ge-offices, his name nowhere appeared, and no conveyance by water had
occurred during the last week. Still, the only conjecture I could form
was that he had gone homeward.

"'Arriving at Baltimore, I found that Watson had not yet made his
appearance. His wife produced a letter, which, by the postmark, appeared
to have been put into the office at Philadelphia, on the morning after
our arrival, and on which he had designed to commence his journey. This
letter had been written by my brother, in my presence, but I had
dissuaded him from sending it, since the same coach that should bear the
letter was likewise to carry himself. I had seen him put it unwafered in
his pocket-book, but this letter, unaltered in any part, and containing
money which he had at first intended to enclose in it, was now conveyed
to his wife's hand. In this letter he mentioned his design of setting
out for Baltimore on the _twenty-first_, yet on that day the letter
itself had been put into the office.

"'We hoped that a short time would clear up this mystery, and bring the
fugitive home; but, from that day till the present, no atom of
intelligence has been received concerning him. The yellow fever, which
quickly followed, in this city, and my own engagements, have hindered
me, till now, from coming hither and resuming the search.

"'My brother was one of the most excellent of men. His wife loved him to
distraction, and, together with his children, depended for subsistence
upon his efforts. You will not, therefore, be surprised that his
disappearance excited, in us, the deepest consternation and distress;
but I have other and peculiar reasons for wishing to know his fate. I
gave him several bills of exchange on merchants of Baltimore, which I
had received in payment of my cargo, in order that they might, as soon
as possible, be presented and accepted. These have disappeared with the
bearer. There is likewise another circumstance that makes his existence
of no small value.

"'There is an English family, who formerly resided in Jamaica, and
possessed an estate of great value, but who, for some years, have lived
in the neighbourhood of Baltimore. The head of this family died a year
ago, and left a widow and three daughters. The lady thought it eligible
to sell her husband's property in Jamaica, the island becoming hourly
more exposed to the chances of war and revolution, and transfer it to
the United States, where she purposes henceforth to reside. Wat