clothes for the child, and victuals. On his return to Dunster, he gave
the mother of the child the clothes, and the greatest part of the money
he had obtained in his trip; neither was this method new to him, for he
had long before this taught his own daughter, a little infant, to say,
"drowned in a boat," as often as he or any other person asked her what
was become of her mother, or mammy. Having made her perfect in this
lesson, he set out with her upon his back, and pretended to have been a
sailor on board a vessel that had been lately lost on the coast of Wales,
when most of the ship's crew and passengers were drowned, among whom, he
said, was the mother of the tender infant at his back, and that he had
saved himself and the infant by swimming. By this story he pocketed a
great deal of money every where, especially, as by way of confirmation,
when he was telling of it, he would turn and ask the babe, where is your
poor mammy, my dear, my jewel? To which the babe would reply, drowned in
the boat; which so affected all that heard it, that it not only drew
their purse but their tears also.

From Dunster he went through the country to Ilfracombe, where he inquired
for a passage to Ireland. He was told there was no vessel going to
Ireland, but that he might have a passage for Wales, which he soon
resolved upon, and, after waiting upon the collector and some other
friends in Ilfracombe, set sail for Swansea. He had no sooner landed
there, than he repaired to the Rev. Mr. Griffy of that place, in the
character of a cast-away seaman, a native of Devonshire; and, as he gave
a particular account of Mr. Griffy's son, the minister of Bishop's
Nympton, he was made very welcome, and handsomely relieved, and by his
recommendations obtained a great deal of money in the town.

From thence he went in the same character to Lord Mansell's, at
Cowbridge, and other places, and returned to Swansea. Thence he set out
again, travelling through the country to Tenby, where, hearing of one
Captain Lott, he waited upon him with the same story, but with the
addition of his name being John Lott, whereby he soon got half-a-crown
and a good welcome. He next set out for Carmarthen, and raised a great
deal of money from the Welsh gentry, pretending now to be an unfortunate
sailor belonging to Ireland, who had been cast away near Portland Race,
coming from Bilboa. He proceeded upon the same story to Aberystwyth and
Port Ely, where he chanced to