rance and idolatry. It is
torture, my dear Alexander--absolute torture, and requires long prayer
and meditation to restore my mind to its usual tone, and to enable me to
bow to the dispensations of the Divine will."

"Although I have long been acquainted with the general statement, my
dear uncle, respecting the loss of the ship, I have never yet heard any
such details as would warrant this apprehension of yours. It is
generally supposed that all perished, perished indeed most miserably,
except the few men who made their way to the Cape, and returned to
England."

"Such was the supposition, my dear boy, but subsequent reports have to a
certain degree contradicted it, and there is reason to believe that all
did not perish who were accounted as dead. If you have nothing
particularly to engage you at this moment, I will enter into a detail of
what did occur, and of the proofs that the fate of a large portion,
among which that of your aunt Elizabeth, was never ascertained."

"If it will not be too painful to you, my dear uncle, I will most gladly
hear it."

"I will not dwell longer upon it than is necessary, Alexander; believe
me, the subject is distressing, but I wish you to know it also, and then
to give me your opinion. You are of course aware that it was on the
coast of Caffraria, to the southward of Port Natal, that the _Grosvenor_
was wrecked. She soon divided and went to pieces, but by a sudden--I
know not that I can say a _fortunate_--change of wind, yet such was the
will of Heaven,--the whole of the crew and passengers (with the
exception of sixteen who had previously attempted to gain the shore by
a hawser, and one man who was left on board in a state of intoxication)
were all safely landed, even to the little children who were coming home
in the vessel; among whom was my poor Elizabeth."

Alexander made no observation when Sir Charles paused for a while: the
latter then continued:--

"By the time that they had all gained the shore, the day was far spent;
the natives, who were of the Caffre race, and who had been busy in
obtaining all the iron that they could from the mainmast, which had
drifted on shore, left the beach at dark. The wretched sufferers lighted
fires, and having collected some casks of beef and flour, and some live
stock, they remained on the rocks during that night. The next morning
the captain proposed that they should make their way to Cape Town, the
Dutch settlement, to which they all unan