particularly in regard to cleanliness, accommodation, diet, and discipline.
We met with nothing material in our passage, and arrived at Spithead on the
1st of January, 1742-3. Here we thought of nothing but going ashore
immediately to our families, but were told by the captain, we must not stir
out of the ship till he knew the pleasure of the l----ds of the A----y,
having already wrote to them concerning us. This was a very great
affliction to us, and the more so, because we thought our troubles at an
end. The carpenter and myself were in view of our habitations; our families
had long given us over for lost, and on the news of our safety, our
relatives look'd upon us as sons, husbands, and fathers, restor'd to them
in a miraculous manner. Our being detain'd on board gave them great
anxiety; we endeavour'd to console 'em as well as we could, being assured,
that we had done nothing to offend their l----s; that if things were not
carried on with that order and regularity which is strictly observ'd in the
navy, necessity drove us out of the common road. Our case was singular;
since the loss of the ship, our chiefest concern was for the preservation
of our lives and liberties, to accomplish which, we acted according to the
dictates of nature, and the best of our understanding. In a fortnight's
time, their l----ps order'd us at liberty, and we instantly went ashore to
our respective habitations, having been absent from thence about two years
and six months.

After we had staid a few days with our families, we came to London, to pay
our duties to the l----ds of the A----y. We sent in our journal for, their
l----ps' inspection: They had before received a narrative from the l----t,
which narrative he confesses to be a relation of such things as occur'd
to his memory; therefore of consequence could not be so satisfactory as a
journal regularly kept. This journal lay for some time in the a----y
o----e, when we were order'd to make an abstract, by way of narrative, that
it might not be too tedious for their l----ps' perusal. After the narrative
was examined into, their l----ps, upon our petition, were pleased to fix a
day for examining all the officers lately belonging to the Wager. The
gentlemen appointed to make enquiry into the whole affair were three
commanders of ships, persons of distinguish'd merit and honour. However, it
was afterwards thought proper not to admit us to any examination, till the
arrival of the commodore, or e