128 



COLOMBIA. 



once, in a loud shrill voice ; and so distinctly, 

 that I had no difficulty in distinguishing the 

 words ; but of the conversation, which was entirely 

 made up of local topics, and allusions to charac- 

 ters and incidents of the day, I could make no- 

 thing for a considerable time ; till, at length, the 

 subject was changed, and a very spirited discus- 

 sion on politics commenced. This I could fol- 

 low : and it was singularly interesting to mark, 

 in the eagerness of these debates, the rapid effect 

 which the alteration in the times had produced, 

 by stimulating even the ladies to become acquaint- 

 ed with a class of subjects, which, two or three 

 years before, the most resolute man in the country 

 dared not think of, much less give an opinion 

 upon. 



Being resolved to see somewhat more of these 

 good people than one evening affi3rded, I invited 

 the whole party to breakfast on board next morn- 

 ing, an invitation which was accepted by acclama- 

 tion, for they had already set their hearts upon 

 seeing my ship. They were by far the merriest 

 and lightest hearted people, besides being the fair- 



