Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-02-05
THE STORY TELLER
THE POINT OF HONOR.

se'eu persons, lncluolhg myseI, were sutlng
and chatting in a state of hilarious gayety in
front Of Senor Arguellas' country-house, a
mile or so out of Santiago de Cuba, in the
Eastern Intendencia of the Queen of the Antil-
les, and once its chief capitol, when an acci-
dent occurred that as efectually put an extin.
guisher upon the noisy mirth as if bomb-shel
had suddenly exploded at our feet. But first a
brief account of those seven persons, and the
cause Of their being so assembled, will be nee
essary.
Three were American nerchants-Southern-
ers and smart traders, extensively connected
with the commerce of the Columbian Archipel-
ago, and designing to sail on the morrow, wind
and weather permitting, in the bark Neptune,
Starkey, master and part owner, for Moran,
Bay, Jamaica; one was a lieutenant in the
Spanish artillery, and nephew of our host an
other was M. Dupont, young and rich creole,
Of mingled French and Spanish parentage, and
the reputed suiter for the hand of Donna An
tonia, the daughter and sole heiress of Senor
Argnellas, and withal graceful and charm
ing maiden of eighteen-a ripe age in that pre-
cocious cline; the sixth guest was Capt. Star
key, of The Neptune, gentlemanly, fnelook-
ing English seaman of about thirty years of
age; the seventh and last was myself, at that
time mere youngster, and but just recovered
from severe fit of sickness which a twelve
month previously had necessitated my removal
from Jamaica to the much more temperate and
equable climate of Cuba, albeit the two islands
are only distant about five degrees from each
other. was also one of Capt. Starkey's pas
sengers, and so was Senor ArgueIlas, who had
business to wind up in Kingston. He was 10
be accompanied by Sonora Arguelas, Antonia,
the young lieutenant, and M. Dupont. The
Neptune had brought a cargo of sundries, con-
sisting of hardware, cotton, etc., TO Cuba, and
was returning about half laden with goods
Amongst these, belonging to the American
merchants, were number of barrels of gum
powder, that had proved unsaleabe in Cuba,
and which, it was thought, might find salts
factory market in jamaica There was excel
pl.
keys vessel, and as the weather was fine, and
the passage promised TO be a brief as well as
pleasant one-lhe wind having shifted 10 the
northwest, with the intention, it seemed, uf re-
naming there for some time-we were all as
have stated, in exceedingly good humor, and
discussing the intended trip, Cuban, American
and European politics, and also the comparative
merits of French and Spanish wines, and Ha-
vana and Alabama cigars, with Infinite glee
and gusto.
The evening, too, was deliciously bright and
clear. The breeze, pronounced by Capt. Star
key 10 be rising to five or six knot one at sea,
only sufficiently stirred the rich and odoruus
vegetation of the valleys, stretching far away
beneath US, gently to fan the heated faces of
the party with its grateful perfume, and slight
ly ripple the winding rivers, rivulets, rather,
which everywhere iutersect and irrigate The is
land, and which were now glit,erng with the
myriad splendors of the intensely-lus,rous
stars that diadem Cuban night. Nearly all
the guests had drank very freely of wine-too
much SO, indeed; but the talk, in French, tina,
all could speak tolerably, did not profane the
calm glory of the scene, till some time after
Sonora Arguellas and her daughter had left us.
The Senor, | should state, was still detained in
town by business which it was necessary he
should dispose of previous to embarking fol
Jamaica.
Do not go away said Sonora Arguellas
addressing Captain Starkey, as she rose from
her seat, till see you again. When You are
at leisure, ring the sonnette on the table. and
servant will inform me. wish to speak
further with you relative to the cabin arrange.
ments.'
Capt. Starkey bowed. l had never, Thought,
seen Antonio smile so sweelly; and the two la
dies left US. do not precisely remember how
it came about, or what first led to it but il
was not very long before we were all conscou.
that the conversation had assumed a disagreea-
bic tose. It struck NE that possibly M. Du
pont did not like the expression of Antonia
face as she curtsied to Capt. Starkey. Tht
after-unpleasantness did not, however, arise
ostensby, from that cause The commander
of the Neptune had agreed to take several free
colored families to Jamaica, where the service.
of the men, who were reputed to be expert al
sugar-cultivation, had been engaged at much
higher wages than could be obtained in Cuba
The American gentlemen had previously ex.
pressed dsapprobation of this arrangement
and new began to be very liberal indeed with
the tannts and sneers relative 10 Capt. Star
key priHeipaes,' as they pleasantly termed
that gentlemans very temperate vindication o
the right Of colored people to their own souls
This, however, would, l think, have passed of
harmlessly, had it not been that the Captain
happened to mention, very imprudently, tina
he had once served as midshipman on boart
the English slaye-squadron. This famed M
Dupont's smouldering ill-humor into fame
and gathered from his confused maledic,ions
that he had suffered 10 property from the exer
tions of that force. The storm of angry word.
ragged fiercely. The motives of the English in
terferng with the slave-traffic were denounced
with contemptuous bitterness on the ode side
and az warmly and angrily defended on tn,
other. Finally-the fact is, they were both
illustrated with wine and passion, and scarcely
knew what they said or did-M. Dupont applied
an epithet to the Queen Of England, which in
sssntly brought glass Of wine full in his fac,
from t3,s h.r1 of Cant StsyRxv They ytsys