promised him, so that he expected something considerable from the death of this man, who had no wife or child, and he attended him day and night.  I used also to go with the Captain, at his own desire, to attend him; especially when we saw there was no appearance of his recovery:  and, in order to recompense me for my trouble, the Captain promised me ten pounds, when he should get the man’s property.  I thought this would be of great service to me, although I had nearly money enough to purchase my freedom, if I should get safe this voyage to Montserrat.  In this expectation I laid out above eight pounds of my money for a suit of superfine clothes to dance with at my freedom, which I hoped was then at hand.  We still continued to attend this man, and were with him even on the last day he lived, till very late at night, when we went on board.  After we were got to bed, about one or two o’clock in the morning, the Captain was sent for, and informed the man was dead.  On this he came to my bed, and, waking me, informed me of it, and desired me to get up and procure a light, and immediately go to him.  I told him I was very sleepy, and wished he would take somebody else with him; or else, as the man was dead, and could want no farther attendance, to let all things remain as they were till the next morning.  ‘No, no,’ said he, ’we will have the money to-night, I cannot wait till to-morrow; so let us go.’  Accordingly I got up and struck a light, and away we both went and saw the man as dead as we could wish.  The Captain said he would give him a grand burial, in gratitude for the promised treasure; and desired that all the things belonging to the deceased might be brought forth.  Among others, there was a nest of trunks of which he had kept the keys whilst the man was ill, and when they were produced we opened them with no small eagerness and expectation; and as there were a great number within one another, with much impatience we took them one out of the other.  At last, when we came to the smallest, and had opened it, we saw it was full of papers, which we supposed to be notes; at the sight of which our hearts leapt for joy; and that instant the Captain, clapping his hands, cried out, ‘Thank God, here it is.’  But when we took up the trunk, and began to examine the supposed treasure and long-looked-for bounty, (alas! alas! how uncertain and deceitful are all human affairs!) what had we found!  While we thought we were embracing a substance we grasped an empty nothing.  The whole amount that was in the nest of trunks was only one dollar and a half; and all that the man possessed would not pay for his coffin.  Our sudden and exquisite joy was now succeeded by a sudden and exquisite pain; and my Captain and I exhibited, for some time, most ridiculous figures—­pictures of chagrin and disappointment!  We went away greatly mortified, and left the deceased to do as well as he could for himself, as we had taken so good care of him when alive for nothing.  We set sail once