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sick list had all along been increasing. At this place the Capt would not allow any fruit to be brought on board. 6th Whilst still in sight of Quallah Battoo Mid Mason died, he was my friend mess mate and watch mate. he had been sick about 8 days with the brain fever and inflammation of the bowels. We did not think proper to bury him on shore as the Natives are such rascals but buried him at sea. he was laid out abaft the mizzen mast with his sword and cap alongside of him and at 4 PM the Mids ranged themselves alongside and astern of him the body was carried by four Quarter masters and as the bell struck 8 the boatswain called all hands to bury the dead. and the band struck up the dead March. Whllst the body was carried to the gangway. the 1st lieut read the service and prayers over him and as the body body plunged into the water the marines fired two vollies. this was the last of the poor fellow. Many and Many a watch have we spent together talking of home and of our sisters and Mothers and what we ment [sic] to do when we got home. When he died he had a letter unfinished headed My dear Mother, the last time he wrote was from Zanzibar to tell his Mother that he was well the next one she gets will tell that he is in his grave. To loose [sic] a Mess-Mate is like losing one of a family. one sees and feels the vacancy. Then a burial at sea is so solemn and affects one so deeply. the splash of the water strikes deeper into the heart that [sic] the sound of a clod. Jany 7th Anchored off Mabaloo. found two American ships there and a third in the offing. sent a boat ashore. Sailed same day, Anchored off a Nameless town remained there an hour or two and sailed. The weather is as hot as blazes. stood along in sight of the coast. The land as high as it is to the S' the tops of the Mountains being above the clouds, Sick Report 68 men all improving. 8th this is a day of great rejoicing in the southn {sic] states on account of the battle of New Orleans. tho very different with us for we all have to [sic] lately lost a mess mate to give our thoughts to making Merry. Jany 10th the weather cooler attended with a great deal of rain. 15th have had a head wind for the last 4 or 5 days. employed beating up to windward weather quite pleasant. the other day we passed a long root of a tree which had no doubt drifted out of some of the river at first we thought it was a boat the roots sticking up we took for oars. it created quite a sensation on deck. passed a large quantity of sea weed [?anchored?] The island of Sumatra lies nearly north & south and is about 700 miles long and 300 broad. A Chain of high rough and rugged Mountains extend the whole length of the island. some of the peaks are active volcanoes and one of them is a few hundred feet higher than the peak of Teneriffe. in the interior are large plantations of rice and pepper and the Mountains abound in iron gold and silver. the Sumatra steel is said to be the finest in the world, excelling in hardness durability and brilliancy the Damascus blades. Gold is collected from the streams. some few mines have been opened but not worked to any extent tho they are said to be very rich. Silver is brought down from the Mountains in small bars or lumps. The Natives seem to know the value of it. Tin and copper is also abundant. large quantities of which are sent to China and Japan by the Dutch which nation has Monopolized the whole of the trade of the south of the isle. precious stones are also found Amongst the Mountains. tho not much sought