ve qualified myself
for a mate or lieutenant, if not for a master. But as it was always my
fate to choose for the worse, so I did here; for having money in my
pocket and good clothes upon my back, I would always go on board in the
habit of a gentleman; and so I neither had any business in the ship, nor
learned to do any.

It was my lot first of all to fall into pretty good company in London,
which does not always happen to such loose and misguided young fellows as
I then was; the devil generally not omitting to lay some snare for them
very early; but it was not so with me. I first got acquainted with the
master of a ship who had been on the coast of Guinea; and who, having had
very good success there, was resolved to go again. This captain taking a
fancy to my conversation, which was not at all disagreeable at that time,
hearing me say I had a mind to see the world, told me if I would go the
voyage with him I should be at no expense; I should be his messmate and
his companion; and if I could carry anything with me, I should have all
the advantage of it that the trade would admit; and perhaps I might meet
with some encouragement.

I embraced the offer; and entering into a strict friendship with this
captain, who was an honest, plain-dealing man, I went the voyage with
him, and carried a small adventure with me, which, by the disinterested
honesty of my friend the captain, I increased very considerably; for I
carried about 40 pounds in such toys and trifles as the captain directed
me to buy. These 40 pounds I had mustered together by the assistance of
some of my relations whom I corresponded with; and who, I believe, got my
father, or at least my mother, to contribute so much as that to my first
adventure.

This was the only voyage which I may say was successful in all my
adventures, which I owe to the integrity and honesty of my friend the
captain; under whom also I got a competent knowledge of the mathematics
and the rules of navigation, learned how to keep an account of the ship's
course, take an observation, and, in short, to understand some things
that were needful to be understood by a sailor; for, as he took delight
to instruct me, I took delight to learn; and, in a word, this voyage made
me both a sailor and a merchant; for I brought home five pounds nine
ounces of gold-dust for my adventure, which yielded me in London, at my
return, almost 300 pounds; and this filled me with those aspiring
thoughts which h