tement as this. I think I see my poor Elizabeth, the
wife or slave to some wild savage; her children, merciful Heaven! my
grandchildren, growing up as the brutes of the field, in ignorance and
idolatry. It is torture, my dear Alexander--absolute torture, and
requires long prayer and meditation to restore my mind to its usual
tone, and to enable me to bow to the dispensations of the Divine will."

"Although I have long been acquainted with the general statement, my
dear uncle, respecting the loss of the ship, I have never yet heard any
such details as would warrant this apprehension of yours. It is
generally supposed that all perished, perished indeed most miserably,
except the few men who made their way to the Cape, and returned to
England."

"Such was the supposition, my dear boy, but subsequent reports have to a
certain degree contradicted it, and there is reason to believe that all
did not perish who were accounted as dead. If you have nothing
particularly to engage you at this moment, I will enter into a detail of
what did occur, and of the proofs that the fate of a large portion,
among which that of your aunt Elizabeth, was never ascertained."

"If it will not be too painful to you, my dear uncle, I will most gladly
hear it."

"I will not dwell longer upon it than is necessary, Alexander; believe
me the subject is too distressing, but I wish you to know it also, and
then to give me your opinion. You are of course aware that it was on
the coast of Caffraria, to the southward of Port Natal, that the
_Grosvenor_ was wrecked. She soon divided and went to pieces, but by a
sudden--I know not that I can say a _fortunate_--change of wind, yet
such was the will of Heaven,--the whole of the crew and passengers (with
the exception of sixteen who had previously attempted to gain the shore
by a hawser, and one man who was left on board in a state of
intoxication) were all safely landed, even to the little children who
were coming home in the vessel; among whom was my poor Elizabeth."

Alexander made no observation when Sir Charles paused for a while: the
latter then continued:--

"By the time that they had all gained the shore, the day was far spent;
the natives, who were of the Caffre race, and who had been busy in
obtaining all the iron that they could from the mainmast, which had
drifted on shore, left the beach at dark. The wretched sufferers
lighted fires, and having collected some casks of beef and flour, and