benevolent and kindest of men. In no part of the globe have I made a
more agreeable or useful acquaintance. During a residence of a week
under the roof of this delightful person, he frequently urged me to
make acquaintance with some friends of his, living also in the north
of Ireland, but at the opposite angle. He was, in particular, desirous
that I should see a family with whom he described himself as being
very intimate, and who were then on a visit far in the west.

Influenced by the extreme earnestness of my worthy friend, who,
indeed, would hardly let me stir from his house until I had promised
to deliver, with my own hands, a letter of introduction to a lady
alluded to, who, he assured me, would introduce me to the family with
whom she was then living as a guest. I thought it rather an odd
arrangement that a mere guest should introduce a stranger to another
person's house: but I had already seen enough of the hearty
hospitality of Ireland not to wonder at anything having a kind purpose
in view. I therefore promised that, if at any time I could obtain
leave of absence for a few days, the introductory letter should be
delivered.

I did not discover, until long afterwards, the secret motive of my
friend's anxiety that I should pay the visit in question, though, at
the time alluded to, I was quite coxcomb enough to suppose that it all
arose from personal consideration. It mattered little to me, however,
to what the kindness was due; and, my leave having expired, I set off
to the Endymion, of which I was then second lieutenant, with a firm
resolution to avail myself of the first opportunity of visiting the
persons to whom my excellent friend the doctor had given me an
introduction. I had been so frequently absent before, that I expected
to be fixed on board for a long time to come, and was therefore