58 ROBERT POCOCK. 



possession, our rents to him to commence from 

 Christmas Day coming. " 



This is a significant paragraph, and probably affords 

 the key to the family discord disclosed in the previous 

 pages. 



It indicates that Pocock parted with his little 

 patrimonial house and shop by sale to his father-in- 

 law, and yet remained a debtor in 200. to him ! 



" Thursday, December 26th. Met with Mr. Cuthbert- 

 son, fifth mate of Asia, bound to East Indies, who 

 promised to bring me home shells ; and met with a 

 medical man, who has sailed to South Seas. Has been 

 on the Isle of Desolation, where a black man has resided 

 several years. Helped by Mr. Bennet of Greenwich, 

 who orders his captain to repair his house when wanted, 

 and when the ships are absent he goes " a sealing/' and 

 sends Mr. B. the skins. The Desolation man's wife 

 keeps a public-house in London. 



"Monday, December 30^. Walked to Chatham 

 and back. Observed many gulls flying over the 

 land. Met at Chatham, behind Gad's Hill, with Mr. 

 H. (a brewer), son of the Kentish historian, who in- 

 formed me his father lives at a town called Corsham in 

 Wiltshire, ninety-six miles from London. Got change 

 at the Chatham bank for a cheque I received from 

 my brother. For the clerk's civility (Mr. Vining) 

 bought a ticket in Dr. Thornton's lottery of him, 

 price two guineas, No. 2965, and so did my friend Mr. 

 C. Twelve field-mice killed by the snow (sijlvaticus). 

 A good print of them in the Eev. Mr. Mindey's 

 ( Memoirs of British Quadrupeds.' " 



