s, and fish of various kinds, were dressed in
a peculiar manner; poultry and other things in the French fashion.

The dessert was served on another table. Besides our European dessert of
fruit, cakes, and wine, all the puddings, pies, and tarts, formed part
of it. It was decorated with flowers, and there was a profusion of
sugar-plums of every kind. The company rose from the dining-table, and
adjourned to the other, which Madame do Rego told me should have been
spread in a separate apartment; but they have so recently taken
possession of their house, that they have not one yet fitted up for the
purpose. The governor and his guests proposed many toasts
alternately--The King of England, the King of Portugal, the navy of
England, the King of France[51], Luis do Rego, and the captaincy of
Pernambuco, &c.--When we all rose at once from table; some of the
company went on board ship, but most adjourned to the drawing-room, a
comfortable apartment, furnished with blue satin damask, where we were
joined by the French naval officers of His Most Christian Majesty's ship
Sappho, and several ladies and gentlemen of the city. We had some
excellent music. Madame do Rego has an admirable voice, and there were
several good singers and players on the piano. It was a more pleasant,
polished evening than I had expected to pass in Pernambuco, especially
now in a state of siege.

[Note 51: Mr. Laine, the very pleasing and gentlemanlike French
consul, was present.]

_Wednesday, 3d October._--I went on board on Monday, and, provokingly
enough, the patriots chose that very night to make an attack upon the
out-post of the Affogadas, so I did not see the governor, at the head of
his troops, march out to meet them; nor did I hear the national hymn
sung by the regiments as they filed along on their return from a
successful sally.[52] Yesterday, nothing occurred worth noting; we had
the consul and British merchants on board to dinner, and the day passed
as such days usually do.

[Note 52: Since writing my Journal, I have seen the official account
of this attack on the Villa of the Affagados. It was a well planned
expedition; but the raw troops were easily driven out of the villa of
which they had already possessed themselves, by throwing a bridge over a
branch of the Capabaribe, by the veteran soldiers of Do Rego.

The same morning, i.e. that of the 1st of October, the provisional junta
of Pernambuco had addressed that of the patriots of Goyana