27 November 1809
---[O]n the 27th.. of Novr.. the Commodore made signal for the appearance of land, & of caution; this signal was made about three o'clock in the morning, Captain P. went directly on Deck where he dress'd himself in the cold, he had not been very well for some days before, but at breakfast that morning he found himself taken very ill; he had always express'd his abhorrence of Doctors, & that for his part when he was unwell, he did not wish to see any person; but to be left entirely to himself; however an acute rheumatism attended with total inability, soon concerned us that his opinions when well, were very different from his conduct when sick; he was more impatient and restless than any person I ever saw sick, his Servants had not a moments rest by day or night, when he was awake he kept two or three persons about him in constant employment. [H]is cabin was indeed very confined, Coll.. M. offer'd him the use of one of ours; he seem'd to think it quite a blessing, & said he would move there, but how to effect this was the question, for he had not the smallest power of motion, & was afraid to be touch'd -- when the time came for this grand removal our Servant Joseph & Mrs.. Ovens were singled out of many persons present, as the most able bodied men. They accordingly set to work, and got the Captain in their arms -- I was in the next Cabin & hear'd him roar out. Avast Avast Avast; Avast heaving! now lower me handsomely; by this time they got him on a chair, & here he was allow'd to rest, having yet to perform the journey thro' the Mess Cabin to the one he was to sleep in. ---[A]t last they began to renew the attack, and so did he, with as many orders as he had breath to pronounce words. -- Skull [sic] me forward I say, have a care of my larbord side, now hoist altogether. -- hold on -- you must heave me in at the larbord side -- now hoist me, slew me round to the starbord side -- steady -- these with a few other expressions which it is as well to forget, were as liberally applied to these two Men as if they had been Sea Men -- at last he was lodged in his Cott, and there we thought he was to remain during his illness -- but in the morning when we sent to enquire for our neighbour, the Bird was flown; we had no sooner left him for the night than he sent for a band of Sailors, & had himself transported back to his old birth, [sic] perhaps with as much ceremony, but certainly with less noise than when he quitted it. ---[[O]ne certain rule he says he must insist on, which is, never to be left alone; as for the Doctor he sends for him at any hour of the night which strikes his fancy, and constantly thro' the day; but the worst of it is he can neither say nor do any thing to please him. [A]s to the appearance of land which seem'd to be the immediate cause of his illness, it vanish'd with the morning sun.
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