cxii MEMOIR 



gabbling in a mighty way outside the door of the captain's deck 

 cabin where I write. The cocks are crowing, and new-laid eggs 

 are said to be found in the coops. Four mild oxen have been 

 untethered and allowed to walk along the broad iron decks a 

 whole drove of sheep seem quite content while licking big lumps 

 of bay salt. Two exceedingly impertinent goats lead the cook 

 a perfect life of misery. They steal round the galley and ///'// 

 nibble the carrots or turnips if his back is turned for one 

 minute ; and then he throws something at them and misses 

 them ; and they scuttle off laughing impudently, and flick one 

 ear at him from a safe distance. This is the most impudent 

 gesture I ever saw. Winking is nothing to it. The ear 

 normally hangs down behind ; the goat turns sideways to her 

 enemy by a little knowing cock of the head flicks one ear 

 over one eye, and squints from behind it for half a minute- 

 tosses her head back, skips a pace or two further off, and 

 repeats the manoeuvre. The cook is very fat and cannot run 

 after that goat much. 



' Pernambuco, Aug. 1. We landed here yesterday, all well 

 and cable sound, after a good passage. ... I am on familiar 

 terms with cocoa-nuts, mangoes and bread-fruit trees, but I 

 think I like the negresses best of anything I have seen. In 

 turbans and loose sea-green robes, with beautiful black-brown 

 complexions and a stately carriage, they really are a satisfaction 

 to my eye. The weather has been windy and rainy ; the 

 Hooper has to lie about a mile from the town, in an open road- 

 stead, with the whole swell of the Atlantic driving straight on 

 shore. The little steam launch gives all who go in her a good 

 ducking, as she bobs about on the big rollers ; and my old gym- 

 nastic practice stands me in good stead on boarding and leaving 

 her. We clamber down a rope ladder hanging from the high 

 stern, and then taking a rope in one hand, swing into the launch 

 at the moment when she can contrive to steam up under us 

 bobbing about like an apple thrown into a tub all the while. 

 The President of the province and his suite tried to come off to 

 a State luncheon on board on Sunday ; but the launch being 

 rather heavily laden, behaved worse than usual, and some 



