his house would have been much more con⚫venient for me than my uncle's, though it is

⚫ likewise a good deal out of my way, but it is

at least a mile and a half nearer Temple

Bar than my uncle's. It will not be pos

sible for me to live here when I come up

again, because I am at such a distance from

anybody I have any connexion with, that before I have seen two people my morning

is past. My uncle made me a present of an 'excellent sword; it is likewise a very pretty one. I have a gold-laced hat with a fierce

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' regimental cock to it, which would frighten any Frenchman that ever was. This is the 'first time I ever knew the use of a fierce hat, • but you will agree with me that it is of the greatest. I set off for certain on the 23d ⚫ of this month. Mr. Beaumont, your friend,

whom I met here, is going down that very 'same day; he asked me to make a third in

his post-chaise, which I readily agreed to, 'but last night he called upon me to say that his companion could not go down yet, but that that should not hinder me from going;

'told him that it was impossible for me to go, except he could find a third; upon this, he 'said, that he would be purser, and I should 'give him the same money as if we were 'three, and that he would take care of the rest; this I positively refused; I told him, if 'he could find a third, good and well, but, ' otherwise, I could not possibly have the pleasure of his company. I am to have an answer to-day ; but at all events, I will go in 'the Fly on Monday the 23d, if no third per'son is to be found. I wrote the other day 'to my mother, acquainting her when I 'should be in Glasgow. Farewell, my dear

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Papa, I hope to find a letter from you lying ' at Glasgow.

"Your most affectionate Son,

'JOHN MOOre.'

Ensign Moore to his mother in Glasgow:

In my Barrack-Room, George Town,

'Island of Minorca, 3d Feb., 1777.

'Dear Mother, I arrived here seventeen

'or eighteen days ago, after waiting very

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'near a month at Marseilles for the packet.

By the letter I wrote from that place, you

may have seen that I did not find the time

lie heavy on my hand. I was constantly ' with Mr. Lindsay, while I was at Marseilles, 'who is an exceedingly good kind of lad. You 'will think, dear Mother, that it is very ' unkind in me not to have written to you 'sooner; but be assured, had it been in my power, I certainly would, long ago, but the packet has been detained, partly on account ' of the weather, and partly from some letters the General expected by the sloop, which

' is not yet arrived, but expected every day ;

however, though it is not yet certain when

the packet may sail, yet we are obliged to have our letters ready.

I suppose my Brothers are going every 'day to the post-office, and Jeanie prophe

sying every morning at breakfast. I will

' endeavour as seldom as I can, to make

' them return and her prophecy unsuccess

ful; but nevertheless you never must depend upon hearing from me regularly. I

VOL. II.

T

have been hitherto, I must confess, exceed'ingly lucky, I have got into one of the best

6

' regiments in the service (the 51st); as to 'officers, I never knew such a number of 'fine gentlemanly lads. General Murray

'told me he did not believe there was such a corps of officers in the army; there is no such thing as either drinking or gambling going on. The Colonel dines and sups at our mess; all the married officers live in one wing of the barracks, and the unmarried in the other; the latter mess together, and as Colonel Pringle has not brought his wife ' with him, he lives with us. We are exceedingly well lodged; I have got a room as large as your drawing-room, and two closets,

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.6

one for my servant, and the other where I

sleep in; they are each as large as the room I slept in at Glasgow; elder officers have 'much more room, but for my part I think I ' have got plenty..

'I was obliged to stay above a week in an inn at Mahon, which is a mile and a half 'from this, (and where the Governor resides,)

'till I could get bedding, &c. bought, for

you

are only allowed the four stone walls, a chim'ney-shovel, and fender. I was obliged to get sheets and blankets, towels, chairs, &c.,

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made, which if I had remembered, I could have got most of these things in Britain, 'both cheaper and better, for they make you pay excessively dear for all these kind of ⚫ things.

'The Medway, the ship Graham is rated a midshipman in, is lying here at present. I • have dined both with Admiral Mann and Captain Affleck, the latter inquired very 'much about my Brother, and when he would 'come out. All the people I have had letters ' to have been exceedingly kind to me, espe

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cially General Murray, who you know is one ' of the best officers in the service, and a

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very agreeable fine old soldier; he is now

making all kind of preparations in case of a 'siege, and the officers of every regiment take it by turns to visit the subterraneans, that 'they may be perfectly acquainted with them ' in case of a siege. James, if he has begun