as I wished to have more
dealings with him, I resolved to try and find out where he went. When
he parted from me he took the way to the quay; and as from his dress and
the look of his hands I suspected that he belonged to one of the vessels
in the harbour, I went and hid myself in a spot where I could watch
every part of the landing-place.

"I had waited about a couple of hours, when a boat came on shore from a
European brig, lying outside all the other vessels, and presently two
Englishmen or Americans, with two or three Malays, came down in company
with the young Javanese lad, who was staggering under a heavy load of
yams, shaddocks, bananas, cocoa-nuts, and other fruit and vegetables.
It is odd, I thought, that this boy who has so much money at his
command, should be made to do the work of a slave. I suspected that
there was something irregular, and that the lad had either stolen the
jewels or was selling them for some one else. I made inquiries about
the brig, and found that she was an American, and had put in for water
and provisions; but for her name, I can neither remember it, nor
pronounce it, probably, if I did. I expected next day to find that the
brig had gone, and to hear no more about the matter; but there she still
was, and who should I meet but the Javanese lad walking by himself in a
disconsolate manner near the quay? I beckoned him to me, and asked him
if he had any more jewels to sell; but he answered, No; and that he
wished he had not sold those, as it had done no good."

"I inquired what he meant; but for some time he would not answer, till I
persuaded him that I was his friend, and that I by chance knew some of
his relatives. He then told me that the jewels had belonged to an
English lady, who was kept on board the brig against her will, and that
she had employed him to sell them, in the hopes of being able to bribe
some one to help her to escape, or to carry intelligence of her position
to the authorities of any port at which the brig might touch. The lad,
who seemed in many respects very simple-minded and honest, said that he
wanted to get away, but dared not--that he had not originally belonged
to the brig, but was taken out of another vessel, and made to work on
board her, his chief employment lately being to attend on the lady in
the cabin."

While he was speaking, several seamen came out of an arrack shop some
way off. He caught sight of them and hurried off to the quay. They all