We enjoyed long carriage drives over rich estates at Mayaguez. We saw
with pain, however, that the atmosphere of the soldier hung over all,
pervading the whole air like a pestilence.
Musketed and sabred and uniformed in their bed-ticking suits; hated by
the residents and despised by themselves, they doggedly marched,
counter-marched and wheeled, knowing that they are loathsome in the
island, and that their days in the New World are numbered. The sons of
the colonies are too civil and Christianlike to be ruled always by sword
and gun.
On the 15th of October, after three days' rest, we took in, as usual
before sailing from ports, sufficient fresh supplies to carry us to the
port steered for next, then set sail from pleasant Mayaguez, and bore
away for the old Bahama Channel, passing east of Hayti, thence along the
north coast to the west extremity of the island, from which we took
departure for the head-lands of Cuba, and followed that coast as far as
Cardinas, where we took a final departure from the islands, regretting
that we could not sail around them all.
The region on the north side of Cuba is often visited by gales of great
violence, making this the lee shore; a weather eye was therefore kept
lifting, especially in the direction of their source, which is from
north to nor'west.
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