the
following certificate of his services, which is interesting as showing
how such certificates were then written, and because of what came of this
particular recommendation:--

"In pursuance of the directions of Sir Roger Curtis, Bart.,
Vice-Admiral of the White and Commander-in-chief of His Majesty's
ships and vessels employed and to be employed at the Cape of Good
Hope and the seas adjacent, dated the 8th July, 1800.

"We have examined Mr. John Murray, who appears to be more than 21
years of age, and has been at sea more than six years in the ships
and qualities undermentioned, viz.:--

|Ships. |Entry. |Quality. |Discharge. |Y.|M.|W.|D.|
|_Duke_ |9 June, 1789 |Able Seaman|2 Dec., 1789 | |5 |2 |2 |
|_Polyphemus_|10 Oct., 1794|Midshipman |7 May, 1797 |2 |7 |2 | |
|_Apollo_ |8 May, 1797 |Mate |27 Dec., 1797| |8 |1 |3 |
|_Blazer_ |2 Jan., 1798 |2nd Master | | | | | |
| | | and Pilot|26 July, 1798| |7 |1 |3 |
|_Porpoise_ |7 Oct.,1798 |Mate |9 July, 1800 |1 |9 | | |
| | | | |6 |1 |3 |1 |

"He produceth journals kept by himself in the _Polyphemus, Apollo_,
and _Porpoise_, and certificates from Captains Lumsdine,
Manly, and Scott, of his diligence and sobriety. He can splice
knots, reef and sail, work a ship in sailing, and shift his tides,
keep a reckoning of the ship's way by plain sailing and Mercator,
observe the sun and stars, and find the variation of the compass,
and is qualified to do the duty of an able seaman and midshipman.

"Given under our hands on His Majesty's ship _Adamant_, in
Simon's Bay, Cape of Good Hope, this 9th day of July, 1800.

"J. Motham, \ Captains of / _(Adamant,_
"Thomas Larcom, | His Majesty's | _Lancaster,_
"Roger Curtis, / ships \ _Rattlesnake_."

The Secretary to the Admiralty wrote to Governor King on May 5th, 1802,
stating that this passing certificate of Mr. Murray's was "an imposition
attempted to be practised in his report of services, and to acquaint you
that they will not, in consequence, give him a commission, nor will they
allow him to pass for an officer at any future period." With this letter
came an enclosure showing that by Mr. Murray's passing certificate "it is
set forth that he served in the _Duke_ from the 9th J