CHARLES WATERTON, ESQ. xli 



for the benefit of his younger children, I petitioned 

 to be allowed to go out and superintend them ; 

 seeing that there was no chance of travelling with 

 comfort in Europe, on account of the war, which 

 had all the appearance of becoming general. 



Our family found its way to the New World in 

 the following manner : — My father s sister was re- 

 markably handsome. As she was one day walking 

 in the streets of Wakefield, a gentleman, by name 

 Daly, from Demerara, met her accidentally, and fell 

 desperately in love with her : they were married in 

 due course of time, although the family was very 

 much averse to the match. Soon after this, my 

 father s younger brother, who had no hopes at home 

 on account of the penal laws, followed his sister to 

 Demerara, and settled there. 



All having been arranged for my departure, I 

 proceeded to London, where my maternal uncle, 

 the late intrepid Sir John Bedingfeld, who had 

 saved the king's life in the year 1796;, introduced 

 me to Sir Joseph Banks, who ever after took a 

 warm interest in my adventures. He particularly 

 impressed upon my mind his conviction that all 

 low and swampy countries within the tropics are in 

 general very insalubrious, and fatal to Jiuropean 

 constitutions. " You may stay in them," said he 

 to me, " for three years or so, and not sufi'er much. 

 After that period, fever and ague, and probably a 

 liver disease, will attack you, and you will die at 

 last, worn out, unless you remove in time to a more 

 favoured climate. Wherefore," continued he, " as 

 you have not your bread to seek, you must come 



