n.

As the Lapwing belonged nominally and officially to a Swedish port, it
was necessary she should have Swedish officers and in part a Swedish
crew. The captain was a tall, stiff-looking man, whose name was Lordick.
He was a native of the little island of Saba; and two of the crew
belonged to the same place. The mate was a native of St. Bartholomew.
All belonging to the sloop were creoles, and assumed to be subjects of
the king of Sweden, excepting Bohun and myself; and I had been so much
exposed to the sun in that hot climate, that I looked as much like a
creole as any person on board.

The island of Saba is in sight of St. Bartholomew a level, precipitous
rock, nine miles in circumference, highest in the enter, appearing like
a mound rising out of the sea, and covered with no great depth of soil.
Saba was first settled by a colony of Dutch from St. Eustatia towards
the close of the seventeenth century. It is a place of no trade, having
no harbor, and is but little known. It is accessible only on the south
side, where there is a narrow, intricate, and artificial path leading
from the landing-place to the summit. Frequent rains give growth to
fruit and vegetables of large size and superior flavor, which are
conveyed to the neighboring islands in open boats and sold. It contained
in the early part of the present century about fifty families of whites,
and probably double that number of slaves. The chief employment of the
inhabitants consisted in cultivating the soil, and raising, besides
vegetables and fruit, cotton, which the women spun and manufactured
into stockings, of a very delicate fabric, that readily commanded a high
price in the neighboring islands. The people, living in a village on the
top of a rock between the sky and the sea, enjoy the benefits of both
elements without dreading their storms. Indeed, Saba is one of those
quiet secluded nooks, which are sometimes unexpectedly discovered
in different parts of the world, where the people, generation after
generation, live in a sort of primitive simplicity, and pride themselves
upon their peculiarities and seclusion from mankind. The traveller in
quest of novelties would do well to visit Saba.

In a few days after I became one of the crew of the Lapwing, that vessel
was ready for sea. Captain Lordick manifested toward me a friendly
feeling; he sympathized with me in my misfortunes; made me a present of
some articles, which, although of trifling intrinsic valu