<h2><SPAN name="chap35"></SPAN>CHAPTER XXXV</h2>
<p class="letter">
Captain Whiffle sends for me—his situation described—his surgeon
arrives, prescribes for him, and puts him to bed—a bed is put up for Mr.
Simper contiguous to the state room, which, with other parts of the captains
behaviour, gives the ship’s company a very unfavourable idea of their
commander—I am detained in the West Indies by the admiral, and go on
board of the Lizard sloop of war in quality of surgeon’s mate, where I
make myself known to the surgeon, who treats me very kindly—I go on
shore, sell my ticket, purchase necessaries, and, at my return on board, am
surprised at the sight of Crampley, who is appointed lieutenant of the
sloop—we sail on a cruise—take a prize in which I arrive at Port
Morant under the command of my messmate, with whom I live in great harmony</p>
<p>He was going on with an eulogium upon the captain, when I received a message to
clean myself, and go up to the great cabin: and with this command I instantly
complied, sweetening myself with rosewater from the medicine chest. When I
entered the room, I was ordered to stand by the door, until Captain Whiffle had
reconnoitered me at a distance with a spy-glass. He, having consulted one sense
in this manner, bade me advance gradually, that his nose might have
intelligence before it could be much offended: I therefore approached with
great caution and success, and he was pleased to say, “Ay, this creature
is tolerable.” I found him lolling on his couch with a languishing air,
his head supported by his valet-de-chambre, who from time to time applied a
smelling-bottle to his nose. “Vergette,” said he in a squeaking
tone, “dost think this wretch (meaning me) will do me no injury? May I
venture to submit my arm to him?” “Pon my word,” replied the
valet, “I do tink dat dere be great occasion for your honour losing a
small quantite of blodt; and the young man ave quelque chose of de bonne
mine.” “Well, then,” said his master, “I think I must
venture.” Then, addressing himself to me, “Hast thou ever blooded
anybody but brutes? But I need not ask thee, for thou wilt tell me a most
d—able lie,” “Brutes, sir!” answered I, pulling down
his glove, in order to feel his pulse, “I never meddle with
brutes.” “What the devil art thou about?” cried he,
“dost thou intend to twist off my hand? Gad’s curse! my arm is
benumbed up to the very shoulder! Heaven have mercy upon me! must I perish
under the hands of savages? What an unfortunate dog was I to come on board
without my own surgeon, Mr. Simper.” I craved pardon for having handled
him so roughly, and, with the utmost care, and tenderness, tied up his arm with
a fillet of silk. While I was feeling for the vein, he desired to know how much
blood I intended to take from him, and, when I answered, “not above
twelve ounces,” started up with a look full of horror, and bade me be
gone, swearing I had a design upon his life. Vergette appeased him with
difficulty, and, opening a bureau, took out a pair of scales, in one of which
was placed a small cup; and putting them into my hand, told me, the captain
never lost above an ounce and three drams at one time.</p>
<p>While I prepared for this important evacuation, there came into the cabin a
young man gaily dressed, of a very delicate complexion with a kind of languid
smile on his face: which seemed to have been rendered habitual by a long course
of affectation. The captain no sooner perceived him, than, rising hastily, he
flew into his arms, crying, “O, my dear Simper, I am excessively
disordered! I have been betrayed, frighted, murdered, by the negligence of my
servants, who suffered a beast, a mule, a bear, to surprise me, and stink me
into convulsions with the fumes of tobacco.” Simper, who by this time, I
found, was obliged to act for the clearness of his complexion, assumed an air
of softness and sympathy, and lamented with many tender expressions of sorrow,
the sad accident that had thrown him into that condition; then, feeling his
patient’s pulse on the outside of his glove, gave it as his opinion, that
his disorder was entirely nervous, and that some drops of tincture of castor,
and liquid laudanum, would be of more service to him than bleeding, by bridling
the inordinate sallies of his spirits, and composing the fermentation of his
bile. I was therefore sent to prepare this prescription, which was administered
in a glass of sack posset, after the captain had been put to bed, and orders
sent to the officers on the quarter-deck, to let nobody walk on that side under
which he lay.</p>
<p>While the captain enjoyed his repose the doctor watched over him, and indeed
became so necessary, that a cabin was made for him contiguous to the state room
where Whiffle slept, that he might be at hand in case of accidents in the
night. Next day, our commander being happily recovered, gave orders that none
of the lieutenants should appear upon deck without a wig, sword, and ruffles;
nor any midshipman, or other petty officer, be seen with a check shirt or dirty
linen. He also prohibited any person whatever, except Simper and his own
servants, from coming into the great cabin without first sending in to obtain
leave. These singular regulations did not prepossess the ship’s company
in his favour: but, on the contrary, gave scandal an opportunity to be very
busy with his character, and accuse him of maintaining a correspondence with
his surgeon not fit to be named.</p>
<p>In a few weeks, our ship being under sailing orders, I was in hope of
revisiting my native country, in a very short time, when the admiral’s
surgeon came on board, and, sending for Morgan and me to the quarter-deck, gave
us to understand there was a great scarcity of surgeons in the West Indies;
that he was commanded to detain one mate out of every great ship that was bound
for England; and desired us to agree between ourselves, before the next day at
that hour, which of us should stay behind. We were thunderstruck at this
proposal, and stared at one another some time without speaking; at length the
Welshman broke silence, and offered to remain in the West Indies, provided the
admiral would give him a surgeon’s warrant immediately; but he was told
there was no want of chief surgeons, and that he must be contented with the
station of mate, till he should be further provided for in due course.
Whereupon Morgan flatly refused to quit the ship for which the commissioners of
the navy had appointed him; and the other told him as plainly, that if we could
not determine the affair by ourselves before to-morrow morning, he must cast
lots, and abide by his chance.</p>
<p>When I recalled to my remembrance the miseries I had undergone in England,
where I had not one friend to promote my interest, or favour my advancement in
the navy, and the same time reflected on the present dearth of surgeons in the
West Indies, and the unhealthiness of the climate, which every day almost
reduced the number, I could not help thinking my success would be much more
certain and expeditious by my staying where I was, than by returning to Europe.
I therefore resolved to comply with a good grace, and next day, when we were
ordered to throw dice, told Morgan he needed not trouble himself, for I would
voluntarily submit to the admiral’s pleasure. This frank declaration was
commended by the gentleman, who assured me, it should not fare the worse with
me for my resignation. Indeed he was as good as his word, and that very
afternoon procured a warrant, appointing me surgeon’s mate of the Lizard
sloop-of-war, which put me on a footing with every first mate in the service.</p>
<p>My ticket being made out, I put my chest and bedding on board a canoe that lay
alongside, and, having shook hands with my trusty friend the sergeant, and
honest Jack Rattlin, who was bound for Greenwich Hospital, I took my leave of
Morgan with many tears, after we had exchanged our sleeve buttons as
remembrances of each other. Having presented my new warrant to the captain of
the Lizard, I inquired for the doctor, whom I no sooner saw than I recollected
him to be one of those young fellows with whom I had been committed to the
round-house, during our frolic with Jackson, as I have related before. He
received me with a good deal of courtesy, and, when I put him in mind of our
former acquaintance, expressed great joy at seeing me again, and recommended me
to an exceeding good mess, composed of the gunner and master’s mate. As
there was not one sick person in the ship, I got leave to go ashore next day
with the gunner, who recommended me to a Jew, that bought my ticket at the rate
of forty per cent discount; and, having furnished myself with the necessaries I
wanted, returned on board in the evening, and, to my surprise, found my old
antagonist Crampley walking upon deck. Though I did not fear his enmity, I was
shocked at his appearance, and communicated my sentiments on that subject to
Mr. Tomlins the surgeon, who told me that Crampley, by dint of some friends
about the admiral, had procured a commission, constituting him lieutenant on
board the Lizard; and advised me, now he was my superior officer, to behave
with some respect towards him, or else he would find a thousand opportunities
of using me ill. This advice was a bitter potion to me, whom pride and
resentment had rendered utterly incapable of the least submission to, or even
of a reconciliation with, the wretch who had, on many occasions, treated me so
inhumanly: however, I resolved to have as little connection as possible with
him, and to ingratiate myself as much as I could with the rest of the officers,
whose friendship might be a bulwark to defend me from the attempts of his
malice.</p>
<p>In less than a week we sailed on a cruise, and having weathered the east end of
the island, had the good fortune to take a Spanish barcolongo, with her prize,
which was an English ship bound for Bristol, that sailed from Jamaica a
fortnight before, without convoy. All the prisoners who were well, we put
onshore on the north side of the island; the prizes were manned with
Englishmen, and the command of the barcolongo given to my friend the
master’s mate, with orders to carry them into Port Morant, and there to
remain until the Lizard’s cruise should be ended, at which time she would
touch at the same place in her way to Port Royal. With him I was sent to attend
the wounded Spaniards as well as Englishmen, who amounted to sixteen, and to
take care of them on shore in a house that was to be hired as an hospital. This
destination gave me a great deal of pleasure, as I should, for some time, be
freed from the arrogance of Crampley, whose inveteracy against me had already
broken out on two or three occasions since he was become a lieutenant. My
messmate, who very much resembled my uncle, both in figure and disposition,
treated me on board of the prize with the utmost civility and confidence: and,
among other favours, made me a present of a silver-hilted hanger, and a pair of
pistols mounted with the same metal, which fell to his share in plundering the
enemy. We arrived safely at Morant, and, going on shore, pitched upon an empty
storehouse; which we hired for the reception of the wounded, who were brought
to it next day, with beds and other necessaries; and four of the ship’s
company appointed to attend them and obey me.</p>
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