egrees better than they were; and, in the pride of my
heart, thanked God I was not like these publicans. My pharisaical
arrogance concealed from me the mortifying fact that I was much worse,
and with very slight hopes of amendment. Humility had not yet entered
my mind; but it was the only basis on which any religious improvement
could be created--the only chance of being saved. I rather became
refined in vice, without quitting it. Gross and sensual gratification,
so easily obtained in the West Indies, was, disgusting to me; yet I
scrupled not to attempt the seduction of innocence, rather more
gratified in the pursuit than in the enjoyment, which soon palled, and
drove me after other objects.

I had, however, little occasion to exert my tact in this are in the
Bahama Islands, where, as in all the other islands of the West Indies,
there is a class of women, born of white fathers and mustee or mulatto
women, nearly approaching in complexion to the European; many of them
are brunettes, with long black hair, very pretty, good eyes, and often
elegant figures. These ladies are too proud of the European blood in
their veins to form an alliance with any male who has suspicion of black
in his genealogical table; consequently they seldom are married unless
from interested motives, when, having acquired large property by will,
they are sought in wedlock by the white settlers.

So circumstanced, these girls prefer an intercourse with the object of
their choice to a legal marriage with a person of inferior birth; and,
having once made their selection, an act of infidelity is of rare
occurrence among them. Their affection and constancy will stand the
test of time and of long separation; generous to prodigality, but
jealous, and irritable in their jealousy, even to the use of the dagger
and poison.

One of these young ladies found sufficient allurement in my personal
charms to surrender at discretion, and we lived in that sort of familiar
intercourse which, in the West Indies, is looked upon as a matter of
necessity between the parties, and of indifference by every one else. I
lived on in this Epicurean style for some months; until, most
unfortunately, my _chere amie_ found a rival, in the daughter of an
officer high in rank on the island. Smitten with my person, this fair
one had not the prudence to conceal her partiality: my vanity was too
much flattered not to take advantage of her sentiments in my favour;
and, as usual,