JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



17 



CHAPTER II. 



General Tacon : his character, acts, &c. 



On the day of my arrival at Havana I was introduced 

 by our Consul to the Governor, General Tacon. The 

 Government House, where he resides, is a large massive 

 building, between a castle and a palace, and has a piazza or 

 portico in front, supported by huge stone pillars, with room 

 enough beneath to shelter a dozen carriages. The entrance 

 is through a wide and lofty portal, where a guard of sol- 

 diers is stationed day and night. Passing through this, we 

 came to an inner court, and ascended thence up a broad 

 stone stair-case to a corridor leading to the antechamber. 

 Here are found a number of officers, both military and civil, 

 and other persons, some on duty, and others waiting for 

 an audience. From the antechamber, we were shown into 

 a spacious saloon, which had all the air of a baronial hall 

 of feudal times. We were then announced ; and after the 

 lapse of a few minutes, the door of an adjoining cabinet was 

 opened by an usher, and the General made his appearance : 

 a plain-looking man, about sixty years of age, rather pale, 

 and seemingly not in the enjoyment of perfect health. He 

 received us with much affability, asked some unimportant 

 questions, and made me an offer of his services, observing, 

 that though he had just resigned the command, his influ- 

 ence might yet avail me in the event of my having to 

 make any application to his successor. The interview 

 was soon at an end, for as claims on the attention of the 

 General were still numerous, we thought it proper to retire 

 after a brief expression of thanks for his kind offers. 



General Tacon, previously to taking the command of the 

 3 



