- When, however, the doctor [John Miller Haden] and the agent [Edmond Starling] made their proposal to the new collector [Isaac Ebey], the latter said that he could not leave immediately on account of his wife. When, however, they returned from Admiralty bay with their canoe, and guide, the sly colonel changed his mind and said he would go with them, so the original plan was inverted, much to the disgust of Starling and the doctor. The agent had been of little use on the trip. In his official position he had completely failed, and in his promises to supply us with game and to be of practical assistance in several ways, he had “slipped up,” in addition to which he was exceedingly irritable when twitted with his shortcomings.
