<h2><SPAN name="chap36"></SPAN>CHAPTER XXXVI</h2>
<p class="letter">
A strange adventure—in consequence of which I am extremely
happy—Crampley does me in offices with the Captain; but his malice is
defeated by the good-nature and friendship of the surgeon—we return to
Port Royal—our Captain gets the command of a larger ship, and is
succeeded by an old man—Brayl is provided for—we receive orders to
sail for England</p>
<p>When my patients were all in a fair way, my companion and commander, whose name
was Brayl, carried me up the country to the house of a rich planter, with whom
he was acquainted, where we were sumptuously entertained, and in the evening
set out on our return to the ship. When we had walked about a mile by
moonlight, we perceived a horseman behind us, who coming up, wished us good
even, and asked which way we went? His voice, which was quite familiar to me,
no sooner struck my ear, than in spite of all my resolution and reflection, my
hair bristled up, and I was seized with a violent fit of trembling, which Brayl
misinterpreting, bade me be under no concern. I told him he was mistaken in the
cause of my disorder; and, addressing myself to the person on horseback said,
“I could have sworn by your voice, that you were a dear friend of mine,
if I had not been certain of his death.” To this address, after some
pause, he replied, “There are many voices as well as faces that resemble
one another; but, pray, what was your friend’s name.” I satisfied
him in that particular, and gave a short detail of the melancholy fate of
Thompson, not without many sighs and some tears. A silence ensued, which lasted
some minutes, and then the conversation turned on different subjects, till we
arrived at a house on the road, where the horseman alighted, and begged with so
much earnestness that we would go in and drink a bowl of punch with him, that
we could not resist. But, if I was alarmed at his voice, what must my amazement
be, when I discovered by the light the very person of my lamented friend!
Perceiving my confusion, which was extreme, he clasped me in his arms, and
bedewed my face with tears. It was some time ere I recovered the use of my
reason, overpowered with this event, and longer still before I could speak. So
that all I was capable of was to return his embraces, and to mingle the
overflowings of my joy with his; whilst honest Brayl, affected with the scene,
wept as fast as either of us, and signified his participation of our happiness
by hugging us both, and capering about the room like a madman. At length, I
retrieved the use of my tongue, and cried, “Is it possible! you can be my
friend Thompson? No certainly, alas! he was drowned; and I am now under the
deception of a dream!” He was at great pains to convince me of his being
the individual person whom I regretted, and bidding me sit down and compose
myself, promised to explain his sudden disappearance from the Thunder, and to
account for his being at present in the land of the living. This task he
acquitted himself of, after I had drunk a glass of punch, and recollected my
spirits, by informing us, that with a determination to rid himself of a
miserable existence, he had gone in the night-time to the head, while the ship
was on her way, from whence he slipped down as softly as he could, by the bows
into the sea, where, after he was heartily ducked, he began to repent of his
precipitation; and, as he could swim very well, kept himself above water, in
hopes of being taken up by some of the ships astern; that, in this situation,
he hailed a large vessel, and begged to be taken in, but was answered that she
was a heavy sailer, and therefore they did not choose to lose time by bringing
to; however, they threw an old chest overboard for his convenience, and told
him, that some of the ships astern would certainly save him; that no other
vessel came within sight or cry of him for the space of three hours, during
which time he had the mortification to find himself in the middle of the ocean
alone, without other support or resting-place, but what a few crazy boards
afforded; till at last he discerned a small sloop steering towards him, upon
which he set up his throat, and had the good fortune to be heard and rescued
from the dreary waste by their boat, which was hoisted out on purpose.</p>
<p>“I was no sooner brought on board,” continued he, “than I
fainted, and, when I recovered my senses, found myself in bed, regaled with a
most noisome smell of onions and cheese, which made me think at first that I
was in my own hammock, alongside of honest Morgan, and that all which had
passed was no more than a dream. Upon inquiry, I understood that I was on board
of a schooner belonging to Rhode Island, bound for Jamaica, with a cargo of
geese, pigs, onions, and cheese, and that the master’s name was
Robertson, by birth a North Briton, whom I knew at first sight to be an old
school-fellow of mine. When I discovered myself to him, he was transported with
surprise and joy, and begged to know the occasion of my misfortune, which I did
not think fit to disclose, because I knew his notions with regard to religion
were very severe and confined; therefore contented myself with telling him I
fell overboard by accident; but made no scruple of explaining the nature of my
disagreeable station, and of acquainting him with my determined purpose never
to return to the Thunder man-of-war. Although he was not of my opinion in that
particular, knowing that I must lose my clothes and what pay was due to me,
unless I went back to my duty; yet, when I described the circumstances of the
hellish life I led under the tyrannic sway of Oakum and Mackshane; and, among
other grievances, hinted a dissatisfaction at the irreligious deportment of my
shipmates, and the want of the true presbyterian gospel doctrine; he changed
his sentiments, and conjured me with great vehemence and zeal to lay aside all
thought of rising in the navy; and, that he might show how much he had my
interest at heart, undertook to provide for me in some shape or other, before
he should leave Jamaica. This promise he performed to my heart’s desire,
by recommending me to a gentleman of fortune, with whom I have lived ever since
in quality of surgeon and overseer to his plantations. He and his lady are now
at Kingston, so that I am, for the present, master of this house, to which,
from my soul, I bid you welcome, and hope you will favour me with your company
during the remaining part of the night.”</p>
<p>I needed not a second invitation; but Mr. Brayl, who was a diligent and
excellent officer, could not be persuaded to sleep out of the ship; however, he
supped with us, and, after having drank a cheerful glass, set out for the
vessel, which was not above three miles from the place, escorted by a couple of
stout negroes, whom Mr. Thompson ordered to conduct him. Never were two friends
more happy in the conversation of each other than we, for the time it lasted. I
related to him the particulars of our attempt upon Carthagena, of which he had
heard but an imperfect account; and he gratified me with a narration of every
little incident of his life since we parted. He assured me, it was with the
utmost difficulty he could resist his inclination of coming down to Port Royal,
to see Morgan and me, of whom he had heard no tidings since the day of our
separation: but that he was restrained by the fear of being detained as a
deserter. He told me that, when he heard my voice in the dark, he was almost as
much surprised as I was at seeing him afterwards: and, in the confidence of
friendship, disclosed a passion he entertained for the only daughter of the
gentleman with whom he lived, who, by his description, was a very amiable young
lady, and did not disdain his addresses; that he was very much favoured by her
parents; and did not despair of obtaining their consent to the match, which
would at once render him independent of the world. I congratulated him on his
good fortune, which he protested should never make him forget his friends; and,
towards morning, we betook ourselves to rest.</p>
<p>Next day he accompanied me to the ship, where Mr. Brayl entertained him at
dinner, and we having spent the afternoon together, he took his leave of us in
the evening, after he had forced upon me ten pistoles, as a small token of his
affection. In short, while he stayed here, we saw one another every day, and
generally ate at the same table, which was plentifully supplied by him with all
kinds of poultry, butcher’s meat, oranges, limes, lemons, pine-apples,
Madeira wine, and excellent rum; so that this small interval of ten days was by
far the most agreeable period of my life.</p>
<p>At length the Lizard arrived; and my patients being all fit for duty, they and
I were ordered on board of her, where I understood from Mr. Tomlins that there
was a shyness between the lieutenant and him on my account; the rancorous
villain having taken the opportunity of my absence to fill the captain’s
ears with a thousand scandalous stories to my prejudice; among other things
affirming, that I had been once transported for theft, and that when I was in
the Thunder man-of-war, I had been whipped for the same crime. The surgeon, on
the other hand, having heard my whole story from my own mouth, defended me
strenuously, and in the course of that good-natured office recounted all the
instances of Crampley’s malice against me while I remained on board of
that ship; which declaration, while it satisfied the captain of my innocence,
made the lieutenant as much my defender’s enemy as mine. The infernal
behaviour of Crampley, with regard to me, added such fuel to his former
resentment, that, at certain times, I was quite beside myself with the desire
of revenge, and was even tempted to pistol him on the quarter-deck, though an
infamous death must inevitably have been my reward. But the surgeon, who was my
confidant, argued against such a desperate action so effectually, that I
stifled the flame which consumed me for the present, and resolved to wait for a
more convenient opportunity. In the meantime, that Mr. Tomlins might be the
more convinced of the wrongs I suffered by this fellow’s slander, I
begged he would go and visit Mr. Thompson, whose wonderful escape I had made
him acquainted with, and inquire of him into the particulars of my conduct,
while he was my fellow-mate.</p>
<p>This request the surgeon complied with, more through curiosity to see a person
whose fate had been so extraordinary, than to confirm his good opinion of me,
which he assured me was already firmly established. He therefore set out for
the dwelling-place of my friend, with a letter of introduction from me; and
being received with all the civility and kindness I expected, returned to the
ship, not only satisfied with my character beyond the power of doubt or
insinuation, but also charmed with the affability and conversation of Thompson,
who loaded him and me with presents of fresh stock, liquors, and fruit. As he
would not venture to come and see us on board, lest Cramplay should know and
detain him; when the time of our departure approached, I obtained leave to go
and bid him farewell. After we had vowed an everlasting friendship, he pressed
upon me a purse, with four doubloons, which I refused as long as I could
without giving umbrage; and, having cordially embraced each other, I returned
on board, where I found a small box, with a letter directed for me, to the care
of Mr. Tomlins. Knowing the superscription to be of Thompson’s
handwriting, I opened it with some surprise, and learned that this generous
friend, not content with loading me with the presents already mentioned, had
sent, for my use and acceptance, half a dozen fine shirts, and as many linen
waistcoats and caps, with twelve pair of new thread stockings. Being thus
provided with money and all necessaries for the comfort of life, I began to
look upon myself as a gentleman of some consequence, and felt my pride dilate a
pace.</p>
<p>Next day we sailed for Port Royal, where we arrived safely with our prizes;
and, as there was nothing to do on board, I went ashore, and having purchased a
laced waistcoat, with some other clothes, at a sale, made a swaggering figure
for some days among the taverns, where I ventured to play a little at hazard,
and came off with fifty pistoles in my pocket. Meanwhile our captain was
promoted to a ship of twenty guns, and the command of the Lizard given to a man
turned of fourscore, who had been lieutenant since the reign of King William,
and, notwithstanding his long service, would have probably died in that
station, had he not applied some prize-money he had lately received, to make
interest with his superiors. My friend Brayl was also made an officer about the
same time, after he had served in quality of a midshipman and mate for five and
twenty years. Soon after these alterations, the admiral pitched upon our ship
to carry home dispatches for the ministry; and we set sail for England, having
first scrubbed her bottom, and taken in provision and water for the occasion.</p>
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