I have heard this meat reviled over and over again, as being tough and anything but nutritious; but I disagree with its detractors, as I found it sweet, tender and palatable, although it is very far from being fat. Besides fresh meat we were enabled to obtain sweet potatoes--the murphies not being raised here--and so we were fain to put up with their yellow prototypes; they were much the same esculent as we formerly procured in the Island of Lombock. Carrots, and the various garden vegetables, too, were procurable, and the most original turnips that it ever fell to my lot to behold. In form they resembled a pine-apple, and were of a deep purple color. Attracted by their savory look, I essayed to peel one with my pocket knife, but found such a proceeding not to be accomplished with ordinary tools; with the assistance of a sharp hatchet, I managed to remove the jacket, and was rewarded for my pains by a mouthful of the hardest chewing commodity that ever was put between my masticators; it reminded me of the occasion, when a boy, I attempted to crack a hickory nut between my teeth. On Monday morning we arose with the intention of doing a great deal of work--thinking to get off all our water in the course of the day. In pursuance of this resolution two boats were manned, and we went ashore with a raft of casks in tow, passing up the inner harbor. (But as we were to go ashore in a few hours on liberty, and would then have more leisure for inspection, we omit further description until then.) There were several hundred ships lying here, independent of the coasting-craft, and therefore on arriving at the watering-place, which consisted of an aqueduct with a single nozzle, we found it surrounded by seamen of every nation, hose in hand, patiently waiting their turns, while being scorched by the burning rays of a tropical sun. Finding that in all probability the greater part of the day would be consumed ere we should have an opportunity to fill our casks, the starboard-watch returned to the ship, in order to make preparations to go ashore on liberty; which being soon completed, a boat was manned, and away we went for a day’s enjoyment after eight months of sea-life. On our way in we passed a series of parti-colored buoys, placed so as clearly to define the entrance to the harbor. About two miles from the landing there is a curious contrivance of wicker-work, with a bell in it, familiarly known as the Bell Buoy; and a little further in, the Powder Boat, into which all vessels entering the harbor are compelled to deposit their powder. The entrance to the harbor is moderately wide, but still no vessels enter without the aid of the steam tow-boat, which they may however dispense with on leaving. Every vessel in the harbor is compelled to anchor with two stream and two bower anchors.