Roxbury, Jan. 1st, 1848

My dear little Grandson:-

Two years have passed since I began my correspondence with you, and promised a history of my life. The progress made towards the fulfillment of that promise has been made; many distressing events have intervened. - Our dear Arria and Lizzie have been taken away from us, and you have been obliged to part with your dear little Johnny, but we must not indulge in sadness; we shall all most surely meet again. - You are now two years older than when you received my first letter, so you are two years nearer to being a man; and I am two years nearer to being a child, according to the old adage, “once a man and twice a child". - I must go on more rapidly with my history or I shall indeed be in my second childhood before I finish. -

It was the month of September 1808 when I arrived: from St. Petersburg at Gloucester, as related in my last letter. The following October we had born to us a daughter, which, as you may suppose, caused us great joy. (In due time we gave her the name of my two sisters, Amelia Frances) This event seemed at the time to complete my happiness; with a grateful heart, I enjoyed the present. My wife soon recovered her health, and our child (like parents in general) we thought beautiful; and what was better she was in reality, a healthy child. The time now drew nigh when I was again to leave home; and as the fatal hour approached, nearer and yet more near, sadness came over us, the anxiously looked-for time at length arrived.

Sunday , December 21st 1806, pleasant weather, and moderate breezes from the N.W. at 9 A.M. turned Eastern Point of Cape Ann harbour; at 10 Thatchers Island hearing at N.N.W. six miles distant, from which I take my departure. This is an extract from my journal kept at the time. We were bound to Alicant in Spain; the ship was the Susan Eliza, the same that I was in the voyage before. My passage to Alicant was marked by nothing more than usual occurrences incident to crossing the Atlantic. On the 6th of February 1807 arrived safe in Alicant. - Soon after coming to anchor, we had a visit from the authority of the place; after making the usual inquiries, where from, what my cargo consisted of, etc., etc., they presented me with a quarantine flag, which they ordered me to hoist and they very politely informed me that I must perform forty days quarantine, which, as you may suppose was very interesting intelligence.

I availed myself of the opportunity by the Government barge to write my agent, John H. Rogers, Esq. They took my letter from me in a small basket on the end of a long pole and then took it out of the basket with a pair of tongs and soused it in vinegar; this precaution is taken to prevent contagion, and is practised in all the ports in the Mediterranean, with all papers taken from a vessel in quarantine.

Mr. Rogers soon came alongside, but the quarantine regulations forbade nis coming on board. After holding a conversation with him in regard to my cargo, the markets, etc., I concluded to land my fish and staves, which constituted a considerable part of my cargo, and proceed with my sugar, coffee and logwood to Marseilles.

After obtaining a permit to unload a part of my cargo while in quarantine, lighters were sent alongside and I commenced discharging; It took but a few days to land that part of my cargo, that I had concluded to leave in Alicant, and as soon as it was landed, I weighed anchor ana sailed for Marseilles, where I arrived in safety on the 26th of Feb. 1807. I was immediately ordered to the Island of Pomegue, to perform quarantine. This appeared extremely hard, especially, as we had not had a man on the sick list since we left Gloucester. There was nothing, however, to be done but to submit, anal accordingly proceeded without delay to the place where I was ordered. The Isle of Pomegue is quite small, a few miles from the harbour of Marseilles. These minute particulars, I am afraid will be rather uninteresting to you. I remained six days in quarantine and then proceeded to the harbour of Marseilles, where I performed another quarantine of fourteen days, after which I was permitted to go on shore and was truly thankful once more to find myself on Terra Firma. I found Marseilles a remarkably pleasant place, the climate mild, the people hospitable and provisions of every kind plenty and cheap, choice wines and excellent fruits were likewise plenty. I wanted for nothing to make me comfortable, and passed my time very pleasantly with a number of American Captains that I found in Marseilles on my arrival and that arrived afterwards. We all kept at one Hotel and formed one family. Of that family of American Captains I believe, I am now the only one living.

I sailed from Marseilles the latter part of April 1807, with a cargo of brandy and wine, bound for Gloucester, to stop at Alicant to settle my accounts, where I arrived on the second day of May 1807. I went immediately on shore, had an interview with my friend John H. Rogers, Esq., settled my accounts with him, called on the American Consul (Montgomery), was treated very politely and invited to dine with him, accepted his invitation, and here I must end this letter.

Your affectionate Grandfather,

E. Sargent.