The Autobiography of a Cornish Smuggler: (Captain Harry Carter, of Prussia Cove) 1749-1809 — John Shaqi
The Autobiography of a Cornish Smuggler: (Captain Harry Carter, of Prussia Cove) 1749-1809Carter, Harry
History
The Autobiography of a Cornish Smuggler: (Captain Harry Carter, of Prussia Cove) 1749-1809
Carter, Harry
Carter, Harry, 1749-1829; Smuggling -- Great Britain -- History
every end I engaged with you for, and much more so, and now I see you
are entirely off your word with me, as you know you was to land me in
the Mounts Bay, or a little to the East of the Lizard." He begun to bale
out, "Thou doste profess the spirit of Christe, but thou haste the
spirit of the devil," and so on in a great rage, my poor friend Dawson
presant fearing and trembling but dare not speak one word; and I have
thought that good man suffered during the voyage much more on my account
than I did myself. So I did not render railing for railing, said
nothing, or very little more. This was in the evning, and in the course
of aboute half hour after, when he come to himself, he came to me and
said in a very good humour, "I should be glad if you would turn out and
come on deck, I wants to speak with you." So he took me forward on the
bow out of the sight and hearing of any person, and said sumething to
this purpose: "I hope you'll think nothing of all that is past, and I am
going to tell you why I cannot be to my word with you to land you in the
Mounts Bay. I sarved my time to a hatter in London, and as there was a
brig there loaden with hats and other goods, I took her away under the
pretence of being supercargo, etc., unknown to the owners. I sold the
vessel and cargo in the West Indies, bought the sloop you see me come to
New York in, sold that sloop there, and bought what we are in at
present. I told you and others I was bound to London, but I meant to go
to Dunkerk and send for my wife to London. I mean to sell my cargo and
then to return to New York again, for if I am known in any part of
England I shall be apprehended and hanged. So now lett me beg you to
keep it a secret. And I have the favour likewayse, as you know there is
no draft for the Channel on board, I knows nothing of the Channel, and
the mate quite unacquainted, let me beg you to do your best to car the
vessel to Dunkerk." I answered, "I will do everything in my powar," etc.
These was the tener of our discourse, etc. So that when he had finished,
I thought I was allmoste lost in wonder and astonishement. I thought my
case was bad, but his tenthousands times worse. So I turned to work
again with a willing mind, knowing nothing should happen unto me
against the knowledge of God, nither without his permision, and I
believed all things should work together for my good, and so went on my
way, rejoicing and praising of God.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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