merchant vessel; but this I refused, and, after six months' quarrelling
on the subject, I decided the point by volunteering in the _Narcissus_
frigate. I believe that my gentlemanly ideas were innate, Mr Simple; I
never, as a child, could bear the idea of the merchant service. After I
had been a week on board, I was appointed servant to the purser, where I
gave such satisfaction by my alertness and dexterity, that the first
lieutenant took me away from the purser to attend upon himself. It so
happened, that after I had served the first lieutenant for about a year,
a young lord (I must not mention his name, Mr Simple) was sent to sea
by his friends, or by his own choice, I don't know which, but I was told
that his uncle, who was 'zeckative, and had an interest in his death,
persuaded him to go. A lord at that period, some twenty-five years ago,
was a rarity in the service, and they used to salute him when he came on
board. The consequence was, that the young lord must have a servant to
himself, although all the rest of the midshipmen had but one servant
between them. The captain inquired who was the best boy in the ship,
and the purser, to whom he appealed, recommended me. Accordingly, I was
immediately surrendered to his lordship. I had a very easy, comfortable
life of it--I did little or nothing. We went to the Mediterranean
(because his lordship's mamma wished it), and we had been there about a
year, when his lordship ate so many grapes that he was seized with a
dysentery. He was ill for three weeks, and then he requested to be sent
to Malta in a transport going to Gibraltar, or rather to the Barbary
coast for bullocks. He became worse every day, and made his will
leaving me all his effects on board, which I certainly deserved for the
kindness with which I had nursed him. Off Malta we fell in with a
xebeque, bound to Civita Vecchia, and the captain of the transport,
anxious to proceed, advised our going on board of her, as the wind was
light and contrary, and these Mediterranean vessels sailed better on a
wind than the transport. My master, who was now sinking fast,
consented, and we changed our ships. The next day he died, and a gale
of wind came on, which prevented us from gaining the port for several
days, and the body of his lordship not only became so offensive, but
affected the superstition of the Catholic sailors so much, that it was
hove overboard. The wind was still against us, when a merchant v