"I shall not rest satisfied with merely employing my capital in insuring ships. I shall buy up some good Life Assurance shares, and cut into the Direction. I shall also do a little in the mining way. None of these things will interfere with my chartering a few thousand tons on my own account. I think I shall trade," said he, leaning back in his chair, "to the East Indies, for silks, shawls, spices, dyes, drugs, and precious woods. It's an interesting trade."

     "And the profits are large?" said I.

     "Tremendous!" said he.

     I wavered again, and began to think here were greater expectations than my own.

     "I think I shall trade, also," said he, putting his thumbs in his waist-coat pockets, "to the West Indies, for sugar, tobacco, and rum. Also to Ceylon, specially for elephants' tusks."

     "You will want a good many ships," said I.

     "A perfect fleet," said he.

     Quite overpowered by the magnificence of these transactions, I asked him where the ships he insured mostly traded to at present?