bout and seeing the world; but my father did
not wish to have more than one son in the navy, and Charley had been
devoted as an offering to Neptune. I was, however, very happy in my
situation. Understanding what I was to do, I took a pleasure in doing
it well; and I spent my evenings happily in the society of Mrs
Bracewell and her son and daughter. We had generally music and singing,
now and then two or three visitors. Occasionally we went out to Mr
Crank's parties and those of other friends, so that our lives were in no
respects dull.

I enter into these details in order that more interest may be taken in
the rest of my narrative than might otherwise have been the case.

About an hour after Harry had reported the arrival of the vessel, as I
was engaged in Mr Trunnion's private room in taking down letters at his
dictation, the mate of the "Arrow" was announced. As Mr Crank was out,
Mr Trunnion desired him to come in and give an account of his voyage.
As I was not desired to quit the room, I continued transcribing the
notes which I had taken down, but I glanced round at the mate as he
entered. His appearance showed that he had suffered from the fever
which had carried off so many of his shipmates. His cheek was pale and
hollow, his eye dull, and his figure emaciated; even his voice sounded
weak and hollow.

"Sit down," said Mr Trunnion in a kind voice, showing that he was
struck by the sickly look of the poor mate. "I should like to hear full
particulars of your voyage. It has been a successful one judging by the
manifest, which I have been looking over, although fatal to so many long
in our employment. You have managed well, too, in bringing home the
`Arrow.' We are well satisfied--I can tell you that at once."

The mate then began an account of the transactions connected with the
vessel from the time of her arrival on the Coast of Africa, the number
of places visited, and the trade transactions at each. They were very
interesting to me I know at the time, but I did not note them. Mr
Magor then described how one after the other the captain and crew died,
until he and three others were alone left. "I doubted indeed whether I
should have been able to bring the vessel home," he continued. "We had
a narrow escape of being captured by a picarooning craft which swept
alongside us during a calm. A number of the crew, headed by their
captain, had actually made their way on board, and having bound me and
thre