Life and Character of Nathaniel Bowditch, 5 
by the same captain. The vessel sailed in March, 1796, to Lis- 
bon, touched at Madeira, and then proceeded to Manilla, ; aes 
rived at Salem in May, 1797, after an absence of fourteen months. 
At Madeira, the captain and supercargo were very politely re- 
ceived by Mr. Pintard, the American consul there, to whose house * 
the ship was consigned, and were frequently invited to dine with 
his family. Mrs. Pintard had heard from another American ship- 
master that the young supercargo-was “a great calculator,” and 
she felt a curiosity to test his capacities. Accordingly, she said to 
him one day at dinner, “ Mr. Bowditch, I have a question which I 
should like to have you answer. Some years since,” naming the 
time, “I received a legacy in Ireland. The money was there in- 
vested, and remained some time on interest ; the amount was sub- 
sequently remitted to England, where the interest likewise accu- 
mulated ;-and lately. the whole amount has been remitted to me 
here. What sum ought I to receive?’ Sheof course mentioned 
the precise dates of the several remittances, as she went along. 
Mr. Bowditch laid down his knife and fork, said it was a little. 
difficult, on account of the difference of caRTEnOY and the num- 
ber of the remittances; but squeezing the tips of his fingers, ho & 
said, in about two minutes, “The sum. hould receive is 
£843 15s. 64d.” “ Well, Mr. Cle ntard to the 
head clerk of the house, an’ elderly person, , who was esteemeda 
very skilful accountant, “ you hav been figuring it out for me on 
paper ; has he got itright:” “ Yes, 1 madam,” said the clerk, tak- 
ing his long calculation out.of his pocket, ‘he has got it exactly. 
And I venture to say, that there is not another man on the island 
that can do it in two hours.” _ 
In August, 1798, he sailed in the same ship with oa Prince, 
on his third iezess. to ae shenes othe Mesiterrancatts loaded 
at aA a 
On the foyage T eae Cadiz to Alicant, ey were neinsed by 
a French privateer, and having a strong armament of nineteen 
guns, they prepared for action. The post assigned to Bowditch 
cabin, and his duty was to hand the powder upon deck. 
In the midst a the preparations for the engagement, Captain 
Prince had a curiosity to Iook into the cabin, and see whether all 
things were going on right there ; and, to his astonishment, he 
found Bowditch calmly sitting at the table, with his slate and 
pencil, and figuring away, as usual. abe thing was so ludicrous, 
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