24 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



was a brass circular plate, on which, in strange juxta- 

 position, were the words "Vera Paz," '^London." 

 The captain was a small, weather-beaten, dried-up 

 old Spaniard, with courtesy enough for a Don of old. 

 The engineer was an Englishman, and the crew were 

 Spaniards, Mestitzoes, and mulattoes, not particularly 

 at home in the management of a steamboat. 



Our only fellow-passenger was a Roman Catholic 

 priest, a young Irishman, who had been eight months 

 at Balize, and was now on his way to Guatimala by in- 

 vitation of the provesor, by the exile of the archbishop 

 the head of the church. The cabin was very com- 

 fortable, but the evening was so mild that we took our 

 tea on deck. At ten o'clock the captain came to me 

 for orders. I have had my aspirations, but never ex- 

 pected to be able to dictate to the captain of a steam- 

 boat. Nevertheless, again as coolly as if I had been 

 brought up to it, I designated the places I wished to 

 visit, and retired. Verily, thought I, if these are the 

 fruits of official appointments, it is not strange that men 

 are found willing to accept them. 



