accident, she declined it. When this circumstance became
known to us, we easily convinced the boatswain that no
mischief could possibly arise from trusting his wife amongst
such kind people; but Mrs. Loy could not be persuaded of
this ; and thus was lost the only opportunity of seeing the
town which occurred during all our stay.
Two of the natives have been studying English with
great assiduity, and with considerable success. One is called
Mâdera, the other Anya. They carry note books in imitation
of Mr. Clifford, in which they record in their own
characters every word they learn. They are both keen fellows,
and are always amongst the strangers. From the respect
occasionally paid to them, it is suspected that their
rank is higher than they give out, and that their object in
pretending to be people of ordinary rank, is. to obtain a
more free intercourse with all classés on board the ships.
Mâdera, by his liveliness and his propriety of manners, has
made himself a great favourite ; he adopts our customs
with a sort of intuitive readiness, sits down to table, uses a
knife and fork, converses, and walks with us, in short, does
every thing tha t we do, quite as a matter of course, without
any apparent effort or study. He is further recommended
to us by the free way in which he communicates every thing
relating to his country ; so that as he advances in English,