moments'
thought, wrote on. Once having begun, my pen flew rapidly over the
paper, but not so rapidly as my thoughts. When I had covered the sheet
I had not said one quarter of what I wished to say. I took another and
another. At last I finished and folded them up.

"Umph!" said the widow, when I took the package to her. "You will want
a special courier and a pack-horse to carry this document--but don't
frown now, I am only joking. I am sure that the young lady is well
worthy of the letter, and that you have not said a word more than she
will be glad to hear."

I was not in a humour to quarrel with Madame Von Tromp for anything she
might say. Leaving my precious letter with her, I hurried away to
attend to my duties on board my ship. At this time Admiral Arbuthnot's
squadron was lying in Gardner's Bay, at the other end of Long Island.
On the 9th, Sir Henry Howe having some important despatches to send to
the admiral, the gallant little Hussar was directed to get under weigh
to convey them.

Little did I think at the time that, after all she had gone through, we
should see her no more. I have already described the dangerous passage
of Hell Gate, where already, in consequence of the fearful rapidity of
the currents, so many vessels had been lost. I watched the Hussar get
under weigh. I had hoped to take the trip in her, for I had some old
friends on board different ships in the squadron whom I wished to see,
and I was rather annoyed at not being able to get leave to go. That was
one of the numberless instances where I have discovered how little we
mortals know what is good for us. To make a long story short, for I
cannot now stop to give a full description of the accident, in going
through that justly-dreaded passage the Hussar met with baffling winds,
and, the currents catching her, sent her bodily on the rocks. Thus she
became utterly helpless. No seamanship could avail her. The short,
chopping, boiling sea dashed over her and beat her to pieces. Before
hawsers could be got to the shore, by which her crew could make their
escape, several of the poor fellows had been drowned. In the boisterous
and bitterly cold weather of that season many of them suffered much
before they got back to New York.

Once more we were ready for sea, and on the 2nd of December we hoisted
Admiral Arbuthnot's flag, and, proceeding to Statten Island, we were
joined by HMS Thames, Charlestown, Medea, Amphitrite, Fowey, Hope,