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Sometime in November, 1825, after a passage of seven days, from Kingston, Jamaica, on board the Lady Queensbury packet, we came in sight of land a little to windward of Carthagena, and in a few hours we were off that city. There is something exciting to all men I believe in coming in sight of land, even although the passage may have been a short one, and their stay perhaps not to be very long. But to a person who first sees a foreign country, which is likely to be his abode for a length of time, every object is a matter of interest in an intense degree; such at least were the feelings I experienced on coming within view of Carthagena; and whatever might be my fortune in the country afterwards, the first impression was an agreeable one indeed the view was very beautiful. There is something graceful and symmetrical in the outline of a fortified place, and that of Carthagena was seen the more distinctly from the contrast of its white walls with the deep blue of the sea, which rose in slight undulations, and broke gently along the foot of the ramparts, in a bright sparkling line. The number of towers, domes, and steeples of the different churches, all dazzling white, rising from among the bright red-tiled roofs of the houses, gave an exceedingly gay appearance to the city. The precipitous hill of La Popa, with its ruined convent on the top, and the castle of San Lazaro resting on its base, and seen above the walls of the city as if watching over it with its hundred armed eyes, formed a fine back ground to the picture.

The breeze which had brought us before the town, had died away-the smoke from our signal gun still rested on the water, like a light cloud on a summer sky-and the report had scarely ceased to reverberate from the land,

when we saw a boat leave the shore, and make towards us: it brought us a pilot, a black man dressed in white cotton trowsers and shirt, shoes without stockings, and a black glazed hat with a narrow rim: thought I, if this fellow had any brains, they must have been fried up long ago, with so strong an attraction of such a dreadfully burning sun's rays. But he seemed not only to suffer no inconvenience from it, but to consider himself a very fine fellow, and towards evening, by bringing us into the harbour at Boca Chica, showed he had sufficient brains left for our purpose. We cast anchor close to the castle of San Felipe, a very strong fortress on the left side of the entrance to the harbour: there is another on the opposite side, almost level with the surface of the water, and the space between them is so narrow that I would suppose, if properly garrisoned, it would be a difficult matter to pass them, unless it should happen as it did once with the commandant of the city, on the arrival of one of the British representatives. In this instance the captain of the vessel of war in which he, the representative, came, was a good deal surprised that his salute was not returned: after waiting some time, there were two guns fired, and a messenger came off to apologize in the name of the commandant, who found he could not answer the courtesy until he would send up to La Popa for powder, as they had none in the city-that he had collected all the cartridges in the cartouch boxes of the guard, but they only amounted to two charges, which had been fired. He begged that they would give him time to get down the powder, and that he would then return the salute, which was agreed to of course, and next day the promise was kept with all due punctuality.

We were highly amused during the evening, watching the various kinds of fish (which from the clearness of the water we could see at a great depth) and the pelicans and albatrosses which fed on them.

Some of the officers from the castle came on board to visit two of their countrymen, passengers from England, and while pledging them in a glass of wine, I was struck with a peculiar gesture which they used in raising the glass to their heads. I found out afterwards that it was a masonic sign, that institution having been lately introduced among them, and as a novelty, of course very popular. It did not retain its popularity long, however; for the priests (who did not join the brotherhood) were annoyed that there should be any secret kept from them, and it found no favour among the women, from the same motive, and their combined influence has pretty nearly extinguished it. When I arrived in the country there were many lodges publicly established, and large subscriptions had been raised towards providing the necessary paraphernalia. It was, however, only the first burst of freedom of thought and action, for the church (although many of its members were of the brotherhood) had set her face against it, and has so completely overthrown the establishment, that the members never dared to claim the money paid to the treasurers; many of whom (some people are wicked enough to say) assisted in overturning it, in order that they might keep the funds. As soon as the sea breeze sprung up, we left our anchorage, and beat up the beautiful harbour, as far as the "Estacada," which is intended as an obstacle to the too near approach of vessels to the city.

The original entrance to the harbour, called Boca Grande, was destroyed by sinking two or three vessels in it when attacked by the English, an account of which is given in Smollet's novel of Roderick Random; and the only entrance now for large vessels is by the circuitous route of Bocha Chica.

Our luggage was examined as we passed through the custom-house-gate, and while waiting my turn, I had the first opportunity of seeing a Colombian guard of soldiers, and certainly they appeared a strange set. The sentinel,

who was pacing up and down the piazza, was a little, squat Indian, little more than five feet high; on a stone bench which ran along one side of the piazza, the rest of the soldiers of the guard were variously employed

one or two were sleeping-another mending his alpargata, or sandal, and two or three playing dice on a blanket spread on the ground. Those of them who had not their heads thrust through a hole in their blankets (in which way they make it serve as a cloak,) displayed what was intended for a blue jacket, faced with scarlet, white calico trowsers, and a rude imitation of a "chaco" or soldier's cap, made of half-dressed leather, and on their feet they wore alpargatas, or a kind of sandal made of platted cord. The officers were as odd-looking creatures as the soldiers, although richly dressed, as far as gold lace could enrich them; a large cocked hat with a tricoloured feather of huge dimensions; a blue coat, the waist of which was placed between the shoulders, and skirts so short that from the collar to the extremity of the skirt did not exceed eighteen inches; a pair of white trowsers that really appeared to be fastened about the neck, wide enough in the legs to hold the whole body, and only reaching to a little below the calf, so that they scarcely covered the top of ill-made Wellington boots; immense epaulettes, and frequently aiguillettes, with a profusion of gold lace, and mustachios, seemed to be the ne plus ultra of finery in their conception.

Understanding that there was an English hotel (or at least one kept by a person who spoke English,) we had our luggage carried there. As there is little variation in the plan of the houses here, I may as well describe that of our inn, which may in a great measure serve as a description of the houses generally.

We entered by a gateway leading into a square yard, round which the house was built, two stories high; the lower apartments were either used as store-rooms or servant's bed-rooms, the door of each opening from the yard; we ascended by a flight of stone steps to the upper story, where there was a broad landing with folding doors opening into a room which occupied

the whole front of the house; two folding doors served as windows to this room to admit light and air, and led into a balcony, which stretched along the entire length of the house, towards the street; this balcony is the pleasantest part of the house, and is always the favourite lounge, where the people sit to chat and smoke their cigars, and at the same time see all that is going on. This large front room is termed the sala or hall, and is intended as the principal sitting room, as well as breakfast and dinner room on great occasions, but the landing at the head of the stairs is generally preferred when there is less ceremony, as it is cooler and has better light. The sala being the principal room is generally the best furnished, but even when most so, it has a bare appearance to a European; they are never ceiled, and in the best houses the beams are only ornamented with some fancy wood-work, and they, as well as the rafters, are merely whitewashed. What struck me as the greatest peculiarity was the floors being all formed by square tiles; however, this gives an idea of coolness very agreeable, particularly when occassionally sprinkled with water, as they are. At the time I first visited Carthagena, the intercourse with Europe was only begun, and very little of the European furniture had yet reached them, so that there was a great scantiness in all the houses-a few of the old fashioned Spanish chairs, with leather backs and bottoms, two or three low stools and rockingchairs, one or two small tables, and perhaps a sofa and looking glass, frequently formed the furniture of the sala. This scantiness of tables and chairs, the large size of the room, and the bare red-tiled floor, gave one the feeling of a great want of comfort or luxury, until reconciled from habit. There is generally a latticed press placed where the greatest current of air is, in which is a large earthenware jar of water, with a ladle and silver cup for drinking as these jars are all

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more or less porous, the water ooses slowly through, and falls, drop by drop, into some vessel placed below to receive it-the noise from this drop sounding through the great empty room at night, when all is still, causes a strange sensation on the ear of one unaccustomed to it.*

The day after our arrival, four of our party being desirous to visit the height of La Popa, hired a couple of volantes, a kind of gig which supplies the place of hackney coaches. These vehicles are drawn by one horse, harnessed so as to draw by the breast: instead of a collar and hames, there is merely a broad strap of leather across the chest ; the shafts are supported by another strap across the saddle, on which the driver is mounted: there is a top to the vehicle, which projects from behind, and serves to shade the sun off, and is open at the sides. Our driver, I dare say, considered himself a very great beau. He wore a large straw hat, and by way of a coat or cloak, a small piece of green cloth, little more than a yard square, through a hole in the centre of which he passed his head. The edges of this little mantle were trimmed with scarlet tape, giving it something the appearance of a livery. He wore loose cotton trowsers, and an immense pair of spurs, (the rowels of which were as large as a half-crown piece) on his bare legs. When mounted he had the great toe only in the stirrup, and sitting erect as possible, flourished a long rod by way of a whip, and away we drove through the suburb called Ximeni, along a sandy plain of about a mile, when we came, to what is called Pie de la Popa," or fort of La Popa. Here there are a great many cottages belonging to the merchants of the city, where they frequently reside, in order to enjoy the fresh air, as within the walls it is sometimes oppressively hot. Many of these cottages are built on the Jamaica plan, and are fitted up with great taste and neat

ness.

On reaching the foot of the hill, we