We sailed. No scenery in the Mediterranean can be more beautiful than that we experienced running past the beautiful Islands of Porto Rico, St. Domingo, and distant view of Cuba; sea clear and smooth; flying-fish, dolphin, and sea-birds. [Sidenote: April 5.] Running into Port Royal, we saluted the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir Lawrence Halstead. The next morning I saw the Governor, the Duke of Manchester, who had driven down from his hill residence to meet our Captain--his conveyance, a random tandem: two leaders abreast and a horse between the shafts. [Sidenote: April 8.] We left Port Royal, running down the trade, and reached Vera Cruz on the 19th, saluting the Mexican flag with 19 guns. [Sidenote: April 23.] Royal salute, it being His Majesty George IV.’s birthday. Same day Governor-General of Vera Cruz came on board, and was saluted with 19 guns. It took a few days before the Consul’s house at Xalapa was fit to receive him; he left us under a salute of 7 guns, but what he seemed to prefer were three hearty British cheers. The Gulf of Mexico is for dollars what the bank of Newfoundland is for fish; owing to the number of slavers, who, when their trade is slack, are not above doing a bit of piracy, the merchants care not to trust their money to traders, while Captains of the Royal Navy were keen freight collectors. I copy the following from my Navy List:-- “Proclamation by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Regent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in the name and on behalf of His Majesty. “The freight paid for the conveyance of treasure on board a man-of-war in the West Indies 2 per cent. On the other side of the Capes Horn and Good Hope, a half more. Of this freight, one-fourth to Greenwich Hospital, one-fourth to the Admiral, or Admirals, on the station, and the remaining two-fourths to the Captain.” I observed that half the pier at Vera Cruz was built of lumps of iron, such as have since been called “Seeley’s pigs.” They had been landed at different times to make room for specie. The Admiral took care to keep a cruiser not far off, so that the arrival of a convoy of specie from Mexico was quickly communicated. Now and then a wicked little mail brig from Falmouth would drop in, and walk off with what she could carry. Cochineal paid freight, but it was too bulky, and required time. Our turn had not arrived, so we kept between Tampico and Vera Cruz, learning something. [Sidenote: May 9.] We came to off Tampico. A more uninviting open roadstead could not be: in-shore the mouth of a large river, a bar and heavy surf breaking across and beyond. We lay at single anchor ready to face foul weather.