CHARLES WATERTON, ESQ. Hil 
you shall have yellow fever before midnight." At 
last, the governor said to me in Spanish, Don 
Carlos, this is more than man can bear. No puedo 
siifrir tanto. Pray pull off your coat, and tell your 
companions to do the same ; and I '11 show them the 
example/' On saying this, he stripped to the waist- 
coat; and I and my friends, and every officer at table, 
did the same. The next day, at dinner time, we 
found his Excellency clad in a uniform of blue Sa- 
lempore, slightly edged with gold lace. 
Don Felipe de Ynciarte had been a great explorer 
of Spanish Guiana in his day. He told me that he, 
in person, dressed as a common sailor, had surveyed 
the whole of the sea coast from the Orinoco to 
the river Essequibo. He let me look at a superb 
map of his own drawing. It was beautifully finished 
and my lips certainly watered to have a copy taken 
of it. After my return to Demerara, I sent this 
courteous governor a fine telescope, which had just 
arrived from London. I corresponded with him until 
I sailed to Europe for my health. During his go- 
vernment, beef was so plentiful, that the heads and 
tongues of the slaughtered oxen were thrown to the 
vultures. Indeed, beef was only one penny a pound, 
and the finest fish could be had almost for nothing. 
Canning's new republics, which have arisen out 
of the former Spanish Transatlantic empire, may 
have tended to enrich a few needy adventurers from 
Europe ; but, to the natives in general, they have 
proved a mighty curse. 
Demerara was now shortly to be deprived of the 
valuable services of Governor Ross. His health had 
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