CHARLES WATERTON, ESQ. liii 



you shall have yellow fever before midnight." At 

 last, the governor said to me in Spanish, " Don 

 Carlos, this is more than man can bear. No puedo 

 sufrir tanto. Pray pull off your coat, and tell your 

 companions to do the same ; and I '11 show them the 

 example." On saying this, he stripped to the waist- 

 coat; and I and my friends, and every officer at table, 

 did the same. The next day, at dinner time, we 

 found his Excellency clad in a uniform of blue Sa- 

 lempore, slightly edged with gold lace. 



Don Felipe de Ynciarte had been a great explorer 

 of Spanish Guiana in his day. He told me that he, 

 in person, dressed as a common sailor, had surveyed 

 the whole of the sea coast from the Orinoco to 

 the river Essequibo. He let me look at a superl 

 map of his own drawing. It was beautifully finished, 

 and my lips certainly watered to have a copy taken 

 of it. After my return to Demerara, I sent this 

 courteous governor a fine telescope, which had just 

 arrived from London. I corresponded with him until 

 I sailed to Europe for my health. During his go- 

 vernment, beef was so plentiful, that the heads and 

 tongues of the slaughtered oxen were thrown to the 

 vultures. Indeed, beef was only one penny a pound, 

 and the finest fish could be had almost for nothing. 



Canning's new republics, which have arisen out 

 of the former Spanish Transatlantic empire, may 

 have tended to enrich a few needy adventurers from 

 Europe ; but, to the natives in general, they have 

 proved a mighty curse. 



Demerara was now shortly to be deprived of the 

 valuable services of Governor Ross. His health had 

 c 3 



