d rather young man
to a stranger's eye, dressed with singular richness, but bearing plain
traces of recent sleepless cares and disquietudes, stood passively by,
leaning against the main-mast, at one moment casting a dreary,
spiritless look upon his excited people, at the next an unhappy glance
toward his visitor. By his side stood a black of small stature, in whose
rude face, as occasionally, like a shepherd's dog, he mutely turned it
up into the Spaniard's, sorrow and affection were equally blended.

Struggling through the throng, the American advanced to the Spaniard,
assuring him of his sympathies, and offering to render whatever
assistance might be in his power. To which the Spaniard returned for
the present but grave and ceremonious acknowledgments, his national
formality dusked by the saturnine mood of ill-health.

But losing no time in mere compliments, Captain Delano, returning to the
gangway, had his basket of fish brought up; and as the wind still
continued light, so that some hours at least must elapse ere the ship
could be brought to the anchorage, he bade his men return to the sealer,
and fetch back as much water as the whale-boat could carry, with
whatever soft bread the steward might have, all the remaining pumpkins
on board, with a box of sugar, and a dozen of his private bottles of
cider.

Not many minutes after the boat's pushing off, to the vexation of all,
the wind entirely died away, and the tide turning, began drifting back
the ship helplessly seaward. But trusting this would not long last,
Captain Delano sought, with good hopes, to cheer up the strangers,
feeling no small satisfaction that, with persons in their condition, he
could--thanks to his frequent voyages along the Spanish main--converse
with some freedom in their native tongue.

While left alone with them, he was not long in observing some things
tending to heighten his first impressions; but surprise was lost in
pity, both for the Spaniards and blacks, alike evidently reduced from
scarcity of water and provisions; while long-continued suffering seemed
to have brought out the less good-natured qualities of the negroes,
besides, at the same time, impairing the Spaniard's authority over them.
But, under the circumstances, precisely this condition of things was to
have been anticipated. In armies, navies, cities, or families, in nature
herself, nothing more relaxes good order than misery. Still, Captain
Delano was not without the idea, t