of getting away. At last we
agreed with the master of a Dutch dogger to land us at Dover, and paid him
beforehand.

When we had got down the river into the road, a French privateer that was
almost ready to sail upon a cruize, hailed the Dutchman, and told him to
come to an anchor, and that if he offered to sail before him he would sink
him. This he was forced to comply with, and lay three days in the road,
cursing the Frenchman, who at the end of that time put to sea, and then we
were at liberty to do the same. We had a long uncomfortable passage. About
the ninth day, before sunset, we saw Dover, and reminded the Dutchman of
his agreement to land us there. He said he would, but instead of that in
the morning we were off the coast of France. We complained loudly of this
piece of villainy, and insisted upon his returning to land us, when an
English man of war appeared to windward, and presently bore down, to us.
She sent her boat on board with an officer, who informed us that the ship
he came from was the Squirrel, commanded by Captain Masterton. We went on
board of her, and Captain Masterton immediately sent one of the cutters he
had with him to land us at Dover, where we arrived that afternoon, and
directly set out for Canterbury upon post-horses; but Captain Cheap was so
tired by the time he got there, that he could proceed no farther that
night.

The next morning he still found himself so much fatigued, that he could
ride no longer; therefore it was agreed that he and Mr Hamilton should take
a post-chaise, and that I should ride: but here an unlucky difficulty was
started, for upon sharing the little money we had, it was found to be not
sufficient to pay the charges to London; and my proportion fell so short,
that it was, by calculation, barely enough to pay for horses, without a
farthing for eating a bit upon the road, or even for the very turnpikes.
Those I was obliged to defraud, by riding as hard as I could through them
all, not paying the least regard to the men, who called out to stop me. The
want of refreshment I bore as well as I could.

When I got to the Borough, I took a coach and drove to Marlborough-street,
where my friends had lived when I left England; but when I came there, I
found the house shut up. Having been absent so many years, and in all that
time never having heard a word from home, I knew not who was dead or who
was living, or where to go next, or even how to pay the coachman. I
recollected