zvous with a Bandit--Ineffectual Attempts to Reform
Him--His Death--Journey to Tapuzi--Its Inaccessibility--Government
of the Tapuzians--Morality and Religious Character of their
Chief--Their Curiosity at Beholding a White Man--Former Wickedness
and Divine Punishment--We bid Adieu to the Tapuzians, and Return
to Jala-Jala.

At this period a sad event plunged my house into mourning. Letters from
my family announced to me that my brother Robert had returned from
Porto-Rico, but that soon after a serious illness had carried him to
the grave. He died in the arms of my mother and sisters, in the small
house of La Planche, where, as I said before, we had all been brought
up. My excellent Anna, wept with us, and exerted every means that
interesting affection could suggest to alleviate the grief my brother
Henry and myself experienced from this melancholy bereavement. A few
months afterwards a new source of sorrow fell to our lot. Our little
social party at Jala-Jala consisted of my sister-in-law; of Delaunay,
a young man from St. Malo, who had come from Bourbon to establish at
Manilla some manufactories for baking sugar; of Bermigan, a young
Spaniard; and my friend, Captain Gabriel Lafond, like myself, from
Nantes. He had come to the Philippine islands on board the Fils de
France, had passed some years in South America, and had occupied
several places of distinction in the navy, as captain-commandant,
until at last, after many adventures and vicissitudes, he came with
a small fortune to Manilla, where he bought a vessel, and set sail
for the Pacific Ocean, to fish for the balate or sea-worm. He had
scarcely readied the island of Tongatabou when the vessel struck upon
the rocks that surround this island; he saved himself by swimming
to the shore, having lost everything. From thence he went to the
Marianne islands, where grief and bad food caused him to fall ill;
he returned to Manilla, labouring under dysentry. I had him brought
to my house, and whilst there attended to him with all the care
a fellow-countryman and a good friend, endowed with sterling and
amiable qualities, deserved. Our evenings were spent in amusing and
instructive conversation. As we had all travelled a great deal, each
had something to relate. During the day the invalids kept company
with the ladies, while my brother and myself followed our respective
avocations. But soon, alas! a shocking event disturbed the calm that
reigned at Jala