114 FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL. 



we sailed onwards, and at four o'clock in the after- 

 noon cast anchor in the neighbourhood of the 

 island of Santa Cruz, at about the same place as 

 the Nadeshda had done twelve years before. We 

 had scarcely anchored, when the serjeant of the 

 fortress of Santa Cruz came on board, and asked 

 the usual questions in the name of the commander, 

 who excused his not appearing on the score of ill- 

 ness. On the 13th I repaired to the town of Nos- 

 tra-Sennora-Dudesterro, which was only a few 

 leagues distant from the place of our anchorage, to 

 pay a visit to the Governor, Major Louis Mauricia 

 de Silveira. He received me coolly, and did not 

 seem disposed to comply with the orders from Rio 

 Janeiro, to afford every possible assistance to the 

 Rurick. The captain of the port of St. Pinto, a 

 most obliging man, assisted me in this embarrass- 

 ment, and promised to supply my wants as soon as 

 possible. M. Von Chamisso and myself dined 

 at St. Pintos, a country seat, situated in a most 

 agreeable spot ; the table was laid out in the open 

 air, under orange-trees ; the humming-bird, and 

 others unknown to us, fluttered round the orange 

 blossoms ; and, after the monotonous view of the 

 stormy sea, we doubly revelled in this paradise. 

 The Governor, from whom the officers of the Na- 

 deshda experienced so much friendship, was now 

 at the Rio de la Plata. In the evening 1 was again 

 on board the Rurick, and made preparations to 

 hg^ve my tent erected, on the following day, in the 



