CHARLES WATERTON, ESQ. xlvii 



of the Navy Pay-Office. When he had finished his 

 story, I told him that Mr. Bedingfeld was my uncle. 



I was breakfasting one morning on board the 

 Acasta, when I perceived that Captain Beaver 

 seemed to be very particular in having his crest on 

 different articles of furniture in the cabin : his crest 

 was a beaver, and mine is an otter. My uncle 

 Bedingfeld had invented a dagger of curious con- 

 struction, adapted to the boarding of vessels. I had 

 got one made in London, under his directions. It 

 was silver-mounted, and had my crest upon it ; so 

 I begged Captain Beaver to accept it as a keep- 

 sake from me. I mention this little anecdote merely 

 in order that his relatives may know whence the 

 dagger came, should it be now in their possession. 



Whilst I was waiting in Bridgetown for Admiral 

 Cochrane's return from the Saintes, a letter arrived 

 to inform me that there was no necessity for my 

 proceeding to the Orinoco, as all the English 

 gentlemen were safe. They had risen on the 

 Spanish crew, at the mouth of the Orinoco, and 

 had retaken their vessel. During the scuffle, poor 

 little Lynch got jostled overboard and was drowned, 

 being the only white man who lost his life in the 

 fray. After the retaking of the vessel, our English- 

 men steered for Tobago, whither they arrived just 

 in time to save their lives, for they were nearly in a 

 dying state for want of water. 



I left Barbadoes with regret. It was head-quar- 

 ters, during the war, for the navy and the army. 

 Our troops and tars kept it in one perpetual round 

 of gaiety. 



