A Sailor of King George

Tough yarns—The sea-serpent—The fair-wind sellers of Bremen—Mermen and mermaidens—Capture of Spanish schooner with mulatto laundresses on board—Boat attack on, and capture of th...

Visit to a Jamaican plantation—Condition of the slaves—A growl against the House of Commons and the Admiralty—Author attempting to cut out a Spanish zebec, is taken prisoner—His...

On shore—Tired of inactivity—Apply for a ship—Appointed to H.M.S. _Minotaur_ (74)—Prisoners sent on board as part of crew—Go to Plymouth—Scarcity of seamen—Ruse to impress an Ir...

My mother consents to my going to sea—Journey to Portsmouth—Join H.M.S. _Blonde_—Take General Prescott and suite on board—We sail—Supply West Indiamen with provisions and in ret...

Sail for England with despatches—A lunar rainbow—A two-tailed fish—Reach Falmouth after passage of fifteen days—To Plymouth to refit—All leave refused—Sailors’ frolics ashore—To...

Tea with the boatswain’s wife—News of the mutiny at the Nore causes trouble among the sailors—Sent to cruise in consequence—A white squall and waterspout—Capture of a Spanish cr...

A ball on board—Fishing with a seine—Ordered to cruise off Porto Rico—News of the battle of Camperdown—The boasts of Napoleon—Views on matrimony—A sailor’s courtship—Futile boat...

Ordered to the Black River—Meet the magistrate there, and “bow to his bishop”—Sail with a convoy of thirty ships—Arrive at Deal—A cruise on horseback on a baker’s nag, which con...

Returns to his ship—Capture of a French schooner—An episode with two American sloops of war—Return to Port Royal—Attacked a second time by yellow fever—Seize and burn a Spanish...

Requested to act as first lieutenant, but refuses—Description of officers—A fruitless search for a Spanish treasure ship—Run on a coral reef, but float off again—A tropical thun...

Cruise along West African coast—Dine with Danish consul at Cape Coast Castle—Ordered to Sierra Leone—A trip inland—We proceed to the Los Islands—A trip up the River Pongo—Quell...

Owing to ravages of yellow fever go to Jamaica to obtain more seamen—Difficulties and humours of impressment—Author attacked by yellow fever—Proceed to Cape St. Nicholas mole—Gr...

Return under jury-masts to England—Arrive at Spithead—The admiral, the middy, and the dirk—Join H.M.S. _Diamond_ as first lieutenant—Attached to Lord St. Vincent’s fleet off Bre...

Arrival in West Indies—Cruise among the French islands—Bombardment and capture of St. Pierre, Dominique—Attack on Bourbon—Capture of forts—Surrender of General Rochambeau and th...

Join Lord Nelson’s squadron—Battle of Trafalgar—Author’s experiences—Occurrences during action—Severity of operations before the use of anæsthetics—The _Tonnant’s_ casualty list...

Transhipped to H.M.S. _Queen_ (98)—Sailors’ appreciation of books—The ship runs aground and sinks: with difficulty raised—A mock court-martial on the master—Author made lieutena...

Ordered on foreign service—Visit Madeira, Cape de Verde, and Goree—Experiences on shore—Sail for Cape Coast Castle—Difficulty of landing—The captain’s black lady—Author appointe...

The ship arrives—Captain’s attempt to form a band—Sail again—Attacked by rheumatic fever and invalided ashore—Ordered to join H.M.S. _Tonnant_—Proceed to Mediterranean—At Oran:...

Obtain a passport after some difficulty from Prince Metternich—Start for England _viâ_ Rouen and Havre—Sail to Spithead—Amused at Englishwomen’s queer dress—Return to family—Acq...

Leave to return home for four days—Visit of the Duke of Clarence—Again off Boulogne—Down Channel with a convoy—Boulogne once more—Refit at Plymouth—Return Boulogne—Run aground o...

My new ship—Sail for Belize—Native and alligator—Sail for England with convoy of ships—Hear of peace being signed between Spain and England—Arrive in England—Paid off at Sheerne...

Horses bolt, and cart upsets—Reach Blois after six days’ travelling—Miserable condition of French troops after return from Moscow—Ordered to Gueret on the Creuse—A miserable jou...

Return to Sierra Leone—Dinner party aboard—Sail with convoy of five slave-ships—How the slaves were obtained—Arrive Barbadoes—Sail for Tobago and Trinidad—Visit Pitch Lake—To Ja...

Join the Channel fleet off Ushant—Capture the French frigate _Gentille_, also a twenty-four-gun ship five days later—Fleet returns to Portsmouth—Prize-money—To sea again in char...

Taken prisoner, and removed to Boulogne gaol—Asked to dinner by General Lemaroix—News of Perceval’s assassination—Parole refused—Marched to Montreuil-sur-Mer—On to Hesdin; being...

On the ninth day after joining, we sailed to cruise off Boulogne. The vessel I now commanded was a brig sloop of fourteen 24-pounders, the ship’s company by no means a bad set,...

Meet an Englishman—At last put on parole—Dine with Lieutenant Horton—Proceed to Cambray—Relics of Archbishop Fénélon—Meet Captain Otter at Verdun—Prisoners’ amusements—Author an...

Obtain a passport after some difficulty from Prince Metternich—Start for England _viâ_ Rouen and Havre—Sail to Spithead—Amused at Englishwomen’s queer dress—Return to family—Acq...

Sail for England with despatches—A lunar rainbow—A two-tailed fish—Reach Falmouth after passage of fifteen days—To Plymouth to refit—All leave refused—Sailors’ frolics ashore—To...

Join the Channel fleet off Ushant—Capture the French frigate _Gentille_, also a twenty-four-gun ship five days later—Fleet returns to Portsmouth—Prize-money—To sea again in char...

On shore—Tired of inactivity—Apply for a ship—Appointed to H.M.S. _Minotaur_ (74)—Prisoners sent on board as part of crew—Go to Plymouth—Scarcity of seamen—Ruse to impress an Ir...

Horses bolt, and cart upsets—Reach Blois after six days’ travelling—Miserable condition of French troops after return from Moscow—Ordered to Gueret on the Creuse—A miserable jou...

Requested to act as first lieutenant, but refuses—Description of officers—A fruitless search for a Spanish treasure ship—Run on a coral reef, but float off again—A tropical thun...

Return to Sierra Leone—Dinner party aboard—Sail with convoy of five slave-ships—How the slaves were obtained—Arrive Barbadoes—Sail for Tobago and Trinidad—Visit Pitch Lake—To Ja...

My mother consents to my going to sea—Journey to Portsmouth—Join H.M.S. _Blonde_—Take General Prescott and suite on board—We sail—Supply West Indiamen with provisions and in ret...

Tea with the boatswain’s wife—News of the mutiny at the Nore causes trouble among the sailors—Sent to cruise in consequence—A white squall and waterspout—Capture of a Spanish cr...

A ball on board—Fishing with a seine—Ordered to cruise off Porto Rico—News of the Battle of Camperdown—The boasts of Napoleon—Views on matrimony—A sailor’s courtship—Futile boat...

Ordered to the Black River—Meet the magistrate there, and “bow to his bishop”—Sail with a convoy of thirty ships—Arrive at Deal—A cruise on horseback on a baker’s nag, which con...

Meet an Englishman—At last put on parole—Dine with Lieutenant Horton—Proceed to Cambray—Relics of Archbishop Fénélon—Meet Captain Otter at Verdun—Prisoners’ amusements—Author an...

Returns to his ship—Capture of a French schooner—An episode with two American sloops of war—Return to Port Royal—Attacked a second time by yellow fever—Seize and burn a Spanish...

Leave to return home for four days—Visit of the Duke of Clarence—Again off Boulogne—Down Channel with a convoy—Boulogne once more—Refit at Plymouth—Return Boulogne—Run aground o...

Tough yarns—The sea-serpent—The fair-wind sellers of Bremen—Mermen and mermaidens—Capture of Spanish schooner with mulatto laundresses on board—Boat attack on, and capture of th...

Cruise along West African coast—Dinner with the Danish consul at Cape Coast Castle—Ordered to Sierra Leone—A trip inland—We proceed to the Los Islands—A trip up the River Pongo—...

My new ship—Sail for Belize—Native and alligator—Sail for England with convoy of ships—Hear of peace being signed between England and Spain—Arrive in England—Paid off at Sheerne...

Return under jury-masts to England—Arrive at Spithead—The admiral, the middy, and the dirk—Join H.M.S. _Diamond_ as first lieutenant—Attached to Lord St. Vincent’s fleet off Bre...

Visit to a Jamaica plantation—Condition of the slaves—A growl against the House of Commons and the Admiralty—Author attempting to cut out a Spanish zebec, is taken prisoner—His...

Join Lord Nelson’s squadron—Battle of Trafalgar—Author’s experiences—Occurrences during action—Severity of operations before the use of anæsthetics—The _Tonnant’s_ casualty list...

Ordered on foreign service—Visit Madeira, Cape de Verde, and Goree—Experiences on shore—Sail for Cape Coast Castle—Difficulty of landing—The captain’s black lady—Author appointe...

Transhipped to H.M.S. _Queen_ (98)—Sailors’ appreciation of books—The ship runs aground and sinks: with difficulty raised—A mock court-martial on the master—Author made lieutena...

Taken prisoner, and removed to Boulogne gaol—Asked to dinner by General Lemaroix—News of Perceval’s assassination—Parole refused—Marched to Montreuil-sur-Mer—On to Hesdin; being...

Owing to ravages of yellow fever go to Jamaica to obtain more seamen—Difficulties and humours of impressment—Author attacked by yellow fever—Proceed to Cape St. Nicholas mole—Gr...

The ship arrives—Captain’s attempt to form a band—Sail again—Attacked by rheumatic fever and invalided ashore—Ordered to join H.M.S. _Tonnant_—Proceed to Mediterranean—At Oran:...

Arrival in West Indies—Cruise among the French Islands—Bombardment and capture of St. Pierre, Dominique—Attack on Fort Bourbon—Capture of Forts—Surrender of General Rochambeau a...