about noon
On the following morning , punctual to the moment , we presented ourselves at the rendezvous ; where we found , as had been promised , a couple of excellent saddle-horses awaiting us in charge of a grinning , happy - looking negro groom , who was mounted on a stout mule . Our guide , who informed us that his name was Pompey , promptly took charge of our valises , which he slung one on each side of his own saddle ; we then mounted , and without loss of time got under weigh for our destination . The first six or seven miles of our journey was uninteresting enough , but when we plunged into the mountain road and found ourselves environed on each side by a thick growth of luxuriant tropical vegetation , the foliage and flowers of which bore all and more than all the hues of the rainbow , whilst gorgeous butterflies , gaudy insects , and birds of the most brilliant plumage flitted hither and thither about us , with an occasional opening in the dense growth revealing the most enchanting little views of the distant harbour and sea , or perchance a passing glimpse of some quiet vale , with its cane-fields , boiling-house , and residential buildings , our journey became an enjoyable one indeed . We reached our destination -- an extensive and somewhat straggling one - storied building , with large lofty rooms shrouded in semi-darkness by the `` jalousies '' or Venetian shutters which are used to carefully exclude every ray of sunlight -- about noon ; and received a most cordial and hearty welcome from our host , a most hospitable Scotchman , and his family , and here -- not to unnecessarily spin out my yarn -- we spent one of the most pleasant and enjoyable weeks I had up to that time passed . The family , in addition to our host and his charming wife , consisted of a son and three daughters , who did everything that was possible to make our visit pleasant , and they were a musical family throughout ; so that what with shooting , riding , visiting our somewhat distant neighbours , and receiving visits in return , when singing and dancing became the order of the evening , our short holiday passed all too quickly . These most excellent people were the first , as they were the warmest , friends I ever made in the island ; and when , late in the afternoon of the eighth day of our visit , Courtenay and I , with Pompey again for our pilot , mounted to return to Kingston , we received a very warm and evidently sincere invitation from the whole family to make their house our home whenever opportunity would afford . We slept at our hotel that night , and , bright and early next morning , made our way to Port Royal , where almost the first object which met our view was our new ship , the _ Foam _ , at anchor close under the stern of the flag-ship , with the hands on board busy bending a new suit of canvas .