EXPECTED LETTERS. 369 



other condemned vessels lying here are, for the most 

 part, slavers, captured on the coast of Africa by the 

 British squadron. 



It not being our intention to make any stay hero, 

 without there was sufficient freight for home to make 

 it an inducement for us so to do, we did not anchor, 

 but stood off and on shore on alternate tacks. The 

 captain lowered away, taking with him the men 

 who came aboard without an agreement at Port 

 Louis, for the purpose of shipping them before the 

 American consul. His principal object, however, 

 was to get letters, which we had directed to be sent 

 here in numberless missives written many miles to 

 the westward, and on this account St. Helena has 

 been, for months, the wished-for port. Everybody 

 expecting consecutive letters filling up the void of 

 the last eighteen months, since which time none of 

 ns have received news of our families and friends, 

 and, from the many dolorous accounts we have 

 heard of the financial aflairs of the country, everyone 

 is interested to know what bearing such a crisis 

 had had upon his connections ; hence our anxiety. 

 After many injunctions to send the boat off" that night, 

 the captain departed. We patiently waited until 

 sundown, when, no boat approaching, we began to 

 be uneasy. An hour later, we were chafing, almost 

 the whole crew were walking decks in an excited, 

 uneasy manner; and, although they did not curse the 

 old man, they invoked anything but blessings upon 

 his head, innocent though he was. Next morning, 

 when the boat arrived, we found that from some 

 misconception of orders, we should have stood in, 

 when we stood ofl, shore; and, consequently, the 



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