the woods. When brought back she was very sulky, and remained so for several weeks. The poor creature had two children, and this was probably the tie which held her to her wigwam; for though she appeared to enjoy in many respects first Fogo and then St. Johns, when she was taken there, and her improved habits of life, she only dragged at each removal a lengthened chain.

All her hopes and acts appeared to have a reference to her return, however at variance with her insensibility on the death of her husband. She hoarded clothes, trinkets, and any thing that was given her, and was fond of dividing them into sixteen shares. She was very obstinate, but was glad to be of any service in her power, if not asked to assist; she was playful, and was pleased with startling Mr. Leigh by stealing behind him softly; her perception of anything ridiculous, and her general knowledge of character, shewed much archness and sagacity; an unmarried man seemed an object of great ridicule to her. When she was taken to St. Johns, on entering the harbour, she said to Messrs. Leigh and Peyton, "You go shore Mr. Leigh, you go shore John Peyton, when go shore, no Emamoose, (wife or woman,) ha, ha, ha, ha!" She was quite indifferent to music, did not seem to perceive it. She liked exhibiting herself to strangers, and was very fond of putting on and taking off all the dresses, ribbands, and ornaments that were given her. Mr. Leigh once drew on a bit of paper, a boat and crew, with a female figure in it, going up a river and stopping a moment at a wigwam, described the boat freighted as before, returning. Mary immediately applied the hieroglyphic, and cried out "No, no, no, no." He then altered the drawing taking the woman out, and leaving her hehind at the wigwam, when she cried very joyfully "Yes, yes, good for Mary." A variety of representations more obscure than this, she perceived with great quickness, and had much satisfaction in the mode of communica

tion.

She remained a short time at St. Johns, and acquired such facility in speaking English, that sanguine hopes of conciliating and opening a communication with her tribe through her means were entertained, and when Sir Charles Hamilton dispatched Capt. Buchan to the Bay of Exploits to make the attempt, it was hoped for this poor devoted handful of Indians, that the measure of their sufferings was nearly full, and that they were at last to be brought within the influence of civilization and christianity. It was ordered otherwise. The change of dress, or change of living, or whatever it may be, that operates so fatally on savages separated from their native habits spared not Mary. She left St. Johns with a bad cough, and died of consumption on making the Bay of Exploits, aged 24. Capt. Buchan after a laborious march reached the wigwams, but found them empty; and he deposited there the coffin of Mary, with her presents, dresses, mocassins, &c.

The experiment I think was hazardous. The Indians on returning may possibly perceive the truth, or they may, as more in accordance with their past experience fancy poison, insult, or any of the barbarities practised on their forefathers, the traditions of which they no doubt pre

serve.

NO. 5.-VOL. XX.

2 M

This history interested me so much, that though writing as I do from recollection of conversations with Mr. Leigh a month after they took place, I am pretty certain of my accuracy. This description of a "gentle savage, as a pendant to the one which we remember from the South Sea, the view of untaught barbarism in its best attire, suggests some useful hints in the examination of that great puzzle of our common nature the human heart. A new subject in a dissecting room must be always profitable to the anatomist. The analysis however does not belong to me. "Non meus hie sermo." Mr. Leigh I have no doubt has, and will turn it to good account, and I trust and believe that in repayment for the lessons he may have learned from this child of nature, he had endeavoured (though I fear with no great success) to communicate to her those christian truths which he was commissioned to teach, which would have elevated both the hopes and the character of the poor captive, and smoothed that bed of death on which she was so soon to be laid. Mr. Leigh was kind enough to give me a copy of the native vocabulary as far as he had collected it from Mary March; it will be found at the end.

But to resume my Journal. It is apprehended that the Bank fishery is failing, and Labrador in consequence appears to be the favorite resort of our own subjects and our American brethren. The cause of the bank failure seems quite hypothetical. Some imagine that the French fishers being encouraged to come early, catch the female fish before they spawn; but if the roe of each contain, as is pretended, 50,000,000 of ova, the wonderful fecundity would seem to disprove the idea of reduction to any sensible extent by the comparatively insignificant numbers caught. The cause of the periodical absence of fish from their usual resorts, I have never heard satisfactorily accounted for, failure of food not proven; and though like wise fish, they might be frightened from narrow harbours by the gorry and offal being thrown overboard, that effect could hardly be produced on the ocean-banks.

I had during this week, amused myself with Mr. Baird the schoolmaster, collecting mineralogical specimens: a countryman who witnessed the operation said, with Irish hyperbole, "Sure I see the captain of that ship hummering the world about like mad." Took four months provisions, fishing lines, duck shot, &c. quant. suff., set up our rigging and bent sails.

June 16th.-Heavy rain; paid the men their working money and sent them on shore to lay it out; they brought on board quantities of little pictures, looking glasses, and other gew-gaws to ornament their berths. Received my sailing orders, commission as justice of the peace, surrogate, admiralty surrogate, and collector of the Greenwich hospital duty; the two latter of my diversified avocations will prove I suspect somewhat of the sinecure order. Consulted the chief justice (Forbes) as to my judicial conduct; took the necessary oaths. Nothing can be so vague, or so calculated to lead a person into error, as the acts of parliament, and proclamations respecting the American fishery; nothing but the enforcement of penal restrictions will preserve quiet and the good of the fishery; and there is no authority to restrain an American, or to

limit his proceedings; he violates the regulations, and disputes the governor or surrogate's authority, and what is to be done; "take his name," which he laughs at: if the fishery on those shores is to be relinquished to the Americans, it may be sound policy of ministers; but surely it were better to have relinquished it unreservedly, than burdened it with limitations which cannot be enforced. Got the chief justice to give me his written opinion as to my conduct; dined with the admiral, and took my leave of him and his house.

Saturday 17th." The night (like Mrs. Honor's) was fine, except a little windy and rainy;" the morning worse, could not sail,-fine evening, warped down to Magotty Cove; dined on board, walked afterwards to Signal Hill; Roberts (in every way expert and valuable,) took its altitude 494 feet, Crows Nest 392 feet. No Egeria in sight, by which we expect news and letters from England.

Sunday 18th.-Fine morning, weighed at five, baffled in the Narrows (never weigh again from St. Johns without a commanding breeze), wind sprang up from S.S. W., dismissed the Sieur Taffe, the head pilot very impatient; stood to the eastward in hopes of meeting the Egeria. Divine Service, and mustered men, (five men short). At 2 o'clock were fifteen leagues off the land; made sail to the northward, clear weather; about the ship. Heavy fog banks in the horizon, many birds round the ship, resembling gannets. The youngsters assembled in my cabin in the evening, reading the conclusion of "Paley's Evidences." Wind increasing, moon in her first quarter of a singular brightness, the larger stars of the same complexion, a most portentous redness: glass falling.

The middies have the use of my cabin and books, of which I observe they select such as are of a light and amusing nature. On Sunday evenings I choose something for them of a more profitable description. Our school under the master-at-arms on the lower deck is again resumed: this is much valued. The captain-of-the-main-top said the other day, "Won't my old mother wonder when she gets a letter from me. What will the old gal think?”

Monday 19th.-Daylight, blowing fresh, heavy rain, cold weather, the worst part of the climate of Newfoundland, (vulgus "the land,") are the sudden transitions from the temperature of the Tropics to that of Spitzbergen. Barometer still tells truth. Thermometer in my cabin ranges between 56° and 42°, the changes greater on deck; at 6 wind shifted to north-east, many ice islands about the ship, principally to the westward, close reefed and tacked; at noon it cleared away, got an observation of the sun, lat. 50°N., long. 52° 6' 50"W. Fogo Island W.S.W. eighty miles; Mr. Baird sick, no school in my cabin for the midshipmen. I have a little cold and headache, wind drawing to the northward. I am reading my orders, acts of parliament, and old Cartwright's account of Labrador, a quaint strong-minded old man, but "tetchy and wayward;" like most solitaires, he seems sadly disturbed when my opinion clashes with his preconceived notions. Buffon says "Beavers have a scaly tail, because they eat fish," the old gentleman

* Vide-Vattel on "Treatment of Foreigners."

thinks the conclusion impotent, and asks angrily, whether the Count has one, for the same reason. This is a specimen of the style of his work, but it contains some useful local information. In the evening a bright yellow sky; strong light in the north-west, but without any corruscations of the aurora borealis; midnight cold, clear weather, wind north-west, passed a large ice berg.

Tuesday 20th.-Fine clear cold weather, thermometer in the sun 44°, shade 40°; ice islands round us, lat. 51° 16' N., long. 52° 19′, entrance to Sandwich Bay north-west 180 miles; exercised great guns and small arms: Mr. Baird still sick interferes with our school. We find the ship sail better from being deep in the water. Observed an iceberg oversetting and many appear breaking up.

When the action of the water or the raised temperature dissolves the foundation of these floating masses, the superincumbent weight topples them over, after the manner of the splendid summerset which we have now witnessed. This change of poles however produces, of course diminished height, but no great change in their character, the submarine portion presenting on being brought into the upper world, the same appearance as before. Noon, dry clear weather: my cold nearly well. (To be continued.)

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS ON GREYTOWN, MOSQUITIA.

[The following creditable remarks are made by the Master of the Indefatigable.-ED.]

In making the coast in a sailing vessel when bound for Greytown, it is absolutely necessary to make it to the northward of the port, as from the strong current setting generally to the S.S.E., at from one mile and a half and three miles per hour, if you are to southward it is very difficult to work up, the winds being very light. The coast should be made in the parallel of Round Hill, marked in the chart. This hill is close to the low shore, and when in a W.N.W. bearing appears to be elongated to the W.S.W., and the name does not certainly give you any idea of its appearance. When in a north-west bearing it shews also distinct, which appearance it still maintains as you are running to the southward. We arrived off it in September, and although the day was excessively rainy, and all the interior country enveloped in clouds, yet this hill was more distinctly seen than any other object. The coast both to the northward and southward is a low dark sandy land covered with trees and bushes about 80 or 100 feet high, and has the same appearance down to the harbour; when at Point San Juan there are several dead trees close to the shore, and appearing from a S.S.E, bearing very abrupt.

The Bank of Juan de Fara.-This bank is an extension of the shoal surrounding the coast between Point Arenas and Point San Juan, and stretches off to the north-east for one mile and a half, having on it constant breakers, very little water, and close to its north-east edge are 7 fathoms. This shoal receives drift trees, &c., floating out of the harbour. It is composed of small stones, drift trees, and sand. To avoid it the steamers when bound to Chagres, first steer from Point Arenas north-east for five miles, and then direct for their port.

Greytown harbour is not very easily distinguished, as at a distance of only

a few miles the coast appears straight and even, but on a nearer approach the houses will be discovered over the low sandy spit of Point Arenas, and then giving all that coast from Point San Juan to Point Arenas a berth of one mile and a half or no nearer than 11 fathoms, a vessel should steer for the north-western coast, and when in 5 or 5 fathoms, stand for the harbour. When a high dead tree comes on halfway between the flag-staff and the east end of the town, and bearing S.E.b. E. steer in; you are then in the deepest water 4 fathoms, and when the harbour head opens to the southward of Point Mandeville you will be past the shoal, and may anchor in any convenient depth less than 4 fathoms over a bottom of soft black mud.

This harbour is in fact the mouth of the River San Juan, and is the recipient of its waters after they pass through its delta or percolate through the very low grounds, and out of the lagoons in the vicinity where it issues in a constant stream (Sept.) along the inner side of Point Arenas and Mandeville, and round the shoal to the north-west at about two miles per hour, and along the western shore also to the north-westward at about one mile and a half, bringing with it numerous drift bush, and small fragments of trees to the sea, or leaving them on the shoal off Point Arenas.

The shoal has gradually extended itself to the north-west from Point Arenas, and has now on it only and a fathom, breaking when there is any swell. It is steep to, having on its point 1 fathom and 20 yards, to the westward 4 fathoms. From the reports of the inhabitants it occasionally shifts, so that a pilot is necessary, or the channel ought to be examined previous to entering.

The pilot is a good one, and as he is paid by the Musquito government the charge is not at all heavy. He says the harbour has filled up considerably since he has been here, a period of only four years and a half.

The town is built on the south-eastern part of the harbour, and contains fifty huts or wooden houses, having on the eastern side a dense bush, on the northern side the port, and on the northern side a stagnant lagoon which may be the cause of the fever and plague, now so very prevalent. The situation is so very low that after very heavy rains and a swollen river, the peninsula on which it is built is very nearly overflowed.

The only article of consumption that can be procured is very indifferent, beef at sixpence per lb., but not any vegetables, the inhabitants being careless of cultivating them; sometimes the Bongos or country boats bring down a few pumpkins, but they are not sufficient for one tenth of the people.

The port as a place for commercial purposes has long been known, but from the very little enterprize hitherto shown by the people of Central America to exhibit the produce of their country, and receive in exchange that of others, it will be some time yet before anything in the shape of a town of consequence can possibly appear. Yet from the position of the river, the communication being so constantly kept up by the Bongos, that time may not be far distant.

The Americans have now two steamers (flat bottomed), the Director and the Anne, trying to ascend the river, but they are at present stuck in one of the rapids; and from the deaths of many, and the dreadful sickness of the survivors, I fear they will not get up to the lake; yet if they do overcome their difficulties it will open a brilliant speculation to many.

The trade which is hide, deer skins, and logwood, from the interior, is brought down in Bongos, and in return they carry back with them cargoes of dry goods to supply the markets of Grenada, Nicaragua, and Leon. These boats are from fifteen to twenty tons; they are rowed with twelve or eight hands according to their size, and are about eight or twelve days ascending the river, according to its strength and depth, and the same number nearly coming down. Each rower gets from six to eight dollars a trip,