The Adventures of Captain John Patterson: With Notices of the Officers, &c. of the 50th, or Queen's Own Regiment from 1807 to 1821Patterson, John
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The Adventures of Captain John Patterson: With Notices of the Officers, &c. of the 50th, or Queen's Own Regiment from 1807 to 1821
Patterson, John
Great Britain. Army. Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment; Peninsular War, 1807-1814 -- Personal narratives, British
Continuing our course across the great Atlantic, we got into soundings
about the eighteenth of March, and were off the S.W. coast of Ireland,
but the atmosphere being thick and hazy, the land was not discernible.
Keeping the lead in active operation, we slowly though cautiously
approached the Channel. The weather cleared up on the 21st, when with
a fine breeze from the S.W. we gained the Lizard, at an early hour,
and having made a capital run past the Eddystone and Needles, were
compelled to heave to, off the S. Foreland, in consequence of a dense
fog. Signals were made for a pilot, which were answered by a rough
looking member of that tribe pulling up, and boarding us. The night
set in dark, but the moon shining out towards twelve o'clock, we stood
away for the Downs, illumined by her light; and came to anchor about
three in the morning of the 22nd of March 1821, after a stormy passage
of seven weeks and two days.
On our getting moored, some Deal boats crowded round the ship, and
their crews made the most extravagant demands for their services.
Impatient to set foot on shore, after being so long caged up in my
floating prison, I gladly embraced the opportunity, and agreeing to
give the rapacious fellows a guinea for a two miles pleasuring on a
wintry morning, my goods and chattels were gathered from the hold, and
being tumbled into a boat, were soon followed by their master. We then
shoved off, and I bade adieu to the shattered brig, and strange as it
may appear, not without some feelings of regret, Rowing for about an
hour against a head wind and strong tide, we hurried through the surf
and brought to on the sandy beach of Deal, and with joy unspeakable, I
once more found myself on the shores of happy England.
THE END.
BURY ST. EDMUND'S:
PRINTED BY T. C. NEWBY, ANGEL HILL.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Adventures of Captain John
Patterson with Notices of The Officers &c. of the 50th or Queen's Own Regiment from 1807 to 1821, by John Patterson
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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