578 LEAVES FJtOM A LOG. 



reasons, to prevent the terrible discovery. In accordance with this de- 

 sign, I awoke my friend, and related to him in part what had happened. 

 The office of coroner is here unknown, but in cases of suicide it is 

 necessary to inform a magistrate of the event. The commandant of 

 the quarter was on a visit about twenty-eight miles off. There was 

 nothing in the death of the supposed Thomas Wilson to call for 

 investigation, yet it was proper immediately to acquaint a magistrate 

 with the catastrophe. I truly told Albert that I was too agitated to 

 write, but requested that he would ride my horse to where the magis- 

 trate was, and give him verbal information of what had occurred. 

 This he readily undertook : the journey was along the sea-shore, and 

 I rightly judged the tide would not allow him to return till the 

 morrow ; but to be sure of that, I told him, that in consequence of 

 there being some quicksands on the beach, it was necessary to send a 

 guide with him. This I did, taking care to mount the man on a 

 heavy Canadian horse, charging him not to persuade Mr. Fitz- Allen 

 to come back until early the next morning. My intention in pro- 

 curing his absence was to bury his brother ere his return ; for here 

 the climate is too sultry to allow the dead to remain uninterred longer 

 than twenty-four hours. Whilst I was giving the negro who was to 

 act as guide instructions, I missed Albert, whom I left taking coffee 

 in the gallery of my house. Alarmed, I ran into the chamber where 

 lay the body of his brother ; and there I found him seated, contem- 

 plating that horrible spectacle, the corpse of a suicide ! I held my 

 breath until I observed that he exhibited none of those signs of 

 transport that I had expected would follow the discovery I dreaded ; 

 but he seemed to indulge in a not unpleasant sorrow, for I beheld a 

 tear stealing down his cheek, and on my looking at the corpse, I per- 

 ceived with satisfaction that all the marks on the right arm were 

 hidden by incrusted blood. 



" My dear fellow," said I, " I would advise your instant departure, 

 as the road along the beach is so full of quicksands, that it is only 

 passable when the tide is far out. Jack Pasture will act as your 

 guide, and I have furnished him with refreshments for you on the 

 road. Do not, as you value your life, return until to-morrow." 

 Fitz-Allen seemed not to hear me, but said, 



" I know not how it is, Tropic, but contemplating the corpse of 

 this unhnppy man reminds me of my father as lie lay dead sixteen 

 years since so strongly, that I feel the same emotion, have the same 

 train of thoughts I had when I hung over the remains of the vene- 

 rable man, within an hour of his death. Whence is this association! 

 No two lives could be passed more unlike, and, thank heaven, 110 two 

 deaths could be more dissimilar ! It is true, that the features of 

 both " 



I interrupted him by hurrying him from the room with gentle 

 force, and induced him to mount for the journey. I kept all out of 

 the way of the corpse who could read, save the overseer (to whom I 

 imparted the secret), until it was arrayed in the grave gear, and in the 

 evening it was deposited in a coffin made of handsome Trinidad cedar. 

 The captain of a drogher, at anchor off the estate, came to me at 

 night : this man was a Bermudian, and had served in the navy ; 



