John Turner was quartered at Gibraltar. He was a fair scholar, had a good opinion of himself, and was a bombardier. In the summer of 1769, the Emperor of Morocco sent a request to the Governor of Gibraltar for an Artilleryman to explain certain matters in gunnery, and to act as a tutor in the military art to the young Prince, his son. In 1872, it is probable that for such an appointment candidates would be innumerable, and would embrace even General Officers among their numbers. Possibly in Gibraltar, the Emperor was not very highly esteemed; be that, however, as it may, Bombardier John Turner was selected. He was to receive thirty-five dollars per month, besides certain other advantages, and this fact was very present to his mind during his absence. At first, a circumstance which occurred vexed John Turner's soul sorely: the wind having detained him some days, the Governor was relieved by one who would not assume the responsibility of letting him go, without an order from England. Until November the honest man was kept fretting and pining, but in the end he was rewarded not merely by the permission to go himself, but by an order to take with him two matrosses, who greatly swelled his importance. On the 3rd of December, he and his comrades landed about six miles from Tetuan, whither they were conveyed on mules and lodged in a house where they were treated "beyond their expectation." It was but seldom that in this respect John Turner's expectations were exceeded. He had a letter to the Governor, which he insisted on presenting; and with much presence of mind, on the morning after his arrival, he demanded an advance of money for himself and comrades. This was granted; but, as he plaintively wrote, it was made the subject of much misrepresentation, and he was reprimanded by his superiors in Gibraltar, on the story reaching them. The fact was, he innocently said, that he had borrowed some money on his note of hand in Gibraltar, "to clear some little obligations under which we lay," and the note met him at Tetuan, where he was led to believe he would be put in funds to pay it. On the 17th, the party left in great state "with an Alcayde and three horsemen for our guard, hired horses to ride on, and mules to carry our baggage and camp equipage." They encamped every night near some village, and the inhabitants were compelled to bring them food, and find sentinels for their baggage, under pain of being taken as rebels to the Emperor, for which purpose chains were carried by the escort. The good bombardier describes in his report at some length the nature of the food, some of which he was pleased to consider very good eating. At last they reached the place where the young Prince was encamped, and from that moment John Turner became an old man of the sea to that unhappy youth, and when he had any complaint to make would go nowhere but to head-quarters. His early interviews with the Prince, and every word that passed between them are duly chronicled.