ted
suicide; nay, I am sure she did not, although I know she was most
wretched in her mournful banishment, most miserable in her changed
condition, and that, if her past years had been gloomy, her future was
very dark; but I believe that poison in some shape--not from the small
vial which it was _said_ was found in her hand--was administered by the
African woman who is known to have been her predecessor,--one of those

"Children of the South
With whom revenge is virtue."

The following letter from L. E. L. was received by Mrs. Hall on the 3d
of January, 1839. It is without a date. On the 1st we had heard of her
death. It was a "ship-letter," but the mark of the place at which it was
posted is indistinct.

"MY DEAR MRS. HALL,--I must send you one of my earliest
epistles from the tropics; and as a ship is just sailing, I
will write, though it can only be a few hurried lines. I can
tell you my whole voyage in three words,--six weeks'
sea-sickness; but I am now as well as possible, and have been
ever since I landed. The castle is a very noble building, and
all the rooms large and cool, while some would be pretty even
in England. That where I am writing is painted a deep blue,
with some splendid engravings; indeed, fine prints seem quite a
passion with the gentlemen here. Mr. Maclean's library is
filled up with bookcases of African mahogany, and portraits of
distinguished authors. I, however, never approach it without
due preparation and humility, so crowded is it with scientific
instruments, telescopes, chronometers, barometers, gasometers,
etc., none of which may be touched by hands profane. On three
sides, the batteries are dashed against by the waves; on the
fourth is a splendid land view. The hills are covered to the
top with what we should call wood, but is here called bush.
This dense mass of green is varied by some large, handsome,
white houses belonging to different gentlemen, and on two of
the heights are small forts built by Mr. Maclean. The
cocoa-trees with their long fan-like leaves are very beautiful.
The natives seem to be obliging and intelligent, and look very
picturesque with their fine dark figures, with pieces of the
country cloth flung round them. They seem to have an excellent
ear for music: the band plays all the old popular airs, which
they have caug