social happiness, of the comforts and elegancies produced by science and civilized society, are, after a long and consequently tedious voyage, welcome sights to the aquatic traveller, re-enlivening his spirits, and, in the anticipation of the enjoyments of his proper element, land, are the beginnings of the compensation it affords him for the privations he has been enduring at sea. A little higher up, on the opposite side to the sugar-loaf, is the fort of Santa Cruz, where ships for a few minutes bring to, and answer various questions. From hence a signal is made, which is repeated from a hill close by the town, announcing to what country the ship arrived belongs. The vessel then cast anchor off the island of Fort Villegagnon, to which place she despatched a boat to bring on board a serjeant and two soldiers, who remained as a guard, till nearly a day was consumed before the captain of the port, a military officer, a doctor, &c. had, one after the other, come off in boats, at their pleasure, to visit the ship, creating an unnecessary and tedious delay. At last, the vessel moved on to the vicinity of the Isle das Cobras, from whence, after a custom-house guard had arrived, the soldiers conducted the Captain and myself to the palace and other offices, where the ship’s name, &c. were given in. On here taking leave of the brig, I must do justice to my feelings by observing, that I received the most friendly attention from the Captain, whose gentlemanly and well-regulated conduct were highly honourable to him. On landing, the prepossession regarding this place gives way to an impression by no means favourable, produced by narrow streets, crowded with negroes, whose black faces and savage songs, which they howl out as an encouragement to each other under the burdens and loads which they drag along, fill the mind of the stranger, unaccustomed to such scenes, with dejection. The fairy visions in the bay, too recent yet to have disappeared from the imagination, vanished at such discordant sounds and uncouth appearances; and suffering, rather than satisfaction and enjoyment, appeared to be resident here. The discordant sounds afforded, perhaps, some consolatory relief to the poor negroes, by dividing their attention in some degree from their toil. They were an effort of nature, ever fertile in resources under calamity, to drive away care; but they were on that account a proof of their misery. They thus imparted a trifling gratification to the sable sufferers, but they penetrated mournfully to my heart, unused as I was to such misery-elicited minstrelsy, for it was slavery under a temporary attempt at disguise. “Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, slavery!” said I, with Sterne, “still thou art a bitter draught! and though thousands, in all ages, have been made to drink of thee, thou art no less bitter on that account.” [Illustration: _On Stone by C. Shoosmith from a Sketch by Ja^s. Henderson._ _Redman Lithog._