considerable distance by several indifferent old fashioned carriages, carrying the great people. On approaching the house they stopped a few moments, and spoke in a very familiar, friendly manner, to Miss Sumpter. The queen and princesses, were plain in their dress, and in their manners affable and polite. But for the guards and retinue, I should have taken them to be of the respectable class of citizens. I have seen much more parade in the great people of our own country. I should have felt, I must confess, less respect for royalty, if I had seen it on this occasion arrayed in the pomp and magnificence I had figured to my imagination. Although I had read a great deal of kings, and queens, and princesses, I had no idea that I should feel so little of that awe and dread, supposed to be produced by the irradiations of majesty. Paine observes, "that kings, among themselves, are good republicans;" and being myself of a country where every citizen is a sovereign, I thought myself entitled to meet any king or his family, on terms of equality. The princess Leopoldina was distinguished from the rest, by the fairness of her complexion; I saw nothing remarkable in her appearance; and there are thousands of my country-women I would choose in preference for a wife. It is said her situation is extremely unpleasant, in this barbarous land, a land removed so far from the commonwealth of courts, and seemingly fitted only for vulgar republicanism. A number of scandalous stories are related, respecting the bickerings, and quarrelings, and parties, in the palace; for the house is said to be divided against itself. The

*Among the people I heard of no parties; affairs of government do not concern them; as Venice, it would be as dangerous to

cavalcade proceeded along the beach; on passing the barge crew, composed of twenty-four of our best looking men, and such as could hardly be picked out of the whole city, these manifested their politeness by touching their hats, and received in return a most gracious inclination of the head from mighty queens and peerless princesses. Royalty stopped some minutes to contemplate the manly erect figures and open countenances of freemen, glowing with the youth and health of our northern climate; and was no doubt struck with the contrast between these modern Greeks, and its own vile, degraded slaves, of the same calling or occupation. Our proud spirited fellows did not, however, choose to imitate the Portuguese, by falling on their knees, until majesty should have passed by; a species of idolatry which experienced a salutary check in the person of Mr. Sumpter, some time ago. The incident has been related in our newspapers: I shall here give it as I had it from the minister himself. The guards who precede her majesty, were in the habit, without regard to persons, of compelling them to dismount and stand with the hat off, until the whole retinue had passed by; the insult had been borne without resistance by all the foreign agents here, except the American, whose republican pride could not be brought to stoop to this degradation. He was, however, desirous to avoid, if possible, bringing the matter to issue. It was at last thrown upon him by necessity; being unable to avoid the cavalcade, he stop

applaud the government as to speak against it. If they venture to speak on these subjects at all, it must be with great caution, and even secrecy. In a word, the government is a despotism.

ped his horse, and saluted the queen; but this was not satisfactory to her majesty, who is represented to be a proud and haughty woman. She ordered her guards to compel him to dismount; but on making the attempt, by brandishing their swords, the American minister stood on the defensive with his stick; on which they retreated, and he went on, leaving her majesty highly offended. The Portuguese minister remonstrated, urging the example of other foreign agents who had submitted;* but Mr. Sumpter declared, that if others tamely put up with such insults, it was no reason why he should. He now went armed, and a second attempt being made similar to the first, he was very near shooting the guard. The subject was brought before the king by complaints on both sides; the king inclined in favor of the American minister, and apologised for the insult he had received, at the same time gave assurances that it should not be repeated. The queen, determined not to be out-done, being met again some time afterwards, stopped her carriage, and ordered her guards, ten or twelve in number, to go forward and compel the proud republican to pay the just homage to royalty. Mr. Sumpter, who continued to go armed, drew his pistols, dashed through them, approached the queen's carriage, and in a determined manner reminded her of the assurances lately given by the king, asserting his determination never to submit. He went immediately to the king, stated what had passed, declared that he considered his life unsafe, as the queen seemed determined, and he was himself equally so. The king appeared much

*Lord Strangford was actually struck by one of the guards, and taken from his horse.

hurt, and insisted on making an apology with his own hand, which was actually done. He ordered the guards to be imprisoned, and offered to have them punished; but Mr. Sumpter, whose ideas of justice were somewhat different, requested this might not be. The other foreign ministers offered to join Mr. Sumpter in a remonstrance, but the object was already gained, as the new order extended to all.

Mr. Sumpter entertained a favorable opinion of the king as to his liberality and good intentions; but thought him much at the mercy of his ministers.* He is fond of seeing strangers, and there is no great difficulty in being presented. It is usual for commanders of ships of war touching at this place, to go through this ceremony. Commodore Sinclair according to custom was presented by our minister, at the country palace a few miles from town. He describes him as rather below the middle size, enormously fat, of very dark complexion, large black eyes with a good natured face. He was in a military dress, spoke in French to Mr. Sumpter, and asked the commodore a great many questions respecting his profession and country. He professed a great respect for the government of the United States, and declared himself extremely desi

* The author of the Picture of Lisbon, (Murphy) gives the following character of him at twenty-five years of age. "He is naturally of a good disposition, but young. Experience has not yet enlightened his understanding, or fortified his courage. He is timid, and his ministers make him pusillaminous; he wishes to know every thing, and his ministers conceal every thing from him; he wants to govern, and his ministers keep him aloof from the government; he fancies that he reigns, and he only lends his name to the ministers who reign over him."

rous of cultivating its friendship; this he said he valued highly, because he knew when we professed a friendship it might be safely relied on. In withdrawing it is the custom to imitate the movement of a certain animal, not yet the most graceful of the creation, as it is considered indecorous to turn one's back upon the king; the audience room being very long, the commodore found it inconvenient, and not a little difficult, to back out with safety and grace. The commissioners did not think proper to claim the honor of a presentation; having no communication to hold, they could only be regarded here in the light of private citizens.

The day after our visit to Mr. Sumpter, a little excursion was agreed upon by Mr. Reed and myself, with Dr. Baldwin, the surgeon of the Congress, and justly celebrated as a naturalist. We were desirous of ascending to the top of the Parrot's head, which we were informed might be accomplished in a day. On our arrival at Mr. Sumpter's, he politely furnished us with a guide, and we proceeded some distance through a valley which gradually narrowed as we went along a rapid mountain stream, brawling among loose rocks and stones. A number of negro washwomen were plying their tasks on its borders. On each side of us there were bare masses of granite of great height, the water oozing from underneath the vegetation on their summits, and in some places the drippings collected into a tolerable stream, rushed down several hundred feet. In the season of drought the streams are apt to dry up, which may possibly be owing to their not being so well supplied with perennial fountains, but in the manner I have described. At this season,