■ November. w^'c^ ^ acquainted Governor Borica,-by letter, on funday morning, and
bSSKsia at the fame time added, that I (hould reprefent the bufinefs fully to the ounaay 10.' j r a j - • 1 , 1 '
Board or Admiralty, and that I had no doubt that the ftri&eft juftice
would be done. With this the governor feeftied to be completely
fatisfied, and in his letter to this effect, after expreffing the greatefl
approbation, he, in virtue of the harmony and good underftanding
that Continued to exifl between us, lolicited my good offices in behalf o f
the deferters, before mentioned.
The weather, finee the 8th, had been delightfully pleafant; in the
day-time the wind blew a gentle gale from the fea, and during the night
a calm, or gentle breeze, prevailed from the land, fo that the precaution
we had taken of fir iking our yards and topmafls, lince the-moment of our
having fo done, ceafed to be neceffary. This. agreeable weather caufed
the water in the bay to be fo very tranquil, that landing was eaftly effected
on any of its fhores, and rendered our intercourfe with the country
extremely pleafant.
• The fame caufe operated to invite the excurfions o f feveral parties into
the -country on foot and on horfeback. Thefe were rendered further
agreeable and pleafant, by the friendly and attentive behaviour of our
Spaniffi friends,, o f which I was feldom able to avail myfelf, not only
from the various matters of bulinefs in which I was deeply engaged,
but from the very debilitated Hate of my health, under which I had fe-
yerely laboured during the eight preceding months; I was, however,
Wednef. 19. 0n wednefday able to join in a party to the valley through which the
Monterrey river, flows, and was there gratified with the fight of the molt
extraordinary mountain I had ever beheld. On one fide it prefented the
appearance o f a fumptuous edifice fallen into decay; the columns which
looked as if they had been raifed with much labour and induflry, were of
great magnitude, feemed to be of an elegant form, and to be compofed
of the fame cream-coloured ftone, of which I have before made mention.
Between thefe magnificent columns were deep excavations, refembling
different paffages into the interior parts o f the fuppofed building, whofe
roof being the fummit of the mountain appeared to be wholly fup-
ported by thefe columns rifing perpendicularly with the molt minute
mathematical
•M.-UiKABIJi MOUNTAIN RlYJili ,</' MONTER KE