to depart to his companions, which he did joyously; no doubt anticipating the pleasure with which he and his acceptable store would be received.

We now adjourned to our own breakfast of coffee and biscuit, of which Mira also partook, though at a respectful distance, sitting at our feet, with Fidele by her side, on the platform: he, good dog, with equal content, eat his crumbs without grumbling. During breakfast, I complimented my wife, on the change she had made in Mira; adding, that I thought it might be well to give the whole party two suits of clothes each. She delighted in the idea; and we soon brought from on board the articles necessary for the men, from the seamen's chests. She then accompanied me, Mira carrying the bundles, to the cotton-tree plantation, where I was to see the negroes array themselves, while she would bring the women back with her for a similar purpose. The latter, on seeing Mira's gay appearance, required no further inducement to follow their new mistress; and the females returning altogether, left me with the two men, whom I led to the beach, and soon made comprehend my meaning. They threw aside their dirty partial covering, and, having given themselves a thorough washing, each put on a check shirt and white duck trowsers, which I handed them, and looked neat enough. I rolled up the two duplicate suits; and signed to them they were for change. Both men kissed my hands, seeming very thankful; after which I caused Diego to dig a hole in the sand, and bury their tattered old garments.

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I now walked my men over the places of my agricultural labours, and tried to make them comprehend that the product was to go into the shed; at the same time putting the spade and the hoe into Diego's hands, as much as to say, "I deliver all these things into your care ;" and he understood me. He knew all the plants; and when he saw the tobacco shoots, he put his finger and thumb to his mouth, imitative of smoking: and instead of looking contemptuously at my half-dozen sugarcanes, or on the general insignificancy of the plantation, he evidently expressed wonder at seeing them there at all, by first pointing at them, and then at me, and then looking upwards, as much as to say, "I only wonder that you alone, and a white man, could have accomplished this, situated as you are!” I proceeded next to the great body of planks, and other timber, which I had deposited near the place intended for our house; and having pointed to the timber, I was about to mark out two spots in the rear, for them to erect each a hut for themselves, when Xavier, with a grin of sudden joy, touched his own hands, and then the timber, and quickly drawing aside a plank, began a sort of pantomime, by which I as promptly understood that he was a carpenter a discovery that pleased me exceedingly. We then proceeded to the sites I destined for their huts, where I marked out an oblong square for each, sixteen feet by twelve, with which Xavier seemed well satisfied. At this instant my dear partner appeared, with her three damsels, all looking equally clean and neat, and in high spirits; and the whole party congratulated each other by

bows, quite significant of mutual respect at meeting each other in such unusual finery.

Short as the time was that we had been together, enough had passed to establish perfect confidence; so that my gentle Eliza did not hesitate to remain with Diego and the women, while I took Xavier to the ship, to help himself to a saw, an axe, and an adze, and such other things as he might require. He was highly amused with the construction of the plank-house, which I showed him in our way; and he viewed it over and over again, inside and out, to my no small entertainment too. After getting our carpenter's tools, we made quick march back to the plantation, and in less than an hour I had the satisfaction to see both Diego and Xavier engaged in their respective employments. "I am happy to see this," said my dear wife; "it has pleased God, my Edward, to relieve you from a toil, that, in such a climate, could not have been pursued without ultimate destruction to your health." I indeed gratefully acknowledged the signal providence; and my sweet angel (whose soul was always full of heavenly thoughts) soon after left us, taking with her Mira, and her mother Rota, with a view to prepare food for us and them. As Diego was not using the spade, Xavier borrowed it, and commenced digging holes for the uprights of his hut; but the ground proved rocky, being a red sandstone, hard within a few inches of the surface soil, so that he could not accomplish his purpose with it. I therefore took him to the plank-house, and gave him the crow-bar I had used in removing the stones of the cavern; and at the same time I made him

take with him another hoe and spade, and signed to him to find his way back to Diego. I remained with my wife, who, with her women, I found very busy boiling salt beef and pork, and making flour cakes.

Not needing my help, I left them, and returned on board to get up some bags of nails of various sizes; and, with a view of expediting Xavier's work in completing the huts, I brought some pieces of torn sails on shore, of which there was an abundance. On rejoining Eliza after this my task, I found dinner on the table, and Rota departing with our largest basket, well replenished with beef and pork, and flour cakes, for her friends at the plantation: my dear wife had also furnished her with four knives, two tin cups, and two wooden platters, to eat off. The good negress had proved herself handy in the culinary art; so that, to my great satisfaction, the object of my anxious care had not been under the least necessity, as heretofore, of broiling herself over the fire. As we sat down to dinner, she was sensible of this relief; and although she never had murmured, she now smilingly acknowledged her obligation to the assistance she had received. It were, perhaps, difficult to ascertain whether we or the negroes rejoiced most in the providential connection, which our similar misfortune had brought about. No doubt their change was very great: escaped from shipwreck, and most likely from slavery, hitherto strangers to Christian kindness, they must feel sensibly the comfort of their lot. We, on our part, valued their services, and hoped, by kind and wise measures, to

secure their attachment, and consequent happiness. I knew there was nothing pressing at the plantation for Diego to do; I therefore sent Mira for him, in about an hour after we had dined, which message was conveyed by my merely pronouncing the name of" Diego," and pointing for her to go. They soon returned together, when I took him to the ship's side, and gave him the bags of nails to carry, and then showed him the canvass which I had also deposited there; by which he understood me, that he was to come back for it, and take all safe to the silk-cotton-tree, whither I and my household, that is, my wife, Mira, and Fidele, leisurely preceded him. I easily made Xavier understand, that the canvass was to be nailed to the sides of his structures, instead of boards; and also, for the present, to be used as a covering to the roofs. He had not been idle during my absence, having excavated several places for the uprights of one hut, which, he explained to me, were to be made by sawing a plank lengthways into three-a very good idea. He saw I comprehended him, and expressed my satisfaction. While I stood by, Diego took the crow-bar, and went on with the hole-digging; while Xavier commenced with the saw, no doubt proud to show me how well he could handle it; and, indeed, I was highly gratified in seeing him quite at home in his work. In the midst of this, we were agreeably surprised by seeing the two women take a hoe each, and go over among the Indian corn, and commence hoeing the ground well up round all the stems. No doubt Diego had sent them; but it was a heartfelt delight to us, to