280 ADVENTURES AND MISFORTUNES OF A CORNISHMAN. 



" By this time I had quitted Holland and arrived with my wife 

 and child from Flushing in the packet to Deal, where, after coming 

 up to London, I left them, and went back to Holland in a 

 smuggling vessel and got again to Amsterdam, where my former 

 employer (when I was clerk there) sent me to Moscow, in Russia, 

 to settle a long and very intricate amount and for other purposes, 

 which I effected to their satisfaction. After several months 

 absence I then came over to England again and brought my family 

 from Deal to London, and soon afterwards got a temporary 

 employment of £,is° ^ year, but as I was in debt I found it 

 necessary to keep quiet and say nothing to anybody." [a very 

 candid confession on the part of Mr. John Debell]. 



" In a little time afterwards a gentleman of great fortune, 

 formerly a merchant at St. Domingo, arrived in London, and 

 having a great deal of business to settle wanted a clerk. I was 

 recommended to him, and as he spoke but little English and 

 never was in this country before, he found me of so much service 

 that he earnestly desired me to go with him to France and Italy, 

 where he had likewise many long accounts to wind up, he agreeing 

 to maintain my family during my absence ****** 

 Seeing nothing better to be done, I assented to it (he having 

 procured me a passport as an American) ; we accordingly set out 

 and went to Bordeaux, afterwards to Genoa, Nice, Leghorn, etc., 

 etc., and after ten months absence I returned by way of Hamburgh, 

 leaving him at Lyons in France." 



" I then got a temporary situation in the house of Schneider 

 and Co., here in London, which lasted but three months. At 

 this time the gentleman I had left at Lyons returned to England 

 again and once more employed me." 



" Knowing that I had property in America [it is not quite 

 clear whether Mr. Debell refers to himself or the gentleman from 

 San Domingo] to the amount of £go a year, and that I had never 

 been able to get any remittance, I determined, if possible (there 

 being six years rent due) to go there, and accordingly gave 

 security by bond to my old employers in Amsterdam for ;^ioo, 

 which a friend here was to pay to my wife during my absence at 

 so much a month." 



" This being settled, I sailed from Gravesend on the 4th 

 December last, in the " Caroline," Capt. Cook, and proceeded to 



