ourselves, than of the other officers
concerned: We stand or fall by the truth; if truth will not support us,
nothing can.

In our voyage from the Brazil to Lisbon, we were obliged to you for the
generous treatment we met with from an enemy, a subject of Spain, a person
of distinction, and a passenger in the same ship: your virtues have
procured you the esteem even of your enemies.

Your zeal for the national service deserves the love of every honest
Briton: to leave an abundant fortune, your family, and your country, to
hazard your life in the most perilous expeditions, with no other motive
than to retrieve the honour of the nation, shows the spirit of a true
British hero, and deserves the highest commendations.

That you, sir, may never deviate from your integrity, but continue a terror
to the enemies of Britain, an honour to his majesty's service, and an
ornament to your country, are the sincere wishes of,

Honourable Sir,
Your most dutiful,
And most obedient
Humble Servants,
John Bulkeley,
John Cummins.

BULKELEY'S NARRATIVE.

PREFACE.

As an Introduction, we think proper to acquaint the reader with our reasons
for causing the following sheets to be made public to the world. The chief
motive which induced us to this task, was to clear our characters, which
have been exceedingly blemished by persons who, (next to Heaven) owe the
preservation of their lives to our skill and indefatigable care; and who
having an opportunity of arriving before us in England, have endeavoured to
raise their reputation on the ruin of ours.

It will appear to the reader, on perusal of the following pages, that this
journal was attempted to be taken from us by violence at Rio Janeiro; that
we have preserved it at the hazard of our lives; that there was no journal
kept after the loss of the ship, by any officers but ourselves; and if we
had not been careful in making remarks on each day's transactions, persons
must have continued in the dark, in relation to all the subsequent
proceedings.

It is a very usual thing to publish voyages, especially when the navigators
have met with any extraordinary events. We believe our expedition, though
it was not a secret, is allowed to be an extraordinary one, consequently
attended with extraordinary events: Indeed, while the commodore was with
us, every thing went well; but when the squadron separated, things began to
have a new face: After the loss of the Wager, there was