We landed at Vera Cruz by the most magnificent moonlight I think I ever beheld. A huge arch of dazzling silver sparkled overhead, and all beside seemed floating in one vast silvery sea: any place must have looked beautiful so deluged with splendour, and certainly Vera Cruz did; her defects were really dazzled away, and her beauties all glorified and increased a hundred fold.

We had a very rough passage of about ten days in the surveying steamer “Walker,” of the United States Navy. She was very foul, which prevented her making a rapid passage, and the weather was against her. Every thing was done to render us as comfortable as possible. We had a charming and large cabin, and a delightful collection of books was placed at our disposal. The “Walker” is reckoned the most rolling vessel in the whole United States Navy, and she gave us during our voyage a great deal more than a touch of her quality.

Our kind and excellent friend Governor L––, the minister to Mexico, had never been at sea before in his life, and it was not to be expected he should find this tremendous tossing about very pleasant. Naturally enough he was constantly thinking we were all showing, like Falstaff, a marvellous alacrity in sinking; he suffered much too from the horrible mal de mer.