il, and away
we bowled for the Gulf of Florida. We touched at the Caymans for turtle,
and were cheated as usual. Nothing particular occurred during our passage
but our nearly being run down by one of the ships of the convoy, and my
having my left shoulder unshipped by being washed off one of the weather
guns by a heavy sea, which obliged me to keep my cot for more than a
fortnight. The eighth week brought us in sight of the Land's End, when we
repeated the signal for the convoy to separate for their respective ports.
Those bound to London kept company with us as far as the Downs. I longed
to be once more on my native shore, but I was doomed to be mortified for
two days, as the surf on the beach was too high to admit a boat to land.
On the third day I jumped on shore with a light heart and a thin pair of
trousers, and repaired to the "Hoop and Griffin." I had a desperate desire
to have a cruise on horseback. I rang the bell, which was answered by one
of the finest formed young women I ever beheld. I was taken aback, and my
heart, which I had brought from the West Indies, went like the handle of
the chain pumps up and down. "What do you please to want, sir," said she,
with a most musically toned voice. I blushed and modestly requested to
have a horse as soon as he could be got ready. "I am really sorry, sir,"
answered she, "that all our horses are post-horses, but" continued she,
with the gentlest accent in this world and probably many more, "we will
procure you one." "Many thanks," said I; "and will you oblige me by
sending up some bread and butter with some oysters, but not those which
are gathered from the mangrove trees," for I had the West Indies in my
mind. "Gathered from trees!--oysters from trees! I never heard of such a
thing before," said she, and she went laughing out of the room. The waiter
soon appeared with what I had ordered, and a foaming tankard of ale which
I had forgotten to order. During my repast I envied no one. I was as happy
as a city alderman at a Lord Mayor's feast; I could not contain myself or
believe I was in England; I could not sit quietly in my chair; I paced the
room, jumped, rubbed my hands and head, and in one of my ecstatic fits I
rang the bell. My beautiful maid (not Braham's) entered as I was cutting a
caper extraordinary. "Did you ring, sir?" said she with a smile becoming
an angel. "I believe I did," I replied, "but I am not certain. I scarcely
know what I am about. I have eaten my oys