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that I would meet some of the medical men ashore and give my
opinion about the best treatment of Cholera which was daily getting
worse - At 1 I went to the President's house, the Sentry was prepared
to receive me, and I was shown into the Reception Room, and soon
His Excellency and Suite, with the Medical Staff came into the room
unfortunately not one could speak a single word of English, however we
got a Frenchman, and he and I managed to get on : we had a glass
of beer and I then went with one of the Medicas & visited a Cholera Patient
and was begged to go ashore tomorrow morning if I possibly could help
to see all the bad cases : after receiving a multitude of thanks & shaking
hands all round, went on board. Church opposite, and a little before sunset a
grand Catholic Procession was formed, composed entirely of
Black Fellows, it being the Niggers Festa day: after carrying their
Patron Saint round the different Churches they returned amidst
showers of Rockets and the Church was speedily filled and they
continued chanting, firing rockets and music till midnight

January 3rd A Very wet morning which prevented one from
going ashore - At 7.30 we were surprized to see a boat pulling up
the harbor with an English Ensign, and soon the Commander of
Trident and my old friend Eversfield came on board: it appeared
they had got informaiton of a full Steamer laying at a
certain place, and were sent by the Admiral to intercept her, if
possible : as soon as they had waited on the President, they returned
when we got under weigh and steamed down to the Trident
who was laying about three miles off the land. I learnt from
Eversfield that the Sharpshooter had been twice ashore, and Paristo
had been tried by a Court of Enquiry and reprimanded, but refused
to take the reprimand, appealing to a Higher Court: it seems we
are again to go up the River in CP with the Admiral- At 10 they
went to their own ship, when we parted company, let the fires