294 QUARANTINE. 



seen from the roadstead, presents anything but a 

 creditable appearance ; only the outskirts can be seen, 

 built on the base of the far-famed and world-re- 

 nowned Peter Boite mountain, which rears its cone- 

 shaped summit aloft in the regions of upper air. 

 Midway up the ascent is a signal station, which 

 informs those initiated into the mysteries of the 

 system of signals, of the appearance in the offing of 

 inward bound vessels; and when these are near 

 enough, by the arrangement of Captain Manyatt's 

 signals, consisting of four small flags, or rather three 

 flags and a whip, they ascertain the name of the 

 vessel, whence from, her cargo, and to whom con- 

 signed. 



The entrance to the harbor, which, by the way, 

 appears from the roadstead tolerably full of shipping, 

 is guarded b}^ two elevated fortifications and a mole ; 

 so that, from the number of fortifications, I should 

 judge that the harbor was pretty secure in case of 

 assault. 



It is very easy to remark the difference between 

 the Eno;lish and American method of transactinoj 

 harbor business. If we had anchored near an Ameri- 

 can city, within the jurisdiction of the quarantine 

 physician, our anchor would have scarcely left the 

 cat-head, ere he would have boarded us and been 

 satisfied as to our general healthiness ; but here, from 

 half-past 10 until 3 o'clock, we were left in a blessed 

 state of uncertainty as to whether we should com- 

 municate with the shore or remain stationary ; when 

 the dilatory physician boarded us, and, after marshal- 

 ling the crew aft and satisf^nng himself as to our 

 general sanitary condition, gave us a red flag to fly 



