It is customary for ships that refit here to allow their men to go on shore and remain a week or ten days at a time, as the distance is so great—seven miles from town—that one day’s liberty at a time would be worth but little. Accordingly, on Monday, April 12th, the starboard watch were given a week’s liberty, while the other watch remained on board to paint ship. On landing, what was our surprise to see a large number of cows standing near, and, to our astonishment, we were informed that they were there for our accommodation, if we chose. For the sum of fifty cents we could enjoy a fine horseback ride on a cow “up to town.” As there were men from four ships going in company (nearly sixty of us), we all entered into the spirit of the affair, and each man selected his “horned beast” and mounted. And now ensued a scene that beggars description. Leather thongs were made fast to the horns for the rider to hold on by, and the Spaniard, who led off on a noble animal, seeing all was ready, shouted “Arriva!” and away he went on the full run, the others following; the men having no saddles, some were rolling from side to side, some had seated themselves “wrong-end first,” and all, instead of hanging on to the thongs, reach forward, and, grasping the horns, hang on like _grim death_; the cows, with their heads stretched forward to the utmost, their bells jingling, each one bellowing and snorting, and their riders, instead of sitting upright, stretched in a horizontal position, their legs extended, and yelling like so many wild Indians; the old Spaniard shouting and singing in Spanish, and the whole cavalcade upon the full run—all this produced one of the wildest scenes imaginable. As the procession entered the town, Spaniards of both sexes, men, women, and children, rushed to the street, shouting and laughing at the “Americanos.” The old Spaniard kept on, and, after having made the circuit of the town, brought up at the “Grand Plaza” in front of the governor’s palace, the poor riders being almost insensible from the continual and deafening din that surrounded them. They halted here, and all hands joyfully dismounted; the Spaniards crowded around to congratulate them on their _good riding_, but, paying no attention to them, they “_vamosed_” in search of a boarding-house. By the laws of the island, every white man or foreigner must have a boarding-house, and be within doors at eight P.M. This is necessary, that good order may be preserved in the night-time, and tends to prevent many disgraceful scenes that would otherwise occur.