CHARLES WATERTON, ESQ. Ixvii 



the time : but I did not ; and the star went down 

 below the horizon, to appear no more. 



Few people, except those who have been to seek 

 adventures in far distant countries, are aware of the 

 immense advantages of a government commission, 

 especially when the traveller is in our own colonies. 

 With it his way is clear, and his story is already 

 told: every body acknowledges his consequence, 

 and is eager to show him attention. Without it, 

 he is obliged to unfold his object in view at every 

 step: he must fight his own cause through sur- 

 rounding difficulties, and lose many a day for want 

 of somebody to take him by the hand. In 1824, 

 I was at St. John's, in the Island of Antigua, 

 and had to attend at a public office prior to my 

 going on board the mail-boat for Dominica. I had 

 lately arrived from the United States, very much 

 out of health ; and I wore one of those straw hats, 

 with a green riband round it, so common in the 

 republic. The harbour-master, who presided, and 

 outwardly appeared much of a gentleman, eyed me, 

 as I thought, contemptuously on my entering the 

 room. I was right in my conjecture, for he seemed 

 determined to wear out my patience ; and he kept 

 me standing above half an hour, without once asking 

 me to take a seat, although there were plenty of 

 chairs in the room. In returning to the hotel with 

 the captain of the mail-boat, I observed to him how 

 very deficient the harbour-master had been in 

 common courtesy. He replied that, as soon as I 

 had gone out of the door of the office, the harbour- 

 master stopped him to inquire who I was; and, 

 d2 



