date

Saturday Aug t 28 th 1779. I think
Saturday Aug t 28 th 1779.

I think I have heard you say that when you find it necessary you could at any time set your stomach Hottentot

fashion. I now find it necessary to set all my senses Hottentot fashion: but thank my Stars I have been able

to do it tollerably well. I caught such a cold in my neck the night before last as made it all day yesterday

so stiff as not only to give me very great pain when I moved the neck itself but even my back or

arms. I never had any thing like it before. I was then perfectly indifferent about getting on in

my voyage; but however I have almost got rid of it today. Conceive how happy I must be unable

to sit up, and affraid to come on deck for fear of increasing my cold. We had a little

fair wind for a few hours this morning which encouraged our Captain to leave the River:

now the wind is again turned against us, but nevertheless I hope we may reach Margate

this evening. I have no expectations of reaching Helvootslys in less than a week from the

time of our sailing. I sent a letter with the boat ashore yesterday at a little village

just below Lee in Essex. It was a great mortification that I could not go with it myself

and stretch my legs a little, especially as I was a little inclined to be sea sick at that time

My companion the hair Merchant & I mess together socially enough . I set him to exercise his

old profession to day in combing out my hair in which he was well paid for his pains by

the pleasure of admiring the quantity of it. The German & Dutch Grammars

are my standing amusements but they were not to be born yesterday. I have also partly

from my own observation and partly by means of Queries put to the Captain informed myself

of such particulars relating to our Vessel as I thought worth attending to. If my fellow

Passengers are a little blackguard or so, they are tollerably quiet and intelligent enough in their way.

One who is a J e farmer and a bit of a Chemist upon learning that I had a stiff neck set about mixing up some

volatile salt spirit & oil of almonds for me to bathe my neck with: by this he got a Shilling

though I could not apply it myself nor could I set any body else about it who I liked to

come so near me. Another of our company is a German Taylor . 2 others Dutch seamen who

have been in our service. An old cast off servant and lastly a young fellow who has travelled

a great deal is very well informed, but very shabby & vulgar in his appearance and such a one as

I should very ill like to meet with on the road unless I was well guarded. This strange

mixture all together make a very tractable civil company. I am in such good spirits

to day with having got so nearly rid of my stiff neck that I seem disposed to bear very

patiently the unexpected length of our voyage. My only fear at present is how you will have contrive d

to have given some account of me to my father, without making necessary that he should

know of my having left England till I am actually safe landed in Holland.

I will have a letter ready written to dispatch the instant I land in case of a Vessel

being to sail from thence at that time. There might be a possibility of my meeting

with Charles but I have no direction where to enquire for him.

Sunday Evening. The Stinks were very bad last night so that even though I held my nose as well

as I could it was scarcely supportable. The honours however which I am near admitted to fund me in employment

the greatest part of the night. Yesterday evening upon observing an occasion on which the Captain would
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    may safely say, for the first time in that part of the world. As soon

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    a

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