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THE ADVENTURES AND MISFORTUNES OF A CORNISHMAN 



loo YEARS AGO. 



Communicated by FRANCIS J. STEPHENS. 



The following letter bearing date August .^th, 1799, was 

 handed to me by a relative some time ago, and as the contents 

 chronicle a peculiarly interesting and adventurous career even for 

 that most exciting period, I have thought that others might also 

 find it of interest. 



The writer of the letter John Debell or Deeble was a 

 Cornishman. He was the son of a ropemaker, one Robert 

 Deeble of Looe, who carried on business at Copperhouse, Hayle, 

 between 1754 and 1780, and was succeeded there by the writer's 

 great grandfather. Some memories of this John Deeble are still 

 handed down as traditionary lore. He seems to have been a very 

 powerful but rather reckless man, and on one occasion is said to 

 have entered the ropery at Hayle and to have lifted bodily off the 

 "stakes" a huge cable reeking with tar, thereby destroying utterly 

 a "sponger" new coat which he wore. The John Hannam to 

 whom he writes was also a Cornishman. Both names still occur 

 in the county. 



Little is known of Debell's after life, but there is every reason 

 to suppose that fortune "turned her wheel," and that the ill-luck 

 which so persistently seems to have dogged his steps left him at 

 last in quieter waters. 



The letter is as follows : — 



London, August 4th, 1 799. 



" To John Hannam, Jun., Merchant, 

 Plymouth Dock. 



" Dear Hannam, 



" Referring you to my letter of Friday last, I now proceed to 

 acquaint you with various matters which have occurred since I had 

 last the pleasure to see you in this city. Having reached Harwich 

 [date circa 1793 F.J.S.] I embarked on board the Packet for 

 Halvoetluycht, where I safely arrived in about 19 hours, and in 



