for him to go immediately to School. The School reminds me at once of our little darlings. I hope you found some place for Betsey to go to, as I think it would have been a relief to you, and an advantage to her. Tell her I have retained her present till I bring it myself—but whether she will be entitled to it or not, will depend on the account which her Mother gives me. Little Parnell is too young to think of Presents-but not too young to receive her full share of my warmest affection.

The lateness of the season will I suppose, my dearest Friend, induce you to think of some preparations for winter, which I had hoped to be home in time to attend to myself—especially the article of wood &c. I hope you will have the means of doing so-though I am not without my fears that my long absence may occasion you some Embarrassment. I often turn my attention to your garden, and flatter myself that you have sometimes viewed with pleasure the plants growing from seeds planted by my hand. I hope with you, my love, still to enjoy some of the produce by our own dear fireside.

HAVANA, October 21st, 1806.

DEAREST AND BEST OF FRIENDS:

By my other letter of this date you will find that I am detained here much longer than I expected. Your own Heart, my love, will best teach you the Regret which this causes me, but I flatter myself that but few days more will elapse before I shall again shape my course towards my dear native Land, and to the Friends I hold so dear. My

other letter will give you some faint idea of the perplexities and anxiety which my business has caused me. You may, if you think proper, shew it to my employers, though perhaps they, like the rest, have forgotten while tending their gardens and eating their fresh fish, that all their Insurance stock lies at the mercy of a set of Pirates.* My time here has passed unpleasant enough. It still continues very sickly-and scarce a day passes, without my being called to assist in the last offices to some poor American. My mornings are usually spent with my lawyer, Doct. Ayala. Ask friend Allen, if he is with you, and he will describe the Animal to you. A man of great talents, but—. I ought before to have informed you that I have had much satisfaction in the company and friendship of a Mr. Howell, who came from Baracoa in the Caroline with me. He had been in Baracoa ten months on the same kind of business which brought me out being agent for a respectable mercantile house in St. Bartholomews, where he belongs. He has purchased half a new Coffee Estate in the neighborhood of Baracoa, and is going to reside there. He will accompany me to America and to Bristol. He is sensible-well informed-well acquainted with the French and Spanish languages-easy in his manners-modest in his deportment-and as far as I can judge, firmly rooted in virtuous principles. You will easily believe that such a friend is a great acquisition to me, indeed. I feel very much attached to him, and hope shortly to have you share in the pleasure of his acquaintance.

* French and British privateers.

HAVANA, Oct. 29th, 1806.

You will be quite tired, my Friend, with this being continually teazed with my letters. Bear with me, my love, a little longer. I hope to leave this place before Christmas, and in the mean time you are the only one that shall be teazed with my importunity. Two days ago I had the satisfaction of meeting Capt. Cornell. You know I have formerly enjoyed much satisfaction in his society at this place, but that satisfaction would have been much heightened at this time if he had been the bearer of a line from you, or from any of those who once professed themselves my friends. But that is a blessing, it seems, too great for me to expect. I try to bear these unaccountable disappointments without murmuring-but to bear without feeling is impossible. I think my Dear, that I have learned some lessons during this Voyage which will be of much service to me in my future progress through Life. I dare say you will recollect that when some of those whom I esteemed as near Friends, have been absent, how extremely solicitous I have always been to let their families know of every possible chance to forward letters, as well as writing myself-and I know too the full force of the obligations I am under to these same families and near Friends, (Heaven forgive me for prostituting the name of Friend) who have been sauntering at home and picking their teeth in peace. They have taught me at least this one lesson that-whenever and wherever my friends are absent, and it happens to be my good fortune to remain at home, I will quietly smoke my segar and let those who are absent, and their

families, do as I have done go to the Moon for intelligence.

Mr. Howell, the friend whom I have before mentioned to you, and myself, are keeping Bachelor's Hall together. We live very snug and quite retired. He will accompany me to America, and I hope my love, to find you and our dear family in a situation to make a short stay with us agreeable to him. If my business here was not protracted to such an unaccountable length as at times quite to exhaust my patience, I might find some Enjoyment. Necessity has compelled me to pay close attention to the Spanish language, in which I begin to express myself with some fluency.

XII

A SEA LOG OF A CENTURY AGO

The following pages are from the log of a West India voyage. This log is the routine record of the vessel's progress day by day, her official diary, and differs from the journals previously quoted which were written wholly at the option of the captain. They were his private and personal records of events. The log, however, he was expected to post daily as one of the master's duties.

Even this book of routine record so vividly reflects the personality of its author that he has made it a document almost unique of its kind. While a number of pages of wholly technical ship's business have been omitted in editing the log, some of this matter has been retained in order to inform the landsman how a log is kept at sea. The entries begin with leaving port:

Saturday, Decr. 24th, 1808. At half past 2 P. M. made sail and ran down the river. Fresh breeze at No, and N. by E. plenty of rain. Past the lighthouse at 5 P. M. At 8 P. M. suppos'd ourselves past Block Island. weather very thick and wind increasing. Reef'd foresail and mainsail, at 12 took in topsail and foresail, and bonnet of jib.

Sunday, 25th. Continues fresh breeze at N.N.E. No observations to be depended on. Lat. by acct. 39° 19′ N. Long. by Do. 70° 25′ W.