A freight for New York
was offered me, but I postponed an answer, until it was given to
another ship. At length an offer was made me to go to Cronstadt, in
Russia, with a cargo of wines and brandies, and I accepted it. The
great and better informed merchants, as it would seem, distrusted the
continuance of the hollow peace that then existed, and a company of
them thought it might be well to transfer their liquors to the capital
of the czar, in readiness for contingencies. An American ship was
preferred, on account of her greater speed, as well as on account of
her probable neutral character, in the event of troubles occurring at
any unlooked-for moment. The Dawn took in her wines and brandies
accordingly, and sailed for the Baltic about the last of August. She
had a long, but a safe passage, delivering the freight according to
the charter-party, in good condition. While at Cronstadt, the American
consul, and the consignees of an American ship that had lost her
master and chief-mate by the smallpox, applied to me to let Marble
carry the vessel home. I pressed the offer on my old friend, but he
obstinately refused to have anything to do with the vessel. I then
recommended Talcott, and after some negotiation, the latter took
charge of the Hyperion. I was sorry to part with my mate, to whom I
had become strongly attached; but the preferment was so clearly to his
advantage, that I could take no other course.
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