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
then got a hammack [...] amongst the sailors. And when more _people
came_ on board, I went between decks, being [...] more quiat. I supose
the whole numbar of pasengars was aboute fifty offesars in the army and
navy, where I never was in such hurry and noise yet, in all the course
of my life, nither to sea nor land. I was allwayse imploid in reading,
in cooking, tending my famely to the table, etc. And there was a black
boy, the sarvant to one of the officers, very ill moste of the time, and
no person to do the leaste thing for him but myself onely. I had a quiat
place between decks to lodge in and pray, so that no person desturbed
me. I used the same self-denial as before. I have been often led to
wonder many times since of the goodness of God, for all they _were_ such
wild, distracted, disapated souls, I never _had the_ least tryal from
one of them, nither one _of the_ ship's company during the whole time. I
could _always_ bring any dish of meat from the cook to the _cabin to_
my famely, and no person set the least hand _on me; or_ if one of the
others did, they was ready allmoste _to kill_ one the other; and the
Captain would trust me _with the_ tea and shugar canestar, but not one
person _else_ on board. I have thought many times _since abou_te it,
more than at that time through [...] d favour with God and man. _We lay
in Brest_ Roade nine days _wind_ bound, and then _got a fair_ wind to
the Nor_thwa_rd and westward [...] etc., arived at Falmouth 22 August,
1795. Arived onshore aboute three o'clock in the afternoon with much
fear and trembling, where I meet with my dear little Bettsy, there
staying with her aunt, Mrs. Smythe, then between 8 and 9 years old. In
the evning went to prayer meeting in the great Chaple. I said sumething
to the people, but found but little liberty. I thought the cause might
have been after aboute three weeks exposed to so much noise and company,
and for want of composure of mind, and likewayse so long a time out of
the habit of exercising in that way. I have thought many times since,
if I was ever dead to the world and to myself, I was then in them days.
It matterd but little where my lott was cast, whether in prosperity or
adversity, whether sickness or health, take life or all my friends away,
I could trust boath soul and body, with every thing _that_ I had, in to
the hands of my great Creator with_out the_ leaste resarve. I have
thought many times since _in them_ days, tho' I did not know it then,
that I had no will, or rather, of my own, but my will w_as_ loste in the
will of God. It is now brought _into my_ remembrance as the ship lyed to
of _Falmouth_ harbar, there was not boats enuf to c_arry all the_
pasangers and bagage at once, and I _waited to_ the laste with two more,
staid untel _another_ boat should come, the wind blowing _fresh from_
the westward. The Captain grew v_ery impatient, looking_ out for a boat,
and at laste said, "_I shall not wait_ only a few minuts longer, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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