lOS 
AN ENGLISiU CllTJIZEK. 
tions "vrere without cft'eet : we wore carried on board the 
privateer, and the captain, afiecting not to recognize the 
passports delivered by the governor of Trinidad for the 
illicit trade, declared us to be a lawful prize. Being a little 
in the habit of speaking English, I entered into conversation 
Avith the captain, begging not to be taken to Nova Scotia, 
but to bo put on shore on the neighbouring coast. While 
I endcavoiu’ed, in the cabin, to defend iny OAvn rights, and 
those of the owner of the lancha, I heard a noise on deck. 
Something was whispered to the captain, who loft us in con- 
sternation. Ha])pily for us, an English sloop of war, the 
Hawk, was cruising in those parts, and had signalled the 
captain to bi'ing to ; but the signal not being promptly 
answered, a gun was fired from the sloop, and a midshipman 
sent on board our \ essel. lie was a polite young man, and 
gave me hopes, that the lancha, which was laden with cacao, 
Avould be given up, and that on the following day Ave might 
pursue our voyage. In the meantime he invited me to 
accompany him on board the sloop, assuring me that his 
commander. Captain Gamier. Avould fiunish me with better 
accomodation for the night, than I should find in the A-cssel 
from llalifa.T. 
I accepted these obliging offers, and was received Avith the 
utmost kindness by Captain Gamier, Avho had made the 
\ oyage to the north-west coast of America with Vancouver, 
and Avho appeared to be highly interested in all I related to 
him respecting the great cataracts of Atures and Maypures. 
the bifurcation of the Orinoco, and its communication witli 
the Amazon. He introduced to me se\"eral of his officers, 
Avho had been with Lord Macartney in China. I had not, 
during the space of a year, enjoyed' the society of so many 
well-informed persons. They had learned from the English 
newspapers the object of my enterprise. I was treated with 
great confidence, and the commauder gave mo up his oAvn 
state-room. The}' gave me at parting the astronomical 
Ephemerides for those years which I had not been able to 
procure in Prance or Spain. I am indebted to Captain 
Gamier for the observations I was enabled to make on tlie 
satellites beyond the equator, and I feel it a duty to record 
here the gratitude I feel for his kindness. Coming from the 
forests of Cassiquiare, and having been confined during Avhole 
