk 

 out to survey the town, and if pos- 

 sible ascend the conical mountain, 

 being desirous to make the most of 

 our short stay, and see a-* much of 

 their country as possible: but our 

 host, with conci-rn in his counte- 

 nance, informed me my desire <ould 

 not be gratified ; a Spanish soldier 

 had been stationed at his door, and 

 he had been ordered to consider me 

 only as a prisoner of war durinir the 

 reuiainder of my stay at IVionte 

 Video My conioaniuns, however, 

 not being Englishmen, were at per- 

 fect liberty to go wheresoever they 

 thought proper. I cannot but say 

 that this circumstance ^rreatly 

 chagrined me : njt that 1 fVIt any 

 great disappointment in iio^ being 

 permitted to so abroad ; but i felt 

 like a Briton, and could not digest 

 the idea of coercive confinement. 

 My fellow-passeniers, linding thai; 

 I was thus laid under an embirgo, 

 very (niietly relinqiiLshed the idea of 

 visiting the mountain, being ble-t 

 3 U with 



