means whereby to inform them of my fate.  For this reason I regret the want of foresight which prevented my beginning some such record at the outset; but as far as I can reasonably judge, my voyage has hitherto been prosperous and without event.  Nevertheless, I will shortly set down what I can remember as worthy of remark before I landed at this city of Bombay, and trust that nothing of importance has slipped my notice.

“On the 3rd of February last I left my home at Lantrig, travelling by coach to Plymouth, where I slept at the ‘One and All’ in Old Town Street, being attracted thither by the name, which is our Cornish motto.  The following day I took passage for Bombay in the Golden Wave, East Indiaman, Captain Jack Carey, which, as I learnt, was due to sail in two days.  It had been my intention, had no suitable vessel been found at Plymouth, to proceed to Bristol, where the trade is much greater; but on the Barbican—­a most evil-smelling neighbourhood—­it was my luck to fall in with a very entertaining stranger, who, on hearing my case, immediately declared it to be a most fortunate meeting, as he himself had been making inquiries to the same purpose, and had found a ship which would start almost immediately.  He had been, it appeared, a lawyer’s clerk, but on the death of his old employer (whose name escapes my memory), finding his successor a man of difficult temper, and having saved sufficient money to be idle for a year or two, had conceived the wish to travel, and chosen Bombay, partly from a desire to behold the wonders of the Indies, and partly to see his brother, who held a post there in the East India Company’s service.  Having at the time much leisure, he kindly offered to show me the vessel, protesting that should I find it to my taste he was anxious for the sake of the company to secure a passage for himself.  So very agreeable was his conversation that I embraced the opportunity which fortune thus threw in my way.  The ship, on inspection, proved much to our liking, and Captain Carey of so honest a countenance, that the bargain was struck without more ado.  I was for returning to the ‘One and All,’ but first thought it right to acquaint myself with the name of this new friend.  He was called Simon Colliver, and lived, as he told me, in Stoke, whither he had to go to make preparation for this somewhat hasty departure, but first advised me to move my luggage from the ‘One and All’ (the comfort of which fell indeed short of the promise of so fair a name) to the ‘Welcome Home,’ a small but orderly house of entertainment in the Barbican, where, he said, I should be within easy distance of the Golden Wave.  The walk to Old Town Street was not far in itself, but a good step when traversed five or six times a day; and, moreover, I was led to make the change on hearing that the landlord of the ‘Welcome Home’ was also intending to sail as seaman in this same ship.  My new acquaintance led me to the house, an ill-favoured-looking den, but clean inside, and after a short consultation with John Railton, the landlord, arranged for my entertainment until the Golden Wave should weigh anchor.  This done, and a friendly glass taken to seal the engagement, he departed, congratulating himself warmly on his good fortune in finding a fellow-traveller so much, as he protested, to his taste.