arty of officers from the
Georgia and my own ship, I took a steam-tug and proceeded up the harbour
to the railroad depot, at the invitation of the manager of the road, for
an excursion into the country, which proved to be very pleasant. We
passed along the whole port of Bahia, the lower town skirting the water,
and the upper town the crests of a semicircular height, the intermediate
space being filled with trees and shrubbery. The houses are mostly
white, and many of them very picturesque. The terminus of the road is a
beautiful and spacious iron building, situated in the middle of a great
square; and the road itself is a very substantial job. We rode out
twenty-four miles through a picturesque country, the road bordered for
most of the way by the bay and lagoons, with beautiful little valleys
occasionally opening on either hand, with their patches of sugar-cane
and cotton. On our return we sat down to a beautiful lunch, with
champagne. Our hosts were attentive and agreeable, and we returned on
board at dusk, after a very pleasant day. The English residents here
have been very attentive to us. Our tug-man, who was a Thames waterman,
dodged in and out among the launches and vessels in a way that only a
Thames man can do. The French mail came in to-day, and brought us news
that the Florida was at Pernambuco.

_Friday, May 15th._--This morning a person in citizen's dress came on
board and said that the President had requested him to ask me to show
him my commission. I replied that I could have no objection to show my
commission, but it must be to an officer of my own rank, and that this
officer must come on board in his uniform for the purpose; that I could
not show my commission to any person who might come on board in
citizen's dress, bringing me a mere verbal message, and without any
credentials of his rank, &c. I remarked, however, that it would give me
very great pleasure to call on the President myself and exhibit it. To
this he readily assented; and having appointed an hour for the
interview, I went on shore, accompanied by my _aide_, and had a long and
agreeable chat with his Excellency, who was a man of about thirty-five
years of age, tall and delicate-looking, with black eyes and hair.

We discussed various points relating to the subject of neutral and
belligerent rights, &c.; and I took occasion to repeat the assurances I
had previously given him in my letter, that I had paid due attention to
the neutral rights