ses, and she begged pardon, and promised to offend no
more, but she did not keep her word for more than a day or two, but
laughed out loud when the surgeon was dressing my arm, for a piece of
bone had to be taken out, and I shrieked with anguish. This
exasperated one of my messmates so much that, not choosing to strike
her, and knowing how to wound her still worse, he drove his fist into
the head of her son as he lay in his cradle, and by so doing re-opened
the wound that had been nearly healed.

"There's pain for you to laugh at, you French devil," he cried.

And sure enough it cost the poor young man his life.

The surgeon was very angry with the man, but told the French lady as
she kneeled sobbing by the side of her son, that she had brought it
upon herself and him by her own folly and cruelty. I know not whether
she felt so, or whether she dreaded a repetition, but this is certain,
she tormented me no more. On the contrary, I think she suffered very
severely, as she perceived that I rapidly mended, and that her poor
son got on but slowly. At last my hurts were all healed, and I left
the hospital, hoping never to see her more.

CHAPTER IV.

Sail for Liverpool in the Sally and Kitty--Fall in with
a Gale--Boy overboard--Nearly drowned in attempting to
save him--See the owners at Liverpool--Embark in the
Dalrymple for the Coast of Africa--Arrive off Senegal.

A great deal of prize-money being due to us, I called upon the agent
at Port Royal to obtain an advance. I found him in a puzzle. Owing to
the death of Captain Weatherall and so many of the officers, he hardly
knew whether those who applied to him were entitled to prize-money or
not. Whether he thought I appeared more honest than the others, or
from what cause I know not, he requested me, as I knew every thing
that had passed, to remain with him for a short time; and finding that
I could read and write well, he obtained from me correct lists of the
privateer's crew, with those who were killed, and on what occasion.
All this information I was able to give him, as well as the ratings of
the parties; for on more than one occasion the privateers'-men had
come to him representing themselves as petty officers, when they were
only common seamen on board, and had in consequence received from him
a larger advance than they were entitled to. As soon as his accounts
were pretty well made up, he asked me whether I intended to go to
England, as if