or winding-sheet; so that numbers of human carcases floated in the harbour, until they were devoured by sharks and carrion crows, which afforded no agreeable spectacle to those who survived. At the same time the wet season began, during which a deluge of rain falls from the rising to the setting of the sun without intermission; and that no sooner ceases than it begins to thunder and lighten with such continual flashing that one can see to read a very small print by the illumination.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

An epidemic fever rages among us-we abandon our conquests—I am seized with the distemper; write a petition to the captain, which is rejected-I am in dan ger of suffocation through the malice of Crampley; and relieved by a serjeantmy fever increases-the chaplain wants to confess me-I obtain a favourable crisis -Morgan's affection for me proved--the behaviour of Mackshane and Crampley towards me- -Captain Oakum is removed into another ship, with his beloved doctor -our new captain described an adventure of Morgan.

navy, who were at last fain to acknowledge | be at the trouble of interring the dead, the it was a stroke of policy above their compre-commanders ordered the men to throw their hension. Some entertained such an irrever- bodies overboard, many without either ballast ent opinion of the admiral's understanding, as to think he expected the town would surrender to his floating battery of sixteen guns. Others imagined his sole intention was to try the enemy's strength, by which he should be able to compute the number of great ships that would be necessary to force the town to a capitulation but this last conjecture soon appeared groundless, inasmuch as no ships of any kind whatever were afterwards employed on that service. A third sort swore, that no other cause could be assigned for this undertaking, than that which induced Don Quixote to attack the windmill. A fourth class (and that the most numerous, though, without doubt, composed of the sanguine and malicious) plainly taxed this commander with want of honesty, as well as sense; and alleged that he ought to have sacrificed private pique to the interest of his country; that where the lives of so many brave fellow-citizens were concerned, he ought to have concurred with the general, without being solicited, or even desired, towards their preservation and advantage; that if his arguments could not dissuade him from a desperate enterprise, it was his duty to have rendered it as practicable as possible, without running extreme hazard; that this could have been done, with a good prospect of success, by ordering five or six large ships to batter the town, while the land forces stormed the castle; by these means a considerable diversion would have been made in favour of those troops, who, in their march to the assault, and in the retreat, suffered much more from the town than from the castle; that the inhabitants, seeing themselves vigorously attacked on all hands, would have been divided, distracted, and confused, and, in all probability, unable to resist the assailants. But all these suggestions surely pro- Our conductors, finding things in this situceeded from ignorance and malevolence, or ation, perceived it was high time to relinquish else the admiral would not have found it such our conquests; and this we did, after having an easy matter, at his return to England, rendered their artillery useless, and blown up to justify his conduct to a ministry at once their walls with gunpowder. Just as we so upright and discerning. True it is, that sailed from Boca Chica on our return to Jathose who undertook to vindicate him on the maica, I found myself threatened with the spot, asserted that there was not water symptoms of this terrible distemper; and enough for our great ships near the town; knowing very well that I stood no chance for though this was a little unfortunately urged, my life, if I should be obliged to lie in the because there happened to be pilots in the cockpit, which by this time was grown intol fleet perfectly well acquainted with the sound-erable even to people in health, by reason of ings of the harbour, who affirmed there was water enough for five eighty-gun ships to lie a-breast, almost up at the very walls. The disappointments we suffered occasioned an universal dejection; which was not at all alleviated by the objects that daily and hourly entertained our eyes, nor by the prospect of what must have inevitably happened, had we remained much longer in this place. Such was the economy in some ships, that, rather than

THE change of the atmosphere, occasioned by this phenomenon, conspired, with the stench that surrounded us, the heat of the climate, our own constitutions impoverished by bad provisions, and our despair, to introduce the bilious fever among us, which raged with such violence, that three-fourths of those whom it invaded died in a deplorable manner, the colour of their skin being, by the extreme putrefaction of their juices, changed into that of soot.

the heat and unwholesome smell of decayed provision, I wrote a petition to the captain, representing my case, and humbly imploring his permission to lie among the soldiers in the middle deck, for the benefit of the air: but I might have spared myself the trouble; for this humane commander refused my request, and ordered me to continue in the place allotted for the surgeon's mates, or else to be contented to lie in the hospital, which,

by the by, was three degrees more offensive | squeezed my hand, bidding me, with a woand more suffocating than our own berth be- ful countenance, recommend myself to Got low. Another in my condition, perhaps, and my Reteemer; then taking his leave, would have submitted to his fate, and died desired the chaplain to come and administer in a pet; but I could not brook the thoughts some spiritual consolation to me; but before of perishing so pitifully, after I had weath- he arrived, I made shift to rid myself of the ered so many gales of hard fortune: I there- troublesome application the Welshman had fore, without minding Oakum's injunction, bestowed on my back. The parson having prevailed upon the soldiers (whose good will felt my pulse, inquired into the nature of my I had acquired) to admit my hammock among complaints, hemmed a little, and began thus: them, and actually congratulated myself upon -"Mr Random, God out of his infinite mermy comfortable situation, which Crampley cy hath been pleased to visit you with a dreadno sooner understood, than he signified to ful distemper, the issue of which no man the captain my contempt of his orders, and knows. You may be permitted to recover was invested with the power to turn me down and live many days on the face of the earth; again into my proper habitation. This bar- and, which is more probable, you may be barous piece of revenge incensed me so much taken away and cut off in the flower of your against the author, that I vowed, with bitter youth; it is incumbent on you, therefore, to imprecations, to call him to a severe account, prepare for the great change, by repenting if ever it should be in my power; and the sincerely of your sins; of this there cannot agitation of my spirits increased my fever to be a greater sign, than an ingenuous confessa violent degree. While I lay gasping for ion, which I conjure you to make, without breath in this infernal abode, I was visited hesitation, or mental reservation; and when by a serjeant, the bones of whose nose I had I am convinced of your sincerity, I will then reduced and set to rights, after they had been give you such comfort as the situation of demolished by a splinter during our last en- your soul will admit of. Without doubt, you gagement. He being informed of my con- have been guilty of numberless transgressdition, offered me the use of his berth in the ions to which youth is subject, as swearing, middle deck, which was enclosed with can- drunkenness, whoredom, and adultery; tell vass, and well aired by a port-hole that re- me, therefore, without reserve, the particumained open within it. I embraced this pro- lars of each, especially the last, that I may posal with joy, and was immediately con- be acquainted with the true state of your ducted to the place, where I was treated, while conscience; for no physician will prescribe my illness lasted, with the utmost tenderness for his patient until he knows the circumstanand care by this grateful halberdier, who had ces of his disease." As I was not under any no other bed for himself than a hencoop dur-apprehensions of death, I could not help ing the whole passage. Here I lay, and enjoyed the breeze; notwithstanding which, my malady gained ground, and at length my life was despaired of, though I never lost hopes of recovery, even when I had the mortification to see from my cabin window, six or seven thrown overboard every day, who died of the same distemper. This confidence, I am persuaded, conduced a great deal to the preservation of my life, especially when joined to another resolution I took at the beginning, namely, to refuse all medicine, which I could not help thinking co-operated with the disease, and instead of resisting putrefaction, promoted a total degeneracy of the vital fluid. When my friend Morgan, therefore, brought his diaphoretic boluses, I put them in my mouth, 'tis true, but without any intention of swallowing them; and, when he went away, spit them out, and washed my mouth with water-gruel. I seemingly complied in this manner, that I might not affront the blood of Caractacus, by a refusal which might have intimated a diffidence of his physical capacity; for he acted as my physician, Doctor Mackshane never once inquiring about me, or even knowing where I was. When my distemper was at the height, Morgan thought my case desperate; and after having applied a blister to the nape of my neck,

smiling at the chaplain's inquisitive remonstrance, which I told him savoured more of the Roman than of the protestant church, in recommending auricular confession; a thing, in my opinion, not at all necessary to salvation, and which, for that reason, I declined. This reply disconcerted him a little; however, he explained away his meaning, in making learned distinctions between what was absolutely necessary, and what was only convenient: then proceeded to ask what religion I professed. I answered, that I had not as yet considered the difference of religions, consequently had not fixed on any one in particular, but that I was bred a presbyterian. At this word the chaplain expressed great astonishment, and said he could not comprehend how a presbyterian was entitled to any post under the English government. Then he asked if I had ever received the sacrament, or taken the oaths; to which questions I replying in the negative, he held up his hands, assured me he could do me no service, wished I might not be in a state of reprobation, and returned to his messmates, who were making merry in the ward-room, around a table well stored with bumbo* and

Bumbo is a liquor composed of rum, sugar, water and nutmeg.

my hand, telling him I hoped to live and eat some salmagundy of his making in England. It was some time before he could recollect himself so far as to feel my pulse, and inquire into the particulars of my disease; but when he found I had enjoyed a favourable crisis, he congratulated me upon my good fortune, not failing to ascribe it, under Got, to the blister he had applied to my back at his last visit, which, by the by, said he, must now be removed and dressed. He was actually going to fetch dressings, when I, feign

you never applied a blister to me; there is nothing on my back, I assure you." But he could not be convinced till he had examined it, and then endeavoured to conceal his confusion, by expressing his surprise in finding the skin untouched, and the plaster missing. In order to excuse myself for paying so little regard to his prescription, I pretended to have been insensible when it was put on, and to have pulled it off afterwards in a fit of delirium.

This apology satisfied my friend, who, on this occasion, abated a good deal of his stiffness in regard to punctilio; and as we were now safely arrived at Jamaica, where I had the benefit of fresh provisions and other refreshments, I recovered strength every day, and, in a short time, my health and vigour were perfectly re-established. When I got up at first, and was just able to crawl about the deck with a staff in my hand, I met Doctor Mackshane, who passed by me with a

wine. This insinuation, terrible as it was, the picture of horror. Although I could not had not such an effect upon me as the fever, help laughing at his appearance, I was conwhich, soon after he had left me, grew out-cerned for his situation, and stretched out rageous; I began to see strange chimeras, and concluded myself on the point of becoming delirious; in the mean time, being in great danger of suffocation, I started up in a kind of frantic fit, with an intention to plunge myself into the sea; and as my friend the serjeant was not present, would certainly have cooled myself to some purpose, had I not perceived a moisture upon my thigh, as I endeavoured to get out of my hammock: the appearance of this revived my hopes, and I had reflection and resolution enough to take the advantage of this favourable symp-ing astonishment, said,-" Bless me! sure tom, by tearing the shirt from my body, and sheets from my bed, and wrapping myself in a thick blanket, in which inclosure, for about a quarter of an hour, I felt the pains of hell; but it was not long before I was recompensed for my suffering by a profuse sweat, that, bursting from the whole surface of my skin, in less than two hours relieved me from all my complaints, except that of weakness, and left me as hungry as a kite. I enjoyed a very comfortable nap, after which I was regaling myself with the agreeable revery of my future happiness, when I heard Morgan, on the outside of the curtain, ask the serjeant if I was alive still? "Alive," cried the other, "God forbid he should be otherwise! he has lain quiet these five hours, and I do not choose to disturb him, for sleep will do him great service." "Aye," said my fellow-mate," he sleeps so sound, look you, that he will never waken till the great trump blows. Got be merciful to his soul! he has paid his debt like an honest man. Aye, and moreover, he disdainful look, and did not vouchsafe to is at rest from all persecutions, and troubles, honour me with one word. After him came and afflictions, of which, Got knows, and I Crampley, who, strutting up to me, with a know, he had his own share. Ochree! fierce countenance, pronounced,-" Here's ochree! he was a promising youth, indeed." fine discipline on board, when such lazy So saying, he groaned grievously, and began skulking sons of b-s as you are allowed, to whine in such a manner as persuaded me on pretence of sickness, to lollop at your ease, he had a real friendship for me. The ser- while your betters are kept to hard duty?" jeant, alarmed at his words, came into the The sight and behaviour of this malicious berth, and, while he looked upon me, I smiled, scoundrel incensed me so much, that I could and tipped him the wink; he immediately scarce refrain from laying my cudgel across guessed my meaning, and remaining silent, his pate; but when I considered my present Morgan was confirmed in his opinion of my feebleness, and the enemies I had in the ship, being dead; whereupon he approached with who wanted only a pretence to ruin me, I tears in his eyes, in order to indulge his grief restrained my passion, and contented mywith the sight of the object; and I counter-self with telling him, I had not forgotten his feited death so well, by fixing my eyes, and dropping my under jaw, that he said, "There he lies, no petter than a lump of clay, Got help me ;" and observed by the distortion of my face, that I must have had a strong struggle. I should not have been able to contain myself much longer, when he began to perform the last duty of a friend, in closing my eyes and my mouth; upon which I suddenly snapped at his fingers, and discomposed him so much, that he started back, turned pale as ashes, and stared like

insolence and malice, and that I hoped we should meet one day on shore. At this declaration he grinned, shook his fist, and swore he longed for nothing more than such an opportunity.

Meanwhile our ship was ordered to be heaved down, victualled, and watered, for her return to England; and our captain, for some reason or other, not thinking it convenient for him to revisit his native country at this time, exchanged with a gentleman, who, on the other hand, wished for nothing

so much as to be safe without the tropic; all his care and tenderness of himself being insufficient to preserve his complexion from the injuries of the sun and weather.

ner;"Sir, I hope you will forgive, and excuse, and pardon, the presumption of one who has not the honour of being known unto you, but who is, nevertheless, a shentleman porn and pred, and moreover has had misfortunes, Got help me, in the world." Here he was interrupted by the captain, who, on ment at the novelty of the apparition; and having recollected himself, pronounced, with a look and tone signifying disdain, curiosity and surprise,-" Zauns! who art thou?" "I am surgeon's first mate on board of this ship," replied Morgan, "and I most vehemently desire and beseech you, with all submission, to be pleased to condescend and vouchsafe to inquire into my character, and my pehaviour, and my deserts, which, under Got, I hope, will entitle me to the vacancy of surgeon.' As he proceeded in his speech he continued advancing towards the captain, whose nostrils were no sooner saluted with the aromatic flavour that exhaled from him, than he cried with great emotion,—“ Heaven preserve me! I am suffocated! Fellow, fellow, away with thee. Curse thee, fellow! get thee gone. I shall be stunk to death!" At the noise of his outcries, his servants ran into his apartment, and he accosted them thus:-"Villains! cut-throats! traitors! I am betrayed! I am sacrificed!-Will you not carry that monster away? or must I be stifled with the stench of him! Oh! oh!" With these interjections he sunk down upon his settee in a fit; his valet-de-chambre plied him with a smelling-bottle, one footman chafed his temples with Hungary water, another sprinkled the floor with spirits of lavender, a third pushed Morgan out of the cabin; who, coming to the place where I

Our tyrant having left the ship, and carried his favourite Mackshane along with him, to my inexpressible satisfaction, our new commander came on board in a ten-seeing him, had started up with great amazeoared barge, overshadowed with a vast umbrella, and appeared in every thing the reverse of Oakum, being a tall, thin, young man, dressed in this manner :-A white hat, garnished with a red feather, adorned his head, from whence his hair flowed upon his shoulders, in ringlets, tied behind with a ribbon. His coat, consisting of pink-coloured silk lined with white, by the elegance of the cut retired backward, as it were to discover a white satin waistcoat embroidered with gold, unbuttoned at the upper part to display a broach set with garnets, that glittered in the breast of his shirt, which was of the finest cambrick, edged with right Mechlin. The knees of his crimson velvet breeches scarcely descended so low as to meet his silk stockings, which rose without spot or wrinkle on his meagre legs, from shoes of blue Meroquin, studded with diamond buckles, that flamed forth rivals to the sun! A steel-hilted sword, inlaid with gold, and decked with a knot of ribbon which fell down in a rich tassel, equipped his side; and an amber-headed cane hung dangling from his wrist. But the most remarkable parts of his furniture were a mask on his face, and white gloves on his hands, which did not seem to be put on with an intention to be pulled off occasionally, but were fixed with a curious ring on the little finger of each hand. In this garb Captain Whiffle (for that was his name) took possession of the ship, surround-was, sat down, with a demure countenance, ed with a crowd of attendants, all of whom, in their different degrees, seemed to be of their patron's disposition; and the air was so impregnated with perfumes, that one may venture to affirm that the clime of Arabia Felix was not half so sweet-scented. My fellow mate, observing no surgeon among his train, thought he had found an occasion too favourable for himself to be neglected; and remembering the old proverb,-"Spare to speak, and spare to speed," resolved to solicit the new captain's interest immediately, before any other surgeon could be appointed for the ship. With this view, he repaired to the cabin in his ordinary dress, consisting of a check shirt and trowsers, a brown linen waistcoat, and a nightcap of the same (neither of them very clean), which, for his further misfortune, happened to smell strong of tobacco. Entering without any ceremony into this sacred place, he found Captain Whiffle reposing on a couch, with a wrapper of fine chintz about his body, and a muslin cap bordered with lace about his head; and after several low congecs, began in this man

and, according to his custom, when he received any indignity which he durst not revenge, began to sing a Welsh ditty. I guessed he was under some agitation of spirits, and desired to know the cause; but, instead of answering me directly, he asked, with great emotion, if I thought him a monster and a stinkard? "A monster and a stinkard!" said I, with some surprise, "did anybody call you so?" "Got is my judge," replied he, "Captain Fifle did call me both; aye, and all the water in the Tawy will not wash it out of my remembrance. I do affirm, and avouch, and maintain, with my soul, and my pody, and my plood, look you, that I have no smells about me, but such as a Christian ought to have, except the effluvia of tobacco, which is a cephalic, odoriferous, aromatic herb, and he is a son of a mountain goat who says otherwise. As for my being a monster, let that be as it is: I am as Got was pleased to create me, which, peradventure, is more than I shall aver of him who gave me that title; for I will proclaim it before the world, that he is disguised, and

transfigured, and transmographied, with | God's curse! my arm is benumbed up to the affectation and whimsies, and that he is more like a papoon than one of the human