that I might be permitted
to stay on shore with him during the time that the frigate was in
harbour, but to this Captain Delmar had not consented, promising,
however, that I should have occasional leave when the service would
permit of it.

The reader may recollect that the island of Curacao had been surrendered
to the English in 1800, and restored to the Dutch in 1802. During that
interval several English merchants had settled there and remained after
the restoration, and now at the second capture we found them still on
the island. From these we received the information that Mr Vanderwelt
was the richest man on the island, and that the Dutch government was
indebted to him in very large sums; that he had long retired from
business, although he had large property in the Havannah, which he
received with his wife, who had been a Spanish lady, and that it was his
intention to have gone back to Holland by the first man-of-war which
should have arrived.

We remained three weeks at Curacao, during which time the first
lieutenant gave me leave to go on shore almost every evening after the
captain had dismissed his gig, and to remain at Mr Vanderwelt's till
half-past eight the following morning, when I joined my boat, and
attended on the captain. By this plan my duty was not interfered with,
and I had many pleasant meetings with my new friends, and became, as may
be imagined, very intimate with little Minnie.

I may as well describe her. She was about ten years old, tall for her
age; she was very fair, with deep blue eyes, and very dark hair; her
countenance was very animated and expressive, and she promised to be a
very handsome woman. Her father doted upon her, for he had no other
child; he had married late in life, and his wife had died a few days
after Minnie was born. She was very affectionate in disposition, and
very sweet-tempered; up to the present she had received but little
education, and that was one principal reason for Mr Vanderwelt's
wishing to return to Holland. I soon became as one of the family, and
certainly was treated as such.

Minnie was very curious to know what it was that I carried about my neck
in the seal-skin pouch, but I never could tell either her or her father
what it really was. Mr Vanderwelt very often asked me if I liked being
at sea, and I invariably replied in the affirmative.

At last the frigate was to sail, and I had but one more evening to pass
with them. Mr Vanderwelt appea