The Surprising Adventures of Bampfylde Moore Carew, King of the Beggars: Containing his Life, a Dictionary of the Cant Language, and many Entertaining Particulars of that Extraordinary ManUnknown
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The Surprising Adventures of Bampfylde Moore Carew, King of the Beggars: Containing his Life, a Dictionary of the Cant Language, and many Entertaining Particulars of that Extraordinary Man
Now the cocks began to crow on board, and Sol took his last embrace of
Thetis, to begin his daily stage; for, indeed, already had his equipage
waited near an hour for him. Reader, if thou art acquainted with the
inimitable history of Tom Jones, thou mayest perhaps know what is meant
by this; but, lest thou shouldest not, we think it not improper to inform
thee, that we mean no more than what we might have told thee in three
words, that it was broad day-light. The captain called out, how goes the
glass, my brave boys? Eight glasses are just run, replied the men; then
look out sharp for land. Soon after, the cabin boy hallooing out, land,
land! the captain ran nimbly to see if it was so, saying, I am afraid we
are embayed. No, replied the mate, I will be bound for it, it is
Lundy-island. The captain ran up immediately to the main-topmast head,
to look out for other lands to the right and left, and found it to be
indeed Lundy-island; upon which several sailors ran up the rigging, and,
among the rest, Mr. Carew creeps out with nothing but a blanket upon his
shoulders, and makes an attempt to run up the rigging; which the captain
seeing, he hastily cries out, where is old John going? take care of the
old man, he is light-headed: upon which, some of the sailors took him
down, and carried him back to his hammock. They then crowded all the
sail they could for Lundy. When they came near, they perceived several
ships laying at anchor there, and made a signal for a pilot. Soon after
comes up a pilot of Clovelly, who was then upon the island, waiting to
pilot ships up to Bristol. The captain welcomed him on board, and agreed
for seven guineas to be pilotted up to Bristol: then the captain asked
him what news, and if any New-England men were gone up the channel? He
replied, that none had passed, but that he could inform him of bad news
for his men, which was, the Ruby man-of-war, Captain Goodyre, lay then in
King-road, and pressed all the men he could lay hold of. Mr. Carew,
hearing this, immediately comes upon deck, with his blanket upon his
shoulders, and pretended to vomit over the ship’s side. The pilot,
observing him, asked what was the matter with the old man. I believe,
replies the captain, he has got the small-pox; he dreamed the other night
that his wife was dead of them, which frightened him so much, that I
think the small-pox is come out upon him. The pilot then stepped up and
asked him to let him look upon him, which he complying with, and showing
him his arms, the pilot swore he had got the small-pox heavily upon him,
and Mr. Carew kept on groaning very mournfully. They then sailed by
Appledore, Biddeford, and Barnstaple, (where Mr. Carew, notwithstanding
his having the small-pox so heavily, wished himself on shore, drinking
some of their fat ale,) so to the Holmes, and into King-road early in the
morning. He then thought it advisable to take a pretty large quantity of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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