I think the pressure of visits and of letters increases daily. I had Mr Hadfield again who came to tell me of his Sunday’s visit to Mr Colden, and of the conversation he had with him upon his favorite measure. Then came Mr Marshall, the new consul at Leeds, whom I am sorry to see succeeding Mr Dary. I tried to write an answer or two to letters but accomplished the work only after interruptions The despatch bag failed to come today too, in consequence of a blunder made at Queenstown. The consul at that place is good for nothing. I began to fear that it might have been stolen. The day was rather wet but I took a walk with my daughter Mary. Mrs Frothingham did not appear quite so well today. The atmosphere is not propitious. All the family were assembled in the evening, being probably the last occasion. At least I fear so. I was called down to see a Captain Eastman, who came to ask me to give him a line to the commander of the James Adger. A telegraph had been received by the emissaries, from Queenstown, warning them that that steamer was off Queenstown. Eastman proposed to go down there tonight to urge Captain Marchand to arrange a plan at once to take the Gladiator, which is now about ready to start. And he wanted some sort of recommendation from me. I stated to him the delicacy of my position, and the danger of committing an error in such an enterprise. Yet I felt unwilling to give up so good an opportunity to be useful. I therefore consented to write a very cautious line to the Captain, and directed Eastman to get from Mr Morse the evidence necessary to substantiate the fact of American ownership of the Gladiator If upon that evidence the Captain should think fit to capture the vessel outside of the marine jurisdiction of England and France I should be glad to see it. He took my note to go and see Mr Morse. He has all the bearing of a thorough New England seaman of the higher class, and if any practicable plan is entrusted to him, I doubt not that he would go near to make it succeed. After he left I went up and completed the evening with my friends. Brooks returned to school today.271