nto the cabin and told
them that he had given up the charge of the schooner to me, that they
must obey me accordingly. This was unsolicited by me. We then proceeded
direct to Porto Bello, where we opened a trade with the inhabitants,
remaining there about three weeks, experiencing heavy showers of rain
every day we tarried there, it then being the rainy season on that
coast. We proceeded from that port to Carthagena, a distance of about
two hundred and sixty miles, where we were informed by the inhabitants
that there had not fallen a drop of rain in that place during the last
ten months.

Carthagena is the strongest fortified city I ever visited, being
enclosed with a wall some fifteen feet high, which is approached by a
slope of easy assent. The wall appears to be from fifteen to twenty feet
thick, having embrasures with heavy cannon mounted on it, about one
hundred feet from one to another, all around the city, with a good road
on the top of the wall. On the outside of the wall there is a deep
trench, where water can be let in five or six feet deep if the city
should be invaded by an enemy. Vessels bound into the harbor are obliged
to keep close to the main land, which brings them near a long tier of
forts. The greatest part of the channel is filled in with large stones,
which appears to have been the work of ages.

We remained here about two weeks, and were visited by numbers of
captains of Columbian privateers, most of them Americans, who had
obtained commissions signed by General Bolivar; they purchased many
articles from us. Before we got the schooner under weigh we took on
board three members of the Columbian Congress and their servants. A son
of one of the congressmen had been educated in Europe, and spoke good
English. We agreed to convey them to Chagres. They came direct from
Bogata, the seat of government of this Republic, their congress having
just adjourned; they were on their way home, across the Isthmus. The
Columbian Congress had passed a law to raise the duties on imports about
twelve per cent. We had a large assortment of goods on board, which we
sold at retail at every port where we landed. On our passage these
members of congress, who had come direct from the seat of government,
and assisted to pass laws to raise the revenue and prevent smuggling,
purchased over three hundred dollars' worth of goods of us on the
passage, and had them put up in proper packages to pass through the
custom house as the