brain-fever and the insanity were both attributed--
rightly, no doubt--to my frightful sufferings; and no effort had been
spared to secure the restoration of my reason, which, by God's mercy,
had at length been achieved. I learned, further, that the "Astarte" was
still upon the station, but was then at sea, having sailed upon another
cruise a _few_ days only before my recovery. Captain Annesley had
suffered greatly in mind through the long continuance of my affliction,
and had spent hours by my side whenever the frigate happened to be in
port, and had directed that no expense should be spared in the endeavour
to secure my restoration to sanity.

As soon as I was strong enough to be moved, I was placed in a grass
hammock slung between two poles, and in that easy and agreeable mode of
travelling was conveyed by negroes--who bore me four at a time, while
another shaded me from the sun's rays with a huge umbrella--to Mr
Finnie's country house; that most hospitable planter and his wife having
insisted upon undertaking the task of once more nursing me back to
health and strength.

I remained with these kind-hearted friends over a month, and in that
time managed to recover to a very great extent all that I had lost; but
my head still remained unpleasantly weak; so that I could neither read
nor write for more than half-an-hour a day. Doctor Musgrave, the head
physician, who had looked after me during my long sojourn in the camp-
hospital, and who still rode out to see me whenever he could spare the
time--which, however, was not often--at length forbade me to touch
either pen or book for at least six months, assuring me that my complete
recovery depended entirely upon my scrupulous compliance with his
injunctions, and very frequently and strongly urged upon me the
desirability of my returning to England and retiring from the sea for a
time. At length, seeing no other prospect of perfect restoration, I
consented, and began leisurely to make my preparations for departure by
the next packet.

A few days after I had made up my mind upon this point, a ketureen
rattled up to the front door of the house, and in another moment Captain
Annesley rushed headlong and unannounced into the room in which I was
seated chatting with my kind and gentle hostess, and seizing my hand
began to shake it as though he would shake it off.

"Ralph, old man," he ejaculated excitedly, "_how_ are you? Stand up,
man, and let me look at you. Ah! the