Accordingly, in the fall of 1783, I was fitted out for Boston, to look for a voyage--My whole wardrobe, was packed in a gin case, for a trunk; a tow bedsack, filled with rye straw, & a pair of, home-made, blankets, for sleeping appuratis, with two bushels of corn, to pay my passage to Boston--and acquipted thus, I left the family circle, with buoyant sperits and in full confidence that I should work myself thro” life, with honour & credit--I embarked, at Skaket, in a small Schooner of only 25 Tons, called the _Creture_; & after going into Provinctown, & laying there during a gale of wind, we reached Boston, in about three days. At the time, I am speaking of, there were more men, than could readily find employ, & frequently, the best of seamen, were distitute of voyages--several of our neighbouring young men, had been to Boston, that fall, previous to my leaving home, & had returned without giting employ, they told my Mother, that I would only spend the two bushels of corn, & return to her without giting a voyage--but their predictions were set at naught; for the first time I went down the long wharf, & stood gazeing at a new vessell, wondering, & admiring her monstrous size, her great cables & anchors &c--a gentleman stept from her deck & thus accosted me! My lad, do you want a voyage--. Yes Sir--will you go with me in this vessell--where are you bound Sir--to Siranam--I am told Sir, that all flesh die, that go there--well my boy, to prove, that you have not been told the truth, I have been there 13 voyages, & you see I’m alive yet--well Sir, I should like to go, what wages will you allow me--do you know how to cook--not much Sir, but I can soon learn--well my boy, if you think so, I presume you will, I like your candour & will take you, & give you the customary wages of a boy; half of Seamens wages $3.50 p^{r} month, but you must go immediately on board, & git dinner for the men at work--& thus I commenced my duty as cook & cabin Boy. When the men broke off work, at night, they all went away; the Cap^{t.} then asked me, where my bed & cloaths were--I told him, on board the creture, in town dock--well, you must go & git them, & I’ll keep ship untill you return, you must sleep on board to night--who else will sleep on board--nobody, there is no one belongs to the vessell, except you & myself--not liking the idea of sleeping on board alone, I took the liberty of asking him, where his mate was--he said, he had not got one yet--I told him, I _gessed_, I knew a good man, that would like to go--who is he--I said, My Uncle, who came up, in the creture to look for a voyage--has he ever been mate--Yes Sir, & prise mastre too, in the war--well, you go after your things, & if you see your Uncle, ask him to come down & see me, in the morning when I got on board the creture, my Uncle was there, and by way of a reprimand, asked, where I had been all day--why Uncle, said I, I have shipped myself, & I beleive I have got a voyage for you also.