70 RIO JANEIRO. 
to be, for the pleasure of meeting, innocent amusement, and recrea- 
tion. All the expense that attends them is the music and lights; 
some few dulces were the only refreshments. 
The language generally spoken was Portuguese, though some few 
of the ladies, and many of the gentlemen, spoke French. I was not 
much struck with the beauty of the ladies, though many were quite 
pretty. The great charm thrown over the whole was the unaffected 
manners and naivete exhibited by the whole company. I left the 
ball at a late hour, exceedingly gratified with my visit, and the 
politeness and kindness that had been shown us. 
On the 27th of November the Relief arrived, after a passage of 
one hundred days from the United States, the longest ever made. 
On requisitions being made for her stores, I was greatly and 
vexatiously disappointed to receive a report that they required a 
survey, as all were considered defective, including even the bread 
and flour. This report, after a careful survey by seven officers, 
proved to be true. I had been informed before taking command of the 
squadron that these provisions had been inspected, and understood 
them to be in good order, and that they would last over a year. 
Although this did not delay us, for the repairs in progress could 
not have been completed before we would be able to replace them, 
yet coming as it did with other vexations and delays, it was rather 
trying to the patience, and made it necessary to redouble our 
exertions. 
The Relief was despatched at the earliest day possible, the 14th 
of December, in order to enable her to reach Orange Harbour, in 
Terra del Fuego, the place I had fixed upon as a rendezvous, 
supposing she would take at least fifteen days more than the other 
vessels to reach the place at the same time. The boats towed her 
down the harbour and gave her a fair start. 
Two of the officers of the squadron ascended the Sugar Loaf. 
Hearing the expression of my surprise that they should have per- 
formed such an undertaking without instruments, they immediately 
volunteered to make it again. Lieutenants Underwood and Dale 
were furnished with the requisite instruments, and the height was 
obtained by the sympiesometer, which agreed within a few feet 
of that obtained by triangulation. The results will be found in the 
table. 
Not having time to complete all they desired, some of the party 
remained over night to complete the interesting observations. 
