CHARLES WATERTON, ESQ. liii 



you shall have yellow fever before midnight." At 

 last, the governor said to me in Spanish, "Don 

 Carlos, this is more than man can bear. No puedo 

 sufrir tanto. Pray pull off your coat, and tell your 

 companions to do the same ; and I '11 show them the 

 example.'' On saying this, he stripped to the waist- 

 coat; and I and my friends, and every officer at table, 

 did the same. The next day, at dinner time, we 

 found his Excellency clad in a uniform of blue Sa- 

 lempore, slightly edged with gold lace. 



Don Felipe de Ynciarte had been a great explorer 

 of Spanish Guiana in his day. He told me that he, 

 in person, dressed as a common sailor, had surveyed 

 the whole of the sea coast from the Orinoco to 

 the river Essequibo. He let me look at a superb 

 map of his own drawing. It was beautifully finished, 

 and my lips certainly watered to have a copy taken 

 of it. After my return to Demerara, I sent this 

 courteous governor a fine telescope^ which had just 

 arrived from London. I corresponded with him until 

 I sailed to Europe for my health. During his go- 

 vernment, beef was so plentiful, that the heads and 

 tongues of the slaughtered oxen were thrown to the 

 vultures. Indeed, beef was only one penny a pound, 

 and the finest fish could be had almost for nothing. 



Canning's new republics, which have arisen out, ' 

 of the former Spanish Transatlantic empire, may 

 have tended to enrich a fev/ needy adventurers from:/ 

 Europe ; but, to the natives in general, they have 

 proved a mighty curse. 



Demerara was now shortly to be deprived of the 

 valuable services of Governor Ross. His health had 

 c 3 



