service and greater deserts than myself, I was again cast adrift in the world.

CHAPTER XV.

Employed on a shipwreck.

THE relation whom I had left, was at this juncture employed, by his brother-underwriters at Lloyd's, to go down to a very rich ship, the Bien Aimée, lost near the buoy of the Spaniard, off the Isle of Sheppy. He wished me to accompany and aid him in recovering what could be saved of her cargo: this suited me well.

We went and examined the wreck. She had been sadly plundered by boats of all descriptions from Whitstable, Feversham, Queenborough, Sheerness, and the neighbouring places, as well. as by people on shore, at the Isle of Sheppy and wherever the packages drifted on her breaking up.

Having been round to all these places, and advertised salvage to be paid for all that would be delivered up, 1 was left to manage as well as I could. I made Sheerness my head-quarters, where they were paying off and dismantling se

veral ships of war, to be laid up in ordinary: the place was therefore all alive, and for the time it lasted I like this undertaking well enough.

In the progress of it, I was witness to some curious scenes. The outer package of a box of jewellery being found on the beach, it was certain the articles were in the possession of some person who had no intention to deliver them up: it was valued at three thousand pounds. Searchwarrants were executed, and in every house that was searched, throughout the island, considerable quantities of articles were found, brought from the wreck; and, among others, in the clergyman's house at Minster. The information against him was laid by a miller, whom he had threshed upon the shore, for disputing the possession of a packed cask, with bottles of green and yellow usquebaugh; when the parson, gaining the victory, obtained the prize with two fine black eyes in the bargain.

His and many other houses were half stowed with liquors of every description, cheeses, hams, haberdashery in great abundance, and variety of broad cloths, linen-drapery, hardware of all sorts, hosiery, hats, a few common silver and metal watches, with articles of almost every kind, except the jewellery; that was never found.

The plunder was very great; much was recovered but much more lost. The spirit for plunder seemed to pervade all ranks living near the

shore, and all other labour ceased the day fol lowing a gale of wind. Men, women, and children, were on the shore, looking out for articles, which they deemed their own property as soon as they touched or moved them, and of course numberless quarrels and battles ensued.

A faint idea of this all-prevailing spirit may be gathered from the following circumstance. I was riding towards the east end of the island, and, coming to a cross way, was uncertain of my road; but, hearing some one threshing in a barn, I rode up and inquired of the man which of the roads would take me to a public-house I wanted, the sign of the "Sloop a-ground." The man stared; and, asking what I said, I repeated that I wanted to be shewn the way to the "Sloop a-ground." "Ha!" said the fellow, "another ship-aground!" and, jumping over the hatch-boards of the barn-door, ran away to the shore without another word.

This employment over, I was at a loss which way to turn myself, when my relation again tried to persuade me to follow his business; but nothing short of active adventure could, at that time of life, satisfy me. The rebuffs which I had already received from Fortune rather increased than diminished my thirst for travel, yet it was difficult to know what course to steer.

CHAPTER XVI..

A trip up the Baltic; a present from Sir George Macartney to Lord Holland; a pleasant frolic at Holland-house..

THE Russian service began to be talked of, as well suited for young men, who, at the close of the war, being discharged from the navy, became in a manner destitute. A short summer's trip up the Baltic soon satisfied me that service would not do. It was not mere bread I wanted; that I could have had at home with my relation.

It was a more difficult appetite, which my growing strength, spirits, and activity, induced me to think I possessed the power to gratify: the more extravagant and romantic, the greater the temptation, and I considered it a heavy misfortune that nothing of the kind offered,

Sir George Macartney was then ambassador at Petersburgh: he sent home a present to Lord Holland of some large Russian sheep and a car- muncle tent. Being entrusted with the delivery, I went with the tent one day, and a few days after I likewise delivered the sheep at Holland- house.

On my first visit with the tent, I had been so pleasantly entreated to dine at the second table with the steward, butler, cook, Mrs. Housekeeper, my lady's gentlewoman, and his lordship's gentleman, that I had no inclination to refuse. It was the best served table and the best attended I had ever seen. We seemed mutually pleased with each other; they, in their inquiries after the strange things I had seen abroad, and myself in relating what I had or had not seen, according to the bent of their questions. Nor can I, in truth, deny that some of the articles were a little embellished.

Among other questions, I was asked what a carmuncle tent was? which, not to appear ignorant, although I had never seen one fixed, I gave some extravagant account of, in terms they could not well understand; and, unfortunately, to a question, if it was easy to set up, I had answered, “yes; not difficult at all to those who have seen them." Now this, which was said in innocent gaiety of heart, proved a terrible breeder of lies; for, when I went again with the sheep, the steward was very happy to see me, saying his lordship would be greatly obliged to me to put them in a way to set up this curious tent, he, Mr. Steward, having informed his lordship I was perfectly acquainted with the nature of those tents, which I had described

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