and the Adriatic
of the Pacific. Guaymas, situated nearly at the head of the gulf, and
Mazatlan abreast the southern cape, though neither possess such safe
havens, with so good fresh water ports, still have positions more
adaptable for commerce on the main shores of Mexico.

At daylight we were boarded by one Ritchie, who played the _role_ of
marine postmaster for our squadron; and then steering for thirty miles
along the high, barren, sterile coast, we hove-to off the little bay of
San Jose; communicated with one of our ships-of-war; again filled away,
and lazily fanned across the Sea of Cortes to our destination. This
occupied, at a snail's pace, three long days, and the next morning we
awoke within the scorching lines of the tropics--one-half the horizon
bounded by a dull monotonous ripple of sea, and hazy sky, and the other
faced by the high sierras framing the grand plateau of Mexico, and
nearer a line of hot rugged rocks, and islets, and white sandy beaches,
together with ranges of houses bordering upon the shores, and upon the
hills; which was the goodly town of Mazatlan. We anchored, as it were,
at sea, off the bluff promontory of Creston; an island itself, divided
by a narrow strait from the main, and resembling a sleeping lion, with
paws tossed before him. The British frigate Constance, a French
corvette, another of our own, with two merchant vessels, comprised the
entire nautical coterie. Our arrival caused some excitement in the town,
and we were in hopes the authorities would either strike for
independence, or declare themselves neutral, and thus open the port, as
at the time we had no serious intentions of molesting them; but we were
disappointed in our anticipations, and found there was naught to do save
maintaining a dull, idle, passive blockade for a long month to come.

The day after our arrival, two armed boats were sent to make a
reconnoissance of the old harbor, for the purpose of selecting a
suitable berth for the ships, in case an attack should be made. Not
perceiving any bustle or stir pervading the town, we pulled warily in,
until, on passing out from cover of the corvette's guns, we
unconsciously raised the most infernal din imaginable. Drums rattled
incessantly, dirty soldiers formed in companies; the Governor and suite
attended by a guard of cavalry galloped up and down the beach. Consuls
run up their national flags, women and children ran up the hills; all
evidently in great consternation a