Encouraged by this sight, they attempted to land, and Arnold, the black servant, was sent on shore, accompanied by two seamen, with a string of amber beads as a present to the Indians. After a mutual interchange of civilities, he obtained some Indian corn, fruit, and water, in a calabash, with a promise of sheep, oxen, and other necessaries; but the wind continuing westerly, the boat returned with a supply only sufficient for four days.
They continued to coast along, occasionally landing to barter with the natives, who everywhere thronged to the shore and received them with kindness. At length, on the 6th April, they arrived at St. Lucia.
Having landed, they signified to the natives their wish to trade with them; but the Indians intimated that they wanted nothing but small beads: however, on being shown some copper buttons, they brought bullocks, fowls, potatoes, gourds, and other provisions. No bullocks could be purchased; for the natives wanted copper rings large enough for collars, in exchange. Of the fowls, they gave five or six for a small piece of linen, and the other things in proportion.
They remained here three weeks, being engaged in traversing the country, and endeavoring to obtain such articles as they wanted. The Indians set a great value on copper, and on being shown the handle of an old box, offered two bullocks for it, which were immediately accepted and driven on board the vessel.
On the 18th of May, a favorable breeze springing up from the west, attended with good weather, they weighed anchor at seven in the morning and set sail. Two days afterwards they arrived in Lagoa Bay, where they found the Rose, a trading vessel, in which some of them requested a passage to Bombay.
On the 25th of May, the Rose sailed for Madagascar, where, happening to fall in with one of the East India Company's ships, bound for Madras, the packets of treasure were transferred to it, and in about a month arrived in safety at their destination.
I must now bid you good bye, boys—not that I have exhausted my "Tales of Shipwrecks," but my space being filled up, I must stop for the present. I hope we shall soon meet again. Our present meetings have not, I trust, been without profit as well as amusement. The various narratives of suffering have awakened our sympathies, and taught us to feel how much we owe to the intrepidity of the adventurous seamen, who, bidding defiance to the perils of the deep, bear the blessings of commerce and civilization to the farthest corners of the earth. Nor ought our conversations to have been void of instruction—opening up to us, as they have done, the mighty works of God and his mysterious dealings with mankind. "They that go down to the sea in ships," says the Psalmist, "that do business in great waters—these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. O, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"
Good bye, Uncle Thomas!