466 



CAllTHAGENA. 



The monastery is now almost in ruins, and 

 is tenanted by one solitary friar, who occa- 

 sionally makes a little money, by letting one 

 or two rooms to people who wish to enjoy 

 cooler air than that of the town, which would 

 be insufferable, were it not for an almost con- 

 stant sea-breeze ; notwithstanding which, a 

 cloth coat, or even a linen neckcloth, can 

 scarcely be borne. Carthagena appears en- 

 tirely surrounded by marshes, and is yet very 

 healthy, on account of a rise and fall of about 

 two feet of tide, which runs into the marshy 

 land. In the distance high land is percep- 

 tible, and some rising ground towards Boca 

 Chica, which is a great distance from the an- 

 chorage. Men-of-war sometimes anchor off 

 the north-side of the city, in the open road- 

 stead, and send their boats in through Boca 

 Grande, having previously obtained permission 

 of the governor. So great was the fear of the 

 Spaniards, lest they should be surprised by a 

 foreign enemy, that they would rarely allow 

 the boats to use this passage, wishing to keep 

 all foreigners in ignorance of such an entrance ; 

 and, as an additional means of preventing ves- 

 sels from passing in by this mouth, they sunk 



