which, must have been great Hardships to her.

When they arrived at the Cape, they there met with the Admiral in the Namur, which was great Joy to them; and our Heroine being disappointed hitherto of meeting her faithless Husband, and now seeing the Fleet all in Company, was in hopes of acquiring some Glory as a Soldier, knowing the Reason of this Fleet’s being fitted out was to annoy the Enemies of her Country, which soon happened according to her Wishes, as the Fleet soon sailed from this Port for Morusus, on which Place they began their first Attack; and though unexperienced in the Use of Arms, except in learning her Exercise, she behaved with an uncommon Bravery, and exerted herself in her Country’s Cause.

This Attack did not hold long; our brave Admiral finding this impracticable, and unwilling to lose his Ships and Men, for whom he had great Regard, left that Place, and sailed for Fort St. David’s, where they arrived in a little Time, and the Marines being put on Shore joined the English Army, and encamped, and in about three Weeks marched and encamped before Elacapong, and laid Siege to it, with an Intent to storm the Place. This fresh Adventure inspired her with fresh Hopes of shewing her undaunted Courage, which she did to the Admiration of her Officers; but on the tenth Day of the Siege, a Shell from the English took the Magazine of the Enemy, and blew it up, which occasioned them to surrender at Discretion.

I cannot help reflecting a little upon the Hardships, Fatigues and Dangers she incountered from the Time she left Lisbon in Europe, till her Arrival before Pondicherry in Asia, so many Vicissitudes, as were sufficient to damp the Spirits of an Alexander or a Cæsar, Storms, Hurricanes and pinching Want, were her Concomitants, pumping an almost wrecked Vessel, was her most constant (tho’ laborious) Employment; seventeen Weeks short Allowance from the Maderas to the Cape of Good Hope, was all she had to subsist upon; Attacks upon fortified Towns, some of which were impregnable, where Bomb-Shells and Cannons were incessantly displaying Death wherever they fell; at other Times, moving, marching, and encamping; I say such Reflections and gloomy Prospects, prove the Cause of many such Hardships and Difficulties even in the most robust of the Masculine Gender, how much more in one of the tender Sex, who are afraid of Shaddows, and shudders at the Pressage of a Dream.

I shall now proceed to their March to Pondicherry, which is but a few Leagues from the forementioned Place; they encamped within about three Miles from the Town, Boscawen being then both Admiral and General, and Major Mount Pleasant informed them with their Intention, which was to storm the Place, which Attack was began by the Ships firing at the Fort, some of which Time they lay Middle-deep in Water in their Trenches: This Attack continued eleven Weeks, part of which Time they had no Bread, most of their Food being Rice; and the many Bombs and Shells thrown among them, killed and wounded many of their Men. During this Space of Time, she behaved with the greatest Bravery and Intrepidity, such as was consistent with the Character of an English Soldier, and though so deep in Water, fired 37 Rounds of Shot, and received a Shot in the Groin, six Shots in one Leg, and five in the other.

The Siege being now broke up, by reason of the heavy Rains, and violent Claps of Thunder, it being the Time of the Year when the Monzoons (for so they are called in that Country) happens, she was sent to an Hospital at Cuddylorom, under the Care of two able Physicians, viz. Mr. Belchier and Mr. Hancock; but she, not willing to be discovered, extracted the Ball out of her Groin herself, and always drest that Wound; and in about three Months was perfectly cured; but most of the Fleet being sailed before her Recovery, she was left behind, and sent on board the Tartar Pink, which then lay in the Harbour, where she remained, doing the Duty of a Sailor, till the Return of the Fleet from Madrass when she was turned over to the Eltham, Captain Lloyd Commander, and sailed for Bombay, where they arrived in about ten Days, being scarce of Hands, having only eight in a Watch, of which she was one; and what made their Fatigue still more, was their being obliged to keep continually at the Pump, the Ship having sprung a Leak in her Larboard Bow.

At Bombay they were obliged to heave the Ship down in Order to clean her Bottom, which kept them there about five Weeks, and then they sailed to Monserrat, to take the Royal Duke Indiaman under Convoy, to bring her to Fort St. David’s where she was gone for Provisions.

At Bombay her Master being on Shore, she was obliged to watch in her turn, as is usual on such Occasions; but being one Night on Duty, Mr. Allen, who then had the Command of the Ship, being on Shore, desired her to sing for him, which she begged that he would excuse, as she was not very well; but he being proud in this his new Employ, as Commander, absolutely commanded her to sing; which she refused to do, as she did not think it any incumbent Duty for a Soldier to sing when commanded so to do, and that by one who was not an Officer in their Core, or had she any Obligations to him; however this Refusal proved of fatal Consequence to her; he ordered her immediately into Irons, which accordingly was done, and continued for the Space of five Days, and then ordered her to have a dozen Lashes, which she had at the Gang-Way of the Ship, and after that sent to the Foretop-mast-head, for four Hours; such is the Cruelty of those that are invested with Power, and do not know how to use it. However, this Man’s Cruelty did not go unpunished; for after there Arival in England, as they were unriging the Ship, one of the Sailors let a Block fall on his Head, which hurt him greatly.

They now, with the Royal Duke, sailed from Montserrat to Fort St. David’s, and was there at the Time of the great Hurricane, when the Namur and Pembroke, and other Ships were lost: The Eltham, of which she was on board, had some Share in the said Hurricane, for she broke her Cables, and was forced to Sea; but happily returned in again to the Port without receiving any great Damage.

Now during her stay here at Fort St. David’s, she had frequent Opportunities, and Causes for Reflection: She went on Shore sundry Times along with some of the Men, where her Ears and her Eyes were often affected with the disagreeable Sound of horrible Oaths, and many lewd Actions and Gestures, such as stripping themselves naked, when they went to swim, a Sight, which however disagreeable it might appear to her, yet she was forced to make a Virtue of Necessity, by openly conforming herself to those rude, indiscreet, and unwomanly Actions, which she silently disfavoured and contemned. But here the unpolished Tars had not Opportunities of extending their Wickedness to such a high Pitch as they would have done, had they had Objects to satiate their brutish Appetites; for there were but a few white Women in the Place; however she saw too much not to be afflicted, lest her Sex should by their impudent, and unlimited Behaviour, be