of an attack by the Maroons, not many months ago, made on Colonel Charlton and his officers, while at mess; taking them by surprise, and although the fellows were beat back before they did much mischief, yet the first report was that Charlton's men were totally cut to pieces. So that the records of the island were immediately packed up at Spanish Town, and all the old women, he said, came flying to the squadron for safety. The table cloth being removed, we drank the king's health; after which, my dear wife addressed herself to our host: "Now, with your permission, Captain James," asked she, "I will go, and walk the quarter-deck for half an hour; by which time I think Mr. Seaward will thank you for a boat, as we are desirous of getting up to Kingston to-night.". He very politely requested the officer on deck to give her his arm, where she enjoyed the fine air: and after we had sat an hour, during which we were abundantly jovial, I pressed my host to allow me to go also; adding, at the same time, that I certainly should not wish to do so were I alone. He felt the propriety of my request, and we soon joined Mrs. Seaward on deck. He ordered coffee to be got ready, and the barge to be manned; and after a short time we took our coffee and our leave, having previously learned that he would sail by the end of the week; before which time I promised to send my letters to his care for England.

On landing, I asked the officer if he could permit me to give the boat's crew some money? to which he answered, "Certainly not; but your offer is not less kind." "They are going to sea," said I;

"allow me, then, on that ground, to beg the favour of you to buy some vegetables for their mess? There can be no objection to this."-"Well, sir," he replied, "I think there can be no objection; you may give a dollar or two for that to the coxswain, and I will tell the captain." I put ten dollars into the coxswain's hand." Two for yourself," said I, "and one for each of the men.” As we walked away, the men cheered us with "Long life to you, sir, and to your lady!" And the officer, who was a midshipman, accompanied us to our lodgings. On his taking leave, I invited him to come and see us at Kingston, which he said he would do with pleasure.

The day was too far advanced for us to think of proceeding there that evening; so we amused ourselves walking about Port Royal, enjoying the cool hour before were tired for the night. It is a miserable place now. The piazzas were occupied chiefly by mulatto women (brown ladies, as they call themselves), sitting with their feet placed on a chair, or cocked up against a post, no very modest attitudes for the female sex; but my candid Eliza rather pitied than found fault with them. With some of them, we saw naval officers standing and joking, or smoking a cigar; but all was quiet, and nothing indecorous in conduct presented itself to our notice. We retired early to a large comfortable room, with an ample bed, and a fine white moscheto net, where we soon found a sweet sleep awaiting us. We breakfasted on coffee, with hot roasted plantains, and Irish butter, which reminded us of former days; and as soon as the sea breeze

set in, which was about nine o'clock, I paid our bill, and got on board a wherry; which stretched up against the wind to Kingston, making but one tack; and when arrived, we had rather a warm walk from the Wherry Wharf to King's Street.

Diego received us joyfully, saying all was well. We were glad to rest ourselves, and to change our dress; not so to sit under the hands of my friseur. Soon after, as I stood in the hall, Purdy came in with two seamen. I did not like their appearance much; so taking my good fellow aside, I told him I thought it better to defer this matter till I had found a captain, that I might have the advantage of his judgment in the choice. I then said to the men, that I could not ship them till I had fixed on a captain; and on this remark they went. In less than half an hour after, Mr. Finn brought a man who had been mate of a London ship, and whose captain had behaved somewhat brutally towards him. Finding that he had been at the Bay of Honduras, I engaged him as captain for the brig, but with an understanding that, as his wages were to commence immediately, he was to obey my orders in every thing, and to take charge of the schooner for the present, in which he and his crew were to sail to join the brig. I added, that he must come every morning to me at nine o'clock for orders, and meanwhile, as opportunity offered, to seek and bring such men to me as he could procure for a crew, taking care not to engage any of bad character: and I desired him to confer with Purdy, who was a confidential servant. So this was arranged, and in the course of the week he had got his crew together;

and having received from me a very minute statement of the condition of the brig, he took care that every thing should be furnished by Mr. Finn, that might be required for her re-equipment.

My dear wife and myself had for some days past made our beloved friends at Awbury the subjects of our conversation, and Ihad resolved that she should send a present of 500l. to her father, and I would at the same time remit an equal sum to my sisters and brother; and for this end I procured two sets of bills on the Treasury, for which I paid, as before, 288 doubloons 12 dollars for the 1000l. sterling. The letter written by my dear Eliza, was replete with expressions of tender duty to her most worthy parent, and of affection to her sisters; but it overflowed with grateful love towards myself. She told them as much of our story as I thought might with prudence be at present disclosed: for as yet, until our affairs were settled, there were many reasons requiring partial secrecy. She, however, told them Providence had bestowed an ample fortune on me; and that if either of her sisters would marry, and come to Kingston, and not object to live with us where we lived, I would provide for that sister and her husband. In the same strain I wrote to my brother at Awbury, telling him that 100l. was for each of my sisters, and 200l. for himself; and if he chose to marry, and he and his wife should come out to Jamaica, I would provide for them; and that he need not be uneasy about leaving his sisters, as I would allow each of them 50l. a year. I desired him to write to me, but not to wonder if five or six months should elapse before

he received an answer, as my place of residence was some hundred miles from Jamaica; but that a vessel belonging to me would visit Kingston every two or three months on business. I requested him to communicate with our friends at the Parsonage, on our proposals, as Eliza had sent her father money, with an invitation to her sisters, of a similar nature to that which he now received from me. Our letters to Awbury, with their enclosures, were ready; and another letter to my uncle, informing him how I was getting on, as far as respected the preparations for re-equipping his brig. Likewise letters to Perry and Co., with the first of exchange for 5000l., ordering them to invest it; and also duplicates of the letter written by the packet, with the second of exchange for the 1000l. remitted by that opportunity.

The midshipman who had landed me from the ship, called on me to-day, according to promise, and I invited him to dinner. He seemed an honest unsophisticated youth, and amused us much by his droll phraseology. He said the captain expressed himself very handsomely on the present I had given the men, and had desired the purser's steward to lay the money out for them in vegetables. "But," continued the boy, laughing, "they would rather have had the cash to bouse their jibs up ashore.” When the evening came he desired to depart; but I persuaded him to stay till the morning, as I wished him to take charge of my letters to Captain James. He soon said, "Yes; " and when morning came, I gave him my packets, together with a superb gold hilt for a sword (the value of which