n board them, I had no fancy for joining a man-of-war.
Soon after the time I speak of, an old friend of my father's got him an
appointment in the Tower, which brought him in indeed but 80 pounds a
year; yet as that was more than our family had had to live on for many a
long year, it was a cause of much rejoicing and thanksgiving. Still it
was not enough to allow any of us who could work to live in idleness,
and I determined to try what I could do. I was one day looking out for
a fare for an old waterman, John Cox by name, who had engaged my
services, I being an especial favourite of his, when a sailor-like man
came down and said he wanted to be put on board the _Rainbow_ frigate
lying in the stream. `John Cox will put you on board,' says I; `there's
his boat. I'll hail him, and he will be down in a moment.'

"`That will do,' said the stranger, and he stepped on board the boat.

"`Are you the old man's son?' he asked.

"`No, sir; I am the son of Colonel Benbow, who has got an office in the
Tower.'

"`What! his son thus employed!' exclaimed the stranger. `Is he going to
bring you up as a waterman?'

"`An please you, sir, I am bringing myself up to gain an honest
livelihood as best I can,' I answered.

"`Would you like to go to sea and visit foreign countries?' asked the
stranger.

"`That I would, sir, with all my heart,' I answered.

"`What will you say if I offer to take you?' he asked, looking at me.

"`That I will accept your offer, and serve you faithfully,' I said.

"`Then, lad, you shall come with me aboard the _Rainbow_. We will go
back and see your father. I would not take you without his sanction;
but if he approves, we shall have time to get such an outfit as you
require, for I do not sail till to-morrow.'

"John Cox and I put Captain Downing, for such was his name, on board the
_Rainbow_. He told us to wait alongside for him. After some time he
again stepped into the boat, and ordered John Cox to pull for the Tower
Stairs.

"On landing, he bade me conduct him to my father's lodgings, which I
gladly did. My father, as it happened, had met Captain Downing, and
knew him to be a man of probity. Thanking the Captain for his offer, he
without hesitation gave me leave to accompany him as cabin-boy. It did
not take long to get an outfit, and bidding my old father and my kind
mother and brothers and sisters farewell, I went on board the _Rainbow_.
We dropped down the Thames the next day, but it