555 



and, from what he had heard from me, was 

 debating with them. He asked me to sit 

 dov/n, and, in conversation with these cap- 

 tains, I, from their defence, discovered their 

 forte. The fact is this : these captains re- 

 ceive twenty-five guineas a man for passage ; 

 and they can carry them for less than five 

 pounds in provision ; so that they get twen- 

 ty guineas by each passenger. Five pounds 

 will maintain a man from thirty to sixty 

 days very well on salt pork, potatoes, and 

 coarse biscuit, with water to drink. The 

 greatest number of residents in Liverpool 

 are benefited by this business : for the cap- 

 tain buys meat of one person, bread of a 

 second, porter of a third, ropes of a fourth, 

 butter of a fifth, &c. I have been amazed 

 how those abominable lies come to be told 

 of the general prosperity of America, 

 knowing it to be much to the contrary : 

 but the cause is plain. Most men will say 

 something for the sake of gain, especially 

 captains of those sort of ships. They ad- 

 vertise in the newspapers good accommo- 



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