Aboard Eliza. Coles notes the vessel's slow progress toward New York. He mentions that he is enclosing each of his previous letters in separate wrappers, to better preserve them. The balance of the letter discusses his family and memories of his courtship and marriage to Catherine. He also philosophizes on the need to be happy following such a near encounter with death, and that to be "dourhearted" would "be departing entirely from my true character."