ther encounter than encourage the insolent demands of
these wretches, at the expense of my own indignation, of which I own
they are not the only objects, but rather those who purchase a paltry
convenience by encouraging them. But of this I have already spoken very
largely. I shall conclude, therefore, with the leave which this fellow
took of our ship; saying he should know it again, and would not put
off from the shore to relieve it in any distress whatever. It will,
doubtless, surprise many of my readers to hear that, when we lay at
anchor within a mile or two of a town several days together, and even in
the most temperate weather, we should frequently want fresh provisions
and herbage, and other emoluments of the shore, as much as if we had
been a hundred leagues from land. And this too while numbers of boats
were in our sight, whose owners get their livelihood by rowing people
up and down, and could be at any time summoned by a signal to our
assistance, and while the captain had a little boat of his own, with men
always ready to row it at his command.

This, however, hath been partly accounted for already by the imposing
disposition of the people, who asked so much more than the proper price
of their labor. And as to the usefulness of the captain's boat, it
requires to be a little expatiated upon, as it will tend to lay
open some of the grievances which demand the utmost regard of our
legislature, as they affect the most valuable part of the king's
subjects--those by whom the commerce of the nation is carried into
execution. Our captain then, who was a very good and experienced seaman,
having been above thirty years the master of a vessel, part of which
he had served, so he phrased it, as commander of a privateer, and had
discharged himself with great courage and conduct, and with as great
success, discovered the utmost aversion to the sending his boat ashore
whenever we lay wind-bound in any of our harbors. This aversion did not
arise from any fear of wearing out his boat by using it, but was, in
truth, the result of experience, that it was easier to send his men
on shore than to recall them. They acknowledged him to be their master
while they remained on shipboard, but did not allow his power to extend
to the shores, where they had no sooner set their foot than every man
became sui juris, and thought himself at full liberty to return when he
pleased. Now it is not any delight that these fellows have in the fresh
ai