ly over that
early portion of my naval life and go on to the time when I had passed
my examination for a lieutenant's commission and trod the quarter-deck
as a master's mate.

On the Falcon's leaving Portsmouth we touched at Falmouth or our way
down channel, when I had the opportunity of taking leave of my family--
with some of them, alas! it was an eternal farewell. This is one of the
seaman's severest trials; he knows from sad experience that of the many
smiling faces he sees collected round the domestic hearth some will too
surely be missing on his return, wanderers, like himself, far, far away,
or gone to their final resting-place.

We made a stay of a few days at Madeira, and without any occurrence
worthy of note reached English Harbour, Antigua, October 21st, 1771,
where we found lying several ships of war under the flag of Rear-Admiral
Mann.

I have not hitherto mentioned the names of my messmates. Among others,
there were William Wilkins, John Motto, Israel Pellew [see note], and
Alexander Dick. We were a jovial set and generally pulled well
together; but on one occasion the apple of discord was thrown in among
us, and Alexander Dick, the surgeon's mate, and I fell to loggerheads in
consequence of some reflections I thoughtlessly cast on the land of his
nativity--to the effect, as far as my recollection serves me, that
nothing better was to be found there as food for the people than sheeps'
heads and boiled bagpipes; to which he retorted by asserting that we
west-country folks were little better than heathens and had no more
manners than blackamoors. As neither of us would retract what we had
said, it was decided that our dispute could alone be settled by mortal
combat. Pistols, we were aware, were the most gentlemanly weapons to be
employed on such occasions; but we found that it would be impossible to
obtain them in a hurry without to a certainty betraying our intentions.
It was therefore settled by our seconds and ourselves that we should
decide the knotty question with our hangers as soon as we could manage
to get on shore after reaching port. All four of us therefore, having
got leave the morning after our arrival, left the ship soon after
daybreak in a shore-boat and pulled off to a retired part of the
harbour. Here we landed, and telling our black boatmen to wait our
return, we walked away arm-in-arm to a spot where we thought no one
would observe us. Having thrown off our coats and tucked up o