LETTERS FROM HOME BY THE PAMELIA. 233 



home ill the Dolpliin, her former second mate took 

 his berth, and Mr. Edwards tlie one left vacant hy 

 his promotion. Her crew seemed to us like old 

 friends, and were greeted as such. They had been 

 cruising on this coast ever since our departure, 

 had been very successful, and anticipated a speedy 

 return home. Their third mate had been taken very 

 ill aboard the ship, and they had but a short time 

 previously touched at Vasse for the purpose of leaving 

 him, supposing that he could receive better attention 

 ashore. Soon after they spoke the ship Canton, and 

 were informed of his death. How the report origi- 

 nated I know not; for, in the following January, 

 when we touched at that port, he was alive and well, 

 and had been amusing himself kangaroo hunting. 



The Pamelia brought us letters that had been 

 received by mail at Vasse. As I was one of the 

 fortunate ones, I was much gratified at receiving 

 good news from home, and had my mind set at rest 

 regarding the welfare of all my friends for another 

 year. 



On the 3d of November we lowered awav for 

 bluckfish, of which the waist-boat captured one. A 

 breeze springing up, the boats set their sails. The 

 starboard- boat, by the carelessness of her manager, 

 was capsized whilst merrily gliding along in pursuit 

 of the fish, and her occupants, of whom I was one, 

 got a ducking. When the boat went over, I was 

 caught by the backstay that secured the mast, and 

 had some difficulty in disentangling myself under 

 water. The waist boat ran down, picked us up, 

 and put us aboard the ship, where the whole 

 affair was made a subject of laughter: this view 

 20- 



