State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 2 (of 2)
History
State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 2 (of 2)
Trials -- Great Britain
DUDGEON--I am very sorry that I should come on this occasion
against captain Goodere, because he ever behaved towards me in
a genteel manner. The week before this happened, I was told by
one of the officers, that the captain was going to bring his
brother on board; and on Sunday the 18th of January, about the
dusk of the evening, the barge came down to the ship. I was at
that time walking the quarter-deck; some of our people seeing
the barge a-coming they said, Our captain is coming on board
with his brother sure enough: but instead of coming up the
quarter-deck, the captain went down upon the main-deck, and I
still kept walking on the quarter-deck, expecting to see the
gentleman when he went into the great cabin, but I afterwards
found that he was ordered down to the cock-pit. Soon after, I
went down there myself; and the captain being there, said,
Doctor, I have brought a madman to you, I don't know what we
shall do with him, but we must make the best of him that we
can; and Mahony came down likewise. The captain sent his
steward for a bottle of rum, Mahony had a dram of it. The
captain asked sir John if he would have one? Sir John replied,
No; for, said he, I have not drank any thing of that nature for
two years past; he groaned several times. There was then one
Cole at the foot of the ladder, to whom also the captain gave a
dram; then there was a centinel put upon the cabin-door; but
Cole asked the captain if he might go in, and the captain said
he might. The old gentleman made a noise as the captain went up
the ladder; the captain told him, We have now brought you on
board, and will take care you shall want for nothing. After the
captain was gone, Cole wanted to go in, but the centinel would
not let him; telling him that his orders were to let none in
but Mahony: however, Cole went up and got leave of the captain
to go in, and he did go in. Soon after this the captain came
down again to the cock-pit, and came into my place, and sat
down; and after talking of things promiscuously, he said, he
believed it would be proper for me to go and feel his brother's
pulse; or else, Doctor, he said, do you chuse to leave it alone
till to-morrow morning? I made answer, that to-morrow morning
might be the best time; because the gentleman may be much
confused by being brought down on the water. Come, said he, let
us go in now; for I believe it will be as well. If you please,
Sir, said I, I will; so the centinel opened the door, and we
both went in. Immediately after, the captain went out again,
and forthwith the door was shut upon me: which very much
surprised me, to think that the captain should leave me with a
madman, and I observed the captain to peep through; I then
asked the gentleman what he mostly complained of? and felt his
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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