MAJOR SEM?LE LISLE. 2^5 



Hearance; he then held the honourable rank of 

 .Captain of the Fleet, or what they c-^ll Major 

 General da Ef quadra \ and of this gentleman, to 

 whom I fland infinitely indebted, I iliall have 

 TO fay much hereafter. 



We returned to the palace of St. Catharine's^ 

 and during our ftay there, which was about 

 three weeks, we were treated with the moft po- 

 lite attention by the Governor and principal 

 inhabitants of the ifland. Our amufements 

 were various ; the Governor, who was very fond 

 of mulic and dancing, gave frequent balls, at 

 which many of the officers of the Fleet attended; 

 and the more to encourage the Admiral, who 

 would not fleep out of his fliip to come on fhore, 

 he left the town of St. Catharine's, and removed 

 to a houfe at St. Antonio. This is a moft plea- 

 fant lituation, and much nearer to where the 

 fleet lay at anchor than the town of St. Catha- 

 rine's, where we continued to refide, paying fre- 

 quent occahonal viflts to St. Antonio, and paf- 

 lingour time in a moft pleafant manner. I here 

 contraded an intimacy with Major Joaquim 

 Correa da Serra, Chief of Engineers, a man of 

 imiverfal knowledge, whofe profeflional talents 

 intitle him to the moft brilliant fituation ; fuch, 

 indeed, are his various accomplifliments, that I 

 never think of him, without lamenting that he is 

 not more ufefully employed. 



The 



