have lived ever since in quality of surgeon and overseer to his
plantations. He and his lady are now at Kingston, so that I am, for
the present, master of this house, to which, from my soul, I bid you
welcome, and hope you will favour me with your company during the
remaining part of the night."

I needed not a second invitation; but Mr. Brayl, who was a diligent
and excellent officer, could not be persuaded to sleep out of the ship;
however, he supped with us, and, after having drank a cheerful glass,
set out for the vessel, which was not above three miles from the place,
escorted by a couple of stout negroes, whom Mr. Thompson ordered to
conduct him. Never were two friends more happy in the conversation
of each other than we, for the time it lasted. I related to him the
particulars of our attempt upon Carthagena, of which he had heard but an
imperfect account; and he gratified me with a narration of every little
incident of his life since we parted. He assured me, it was with the
utmost difficulty he could resist his inclination of coming down to Port
Royal, to see Morgan and me, of whom he had heard no tidings since the
day of our separation: but that he was restrained by the fear of being
detained as a deserter. He told me that, when he heard my voice in the
dark, he was almost as much surprised as I was at seeing him afterwards:
and, in the confidence of friendship, disclosed a passion he entertained
for the only daughter of the gentleman with whom he lived, who, by his
description, was a very amiable young lady, and did not disdain his
addresses; that he was very much favoured by her parents; and did not
despair of obtaining their consent to the match, which would at once
render him independent of the world. I congratulated him on his good
fortune, which he protested should never make him forget his friends;
and, towards morning, we betook ourselves to rest.

Next day he accompanied me to the ship, where Mr. Brayl entertained him
at dinner, and we having spent the afternoon together, he took his leave
of us in the evening, after he had forced upon me ten pistoles, as a
small token of his affection. In short, while he stayed here, we saw
one another every day, and generally ate at the same table, which was
plentifully supplied by him with all kinds of poultry, butcher's meat,
oranges, limes, lemons, pine-apples, Madeira wine, and excellent rum;
so that this small interval of ten days was by far the most agreeable