demonstrating that your kind wishes came from the very bottom of your heart?—No, that's not exactly the word; for, if not in your case, surely in some others the horrid pale and greeny cheeks indicated that if the tongue failed to give utterance to the thoughts of the oppressed mind, other hidden things were like to be revealed; that if the friendly bosom heaved, other organs were like to participate in the affection, and that in fact it was necessary to cut short "good byes," and to leave the ship as soon as possible, infinitely to the satisfaction of the captain, who, however well pleased to see his friend's friends, and his own future passengers, he may be, must surely be very glad to see them go over the ship's sides, and so obtain time to think of business instead of company. Except in particular cases, I must say I do not like this system of congregating on board ship, and last farewells; it may seem ungracious to say so, but it is not intended as any slight to friends, but as a protest in general against a system which I think must be annoying to the captain, and though by no means annoying to the friends about to leave their homes, relatives, and acquaintances, yet certainly is seriously inconvenient, as they begin to find, as soon as the vessel gets fairly under way, and they discover that they have lost that irrevocable half-hour during which their stomachs could have stood the trial of superintending the arrangements of their cabins and stowage of their baggage, so as that they might have felt in some degree "at home," instead of miserably "abroad," as they do, when hurrying below to throw themselves on their beds, in a state of utter incapacity and helplessness, they are compelled to select the particular trunk which contains the sheeting destined for their beds; perhaps to witness the awkward pulling out of a bottle of Eau de Cologne at the same time with the sheets, and its consequent fracture, and possibly the dispersion of its precious contents throughout the very parcel of gingerbread which was to have been munched that very night, as a preservative against sea sickness. These and innumerable other miseries might often be avoided by the proper use of the first half-hour on board; a hint well worthy the attention of young voyagers. Profiting by your kindness and consideration, which left me at liberty soon after seeing me safe on board, I lost no time in acting upon the lesson to the above effect, which I had received from a travelled (or to be free and easy with the Queen's English, after the fashion of our American brethren, I might say a voyaged) friend, and taking a hasty but affectionate farewell glance at the well-loved isle and its warmhearted capital, I dived down the companion stairs, muttering to myself, "Facilis descensus Averni, Sed revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras, conscious too, that, as the doctors say in certain interesting cases, it was most probable that I should be worse before I could expect to be better. To work, however, I went, like Peter Bell's horses, "with 1 right good will." I had not, indeed, to gain the top of any hill, but I had to dive under a mountain of things to discover my carpet bag, which contained articles which I wanted that night, and the portmanteau, without which I had no chance of effecting a comfortable lodgement in that little fort, my stateroom, which seemed likely to sustain a considerable siege, so diligently was it fortified by boxes of all sorts and descriptions, rendering it a matter of difficulty even to gain an entrance without the aid of petards. By-the-bye, I never could imagine why the name of state-room should be applied to an apartment just large enough to afford room for a sleeping place for one person, and space for an individual to dress in without the risk of falling more than a foot on each side. Whatever may be the solution of this question, this state-room now seemed utterly incapable of accommodating me in the most homely manner, so full was it of a heterogeneous assemblage of luggage. Only think of that vagabond, Cudjoe! I had sent him on board early in the morning with my kit, and with particular directions as to the disposal of it in the most convenient manner, and even given him a note under my hand and seal to him who had expressed himself so unequivocally my friend, when I went on board to select my state-room or berth,-the steward, directing what things were to be put into the said state-room, and what stowed away as not likely to be required until our debarkation. Ah! put not your trust in stewards, neither in Cudjoes, upon such occasions! ("haud ignarus ego miseris succurrere disco,") the former have really too much to do; the latter have too much to see, and to say, and to hear, to attend to their instructions. Accordingly there they were, all my packages in one lot, as saith he of the hammer. Hodge-podge is gone out of fashion, savoring mess though it be, except in the forecastle of some vessels, principally "frae the north," but here I had one of my own, digest it as I might. For goodness' sake look at the catenation, and say whether a landsman has a chance of getting things to rights before he is called upon to settle his own personal matters, and to give himself up to a state of utter helplessness! The odds I felt were fearfully against me, but remembering what Hercules had effected in the case of the Augean stables, I set to work with the best grace I could, and I assure you some stoicism was required to bear the sight of my valuables so mercilessly compounded. Only look, for instance, at that beautiful sea-feather, which Mrs. had con -! fided to my especial care for delivery to Dr. — ! Carefully and neatly had it been done up in cartridge paper, and most particular had been the directions which I had given to that rogue Cudjoe to tack it up securely to the ceiling of the state-room. Instead of that, behold it there, not square as originally, but triangular in form! Oh, there's the other half I see, jambed down between a case of sweetmeats, and a box of arrow-root! Beautiful it will look when taken from its delicate packing case! And, as I'm alive, if one of the ginger-pots hasn't got smashed, and there goes the syrup all over my morocco writing-case! Well, it might have been worse; the large jar of tamarinds, and the ditto of pawpaws are whole, but unfortunately too tall to be stowed away under the crib of the bed, and they can't possibly stand at the end of the state-room, which is the only spot where my trunk will be open able, and my vestments comeatable. Here, steward, just put these two jars away, will ye, that's a good fellow?" 66 “Oh, yes, Sare, but dey niddn't be opened to-day, I 'spose." "Opened! I should think not! neither to-day nor any other day. One is for Mr., and the other for the Miss ; and the lady that sent them charged me to take particular care of them, as she had had them put up on purpose." "Oh, well neber mind, massa, I can just put 'em away in here with the cabin stores, for de present." Why will people regularly load one with all sorts of things to take to their friends, when really one can hardly manage one's own little matters ? Nice and foolish I shall look when asked about these sweets if they are not forthcoming, which is likely enough, and my face will almost be as much awry as the sea-feather, when the doctor, eagerly opening it, finds it utterly spoiled,—to say nothing of the trouble at the present moment, and in transitu through the customs. Well, not to be further tedious to you, let me say that I had just got my arrangements completed, |