as off it, and consequently, whilst thinking himself to the northward, he was very much surprised to find himself ashore: he had sent to Sisal for assistance, so we continued on our route. The soundings between the parallels of 20° 40′, and 22° 00′ north, run very regular, although the nature of the bottom alters frequently. A set to the south-east was perceptible, and on the western edge of the bank the tide or current, (nearly full moon,) sets on from south-west to west, at the rate of 2.5 per hour.

Abundance of exquisite ground fish may be caught throughout the whole extent of the bank, the catching of which affords a very agreeable and profitable recreation in a calm. We endeavoured to hit on a shoal, discovered by her Majesty's packet Spey, on one of her former voyages to Mexico, situated ten or twelve miles to the northward of the Triangles, but as the current increases so suddenly near the edge of soundings, we were swept so much to the northward between observations that we missed it. After leaving the Campeche bank, the current set strong to the north-eastward, across the whole track to Vera Cruz. When about forty miles north-east of the said port, our forebodings were realized, we had one of the most severe gales, with the exception of a hurricane, that the West Indies produce. The sea was awful, caused by the strong current running against the wind, but our little vessel rode it out nobly, being benefitted in no small degree by the size of the wave, which no doubt would have damaged a larger vessel. As the gale continues and increases, so does the current and sea, as all the waters blown to the bottom of the gulf are turned back again, while the north part of the gulf decreases considerably in depth.

We arrived at Vera Cruz after three days hard battering, twelve hours before a large Danish brig, which had passed us off the Triangles; he confessed that he had had quite enough to do, and had no idea that it ever blew so hard in these seas. Although a fair wind for the port, he was like us obliged to heave to. We approached the town to the southward of the inner Anegada, beating up against the remains of the gale, much to the surprise of many, as the current runs very strong;— the pilot came on board after we had anchored under St. Juan castle, and had the assurance to demand pilotage.

Vera Cruz, since the French expedition, has become too well known to require the cursory description that three or four broken days could rummage out. The castle was not in half the disorder to be expected, nor could we see on what quarter the irresistible Gallic power had heaviest fallen. It is certainly no great wonder, that the explosion of one magazine should have scared such a sugar-cane-eating military as we saw, nor is it one leaf of laurel to the French navy. Two line-ofbattle ships moored between the castle and town, would knock them both to atoms in two hours.

The road to Mexico, "par diligence," seems to be much frequented by Ladrones, who have a great affection for fat English merchants and travellers, these last being generally so incautious as to take long purses with them. The natural consequence is, that they are generally eased of their contents. They had latterly adopted the plan of taking no money with them, but they fared worse for it, for they were literally stripped naked, the best plan is to take enough to satisfy these Ladrones. How

ever strange it may appear, any amount of property can be sent by the muleteers or waggoners, and they are never molested. Perhaps, the robbers consider it a point of honour not to hurt men of their own standing in society. Fresh fish can never be obtained for the grand meal of the day at Vera Cruz; the fishermen never troubling themselves to go out till nine or ten o'clock, and generally return about six or seven, when in this hot country everybody has dined. The only remaining method, is to salt them for next day's use. So much has it become a custom, that except a casual stranger, most of the inhabitants prefer them so prepared, and aver that it improves the flavour.

The churches and cathedral are very splendid in their style, and expensively adorned inside,-silver and gold are not spared. I examined some of them, and was not a little surprised to see the different ways in which the Saviour was represented in the chapels of the cathedral. He was painted to suit all colours and shapes, from the Circassian to the Carib and Negro, white, brown, Indian colour, and black; however, the black image was nearest the exit, and the chapel most meanly in ornament.

Our longitude of the castle differed two miles to the westward of that in Sir J. Phillimore's plan. The feature of the coast from Vera Cruz to Tampico is rather erroneous in his plan; even the compass bearings of the islands between Tuopan and Cape Roxo do not agree. It is difficult to tell which is which,-Mount St. Juan is the best guide; when approaching Tampico from the southward, if clear, there are two sugar-loaf mountains in the interior also very remarkable. The land immediately to the southward of the bar, is the highest part of the coast from Cape Roxo, northward, and is remarkable by having a small button-shaped knot on its southern slope, and a little to the northward of this, an opening which appears as if the mouth of a river, at the end of the northernmost slope of this land is the river. The land immediately to the northward of the river is a continuation of sand hills, studded with brushwood, and makes rather high six or seven miles from its mouth; it can be easily distinguished in any weather from the land to the southward of the bar, by its whitish appearance and inferior height; there ought to be some built land mark. The place has always been considered one of the most difficult to make; without a latitude impossible; and as vessels are blown off, and obliged to stand off and on sometimes for twenty and thirty days, before the bar admits them, a small light would be of infinite service. We had just sighted the vessels in the river, when it came on a gale from N.N.E., giving us time to shorten sail and no more; by the help of the river current we made sufficient offing. In the morning we stood in, and continued standing off and on all day, but no pilot ventured out; next morning his majesty made his appearance, and as the landing of the mail is contracted for, in the large boat which brings the pilot out, it was accompanied up to town by the officer in charge.

A difficulty having arisen, as to the propriety and safety of allowing so powerful a vessel as ours to enter the river, without a permit from the governor. The pilot did not return on board, it being no very com

In our January number for 1834, will be found an excellent plan of the harbour of Tampico, and the river up to Pamico.-ED.

fortable situation with a norther brewing: the bar having been sounded we found our own way in, and as the battery on the river point only rated two dismounted 9-pounders, our passage was effected without much damage. The river is a very fine one and abounds with fish, it is at least three-fourths of a mile broad in most places. There is a species of river porpoise very numerous here, said never to be found beyond the mouth of the river. The principal difference between it and the common sea porpoise, appears to be in the form of the snout and dorsal fin. As we pulled up the river we started numbers of duck, trail, several beautiful species of cranes, fish, hawks, plover, &c.

On turning the angle of the bank that conceals the town the view is rather pleasing. The placid river, studded with large vessels, the verdure of the trees, and surrounding country, evidently denoting its distance from the sea, give a picturesque appearance to the town as it looks down on the busy scene from the elevation on which it stands, British merchants were doing very little, some said nothing, although the fair had just closed, and they were only then removing the booths from the square. We took the schooner up to the town, to the no small merriment of the inhabitants, who had no idea that so small a vessel

could with safety navigate so far up the river, It is certainly a splendid country and deserves to be in better hands,—the market was well supplied with everything. I here learned that we had been mistaken for a Texian privateer the day before; and if the guns had been ready should certainly have been saluted. The soldiers are here in much better order than at Vera Cruz, and administer the "quantum suff" of annoyance to the inhabitants, by their constant bugling, drumming, and fifing. It is asserted as a fact here, that there is an officer to every soldier in the Mexican army; these are paid very high wages; the cfficers are white, the soldiers Indian. I heard several stories as to the lightness of heel displayed by the former, when the latter shewing a hard front, despised the pusillanimity of their superiors, and in Peru and Chili I have always heard the Indians extolled for their bravery and endurance of fatigue and privation. The officers are well paid, to prevent them it is said from paying themselves. Another creation of twelve generals, at an expence of 1,000l. each per annuma was about to take place, but with regard to the respectability, the following wicked story is current here. An English merchant, at Mexico, was waited upon by his quondam boot-polisher, in captain's uniform, for the balance of his wages; his blushing honours and commission had suddenly been obtained in some three days boulevard business, in which he had taken a prominent cut-throat position!

The best, and I may say, only good institution at Tampico, is that for public education. The house is neatly built, cleanly, and everything seems to be done in superior style. The scholars on Sundays form themselves into a band, and acquit themselves exceedingly well, although their music embraces no more than marches, waltzes, &c.

There has been an attempt made to build by subscription a church, of which the steeple and bells, (the indispensables in a Spanish town,) are all as yet accomplished; the funds as fast as they accumulate, having been seized by the different governors for the necessities of the state, their own pockets and the state being no doubt synonymous,

PORT ESSINGTON AND PASSAGE TO TIMOR AND SWAN RIVER. 533

There being plenty of wild ducks, and also a great quantity exposed for sale, I was surprised to find no marks of shot upon them, On inquiry, I found that the Mexicans do not eat them when they have been shot, but adopt the following extraordinary mode of catching them for their table. A person provides himself with a tarpaulin or leathern dress, and enveloped in this, seats himself at the bottom of the lake or marsh which they frequent; a tube leading to the surface gives him. air, and his hands and arms are free. Thus prepared, he watches his opportunity as a duck approaches, and catching him by the legs he gently hauls the astonished biped under water, without disturbing his companions, and quietly despatches him. They say it is a far less expensive and more expeditious method of obtaining them than the gun, but it certainly requires as plentiful a supply of the bird as is found in the winter season at Tampico.

PORT ESSINGTON AND THE PASSAGE TO TIMOR AND SWAN RIVER.-From the Remarks of Com. Owen Stanley, H.M.S. Britomart.*

WE sailed from Port Essington for Coepang on the 22nd of October, 1839, and arrived on the 31st. During the passage the wind was very light and variable from south-east and north-east. A current setting to the westward, from 0.4 to 0.7 of a mile per hour was experienced during the whole passage. The bark Maria bound also to Coepang from Port Essington, passed to the northward of Timor, and was set upwards of three miles an hour to the westward after rounding the east end of the island, but had very light winds indeed.

After passing through the Straits of Semao we anchored with the flag-staff in Port Concordia bearing S.S.E. half-a-mile, in seventeen fathoms, and found the holding ground very good, though it is said to be better a little more to the eastward, abreast of the Chinese temple, which may be easily known by its being situated on a low cliff at the end of the sandy beach which fronts the town, and has two large trees before it. The landing place situated close under Port Concordia at the mouth of a small fresh water stream, is bad at low water when there is any breeze, as the surf rolls in heavily.

The whalers many of whom frequent the neighbourhood of Timor, sometimes anchor in the bay during the westerly monsoon; but must always be in readiness to weigh, if the wind comes in strong from north or north-west. On the opposite side of the Straits of Semao, there is a very good anchorage during the westerly monsoon close to the island; the distance from Coepang is about five miles, but in consequence of the difficulty of landing, the communication must be uncertain. At the period of our visit supplies were not easily obtained, with the exception of vegetables: owing to the want of rain during the last wet seasons even the rice crops had failed. The water is good and easily procured. The bay abounds with fish, which the people are too lazy to procure;

* Mr. Jackson's directions for Port Essington will be found in our volume for 1810.

and from all appearances the settlement has not improved since Captains Flinders and King visited it.

In returning to Port Essington we had to beat through the Straits of Semao, which appear to be quite free from dangers, except the long spit which runs out from the south-west point of Timor; upon which the sea was breaking heavily. The water is very clear so that a lookout from the masthead would always show any shoal in time.

On our passage back to Port Essington we experienced the same set to the westward, while to the northward of latitude 10° 45'. After which the current seemed to be entirely influenced by the southerly winds which prevailed near the coasts of Australia.

Near Victoria Trepang Bay upon examination proves to be very shoal, and on that account a good place for procuring the slug from which it derives its name. From Trepang Bay to Cape Don the coast is fronted by a coral reef, extending from one to two and a half miles from the shore.

At Raffles Bay considerable remains of the old settlement are still standing. Barkers Bay can hardly be called a bay, having only three feet water at half tide: there is a low sandy point about a mile north of it, which is nearly steep to.

All around the Coburg Peninsula and Crokers Island, the water is very muddy, so that no reliance whatever can be placed upon a lookout from aloft. Off Point Smith the sea is constantly breaking on the end of the reef, which may be rounded in five fathoms, but the fronter shoal, and also the shoal off Vashon Head, cannot be seen at all even when actually on them. In Sunday Straits the tides run very strong, and in several places there are considerable overfalls and ripplings.

Sunday, December 24th.-A little after sunset, a most tremendous thunder storm came on without any previous warning and lasted till. near midnight, The lightning and thunder was not confined to any particular part of the heavens; rain came down in torrents, but little wind was felt.

Monday 25th.-A strong breeze set in from the south-east with drizzling rain, but as the barometer remained at 29.90, its usual point, and similar weather had been experienced at the change of the monsoon in 1838, nothing was apprehended, more particularly as the wind mederated (as had been expected) at sunset. Between seven and eight o'clock the wind drew round to the southward, and the barometer began to fall rapidly: at ten it blew furiously from the same quarter, and the barometer was as low as 29.10; many of the the trees were blown down at this time. At midnight the wind drew round to the eastward, and blew a perfect hurricane, before which nearly everything gave way; the trees came down in every part of the settlement, the marines' houses were all blown dowa, the church only finished a week shared the same fate--the barometer fell to 23.52.

About two A.M. the wind shifted suddenly to the northward, from which point, for about half-an-hour, its fury was tremendous, the government-house, built on stone piers was blown away from them to a distance of nine feet; the sea rose ten feet and a half, by measurement afterwards, above the usual high-water mark; the pier was washed away, as were also the boat-houses, all the stores saved from the Orontes, and