his plantations in Pallamcotta. How he obtained his title no one knew or
enquired, his relative, now deceased, was so called, and in his will he
directed that his heir should assume his name and rank. He was
thoroughly Indian in his tastes and habits, sensual and self indulgent;
saw very little European society, and report said that he had several
native mistresses, and was reputed very wealthy. He had never married,
for European ladies at that period were rarely to be met with in
Pallamcotta. It must have been business of no ordinary importance to
induce him to leave the land wherein he had been born, to visit Hamburg,
where he made his stay as short as possible. He was not favorably
impressed with the Frauleins and fair-haired daughters of Holland, and
was now returning home in the "Great Mogul," a Dutch Indiaman bound to
Madras.

"Wreck on the lee bow!" shouted a look out from the mast-head. This
excited quite a commotion on deck, from whence the object was soon
discernable through the telescope, and soon after by the naked eye. The
ship's course was altered and she bore down upon the unfortunate craft
to render such assistance as might be necessary. She proved to be the
ship "Kaffir Chief," from Cork, bound to the Cape; she had been
dismasted in one of those terrific storms which so frequently occur in
these latitudes, and was now lying completely water-logged on the bosom
of the treacherous ocean. The day previous to the wreck had been
remarkably fine, but as night closed in the wind rose and continued to
increase until it blew a perfect hurricane. In spite of the utmost
exertions of the crew the sails were blown clear of the bolt ropes,
yards and spars were carried away, when the foremast went by the board
and the main topmast fell with a crash into the sea, seventeen of the
crew were hurled into the wild waste of waters. A little before daylight
a tremendous sea struck her stern, unshipping the rudder, carrying away