The authorities on shore having hoisted no colours, we have not set ours to-day.  We were visited this morning by a couple of gentlemen from the shore, bearing a letter from the Governor in reply to an inquiry I had caused the Paymaster to address to him on the subject of supplies.  Their interpreter very naively informed me that he was a German, who had been sentenced to banishment here from Rio, and that he had a year and a-half to serve.  This was said while my servant was drawing the cork of a champagne bottle.  The forger (for such was his offence) taking his glass of wine with the rest!  The Governor informed me that I could procure supplies of beef, fresh pork, fowls, &c., and that he would be glad to exchange these articles with me for flour, wine, sugar, coffee, &c.  I was glad to find that he raised no question of neutrality, though he had, no doubt, been informed by a boat’s crew from the shore that got the information on board, of the ship in my company being a prize.  He kindly invited me to visit the shore.  During the night (one o’clock) we had a surprise in the way of a strange steamer making her appearance, coming round the point of Rat Island.  I had all hands called to quarters, and the battery made ready, fires extinguished, and chains got right for slipping.  Although she came within a mile of us, with the intention, as we thought, of coming to anchor, she kept on her course to the southward and we piped down, the men, much fagged from coaling, not having lost more than half an hour’s rest by the operation.

Sunday, April 12th.—­The exigencies of war compel me to work to-day in coaling ship.  Weather clear and very hot during morning, clouding about noon and raining for several hours.

I visited the island this morning in company with the Surgeon, and called on the Governor.  The surf was too heavy to land, but we found a bolsa moored at some distance from the shore, and transferring ourselves to this we were very skillfully put through the surf by three or four naked fellows, two of them not having even a breech-cloth about their loins.  Fine, well-made fellows they were too.  We found horses in waiting, and rode about a mile to the village and residence of the Governor—­a Major in the Brazilian army; passing an immense sand-drift, which we had not expected to find on this volcanic rock.

We found the Governor at breakfast, and he insisted on our seating ourselves, and making a second breakfast with him in company with his wife—­a sprightly, bright mulatto—­and a pretty girl, quite white, of about sixteen, and the padre.  After breakfast we were introduced to a number of what appeared to be the gentry of the island, and who had assembled thus early to meet us.  Having smoked and chatted awhile, we remounted for a ride over the island.