1844.] VISIT FROM THE GENERAL. 101 



for I had before heard it urged, as a Spanish law, 

 that no occupation- of ground could be made within a 

 prescribed distance of lines of fortification, I think sixty 

 yards, and an instance occurred to me in 1838, at Aca- 

 pulco, in which I was ordered to decamp, after my transit 

 was placed, and in the meridian ! 



After the completion of our observations, on the term- 

 day, the General and suite paid a visit to the tents, and 

 appeared to be much gratified by viewing the instru- 

 ments, as well as by an explanation of the portable 

 Magnetometers, Fox's needle, &c. ; we were also visited 

 by many other scientific persons in the town, all of whom 

 seemed to take much interest in us, and our proceedings. 

 After experiencing great kindness and attention from 

 the authorities, I proceeded to take my leave of the 

 worthy Governor, and having fully explained to him the 

 nature of our intended operations within his government, 

 and the advantages which would result to the civilized 

 world in general, he, in the same spirit which had ac- 

 tuated him on our first reception, acquainted me, that in 

 every place under his jurisdiction orders would be given 

 permitting us to make any observations that might be 

 thought desirable. On my requesting a letter to the 

 Governor of Samboanga, in Mindanao, he informed me 

 that a gentleman then present, and of English extraction, 

 was about to proceed there on duty, and that he had in- 

 structed him to explain his wishes in that quarter. The 

 Port Captain, Salomon, very kindly supplied me with 

 copies of all the charts they possessed, with all reported 

 as well as newly determined, dangers inserted in red 

 ink, and having embarked our instruments, we left our 



