The reply which he received was most painful; his wife and two of his daughters had been carried off by the cholera, which had been very fatal during the previous rainy season.
His remaining daughter was about to sail, in obedience to his wishes, in the _Grosvenor_ East-Indiaman, under the care of Colonel and Mrs.James, who were near connections.
This was a heavy blow with which it pleased God to visit him in his prosperity, and was almost a total wreck of all his hopes and anticipations.

But he was a good man and a religious one, and he bowed in humility to the dispensation, submitting with resignation to his loss, and still thankful to Heaven that it had graciously spared one of the objects of his affections to console him, and to watch his declining years.
Sir Charles Wilmot took possession of the family mansion and estate in Berkshire, in which he was still residing at the time our history commences.

By degrees he became more resigned, and waited with anxiety for the return of his only daughter, who now seemed more dear to him than ever.

He employed himself in making preparations for her reception, fitting up her apartments in the Oriental style which she had been accustomed to, and devising every little improvement and invention which he thought would give pleasure to a child of ten years old.
But it pleased Heaven that Sir Charles should be more severely chastised; the _Grosvenor's_ time of arrival had elapsed, and still she was not reported in the Channel; week after week of anxiety and suspense passed slowly away, and the East-India ship did not make her appearance.
It was supposed that she had been captured by the enemy, but still no tidings of her capture were received.

At length, however, this state of anxiety and doubt was put an end to by the dreadful intelligence that the ship had been wrecked on the east coast of Africa, and that nearly the whole of the crew and passengers had perished.