JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



39 



CHAPTER VI. 



The Steamboat.— Don Francisco. — A Thunder-Storm. — A Vessel with 

 three Captains. — Bay of St. Thomas. — A Modern Robinson Crusoe. — 

 Passing of a Bar. — The Negro Alcalde. 



On the third day after my arrival at Balize I was in- 

 formed that a steamboat belonging to an English com- 

 pany was on the point of sailing from that port for Izabal. 

 A vessel of this description in that remote part of the 

 world was a novelty wholly unexpected by me. Un- 

 willing to lose time by any detention not absolutely ne- 

 cessary, I determined to take my passage in her. From 

 this, however, a Spanish merchant, Don Francisco * * * 

 with whom I had become acquainted in Balize, tried to 

 dissuade me, by representing to me in the most serious 

 manner the imprudence of trusting to those new fangled 

 inventions of the English, and the probability of being 

 blown up or scalded to death. The remonstrances of 

 Don Francisco, who evidently was no friend to steam- 

 boats, or to any thing English, were lost on me, and I 

 went on board, 



After the lapse of three or four hours in hunting up 

 the men, the crew of the vessel was at length collected, 

 and the order was given to get under weigh. But here 

 another difficulty occurred ; the sailors, who were all 

 intoxicated, refused to do any work, prohibited the en- 

 gineer from getting up the steam, and threatened the 

 captain. I began to think that I ought to have followed 

 the advice of Don Francisco. In the mean time night 

 came on, dark and gloomy, with a thick bank collecting 

 in the horizon. About midnight a high wind rose, ac- 



