f difficult temper, and having saved sufficient
money to be idle for a year or two, had conceived the wish to travel,
and chosen Bombay, partly from a desire to behold the wonders of the
Indies, and partly to see his brother, who held a post there in the
East India Company's service. Having at the time much leisure, he
kindly offered to show me the vessel, protesting that should I find
it to my taste he was anxious for the sake of the company to secure a
passage for himself. So very agreeable was his conversation that I
embraced the opportunity which fortune thus threw in my way.
The ship, on inspection, proved much to our liking, and Captain Carey
of so honest a countenance, that the bargain was struck without more
ado. I was for returning to the 'One and All,' but first thought it
right to acquaint myself with the name of this new friend. He was
called Simon Colliver, and lived, as he told me, in Stoke, whither he
had to go to make preparation for this somewhat hasty departure, but
first advised me to move my luggage from the 'One and All' (the
comfort of which fell indeed short of the promise of so fair a name)
to the 'Welcome Home,' a small but orderly house of entertainment in
the Barbican, where, he said, I should be within easy distance of
the _Golden Wave_. The walk to Old Town Street was not far in
itself, but a good step when traversed five or six times a day; and,
moreover, I was led to make the change on hearing that the landlord
of the 'Welcome Home' was also intending to sail as seaman in
this same ship. My new acquaintance led me to the house, an
ill-favoured-looking den, but clean inside, and after a short
consultation with John Railton, the landlord, arranged for my
entertainment until the _Golden Wave_ should weigh anchor.
This done, and a friendly glass taken to seal the engagement, he
departed, congratulating himself warmly on his good fortune in
finding a fellow-traveller so much, as he protested, to his taste.

"I must own I was not over-pleased with John Railton, who seemed a
sulky sort of man, and too much given to liquor. But I saw little of
him after he brought my box from the 'One and All.' His wife waited
upon me--a singularly sweet woman, though sorely vexed, as I could
perceive, with her husband's infirmity. She loved him nevertheless,
as a woman will sometimes love a brute, and was sorry to lose him.
Indeed, when I noticed that evening that her eyes were red with
weeping, and sai