THE ^'HANNIBAL" 117 



Once it was said lie had been observed at work in the 

 mines, to which it was the custom of the Spanish Govern- 

 ment to send all persons suspected as spies ; at another 

 he was seen in the streets of Carthagena, ignominiously 

 chained with others, under charge of an altado. But 

 none of these reports led to any satisfactory result ; and 

 the continued representations of our Government to the 

 Spanish authorities were of no avail. Living in this 

 dreadful state of suspense, not willing to believe that her 

 son must have fallen a victim to the climate, she cauo-ht 

 at the faintest shadow of hope at his being yet alive. 

 Knowing from my friend my residence at the principal 

 sea-port of the kingdom, she vainly thought I could be of 

 considerable service to her ; and as I deeply sympathized 

 with her, I readily assented to be at her command. I 

 therefore never went to London without seeing her, and 

 for some time corresponded with her on this melancholy 

 subject. AYhen the Hannihal arrived from the station 

 to be paid off, I went on board, and took down the 

 dej)osition^ of one of the men, who declared he had seen 

 the lieutenant alive in the mines ; but this, like other 

 reports, could never be substantiated ; and not long after, 

 this accomplished lady went to her grave, a sorrowful 

 and broken-hearted mother. 



Thus, then, reader, did my life pass from youth to 

 manhood — my time partly occupied in attending to a 

 business — that not having any ajopearance of business, or 

 requiring confinement, was itself a pleasure — and partly 

 on those exciting and not irrational enjoyments that cir- 



^ This deposition, attested by the senior officer of* the Hannibal, 

 is still in my possession. 



