1808.] AfLemerrs of the late Lieutenant-colonel ohn Mordaunt. . 139 
chief. and every thing that could possi- 
bly be dispensed with. At this unlucky 
moment the wind being fair, the signal 
was made for sailing, and the boat’s crew 
were compelled, after a short but active 
search, to put off, with heavy hearts, 
thinking they had’seen their last of their 
favourite. 
John came down to the beach too 
late! The boat was just arriving at the 
ship, which was lying to for ber, and 
sailed immediately from. the Mother- 
bank. What was tobe done? He had 
no money, and not a soul would put off 
on such a trip without being previously 
well paid! The matter was to all ap- 
pearance come to the worst, when seeing 
two watermen at cards in the stern sheets 
of a boat, he was led by an irresistible 
impulse to see how matters went on! 
The owner of the boat was losing his 
money at all-fours, when John requested 
that he might play a hand or two for 
him ; offering to abide himself by any 
loss during his own play. The man 
agreed, and John not only won back the 
losings, but eased his opponent of all his 
money. The waterman was asked to 
take him on board, but no promise of 
money could tempt him; “it was too 
far,” and, ‘“‘mayhap might never get a 
penny by it,” “had been sarved so be- 
fore,” and all the host of objections, 
common among interested persons, were 
raised! At length the waterman, taking 
hold of John’s button, drew him aside 
from the many who were there laughing 
at his misfortune, and said he had ob- 
served, that in dealing there seemed to be 
something uncommon ; besides that, “ He 
had turned up Jack plaguy often,” “ now, 
youne’ne, I’ve a notion that didn’t come 
by nature, and if so be, you'll shew me 
how to dait I will take you aboard at 
all risks.” 
The bargain was strack, the man being 
instructed how to turn up Jack, with the 
aid of three of his friends, sailed and 
rowed with such effect as to get within 
netice of the vessel before dark. The 
sails were backed, and John tacetiously 
observed as he quitted the boat, ‘ Now, 
my honest friend, you have turned up 
Jack im earnest,” meaning that the 
waterman had fairly fulfilled his promise, 
by putting him (John Mordaunt) on 
board. ; 
On his arrival at Madras, John was 
eceived with open-arms by all his coun- 
ymen, according to the practice of those 
ys, when unbonnded hospitality was 
walent: his letters of introduction, 
which had been prudently given in 
charge to the captain of the ship, were 
delivered; and there appears no doubt 
but he might have speedily obtained 
some important situation; but General 
Sir John Clavering, who was then com- 
mander-in-chief in India, and who was, 
accordingly, second in council at Cal- 
cutta, having promised to provide for 
him, John went on to Bengal, where he 
was appointed an honorary aid-de-camp 
to that officer, still retaining his rank on 
the Madras establishment, where he was 
afterwards subjected to much ill wil and 
obloquy ! : 
The general had, no doubt, been pre- 
informed of the gross ignorance under 
which our hero laboured, and was detere 
mined to put his abilities to an early 
test. Accordingly, after a few days en- 
trance on his appointment, John was 
desired to write a letter, conformably to 
leading points furnished by the general, 
to one of the colonels, commanding at an 
upper station. John very readily under-. 
took the office, and in a short tithe re« 
turned to the general’s apartment with 
the letter, written according to the data. 
Sir John did all he could to unravel 
the various pot-hogk. combinations, and 
to arrange them into any thing like pen- 
manship, but in vain! The orthography 
was nota whit better! The general wag 
amazed, but, being willing te know how 
John might have expressed what was 
eutrusted to him to communicate, as the 
oniy means of obtaining that knowledge, 
desired him to read what he had written, 
In this reasonable expectation, the ge. 
neral was, however, compleatly foiled ;. 
his protegé very deliberately saying, 
** that was no part of jis duty: he had 
obeyed the general’s orders by writing 
the jetter; it was the business of the 
colonel to whom it was addregsed, to 
read it !” ce 
It is truly wonderful, that, under the 
consciousness of being so very deficient 
in this branch, and ina circle which is 
so eminent for superior education, such 
as the society in India may fairly claim 
to be, Mordaunt should have taken so 
little, if any, pains to improve himself, 
He surpassed in almost every thing he 
undertook, yet, seemingly, more by in- 
tuition, than by any study or-effort te 
excel. This ignorance in regard to 
writing, was the more remarkable, ag he 
generally cotiversed with perfect pro- 
priety; often indeed with elegance of 
diction, and with’a preeise appropriation 
of his. words to the. particular occasion. 
He 
xu 
