through a few
hands they find their way to some Jew, who reams the hole so large that
you can pass a twenty-five cent piece through them, but they still pass
for a dollar by way of trade. To prevent deception and loss, most
bargains are stipulated to be paid in whole dollars.

The English government has made a strong effort to introduce the
cultivation of tea into this Island, by importing a number of Chinese
laborers; it has proved to be a thorough failure. After their arrival in
the country they became so indolent that it was found impossible to make
them cultivate the land. They intermarried with the negroes, and became
useless to society, laboring only to supply their daily wants.

Having sold all my cargo, and taken on board over a hundred hogsheads of
molasses, I sailed for New-York, where we arrived about the first of
April, 1823. On the passage home we experienced a heavy gale of wind,
which caused the loss of one thousand gallons of molasses.

On selling the cargo we found the West India trade unprofitable, in
consequence of the low prices of the produce of the Islands, which
caused heavy losses on return cargoes. I held a consultation with my
partners in the vessel, when it was agreed to sell the Combine at
auction and abandon the trade.

CHAPTER XXIII.

The following, copied from the _Northern Whig_ of December 3d, 1822, is
a correct account of the capture of the piratical vessels by Lieutenant
Commandant Allen, who lost his life during the engagement:

"It becomes our painful duty to record the death of Lieutenant
William Howard Allen, of the United States Navy. He commanded
the United States Schooner Alligator, and on the 11th of
November last, while leading his brave tars in the Alligator's
boats to attack a nest of pirates near Matanzas, was shot by
them in the head and breast, and survived but four hours.
Undaunted, even in death, he cheered his men, and had the
consolation of witnessing the surrender of one of the piratical
vessels, and the re-capture of five merchantmen before he
expired. He was buried on the succeeding day at Matanzas, with
military honors.

"Lieutenant Allen was a native of this city, (Hudson,) was born
on the 8th of July, 1790, entered the navy in the 20th year of
his age. He was Second Lieutenant on board the Argus, in the
summer of 1813, and during the bloody conflict between the
Argu