here we found lying HMS Hind, Southampton, and Stork,
with a hundred sail of merchantmen.

On the 25th we proceeded with them to the Gulf of Florida. The weather
was intensely hot, the sun struck down with unmitigated fury on our
heads, and in a few days seven cases of fever appeared on board.
Scarcely was a man taken ill than he became delirious, and in a few
hours he was dead. Thus in six days we lost twenty seamen and seven
marines, together with Lieutenant Thomas Philipsmith of the marines, and
Mr John Eaglestone, master's mate. It was a sad and weary time we had
of it. Captain Bligh kept up his spirits in a wonderful way. I messed
with him all the time I was on board, and he always spoke frankly and
openly to me; indeed, I should be most ungrateful did I not acknowledge
the kindness with which he treated me on all occasions.

"I hope we may do better when we get clear of the land," he remarked.
"This climate tries the poor fellows sadly."

It did indeed. On the 28th the master, purser and surgeon were taken
ill, and a few days afterwards I was myself struck down, as were the
gunner, surgeon's mate, and fully sixty more men. Thus, we had not
enough men to work the ship; and for some time Captain Bligh and one of
the only officers capable of doing duty had to take charge of the ship
watch and watch. The weather also was constantly squally, with thunder,
lightning, and heavy rain, and this kept us in the gulf till the 20th of
July.

On the 28th, in latitude 32 degrees 30 minutes North and 74 degrees 19
minutes West, we parted company with the fleet, which was bound for
England, while we made sail back to Jamaica.

I pass over this period of my adventurous existence more rapidly than I
have described the former part of my sea-life, because it is full of
painful recollections. I had often and often seen men struck down in
battle, without allowing my feelings in any way to be agitated; but it
went to my heart to see my brave shipmates carried off one after the
other with fever, without being in any way able to relieve their
sufferings, or to devise means to save them from death. That fever,
"yellow jack" as we used to call it, is truly one of the most dreadful
scourges of the West Indies. There is no avoiding him. All ranks are
equally sufferers, for he picks off rich and poor alike, the strong and
weak, the brave man and the coward. Still, I believe that the best way
to prevent his attacks from proving