A BEGINNING OF HONOURS. 



21 



pied by the aboriginal owners, wild and free as Cortes 

 found them. We had an eager desire to penetrate by 

 it to the famous Lake of Peten, where the skeleton of 

 the conquering Spaniard's horse was erected into a god 

 by the astonished Indians ; but the toil of our boatmen 

 reminded us that they were paddling against a rapid 

 current. We turned the pit-pan, and with the full 

 power of the stream, a pull stronger, and a chant loud- 

 er than before, amid the increased cheering of the ne- 

 groes, swept under the bridge, and in a few minutes 

 were landed at the Government House. 



In order that we might embark at the hour appoint- 

 ed, Colonel M'Donald had ordered dinner at two 

 o'clock, and, as on the two preceding days, had invi- 

 ted a small party to meet us. Perhaps I am wrong, 

 but I should do violence to my feelings did I fail to ex- 

 press here my sense of the colonel's kindness. My in- 

 vitation to the Government House was the fruit of my 

 official character ; but I cannot help flattering myself 

 that some portion of the kindness shown me was the 

 result of personal acquaintance. Colonel M'Donald is 

 a soldier of the "twenty years' war," the brother of 

 Sir John M'Donald, adjutant-general of England, and 

 cousin of Marshal Macdonald of France. All his 

 connexions and associations are military. At eighteen 

 he entered Spain as an ensign, one of an army of ten 

 thousand men, of whom, in less than six months, but 

 four thousand were left. After being actively engaged 

 in all the trying service of the Peninsular War, at 

 Waterloo he commanded a regiment, and on the field 

 of battle received the order of Companion of the Mil- 

 itary Order of the Bath from the King of England, 

 and that of Knight of the Order of St. Anne from the 

 Emperor of Russia. Uich in recollections of a long 



