ne") "that
the long-looked-for vessel had at length furled her sails and dropped
anchor in the bay. She was from England, and I waited, expecting every
minute to feast my eyes upon at least one letter; but I remembered how
unreasonable it was to suppose that any person would come up with
letters to this lonely place at so late an hour, and that it behoved me
to exercise the grace of patience until next day. However, between ten
and eleven o'clock, a loud shouting and knocking aroused the household,
and the door was opened to a trusty Kroo messenger, who, although one of
a tribe who would visit any of its members in their own country with
death, who could 'savey white man's book,' seemed to comprehend
something of our feelings at receiving letters, as I overheard him
exclaim, with evident glee, 'Ah! massa! here de right book come at
last.' Every thing, whether a brown-paper parcel, a newspaper, an
official despatch, a private letter or note is here denominated a
'book,' and this man understood well that newspapers are never received
so gladly amongst 'books' from England as letters." The Kaffir, in the
Engraving, was sketched from one employed to convey letters in the South
African settlements; he carries his document in a split at the end of a
cane.

[Illustration: KAFFIR LETTER-CARRIER.]

It is a singular sight in India to see the catamarans which put off from
some parts of the coast, as soon as ships come in sight, either to bear
on board or to convey from thence letters or messages. These frail
vessels are composed of thin cocoa-tree logs, lashed together, and big
enough to carry one, or, at most, two persons. In one of these a small
sail is fixed, and the navigator steers with a little paddle; the float
itself is almost entirely sunk in the water, so that the effect is very
singular--a sail sweeping along the surface with a man behind it, and
apparently nothing to support them. Those which have no sails are
consequently invisible and the men have the appearance of treading the
water and performing evolutions with a racket. In very rough weather the
men lash themselves to their little rafts but in ordinary seas they
seem, though frequently washed off, to regard such accidents as mere
trifles, being naked all but a wax cloth cap in which they keep any
letters they may have to convey to ships in the roads, and swimming like
fish. Their only danger is from sharks, which are said to abound. These
cannot hurt them while