m A VISIT TO THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



merch ant's name — a simple naval occurrence t-wisted to a 

 false date, and assigned to a suppositious cause — nwh h 

 an imperfect summary of what tlie member for Montrose 

 liaa been induced — or seduced — to kj before the British 

 House of CoramonB, from which thej were to consent that 

 mj friend should forego the felon's privilege, and submit 

 to be annually put upon trial — not for liis life, but for that 

 dearer stake, bis honour. 



And, to close ^vith a practical question, — What would 

 an inquiry— granted to-morrow — ^give m ? Inevitably 

 one of two results equally unprofitable, to say the least. 

 Eitlier a budget of stale tniths, already attested beyond 

 rational doubt, some of which will be found in the 

 Appendix ; or a consignment of newly-coined untruths, 

 disgraceful alike to the consignors and to the consignee. 



Win en I consider that I have still one of my proposed 

 points untouciied, I feel that I nmst have heavily taxed 

 my readers' patience. I shall endeavour to make the 

 next Chapter brief and matter-of-fact ; and therein to 

 mention m rarely as possible Mr, Hume. 



The honourable member for Montrose has been useful 

 to Englaiid^ — very useful in Ms day ; but not by traducing 

 charactei's : nor is it a reproach to liuu that his value 

 hm hcen of that particular kind which makes the 

 adjutant-bird sacred in Oriental cities, and the viUture 

 valuable in tlie desert. His vocation has been to consume 

 whatever savoured of corruption, — a thankless, an mi- 

 en vied, but still, -when pursued in moderation and 



