ons he intended to make to the authorities
with regard to it; but in the meantime he decided to give his parole, in
the hope of a speedy exchange, and strongly recommended us to do the
same. He was possessed of a little money, it seemed, which he had taken
the precaution of secreting about his person immediately on the ship
making the land, in anticipation of his speedily finding a use for it;
and this money he most generously offered to share with us as far as it
would go. To this, however, none of us would listen; and as we were
wholly without means the only alternative left to us was to refuse our
parole, and put up as best we could with such board and lodging as the
Spaniards might be disposed to give us, and to bend all our energies to
the accomplishment of a speedy escape. As for me, I still held in vivid
remembrance the statement which my father had made to me on the eve of
my departure for school, and the caution he had given me against
expecting any assistance from him after I had once fairly entered upon
my career; and I resolved to endure the worst that could possibly befall
me rather than act upon a suggestion which the master threw out, to the
effect that possibly someone might be found in the town willing to cash
(for a heavy premium) a draft of mine upon my father.

Rogers' expectation that we should be asked for our parole was verified
next morning; and Southcott, giving his, bade us a reluctant farewell
after a further ineffectual effort to persuade us to reconsider our
decision. Finding that we were not to be persuaded he bade us take
heart and keep up our spirits, as his very first task should be to make
such representations to the authorities as must result in a very speedy
and considerable amelioration of our condition. We parted with many
expressions of mutual regret; and that was the last any of us ever saw
of the poor fellow, nor were our subsequent inquiries as to what had
become of him in the slightest degree successful.

As for us who remained, upon our explaining, through the medium of a
very inefficient interpreter, that the lack of means to support
ourselves precluded the possibility of our giving our parole upon the
terms offered us, we were brusquely informed that we must then be
content to be classed among the common prisoners, to put up with their
accommodation, and to take part in the tasks allotted to them. We were
then abruptly dismissed, and, without further ceremony, marched