noon
For some months , matters were in this position -- the young lady 's health manifestly suffering , and George evidently visited by strange and unaccountable fits of silence and mental absence . The overseer , who happened to be more quick-sighted than even the father , from repeated observations , guessed at the truth ; and , thinking it his duty , immediately apprised Mr Walker of his suspicions . As Mary had been destined for some time to another -- to a neighbouring planter , whose property was adjoining to that of Mr Walker -- steps were immediately devised to prevent the lovers from coming to any more definite understanding on the subject ; and , one night , when George had just fallen asleep , after having penned a few lines to `` Mary , flower of sweetest hue , '' & c. , he was forcibly seized upon , manacled , and carried on board a ship , which was lying at some distance from the harbour . By daylight the vessel was under weigh , and , ere noon , not a blue hill of Jamaica could be seen from the deck of His Majesty 's ship Spitfire . It was needless to remonstrate or grumble -- his fate , and the cause of it , were but too manifest ; and he almost felt inclined to justify an act , which at once put it out of his power to prove ungrateful to so kind a benefactor . Still , still the bright idea of Mary haunted his imagination , and would not depart from his heart . In this frigate of forty-four guns , there was a countryman , and even countryman of his own ; who , having more recently left the sweet banks of the silver Nith , was enabled to give him more recent information respecting affairs in Drumfries-shire ; and from him he learned that his poor mother 's heart had broken , and that she was reported to have died a few days before he had left the place .