ROUGH DIAMONDS. 143 







long absence, or expose me to the risk 

 of any return of my recent affliction. 



Thus, then, did another twelvemonth of 

 my life pass away, the monotony of which 

 was now and then relieved by the visits of 

 some early friends of my father; among 

 others an old-fashioned gentleman from 

 Cambridge, I remember, with his daughter 

 and son. The latter had just then been ap- 

 pointed to the command of a sloop-of-war, 

 and ever afterwards made our house his 

 home when his ship came into port. I also 

 saw some relatives of my mother's ; and 

 once my home was enlivened by a short 

 visit from my old friend the sixth mate, 

 who amused our family circle with his 

 quaint expressions, and his bluff, sailor-like 

 manner for, though a rough diamond, he 

 was a genuine, straight-forward fellow, and 

 had always possessed my regard. He was 

 at that time second officer of the H.E.I.C. 

 ship the " Elphinstone," and boasted of 

 having gone round the Cape twelve times 



