INTRODUCTION. XV 



Once more at home, he resumed the 

 studies of his boyhood, and made himself 

 master of several modern languages. He 

 travelled also through France, Switzerland, 

 and Italy, a tour which his recent literary 

 pursuits had prepared him to enjoy. 



The period at length arrived when it was 

 necessary that he should return to India, and 

 he embarked, but the ship was wrecked on 

 the Isle of Wight. This mishap occasioned 

 such a loss of time, that when he reached 

 Madras, his leave of absence had expired, 

 and he found that to regain the position he 

 had involuntarily forfeited, a prolonged and 

 tedious correspondence with the Home Autho- 

 rities would probably be necessary. Accord- 

 ingly, he at once relinquished the service, and 

 decided on proceeding with the ship to China. 



This step was the most important of his 

 earlier life. Then, for the first time, he saw the 

 islands of the Indian Archipelago, with their 

 natural riches and incomparable beauty. The 

 notion of one day visiting and exploring them 

 insinuated itself into his mind, but the resolve 



