humanity. Fortunately for us, however,
the storm soon abated, and the following morning, ere the feathered
tribe were on the wing, we again stood on our way towards our destined
port. Our ship had suffered but little injury, and she now scudded
sweetly along the blue waters, her white sails swollen with majestic
pride, and the eye of every one on board lingering, until it was lost in
the distance, on that dear isle from which we were so rapidly departing.
After this, we had a long and tedious voyage, in which much misery was
experienced by all the troops on board, in consequence of the cruel and
despotic conduct of our commanding officer. This gentleman is now no
more; and, if it were on this account only, I should refrain from
mentioning his name. For this, and other reasons, I shall withhold from
the reader all detail of conduct which I have myself long tried to
forget; and content myself by stating, in justification of the epithets
applied by me to such conduct, that the cat-o'-nine-tails was constantly
at work; so much so, that Captain Larkins at length interfered, and
protested "that he would not have his quarter-deck converted into a
slaughterhouse, nor the eyes of the ladies on board disgusted with the
sight of the naked back of a poor screaming soldier, every time they
came upon deck."

The distant low-land peeping from afar, and the company of little
messengers from the myrtle grove, at length apprised us that we were in
sight of the long-looked-for haven. The wind was contrary, and night had
begun to throw over the silvery deep her sombre mantle; so that we were
obliged to stand out to sea, to avoid getting into the currents that
prevail near this land. Early in the morning it was dark and hazy, but
at about ten o'clock it cleared up: the sun shed his bright beams over
the Indian Ocean; the little harbinger of peace was again on the wing;
and we again beheld the land.

All the passengers were now promenading the quarter-deck: some viewing
the beauty of the scenery; others whispering sad notes of farewell love;
and all anxiously looking forward to the moment of disembarkation.

We were crowding all possible sail to get the ship safe into the river
by night. The wind was fair, and the sky was spotless, save here and
there some little white clouds, that seemed to dance about us. In an
instant after, the ship was thrown on her beam-ends, her gunwales under
water, and passengers tumbling and rolling over each ot