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as at last granted him,
after we had entirely stripped him. We then let him go, for which he
thanked us, glad to get off so easily, and ran into the bushes, after
having wished us a good voyage. We then repaired on board, and shortly
after set sail for England. I cannot help remarking here a very narrow
escape we had from being blown up, owing to a piece of negligence of
mine. Just as our ship was under sail, I went down into the cabin to
do some business, and had a lighted candle in my hand, which, in my
hurry, without thinking, I held in a barrel of gunpowder. It remained
in the powder until it was near catching fire, when fortunately I
observed it and snatched it out in time, and providentially no harm
happened; but I was so overcome with terror that I immediately fainted
at this deliverance.

In twenty-eight days time we arrived in England, and I got clear of
this ship. But, being still of a roving disposition, and desirous of
seeing as many different parts of the world as I could, I shipped
myself soon after, in the same year, as steward on board of a fine
large ship, called the Jamaica, Captain David Watt; and we sailed from
England in December 1771 for Nevis and Jamaica. I found Jamaica to be
a very fine large island, well peopled, and the most considerable of
the West India islands. There was a vast number of negroes here, whom
I found as usual exceedingly imposed upon by the white people, and the
slaves punished as in the other islands. There are negroes whose
business it is to flog slaves; they go about to different people for
employment, and the usual pay is from one to four bits. I saw many
cruel punishments inflicted on the slaves in the short time I stayed
here. In particular I was present when a poor fellow was tied up and
kept hanging by the wrists at some distance from the ground, and then
some half hundred weights were fixed to his ancles, in which posture
he was flogged most unmercifully. There were also, as I heard, two
different masters noted for cruelty on the island, who had staked up
two negroes naked, and in two hours the vermin stung them to death. I
heard a gentleman I well knew tell my captain that he passed sentence
on a negro man to be burnt alive for attempting to poison an overseer.
I pass over numerous other instances, in order to relieve the reader
by a milder scene of roguery. Before I had been long on the island,
one Mr. Smith at Port Morant bought goods of me to the amount of
twenty-five pounds sterling; but when I demanded payment from him, he
was going each time to beat me, and threatened that he would put me in
goal. One time he would say I was going to set his house on fire, at
another he would swear I was going to run away with his slaves. I was
astonished at this usage from a person who was in the situation of a
gentleman, but I had no alternative; I was therefore obliged to
submit. When I came to Kingston, I was surprised to see the number of
Africans who were assembled together on Sundays; particularly at a
large commodious place, called Spring Path. Here each different nation
of Africa meet and dance after the manner of their own country. They
still retain most of their native customs: they bury their dead, and
put victuals, pipes and tobacco, and other things, in the grave with
the corps, in the same manner as in Africa. Our ship having got her
loading we sailed for London, where we arrived in the August
following. On my return to London, I waited on my old and good master,
Dr. Irving, who made me an offer of his service again. Being now tired
of the sea I gladly accepted it. I was very happy in living with this
gentleman once more; during which time we were daily employed in
reducing old Neptune's dominions by purifying the briny element and
making it fresh. Thus I went on till May 1773, when I was roused by
the sound of fame, to seek new adventures, and to find, towards the
north pole, what our Creator never intended we should, a passage to
India. An expedition was now fitting out to explore a north-east
passage, conducted by the Honourable John Constantine Phipps, since
Lord Mulgrave, in his Majesty's sloop of war the Race Horse. My master
being anxious for the reputation of this adventure, we therefore
prepared every thing for our voyage, and I attended him on board the
Race Horse, the 24th day of May 1773. We proceeded to Sheerness, where
we were joined by his Majesty's sloop the Carcass, commanded by
Captain Lutwidge. On the 4th of June we sailed towards our destined
place, the pole; and on the 15th of the same month we were off
Shetland. On this day I had a great and unexpected deliverance from an
accident which was near blowing up the ship and destroying the crew,
which made me ever after during the voyage uncommonly cautious. The
ship was so filled that there was very little room on board for any
one, which placed me in a very aukward situation. I had resolved to
keep a journal of this singular and interesting voyage; and I had no
other place for this purpose but a little cabin, or the doctor's
store-room, where I slept. This little place was stuffed with all
manner of combustibles, particularly with tow and aquafortis, and many
other dangerous things. Unfortunately it happened in the evening as I
was writing my journal, that I had occasion to take the candle out of
the lanthorn, and a spark having touched a single thread of the tow,
all the rest caught the flame, and immediately the whole was in a
blaze. I saw nothing but present death before me, and expected to be
the first to perish in the flames. In a moment the alarm was spread,
and many people who were near ran to assist in putting out the fire.
All this time I was in the very midst of the flames; my shirt, and the
handkerchief on my neck, were burnt, and I was almost smothered with
the smoke. However, through God's mercy, as I was nearly giving up all
hopes, some people brought blankets and mattresses and threw them on
the flames, by which means in a short time the fire was put out. I was
severely reprimanded and menaced by such of the officers who knew it,
and strictly charged never more to go there with a light: and, indeed,
even my own fears made me give heed to this command for a little time;
but at last, not being able to write my journal in any other part of
the ship, I was tempted again to venture by stealth with a light in
the same cabin, though not without considerable fear and dread on my
mind. On the 20th of June we began to use Dr. Irving's apparatus for
making salt water fresh; I used to attend the distillery: I frequently
purified from twenty-six to forty gallons a day. The water thus
distilled was perfectly pure, well tasted, and free from salt; and was
used on various occasions on board the ship. On the 28th of June,
being in lat. 78, we made Greenland, where I was surprised to see the
sun did not set. The weather now became extremely cold; and as we
sailed between north and east, which was our course, we saw many very
high and curious moun
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