The next day, as we moved towards the city, our master-carrier, who was naturally well-disposed, and had been very kind to us all the way upon the road, advised me, very seriously, not to think of remaining in St Jago, where he said there was nothing but extravagance, vice, and folly, but to proceed on with them as mule-driver, which, he said, I should soon be very expert at; and that they led an innocent and happy life, far preferable to any enjoyment such a great city as that before us could afford.  I thanked him, and told him I was very much obliged to him, but that I would try the city first, and if I did not like it, I would accept of the offer he was so good as to make me.  The thing that gave him this high opinion of me was, that as he had been so civil to us, I was very officious in assisting to drive in those mules that strayed from the rest upon those large plains we passed over; and this I thought was the least I could do towards making some returns for the obligations we were under to him.

When we got into St Jago, the carrier delivered us to the captain of the guard at the palace gate, and he soon after introduced us to the president, Don Joseph Manso, who received us very civilly, and then sent us to the house where Captain Cheap and Mr Hamilton were.  We found them extremely well lodged at the house of a Scotch physician, whose name was Don Patricio Gedd.  This gentleman had been a long time in this city, and was greatly esteemed by the Spaniards, as well for his abilities in his profession as his humane disposition.  He no sooner heard that there were four English prisoners arrived in that country, than he waited upon the president, and begged they might be lodged at his house.  This was granted, and had we been his own brothers we could not have met with a more friendly reception; and during two years that we were with him, his constant study was to make every thing as agreeable to us as possible.  We were greatly distressed to think of the expence he was at upon our account, but it was in vain for us to argue with him about it.  In short, to sum up his character in a few words, there never was a man of more extensive humanity.

Two or three days after our arrival, the president sent Mr Campbell and me an invitation to dine with him, where we were to meet Admiral Pizarro and all his officers.  This was a cruel stroke upon us, as we had not any clothes fit to appear in, and dared not refuse the invitation.  The next day, a Spanish officer belonging to Admiral Pizarro’s squadron, whose name was Don Manuel de Guiror, came and made us an offer of two thousand dollars.  This generous Spaniard made this offer without any view of ever being repaid, but purely out of a compassionate motive of relieving us in our present distress.  We returned him all the acknowledgments his uncommon generous behaviour merited, and accepted of six hundred dollars only, upon his receiving our draught for that sum upon the English consul at Lisbon.  We now got ourselves decently clothed after the Spanish fashion, and as we were upon our parole, we went out where we pleased to divert ourselves.