, and parrots and
humming-birds. I dare say, if we had not been prisoners and compelled,
as it were, to see the wonderful productions of animal and vegetable
life, we should have been highly interested in them--at least, we ought
to have been. One or two of our surgeons, who had a little turn for
natural history, contrived to pass their time by collecting specimens,
and examining into the nature and habits of the animals which abounded
in the country; but naval officers, especially in those days, did not
trouble their heads much about such matters, and were somewhat inclined
to look down upon those who did. We talked of our prospects--they were
gloomy enough; we tried sometimes to sing, but for that we had not much
spirits; and so the days passed away. It would have been surprising,
even in a healthy climate, if disease had not attacked us under similar
circumstances. For some time it stood aloof, but it came at last, and
made ample amends for its delay by its violence. We had been about a
month at Ou Trou, when one day we were all seated at dinner in a sort of
courtyard, which being in shade served us as our mess-room and
drawing-room, unless the weather was bad, when we had to retire into our
hot, stifling little house. We were all in tolerably fair spirits that
day. O'Driscoll had been telling some of his good stories, more than
one song had been sung, and jokes were flying about, far more than was
usually the case. There were a few absentees in consequence of
sickness, and we heard also that Captain Williams, lately commanding the
Active, was ill. Poor man! he severely felt the loss of his ship,
though, having been compelled to yield to a vastly superior force, no
blame was attached to him. His spirits, it was said, had never risen
again since he was taken prisoner, and he was thus but ill able to
combat with the baneful effects of the climate and the irksomeness of
imprisonment. Just then, however, few of our party were thinking about
anything but the present moment and the unusually good dinner we had
been enjoying, when who should make his appearance near the head of the
table but Monsieur Roquion our purveyor, with a smiling countenance and
a long bill in his hand.

Our caterers inquired why he had come.

"For to present my litte _compte_ to you, gentilmen," he answered, for
he indulged occasionally in a few words of English, especially when he
wanted to say anything very disagreeable.

One of the