statement as this. I think I see my poor Elizabeth, the wife or slave to
some wild savage; her children, merciful Heaven! my grandchildren,
growing up as the brutes of the field, in ignorance and idolatry. It is
torture, my dear Alexander--absolute torture, and requires long prayer
and meditation to restore my mind to its usual tone, and to enable me to
bow to the dispensations of the Divine will."

"Although I have long been acquainted with the general statement, my
dear uncle, respecting the loss of the ship, I have never yet heard any
such details as would warrant this apprehension of yours. It is
generally supposed that all perished, perished indeed most miserably,
except the few men who made their way to the Cape, and returned to
England."

"Such was the supposition, my dear boy, but subsequent reports have to a
certain degree contradicted it, and there is reason to believe that all
did not perish who were accounted as dead. If you have nothing
particularly to engage you at this moment, I will enter into a detail of
what did occur, and of the proofs that the fate of a large portion,
among which that of your aunt Elizabeth, was never ascertained."

"If it will not be too painful to you, my dear uncle, I will most gladly
hear it."

"I will not dwell longer upon it than is necessary, Alexander; believe
me, the subject is distressing, but I wish you to know it also, and then
to give me your opinion. You are of course aware that it was on the
coast of Caffraria, to the southward of Port Natal, that the _Grosvenor_
was wrecked. She soon divided and went to pieces, but by a sudden--I
know not that I can say a _fortunate_--change of wind, yet such was the