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Wednesday Afternoon
Our Captain was in a monstruous dutch passion with me when upon his calling for me at the
Inn at Gravesend he found me writing my last letter to you. I believe I was then going to tell you
how I fared last night. My companion at about ½ past 9 began to prepare himself to take
possession of the bed one on side and asked me if I was not ready to make use of that on the other when
in comes our Captain pulls of his Shoes and in he gets into my companion's bed. We stared at him
a little and my companion seemed very much disappointed of at the prospect of such a bedfellow:
he had time however very little time to envy my escape before one of the men came and with as little ceremony took
possession of mine. We now stared at one another neither best pleased but both determined to take it patiently
since we knew pretty well that there were no arguments would induce a dutchman in particular to give up
his bed. In a very few minutes we were each of us invited to take our share at least of the bed which
together with the whole cabbin we had understood was appropriated to our sole use. To be sure I never remember to have seen a hog with
whom which I should not have preferred to the 2 leggd animal who had gave me the invitation. The stink
and the want of room I could have born patiently enough but the idea of the numerous attendants my bedfellow
might have to dispose of filled me with no was far from being very pleasant in short I dreamt the whole night of nothing
but of being covered with lice and the various embarras I was in to get rid of them. I held my nose
while I got over my bedfellow which was necess and indeed till I was so far asleep as to have pretty
well lost my sense of smelling: but I found that the sense of smelling was not quite so easy manageable as
you have made that of hearing. No cotton was to be had. As it is a matter of very great importance I have
neglected no opportunity of attending to incidents might tend in any way to ascertain whether my companion
be Jew Infidel or Christian an argument in par very much the f Hypothesis is that his own account
of himself is that he has been a Lady's hair dresser and is ir Merchant which business he is now going to exercise
at the fair of Franckfort which begins th t tle. I this will make give up the point.
the wind is now pretty brisk but as possible.
Thursday Morning.
We are now at the mouth of the River Thames not down so far as the Nore
and here we must remain till 1 o'clock . I am very much affraid we sha ant get to the end of our
Voyage for this week to come. It is not wn account that I fear it so much as on yours. I could
contrive to amuse myself in one way or other am not sea sick but I fear you will be uneasy at not
hearing from me. My companion & I have almost 2 whole quartern loaves some cold boiled beef some
fresh butter and a bottle of port wine. The bread & beef we got at Gravesend. Water and coffee we are
supplied with by our Captain but with nothing else. I cant recollect where the short introduction to the
Petty plan, was put. send it me if you can find it. I hope you will have written to my father for
me for he must be uneasy if he has to wait for a letter till I can send him one from Helovetsluys, and
yet it would be better he should not know that I am so long on my passage. We are now just opposite
Sheerness; but we are not near enough for me to go ashore there. These dutchmen appear to be affraid to
sail in the night every Vessel passes us: this is abominable you have no idea of the mortification this is to us.
I may perhaps repent I had not gone in the Packet.
Fryday Morning.
We got proceded a little way yesterday morning but went back again in that
ing evening to find smoother water to anchor in for the poor dutchmen appear to be affraid of being
sea sick. If the dutch navy is manned with such men as these I am sure we need
not wish to give them the trouble of putting to sea. They can be of no use but as scare crows.
Here we are off Lee in Essex not quite at the mouth of the river and here we shall
stay to all eternity if the wind does not change. The boat is going where
therefore I send this off that you may not be uneasy. I wish you could
send me some patent blacking for Shoes.
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Identifier: | JB/538/360/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 538.
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1779-08-26 |
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538 |
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360 |
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001 |
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Correspondence |
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Samuel Bentham |
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