THE GULF. 



9 



the same who, if report said true, commanded the Ca- 

 lypso slave ship, with three hundred slaves on board, 

 which was captured by an English cruiser off Mantanzas. 

 Within sight of his port, his evil star prevailed ; he was 

 observed and chased — was obliged to run his ship 

 aground, and only escaped certain hanging by leaping 

 overboard, and swimming for his life to the shore. 

 Though a slave dealer and excessively choleric, he was 

 not without his good points. When not irritated, he 

 might be termed good natured, and evinced generous and 

 charitable feelings. He was doubtless an excellent sea- 

 man. His general manner, however, gave you the im- 

 pression of his being soured by adversity, and by a con- 

 stant struggle with misfortune. Among the crew under 

 his command, you might enumerate probably as many 

 nations as individuals; and nothing could be more 

 amusing than to hear the orders, whenever he was in a 

 bustle, given and responded to in English, Spanish, and 

 French. 



Among those who were entitled, by right of payment, 

 to the same accommodation as ourselves — with excep- 

 tion of the special enjoyment of the berths and cock- 

 roaches, which we had timely secured — there were 

 characters such as would make the fortune of any of the 

 present herd of tale-weavers for the annuals and maga- 

 zines. I cannot linger, however, with either Don Pablo, 

 a fat old Spaniard, full of conceits and odd scraps of 

 songs, going to Mexico to seek his fortune, with a good 

 chance of being hung as a Guachupin ; or Don Garcia, 

 an exiled Mexican officer, of Iturbide's party, repairing 

 secretly thither with reasonable expectation of being dis- 

 covered and shot ; or Cortina, the captain who had 

 lost his ship; or Celestina, the farceur of the company. 

 Neither can I give you the history of the conjuror on 

 board ; nor describe the boisterous singing and gaming, 

 the impure orgies and impious airs of the mauvais sitjets, 

 French, Spanish, German, nor give the history of the fair 

 Creole emigrating from New Orleans, with her squalling 

 child, under the protection of a fat and portly school- 



