The next day I told Captain Thompson of Hope’s state, and asked him if he would be so kind as to go and see him.

``What? a d—–­d Kanaka?’’

``Yes, sir,’’ said I; ``but he has worked four years for our vessels, and has been in the employ of our owners, both on shore and aboard.’’

``Oh! he be d—–­d!’’ said the captain, and walked off.

This man died afterwards of a fever on the deadly coast of Sumatra; and God grant he had better care taken of him in his sufferings than he ever gave to any one else.

Finding nothing was to be got from the captain, I consulted an old shipmate, who had much experience in these matters, and got a recipe from him, which he kept by him.  With this I went to the mate, and told him the case.  Mr. Brown had been intrusted with the general care of the medicine-chest, and although a driving fellow, and a taut hand in a watch, he had good feelings, and was inclined to be kind to the sick.  He said that Hope was not strictly one of the crew, but, as he was in our employ when taken sick, he should have the medicines; and he got them and gave them to me, with leave to go ashore at night.  Nothing could exceed the delight of the Kanakas, when I came, bringing the medicines.  All their terms of affection and gratitude were spent upon me, and in a sense wasted (for I could not understand half of them), yet they made all known by their manner.  Poor Hope was so much revived at the bare thought of anything being done for him that he seemed already stronger and better.  I knew he must die as he was, and he could but die under the medicines, and any chance was worth running.  An oven exposed to every wind and change of weather is no place to take calomel; but nothing else would do, and strong remedies must be used, or he was gone.  The applications, internal and external, were powerful, and I gave him strict directions to keep warm and sheltered, telling him it was his only chance for life.  Twice after this, I visited him, having only time to run up, while waiting in the boat.  He promised to take his medicines regularly while we were up the coast, until we returned, and insisted upon it that he was doing better.

We got under way on the 10th, bound up to San Pedro, and had three days of calm and head winds, making but little progress.  On the fourth, we took a stiff southeaster, which obliged us to reef our topsails.  While on the yard, we saw a sail on the weather bow, and in about half an hour passed the Ayacucho, under double-reefed topsails, beating down to San Diego.  Arrived at San Pedro on the fourth day, and came-to in the old place, a league from shore, with no other vessel in port, and the prospect of three weeks or more of dull life, rolling goods up a slippery hill, carrying hides on our heads over sharp stones, and, perhaps, slipping for a southeaster.