RETURN TO EUROPE. 347 



power, protracted beyond the period at which such 

 settlements are themselves fit to become empires. 

 With colonies it is in some degree as with children. 

 They receive the* protection necessary for their 

 growth, and obey at first from weakness and at- 

 tachment ; but beyond the stage at which they ac- 

 quire a right to think for themselves, the attempt to 

 perpetuate subordination necessarily excites a hatred 

 which eflfectually quenches the feeble gratitude that 

 man, in any condition, is capable of cherishing. The 

 political divisions of America, — the land of republi- 

 can principles, — are foreign to our object, and would 

 require a more particular description than they 

 could receive in this volume. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



Passage from Vera Cruz to Cuba and Philadelphia, 

 and Voyage to Europe. 



Departure from Mexico — Passage to Havana and PhiladeJphia — Return 

 to Europe — Results of the Journeys in America. 



Leaving the capital of New-Spain, our travellers 

 descended to the port of Vera Cruz, which is situ- 

 ated among sand-hills, in a burning and unhealthy 

 climate. They happily escaped the yellow-fever, — 

 which prevails there, and attacks persons who have 

 arrived from the elevated districts as readily as Eu- 

 ropeans who have come by sea, — and embarked in a 

 Spanish frigate for Havana, where they had left 

 part of their specimens. They remained there two 

 months ; after which they set sail for the United 

 States, on their passage to which they encountered 

 a violent storm that lasted seven days. Arriving 

 at Philadelphia, and afterward visiting Washington, 



