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Publié par | les_archives_du_savoir |
Nombre de lectures | 7 |
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Langue | English |
Poids de l'ouvrage | 10 Mo |
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I4TO CHINA. 3
commanded Basil and the GeneralHall,by captain
Hewitt, Indiaman, by captain Campbell, accompa-
nied the the latter out theAlceste, carrying pre-
sents.
On the 9th of the sailed1816,February, ships
from and soon cleared the withChannel,Spithead,
a favourable which continued with us tobreeze,
where we arrived on the 18th. In Fun-Madeira,
chal road we found the sir Hud-Phaeton, having
son and with their suite on inLowe, board,lady
their to St. Helena and the with; Mr.way Niger,
on his mission to America. Our hereBagot, stay
was twelve in the wehours, and,only evening,
our course to the south-westward. Thepursued
weather our whowarmer,becoming hourly people,
had been and had suffered abadly clothed, good
indeal from the of the cold out theseverity fitting
now to thaw a little : were be-ship, thingsbegan
in theto find and;ginning places shiptheJMproper
those unaccustomefr to the motionrolling had, by
this their On the 4thtime, acquired sea-legs.
in the at the moment ofMarch, evening, crossing
the the voice of some as fromone,equinoctial line,
the sea, announced himself as eldest son,Neptune's
after the usual added,and, putting interrogatories,
ratherthat his father a little andbeing indisposed,
about himself to the air,nightsqueamish exposing
when hehad deferred his visit until the morning,
to the stran-would call on boardpersonally inspect* VOYAGE OP H. M. S. ALCESTE
who were now his dominions. Thegers entering
son of seemed now to sink into theNeptune again
In the his todeep. morning, godship, agreeably
seated in his carappeared,promise, (a gun-carriage),
with his trident and Other attendedinsignia, by
and all his usual train of inferior dei-Amphitrite,
ties. He was received aby guardstrange-looking
" /"of his the band Rule Britanniaown, striking up
to the theAfter his embassador,paying respects
and the the ofwhom there
rest, novices,captain,
were forthwithwere not a few, shaved, according
to a with a ironimmemorial,practice rusty hoop,
notches the lather washedfull of ; and off,being
werethe in their faces,by playing fire-engine they
then with a swab. Much mirthdirtywiped dry
and humour and a double allow-;good prevailed
ance of finished the Weceremony. experi-grog
enced none of the calms usual near the andline,
of moment occurred ctil we reached the
nothing
lat. 20° 4' 31° 5™ on the 16thnorth, vest,long.
when the and Hewitt were directedMarch, Lyra
to make the best of their to the of Goodway Cape
whilst the Alceste to theproceeded capitalHope,
the 21st ofof the where we arrived on thatBrazils,
month.
All the as well as features of na-bold, beautiful,
have to enrich the of Rioture, conjoined scenery
Janeiro. The luxuriant of formerdescriptions
travellers are no means for it would
by exaggerated,HTO CHINA.
indeed be indifficult to exceed the truth portray-
the and of such a scene asing sublimity grandeur
itself on the harbour. The nu-presents entering
merous islets on this extensive sheet ofappearing
—
its wooded like anam-water, banks,richly- rising
on either withstuddedphitheatre hand, villages
—and added to the distant view ofseats,country
—andlofty mountains, form,picturesque altogether,
a unusual and noblevery landscape.
The death of the which the
queen, happened
to our at the old ofarrival,day previous good age
had rather cast a over theeighty-two, gloom city
of St. Sebastians. The batteries and firedships
five-minute the whole and
;guns during day night
the and aAlceste, Indefatigable, Spanish frigate,
this also the usual;following example displaying
exterior marks of the coloursgrief, by hoisting
half-staff and the The offi-high, topping yards.
cers also wore from a orderpositivecraj^fcand,
issued to all inhabitants to intomourn-tjlbeing go
none under the severesting (which dared, penal-
the of all black articles felt aties, disobey), prices
sudden and increase.enormous
The of the Brazils seemsgovernment perfectly
and it is to see even;despotic painful Englishmen
lose the natural freedom of their character under
such dominion. who from residenceSome, long
had imbibed the of thefeelings Portuguese, would,
in relative toany affairs,answering question public6* VOYAGE OF H. M. S. ALCESTE
look to see who was neararound, them,cautiously
and then their
whisper reply.
The the theprince (now king), during period
her in was toshutstate,majesty lay up, according
their not to be seen but his cham-usage, by any
berlain.
Swarms of avenue to thepriests occupied every
and in St.clusters on the staircases.palace, hung
Sebastians seems to be a in which thesemem-soil,
of the Bra-bers autos still thrive well. Thedafe
zils have been raised from the state of a merelately
to the of a and the resi-
;colony dignity kingdom
dence of the court has conferred still more sub-
stantial on thefromit,advantages arising emigra-
tion of the chief from and thenobility Portugal,
transfer of their wealth to this country.
Its commerce has of late increased to ayears
directionunder thehowever,great degree, chiefly,
of houses. The of the court to theEnglish re^ai
mother it is would be thecountry, thoughtf signal
of revolt for it is not the Brazils would; probable
remain in their whilstfettered state,long present
colonies in all directions around them are freeing
themselves from the ofthe mother coun-
oppression
The want of the usual attentions of
try. public
the of a have beensaluting flag foreignpower might
accounted for under the circumstances ofpresent
the court but it was more; singular (considering,
our late relations with thatparticularly, Portugal)