7

3

Officers came on board after having spent a very pleasant
evening and returning with several braces of partridges, ducks
and pigeons, which they shot (what a shame) while the bells
were tolling for Mass: about 11 Mr & Mrs H and Commdr came
on board with several visitors, but I was glad when the
order was given to get under weigh, and by noon we
were running down the River at the rate of eleven knots.
All of the party yesterday very seedy, while I was enjoying
myself at their expense. At 1 PM we had music and
singing, I am sorry to say not Sacred, but Cathleen my
[bourneau?] was beautifully sung by Mrs H. At sunset the
mosquitoes came off in swarms, and when we anchored at dusk,
it was not safe to open your mouth, alike on deck & below:
I thought myself safe in my cabin and went there, but not
to sleep; oh! it was a miserable night.

April 30th At daylight weighed: at 8 came to a very
narrow pass; the river not being above 100 yards wide, and the
mosquitoes as bad as last night, making it almost impossible
to sit down to write. About 10 we had a Pampero, very heavy,
so that we did not steam through the water more than three knots:
the Henry Grant is a great Junk as usual, and our lady passenger
rather "squamish"; after a while a bit of a swell got up and I
got (if you can call it so) a sea into my cabin. At 5 blowing
very hard, passed several small schooners. At 6.30 anchored
after which had a round game at cards, and then turned in
without any mosquitoes, the wind being too much for
them.

Tuesday May 1st 1855 River Plate. Weighed at daylight
the morning cold, Thermometer down to 48°.
Passed a Schooner with ammunition for the Brazilian
Squadron, not knowing they had gone down. At 10 a Steamer
came in sight and we stopped to communicate: we got our