340 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



unhealthy, but this was considered deadly. I had en- 

 tered without apprehension cities where the plague was 

 raging, but here, as I looked ashore, there was a death- 

 like stillness that was startling. To spare me the ne- 

 cessity of sleeping at the port, the captain sent the boat 

 ashore with my servant, to procure mules with which I 

 could proceed immediately to a hacienda two leagues 

 beyond. 



Our boat had hardly started before we saw three men 

 coming down to the shore, who presently put off in a 

 canoe, met our boat, turned her back, and boarded us 

 themselves. They were two paddles and a soldier, the 

 latter of whom informed the captain that, by a late de- 

 cree, no passenger was permitted to land without the 

 special permission of the government, for which it was 

 necessary to send an application to the capital, and wait 

 on board for an answer. He added that the last vessel 

 was full of passengers, who were obliged to remain 

 twelve days before the permission was received. I was 

 used to vexations in travelling, but I could not bear this 

 quietly. The captain made a bold attempt in my fa- 

 vour by saying that he had no passengers ; that he had 

 on board the Minister of the United States, who was 

 making the tour of Central America, and who had been 

 treated with courtesy in Guatimala and San Salvador, 

 and that it would be an indignity for the government of 

 Costa Rica not to permit his landing. He wrote to the 

 same effect to the captain of the port, who, on the return 

 of the soldier, came off himself. I was almost sick with 

 vexation, and the captain of the port finished two glasses 

 of wine before I had courage to introduce the subject. 

 He answered with great courtesy, regretting that the 

 law was imperative, and that he had no discretion. I 

 replied that the law was intended to prevent the en- 



