R I O J A N E I R O. 67 



persons of both sexes, who all seemed bent on amusement. It was 

 truly a sans souci meeting. Seldom have I seen so much good taste 

 as was dis} layed in the arrangements, or so good a tone of society. 

 A good band of music, all Brazilians, played waltzes and marches 

 alternately. I was told there were many distinguished persons, 

 senators, representatives of the congress, &c, present. 



These balls take place monthly, and are really what they profess 

 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 

 w 7 ere furnished with the requisite instruments, and the height was 

 obtained by the sympiesometer, which agreed within a few feet of 



