urney
which I was three days in accomplishing. On the fourth day I reached the
place of destination; and, having made my report to the commandant of
Chelsea, I returned to join the regiment at Dartford. Here we remained
for about a week or ten days, receiving the greatest kindness from the
gentlemen in that town and its vicinity. From thence the regiment was
ordered to Nottingham, and I obtained leave of absence to proceed home.

My primary object in coming to England was the hope of seeing my father;
and I anxiously availed myself of the opportunity which now offered of
revisiting my native village, full of anticipation of the pleasure with
which I should relate my adventures to all who had formerly known me.
The coach which was to convey me to the village of my birth, had not
proceeded many miles, when a coincidence happened, which, though "true
as holy writ," might be thought, without this assurance, to bear the
marks of fiction. On the coach, next to me, sat a pilot from Aldborough,
in Suffolk, who, suddenly addressing himself to me, said, "I really
cannot help thinking, Sir, from your extraordinary resemblance to a
person I once knew, that you are his son." The words, "_once_ knew,"
turned my blood cold, and it was some minutes before I could muster
courage to ask the name of the person to whom he referred. What was my
astonishment when he at once replied, "Shipp!" "Is he then dead, Sir?"
exclaimed I, convinced now that it was my father of whom he spoke. "I
regret to say he is," replied the pilot; and he added, while his lip
quivered, and the tear of sympathy stood in his eye, "You are his son
John--I feel sure that I cannot be mistaken now." At this moment the
coach stopped to change horses, and I jumped off, and, instead of
supping with the rest of the passengers, took a solitary stroll, to hide
my grief. I had left India at a great sacrifice to my prospects. There
were all my friends, and there lay all my interest. I might have made a
very advantageous exchange, and remained in that country; but I could
not resist the temptation of coming to England, from anticipations of
the delight I should enjoy in recounting my life to a parent who had
almost from my infancy been estranged from me. I had now heard, in the
sudden and unexpected manner I have related, of that parent's death!
But, not to dwell long on this painful subject, I made up my mind, that,
notwithstanding what I had just learnt, I would still proceed to