264 DOTTINGS ON THE ROADSIDE. [Chap. XVI.—B. B. 
Bahn’s acquaintance, and were most hospitably re¬ 
ceived by him. 
When we started for the town, Mr. Bahn fired off a 
small brass cannon and hoisted the English ensign, so 
as to give the authorities and people timely notice; 
but this turned out to be mere waste of powder and 
bunting, as, unfortunately for us, we were more than 
two hours in reaching the settlement, and the boats 
being in full view the greater part of the time, of 
course every one was aware that a ship had called at 
the Bluff, and that visitors were approaching. The 
fact is that the Lagoon, a very extensive sheet of 
water, is so encumbered with shoals, that it is a diffi¬ 
cult matter to take any craft larger than a canoe up to 
the town. 
After leaving Cassava Cay,'and hoisting the sails 
with a fine fresh wind, the Lagoon soon opened out in 
all its beauty. It is a noble sheet of water, as smooth 
as a mirror, and studded towards its southern end with 
several cays, on one of which a large body of Chris¬ 
tianized Eama Indians live and thrive; while another, 
nearly opposite the town, is covered with a fine growth 
of cocoa-nut trees. At the northern end of the La¬ 
goon, the river Blewfields or Escondido empties itself 
by several mouths,—the northernmost having the 
deepest water; but all are shallow, like the Lagoon 
itself, and it is not until the river is fairly entered 
that one can judge of its size and value. 
I hardly ever remember to have had a more tanta¬ 
lizing passage than in my gig from Cassava to Blew¬ 
fields, on this occasion; scarcely had the boat been 
