Early in the morning the officer was dispatched on shore by Captain Phillip to learn at what time he might pay his respects to the governor.  The hour of noon was appointed for that ceremony; and accordingly at that time Captain Phillip, accompanied by the civil, military, and naval officers under his orders, waited on his excellency the Marquis De Branceforte, and were received by him with the utmost politeness.

The same reasons which induced Captain Phillip to acquiesce in omitting to salute on his arrival at this port, operated against his taking public notice of his Majesty’s birthday, which he would otherwise have made a point of celebrating with every mark of respect.

In the afternoon of this day the marquis sent an officer on board the Sirius, politely offering Captain Phillip whatever assistance he might stand in need of, and that was in his power to furnish.  In the forenoon of Wednesday the 6th, he came in person on board, attended by several of his officers, to return Captain Phillip’s visit; and afterwards entertained him, the lieutenant-governor, and other officers of the settlement, navy, and marines, to the number of ten, at dinner.

The next being the day of Corpus Christi, a day of great religious observance and ceremony in Roman Catholic countries, no boats were sent from the transports to the shore.  The business of watering, getting off wine, etc. was suspended by Captain Phillip’s directions until the morrow, to prevent the least interruption being given by any of the people under his command to the ceremonies and processions which were to take place.  Those officers, whose curiosity led them to observe the religious proceedings of the day, very prudently attended uncovered, and knelt, wherever kneeling was required, in the streets, and in their churches; for, when it was considered that the same great Creator of the universe was worshipped alike by Protestant and Catholic, what difficulty could the mind have in divesting their pageant of its tinsel, its trappings, and its censers, and joining with sincerity in offering the purest incense, that of a grateful heart?

The Marquis De Branceforte, whom we found in the government of the Canary Isles, was, we were informed, a major-general in the Spanish service, and having been three years in the government, only waited, it was said, for his promotion to the rank of lieutenant-general to return to Spain.  The salary annexed to this government, as we understood, was not quite equal to fifteen hundred pounds a year.  His Excellency’s house was situated at the upper end of the High Street, or Square, as it was called, and was by no means the best in the town.  Mr. Carter (the treasurer) and some private merchants appearing to reside in larger and much better habitations.  The houses in most of the streets were built with quadrangles, a gallery running round the interior sides of the first floor, on which indeed the families chiefly resided, appropriating