FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   245   246   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256  
257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   272   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   >>   >|  
y rely on it that I shall never tempt you, and if any of mine do it, they must take their chance." Captain Green heard all this conversation; he took no part in it, but walked the deck in his usual pensive manner. When the captain of the privateer went below to work his reckoning, this unhappy man entered into conversation with me--he began by remarking--"What a noble specimen of a British sailor you have with you." "Yes," I replied, "he is one of the right sort--he comes from the land where the education of the poor contributes to the security of the rich; where a man is never thought the worse of for reading his Bible, and where the generality of the lower orders are brought up in the honest simplicity of primitive Christians." "I guess," said Green, "that you have not many such in your navy." "More than you would suppose," I replied; "and what will astonish you is, that though they are impressed, they seldom, if ever, desert; and yet they are retained on much lower wages than those they were taken from, or could obtain; but they have a high sense of moral and religious feeling, which keeps them to their duty." "They must needs be discontented, for all that," said Green, "Not necessarily so," said I: "they derive many advantages from being in the navy, which they could not have in other employments. They have pensions for long services or wounds, are always taken care of in their old age, and their widows and children have much favour shown them, by the government, as well as by other public bodies and wealthy individuals. But we must finish this discussion another time," continued I, "for I perceive the dinner is going into the cabin." I received from the captain of the privateer every mark of respect and kindness that his means would allow. Much of this I owed to Green, and the black man Mungo, both of whom had represented my conduct in saving the life of him who had endangered mine and that of all my party. Green's gratitude knew no bounds--he watched me night and day, as a mother would watch a darling child; he anticipated any want or wish I could have, and was never happy until it was gratified. The seamen on board the vessel were all equally kind and attentive to me, so highly did they appreciate the act of saving the life of their countryman, and exposing my own in quelling a mutiny. We cruised to the southward of the Cape, and made one or two captures; but they were of little consequence. O
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   245   246   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256  
257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268   269   270   271   272   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

replied

 

saving

 

privateer

 

conversation

 

captain

 
respect
 

kindness

 

conduct

 
represented
 

public


bodies
 
wealthy
 

individuals

 

government

 
widows
 

children

 

favour

 

perceive

 

dinner

 
continued

finish

 

discussion

 
received
 

countryman

 

exposing

 

equally

 
attentive
 

highly

 
quelling
 
mutiny

captures

 

consequence

 
cruised
 

southward

 

vessel

 

mother

 

watched

 

bounds

 

gratitude

 
darling

gratified

 

seamen

 

anticipated

 

endangered

 

wounds

 
brought
 

honest

 

orders

 

generality

 
thought