csUi BIOGRAPHY OF THE VICTORY'S CREW. 



(Copy.) 



Gosport, March 31, 1829. 

 Hon. Sir, 



Singular it will appear, but true ; three nights following, a person appeared to 

 me in a dream, and said, " Go with Captain Ross, he will be crowned with success.'''' 

 And not having the smallest thought of such things before, and reading of dreams having 

 led to great discoveries, I put some confidence in this, and make bold to offer my services, 

 should a man of my description be wanted, I am thirty-eight years old, good con- 

 stitution, and understand all tlie undermentioned branches, and have no objection to 

 make myself useful in all to meet satisfaction from my commander: cooking in all 

 its branches ; baking ; butchering ; preserving aU kinds of poultry in cases, retaining 

 their proper flavour, dead for any time ; portable soups ; broths ; brawn ; preserved 

 meat of every kind; game; stuffing birds, and setting them up in their skins; preservmg, 

 &c. 8ec. If any of these professions would be of any utihty in the voyage, I should be 

 happy to join the expechtion. I have been three voyages to the East Indies with one 

 captain now in London, four years and a half in the flag-ship Victory — left four days ago 

 at my own request — can produce discharge and certificates to any gentleman's satisfaction, 

 being all the time as cook to the gentlemen on board ; and should you not have ordered 

 your portable soups, it would be a great saving to let me make them: in fact, we can always 

 renew the stock, when we can obtain fresh meat on the voyage. Honoured Sir, you will 

 confer an honour on me by answering these few lines. 



Your most humble and obedient servant will be truly thankful, 



M. L., Castle Inn, Gosport. 



This application would, of course, have been treated as coming from some one who 

 chose to amuse himself, but having met with an officer of the Victory who actually knew 

 the man, and gave him an excellent character, and being really in search of a cook, 

 I wrote to him that he might join the expedition under my direction, as cook, if he could 

 produce certificates of his discharge, and if the references to his character were found to 

 justify the account he gave of himself, but that he must lose no time. In answer, I re- 

 ceived a note to inform me that I might depend on his joining the ship on Friday ; instead 



