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ness, and left me as hungry as a kite.—Meanwhile our ship was ordered to be heaved down victualled and watered for her return to England. and our captain not caring to go home, exchanged with a gentleman desirous of the opportunity.
Our new commander came on board, and in a few weeks our ship was under sailing orders. and I was in hopes of revisiting my native country in a very short time, when the admiral's surgeon came on board, and sending for the mate and me to the quarter-deck, told us there was a great scarcity of surgeons in the West Indies. that he was commanded to detain one mate out of every ship that was bound for England; and desired us to agree among ourselves by to-morrow. We were surprised at this proposal. Morgan flatly refused to quit the ship the commissioners of the navy had appointed him.—When I recollected the miseries I had undergone in England I could not help thinking but my success would be much more certain by staying where I was. I therefore resolved voluntarily to submit to the admiral's pleasure. I was accordingly appointed surgeon's mate of the Lizard sloop of war, which put me on a footing with every first mate in the service.
My ticket being made out, I put my chest and bedding on board a canoe that was alongside, and having shook hands with honest
