tree, whence she brought a fine melon, and held it up in her hand, while I continued to flourish my staff of invitation. They were now lying on their paddles, about a cable's length off, apparently in consultation. At sight of the melon they spoke to us again, and we heard the word "amigos," or something very like it. The Latin I had learned at school made me catch at it. "Amicus!" thought I," that will do;" and I hollowed out "amigos!" as loudly as I could, imitating their pronunciation of the word, and again waving the flag. On this they began to paddle in earnest towards us; but we kept our commanding position, walking along the high ground as we approached the water, until we should see them more distinctly. As they drew near the shore, we discovered two men, two women, and a girl in the canoe, all negroes. I now perceived we had nothing to fear; so I made signs to the men to row a little to the northward, that they might land clear of the rocks. Meanwhile we proceeded forward, with our dear little dog by our side, to meet them. We descended to the beach just as the canoe touched the shore. The people did not jump on land instantly, but stood, or sat, surveying us attentively. At length the elder of the men stepped out, and stooping before me, embraced my knees. I raised him up, while my wife, with the look of an angel, gave him the melon; and I, to show him I had no misgivings, took a clasp-knife from my pocket, and putting it into his hand unopened, made signs to him to cut the melon, and divide it among his party. It was a water-melon, and in their situation, parching with thirst, as we

afterwards learned, nothing could be more grateful or acceptable. He returned into the canoe, and, opening the knife, cut the melon into slices, and presented it to his companions. As they ate of it, they looked much pleased; and, on our beckoning, they all came out of the canoe, drawing it up a little after them on the shore, and sat down upon the beach, the elder man giving me back my knife. After they had finished with the melon, I made signs to the two men to rise and go with me, at the same time saying to my wife, “Will you be afraid to stay with the women?" She answered, with firmness, "Certainly not." The men hesitated to leave the women, as they did not suppose that my dear partner was other than a caballero, till one of the women suddenly seemed to recognise her sex; and then speaking to the men to that purpose, as I supposed, they readily went with me. I took them to the silk-cotton-tree, where our morning's provisions lay, which had scarcely been tasted when we discovered the canoe. I put the salt beef and biscuit, and other things, into the basket, giving it to one of the men to carry, and to the other the canteen with water. I then returned with them back to the beach: as we drew near, my companions laughed and shouted to their women, who answered by clapping their hands, accompanied by some vociferous expressions indicative of joy. I caused them to move a little higher up, where I spread the provisions before them, of which they all ate, drinking the water at times with much eagerness, while my Eliza and myself walked about at a little distance. During all this affair, Fidele never barked,

but kept quite close to the feet of his mistress, eyeing the negroes with fear and suspicion.

When they had finished their repast, which was scanty enough for so many, I made one of them take up the empty basket, and another the canteen, and then proceeding in a body to the great tree, I signed to them to lie down to rest. They instantly obeyed, and all but the elder man fell asleep. He and I endeavoured to converse; but could not understand each other in the least. I was, however, satisfied he spoke Spanish, though perhaps in the sort of way the negroes of Jamaica speak English. If he had spoken pure Castilian, I should not have understood him the better for it. All that I could comprehend was, that his name was Diego, and that he called the other man Shaver; which, as he repeated it several times, caused my dear wife to smile, at which old Diego laughed heartily, although ignorant of the joke. The man's name no doubt was Xavier, though pronounced in a manner that produced a ridiculous meaning to our English ears. Our mirth awakened Xavier, who seemed quite happy when Diego explained to him the part he had borne in the jocular affair; however, he soon lay down again, and dropped asleep. My dear wife then suggested, that as these poor strangers had but a spare breakfast, it were well to take Diego, and bring some provisions for their ampler dinner. I readily fell into her kindly idea; and putting the basket into the negro's hand, he appeared to understand that his service was required, and followed us through the woodland region without showing any fear. He was delighted with the fountain of

water at the turn of the cave promontory, and seemed greatly pleased on observing the broods of ducks, and the goats feeding by the stream.

No doubt he expected to see a fine house, and plenty of people; for after passing along the path between the promontory and the rock, he looked around and around, and then at us, with a sort of amazement. He then followed us closely up to the plank-house, where we collected some yams, biscuit, salt meat, and old pumpkins, with a few cocoa-nuts, and filled his basket. As we came out on the platform, he turned his eyes upon the brig, and then said something to me. I made signs, to inform him she had been wrecked, and that all but ourselves had perished. He understood me completely; his eyes instantly filled with tears, and he covered his face with his hands. Poor negro! thy sympathies were awakened; thou thyself, like ourselves, had been snatched from a watery grave! and the divine spirit breathed into man, became manifest in thee at this moment, without, perhaps, thy knowing that there is a God, and that that God is your Father and ours! My beloved Eliza was deeply affected by this language of universal nature, which so distinctly spoke how much the poor negro compassionated our present situation.

We proceeded on our return to his sleeping friends; but I stopped when we arrived at the rocky point; and taking up one of the rods which lay there, I baited the hook with a bit of raw pork, which I cut off from a piece in the basket, and presenting it to my dear wife, I said to her, "Go, my Eliza, and catch us a fish." She received the

rod from my hand; and while Diego and I stood at the base of the rock, she dropped the bait into our conservatory, when a fish immediately took it, which, with a little exertion, she soon drew out upon the rock. Diego, on seeing the great size of the prize, caught in a moment, as he thought, from the sea, and by a white woman too, (whom, he believed, could do nothing but yawn and count her beads,) burst into an ecstasy, and sprung on the rock, to disentangle the fish from the hook. My dear Eliza thanked him with a smile, and the next instant he descended with the fish in his hand; and my little angler, who now moved like a kid among the rocks, sprang from her position, and was by my side in a moment. Thus well provided, we returned to the cotton-tree within the hour, and found all the party still asleep.

Diego seemed to think they had had repose enough, for he roused them immediately on our arrival: they were much startled by the suddenness of his manner: the women, indeed, appeared somewhat frightened; but the old fellow was a wag in his way, and seemed, by his laugh, to enjoy the confusion he had occasioned; while with an air of triumph, he held the fish over the face of one, and a great yam over another, as the people lay close together. After rubbing their eyes, they one and all began to talk and smile, and we rejoiced to see in our new companions nothing but what was cheerful and inoffensive. "Shawveer," said I (imitating Diego as well as I could in pronouncing the name), and at the same time taking him by the arm, come with me." He was much amused