Fifteen minutes after a boat came alongside, which is technically known as the shark’s boat. In it were the proprietors and agents of all the outfitting firms of the city, black and white, Portuguese, Germans, Irish, French, &c., each intent on getting a customer from amongst our vessel’s crew. They jumped aboard, and endeavored by passing the bottle around (with which they always go provided, knowing that the sailor is much more easily gulled when half seas over), to get as many to go with them to their places of business as possible; at the same time they readily give their aid in packing and lashing their customer’s chests, assiduously waiting upon him, and not allowing him to get out of their sight for a moment--fearful of losing him. After some little chaffering our chests and selves were all aboard the boat and were rapidly approaching the city. A large concourse of spectators had assembled on the wharves, comprising the runners of all the most miserable and nefarious houses of the town. The captain of the boat, anxious to disappoint them, ran to another wharf, to which these harpies speedily conveyed themselves. As soon as we had landed, each man went with his outfitter, or rather infitter, in order to be thoroughly renovated in appearance and pocket. Although we landed on Sunday, we had no difficulty in obtaining clothing, these outfitters being provided for all such contingencies. After enjoying a thorough wash, and getting into an entire suit of long togs, or landsmen’s wearing garments, but little was left of the semblance of sailors to us, except the rolling gait and embrowned countenances. Our next trip was to the barber’s, where all superfluous hair was removed from heads and faces, and a thorough scrubbing operation gone through with; which, on viewing ourselves in the glass, gave us a pretty good opinion of our personal qualifications, and we started for a walk. The first things, of course, that attracted our attention, were the hoops in female dresses; we had heard marvellous stories of the rotundity of a fashionably dressed lady, but had never seen one. One of my informants having told me six months before, whilst we were cruising off the Island of Madagascar, that it was not unusual for a lady to wear hoops thirty feet in circumference. In the occupation of mind attendant upon getting ashore, I had totally forgotten the existence of hoops, but was astonished at the corpulence of every woman I met, and I thought, no, I won’t tell you what I thought; but you must imagine yourself in the same position, and then what would you think? As yet I had not passed close to a lady with hoops, but in turning the corner of a street I came in contact with one, and in my endeavors to escape from my embarrassing position, I made no allowance for the rolling motion acquired aboard ship, and only made matters worse. In a few minutes, however, I managed to get clear, though not without getting into the