758                         DB MENONVILLE's TRAVELS TO GUAXACA.
One of our paffengers having ventured to land, and proceeded fo far as to pafs for
the captain of the fhip, was detected in his impofture, and fent back under a guard of
four mufqueteers.
This act of imprudence was nigh being of ferious injury to us : it caufed us to be
looked upon with fufpicion, and we in confequence were very narrowly watched ; for
three fucceffive nights I obferved their boats, which relieved one the other every hour,
and were conftantly rowed round our fhip, founding with graplings to determine whether
or no any thing had been call overboard ; in the day-time alfo nothing was allowed to
leave the fhip without being firft fubject to the nicefl fcrutiny.
So little congenial with my feelings was this mode of life, that it caufed me to look
upon our fhip as a prifon : the fancy had a powerful effect on me ; and whether to this,
whether to the thick and heavy air we breathed in the port, enclofed as it is by hills
on every fide, the complaint was to be afcribed, I felt a violent head-ach, and breathed
with great difficulty ; fucceeded to thefe fymptoms a fever, with prognoftics of a ferious
diforder. I immediately had recource to a ftrict diet, and pectoral and refrefhing po-
tations ; and the very day wrote to M.Dorrira, the intendant of the port, to the Marquis
de la Tour, the governor, and to Don Juan Davant, the King's lieutenant, expofing in
my letters that my profeflion was one which could give no room for fufpicion*, and my
ftate of health fuch as rendered confinement on board the fhip not only very irkfome,
but even dangerous ; I reprefented to them, moreover, the perfuafion I felt, from the
high opinion held of them by the public in general, that, under the circumftances I
detailed, they would offer no objection to my requeft to be allowed to go on fhore.
By eight o'clock in the morning next day I difpatched my letters, and as early as nine
I received a moft obliging and favorable anfwer from the intendant ; but already the
King's lieutenant, apprehenfive for my health, the injury I fuftained, which had been
confirmed to him, fent the aide-major of the place on board, to bring me on fhore, and
offer me the houfe of one of his friends for my refidence until I fhould recover.
I immediately left the fhip, leaving my effects on board, fearful of the arrival of
fome counter-order, and afterwards paid a vifit to the two gentlemen mentioned, for
the purpofe of returning them my thanks. #In M.Dorrira, formerly conful at Bour-
deaux,I noticed a highly prepoffefling phyfiognomy, à ferious, but at the fame time mild
deportment, accompanied by much affability, every appearance of a worthy character,
and, finally, fomewhat of French in his manners. He is a knight of the order of St.
Charles ; and, refpecting his deferts, his integrity, and benevolence, there exifts but one
and that a highly flattering opinion. JDon Juan Davant is one of thofe veteran and
gallant military characters whom experience has rendered confummate in his duty,
full of franknefs, and poffeffed of that noble-mindednefs which is almoft ever the con-
comitant of real bravery : he is brigadier of the armies, and general infpe&or of the
colony.
Both thefe gentlemen received me in the moft handfome manner, begging my par->
don even for their ignorance of my* indifpofition : they proffered their fervices to me
m every refpect, and to confirm definitively the order for my landing, which hitherto
had been but provifional.
I held a long difcourfe with the intendant on fubjects regarding natural hiftory,
commerce, and manufactures ; on his part he related to me, with much gratification to
himfeif, the faft of certain bees which had accidentally been tranfported to the
Havannah from Florida, having multiplied to fuch a degree as to produce a very
important branch of commerce and taxation, and this in the very limited fpace of fix
years.
For