, and afterwards from all the Indians who
were fathers of families. Each brought some little present for the
newly born, and the cleverest man of them was commissioned to express
a compliment in the name of all; which comprised their best wishes
for the happiness of the mother and child, and full assurances of
the satisfaction they felt in thinking that they would one day be
ruled over by the son of the master from whom they had experienced so
much kindness, and who had conferred upon them such benefits. Their
gratitude was sincere.

The news of the accouchement of my wife brought a very numerous
party of friends and relations to my house, where they waited for
the baptism, which took place in my drawing-room. Anna, then almost
thoroughly well, was present on the occasion: my son was named Henry,
after his uncle. At this time I was happy; Oh, so truly happy! for my
wishes were nearly gratified. There was but one not so--and that was
to see again my aged mother and my sisters; but I hoped that the time
was not far distant when I should realise the project of revisiting
my native country. My farming speculation was most prosperous: my
receipts were every year on the increase; my fields were covered with
the richest crops of sugar-canes, to the cultivation of which, and of
rice, I had joined that of coffee. My brother had taken upon himself
the management of a very large plantation, which promised the most
brilliant results; and appeared likely to secure the premium which
the Spanish government had promised to give to the proprietor of a
plantation of eighty thousand feet of coffee in product. But, alas! the
period of my happiness had passed away, and what pain and what grief
was I not doomed to suffer before I again saw my native country.

My brother--my poor Henry--committed some imprudences, and was
suddenly attacked with an intermittent fever, which in a few days
carried him off.

My Anna and I shed abundance of tears, for we both loved Henry with
the warmest affection. For several years we had lived together; he
participated in all our labours, our troubles, and our pleasures. He
was the only relative I had in the Philippines. He had left France,
where he had filled an honourable position, with the sole object
of coming to see me, and of aiding me in the great task which I
had undertaken. His amiable qualities and his excellent heart had
endeared him to us: his loss was irreparable, and the thought that I
had no l