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, an American merchant, and author of "A Narrative of Voyages and Commercial Enterprises," having made a voyage to India and another to Europe in his youth, found himself, when just of age, at Havre in France, when he determined to embark on his own account on a mercantile venture to the island of Mauritius. The most remarkable feature of his project was the smallness of the vessel in which he proposed to make so long a voyage. This was a cutter of only thirty-eight tons' burden, or about half the tonnage of a good-sized Thames barge. This vessel had been a packet-boat between Dover and Calais, the owner of which, not having any employment for it, offered it to Mr. Cleveland for a reasonable price, only stipulating that he should pay when he had the ability. This tempting offer enabled the adventurous young merchant seaman to put his trifling capital in the cargo, amounting to about three hundred pounds. On making known to others of his friends the plan of his voyage, two of them engaged to embark to nearly the same amount each, on condition of sharing equally the profits of the voyage. An investment was then made in articles likely to be saleable, and the whole vessel and cargo were estimated to be worth about eight hundred pounds. Mr. Cleveland observes that probably the annals of commerce do not furnish another example of an Indiaman fitted out and expedited on so small a scale.

The "Caroline"—such was the name of the