In this dastardly Age of the World, when Effeminacy and Debauchery have
taken Place of the Love of Glory, and that noble Ardor after warlike
Exploits, which flowed in the Bosoms of our Ancestors, genuine Heroism, or
rather an extraordinary Degree of Courage, are Prodigies among Men. What
Age, for Instance, produces a _Charles_ of _Sweden_, a _Marlborough_, or a
Prince _Eugene_? These are _Rara Aves in Terris_, and when they appear,
they seem to be particularly designed by Heaven, for protecting the Rights
of injured Nations, against foreign Oppression, securing the Privileges
of Innocence from the dire Assault of Prey and Rapine; and, in a Word,
vindicating the common Prerogatives of human Nature, from the fatal
Effects of brutal Rage, the love of Conquest, and an insatiable Lust after
Power. The amazing Benefit arising to Mankind from such illustrious and
exalted Characters, is, perhaps, the principal Reason why they attract the
Eyes, and command the Attention of all who hear of them, even in Quarters
of the World far remote from their Influence and Sphere of Action: Why
they are the Subjects of the Poets Song, the Founders of the Historian
Narration, and the Objects of the Painters Pencil; all which have a
Tendency to transmit their Names with immortal Glory to latest Ages, and
eternize their Memories, when their Bodies are mouldred into Dust, and
mingled with their Parent Earth. Perhaps their Rarity may also contribute,
in a great Measure, to that Esteem and Veneration, which the World thinks
fit to pay them: But sure if Heroism, Fortitude, and a Soul equal to all
the glorious Acts of War and Conquest, are Things so rare, and so much
admired among Men; how much rarer, and consequently how much more are they
to be admired among Women? In short, we may on this Occasion, without any
Hyperbole, use the Words of _Solomon_, and say, _One Man among a thousand
have I found, but among Women not so_. However, tho' Courage and warlike
Expeditions, are not the Provinces by the World allotted to Women since
the Days of the _Amazons_, yet the female Sex is far from being destitute
of Heroinism. _Cleopatra_ headed a noble Army against _Mark Anthony_, the
greatest Warrior of his Time. _Semiramis_ was not inferior to her in
Courage. The _Arcadian_ Shepherdesses are as memorable for their Contempt
of Danger as their darling and beloved Swains. But among all our Heroines,
none comes more immediately under our Cognizance, nor, perhaps, more
merits our Attention than the remarkable _Hannah Snell_, whose History is
highly interesting, both on Account of the Variety of amazing Incidents,
and the untainted Veracity with which it is attended. Some People guided
rather by the Suggestions of Caprice, than the Dictates of Reason and a
sound Understanding, have foolishly imagin'd, that Persons of low and
undistinguished Births, hardly ever rais'd themselves to the Summit of
Glory and Renown; but they will find themselves widely mistaken, when they
reflect on a _Kauli-Kan_, a _Cromwell_, and many others I could mention.
But if this Observation had the smallest Foundation either in Nature or
the Course of human Experience, from the most remote, to the present Age,
yet its Force does by no Means extend to _Hannah Snell_, the Heroine of
the subsequent Narrative: For though her immediate Progenitors were but
low in the World, when compared with Dukes, Earls and Generals, yet she
had the Seeds of Heroism, Courage and Patriotism transferr'd to her from
her Ancestors, as will appear from the following Account of her Genealogy.
Hannah Snell, was born in _Fryer-Street_, in the Parish of _St. Hellen_'s,
in the City of _Worcester_, on the 23d Day of _April_, 1723. Her Parents,
tho' not immensely Rich by the hereditary Gifts of Fortune, yet secured a
Competency, which not only placed them above Contempt, but also enabled
them to bring up, and educate a numerous Family, none of whom have
miscarried for want either of sufficient Learning from Masters, or
salutary Advices and virtuous Examples from their Parents. And though Mrs.
_Hannah Snell_ did not while she was at School learn to write, yet she
made a tolerable Progress in the other Part of Education common to her
Sex, and could read exceeding well.
Though the Father of our Heroine was no more than a _Hosier_ and _Dyer_,
yet he was the Son of the illustrious Capt. Lieut. _Sam. Snell_, for so I
may or rather must call him, since with Intrepidity he stood the Brunt of
the Wars in the latter End of King _William_'s Reign, signalized himself
at the taking of _Dunkirk_ and served faithfully in the _English_ Army
during Queen _Anne_'s Wars.
This Captain Lieutenant _Snell_, the Grandfather of our Heroine, enter'd
as a Volunteer in King _William_'s Reign, and in the Beginning of Queen
_Anne_'s Wars, was at the taking of _Dunkirk_ under the Duke of
_Marlborough_, where the Captain Lieutenant was killed by a Shot fired
through the Wicket by the Governor; upon which he fired, and killed the
Governor. When the Duke was informed thereof, he called him, and asked him
what Preferment he desired; his Answer was, that he chose to accept of
that Commission, which was become vacant by the Death of the Captain
Lieutenant, which he was immediately preferr'd to, and took upon him the
Command as such. After the Surrender of _Dunkirk_, where he received
several dangerous Wounds, he returned to _England_, where he had the
proffer of a very handsome Pension in _Chelsea College_; but coveting
fresh Glory, and new Trophies of Conquest, he intreated of his Grace, that
he would permit him once more to go Abroad with him, that he might have an
Opportunity of signalizing his Valour, against the avowed Enemies of his
Country. This his Request his Grace complied with, and at the Battle of
_Malplaquet_ he received a mortal Wound, from whence he was carried to
_Ghent_, where he died: This last, was the twenty-second bloody Battle in
which he had been engaged, and which he generously launched out into upon
the sublime Motives, Liberty and Property. This Gentleman's Character must
appear the more sublime, when we observe how he advanced himself by Merit
from a private _Cadit_ to the Rank he held at his Death; and had it not
been for his over-modest and generous Sentiments, he might have been
preferr'd to a much higher Rank; but the _Englishman_ prevail'd above
Self-Interest.
The Son of this illustrious Man of whom we have here treated, and Father
of our Heroine, was possessed of many excellent Gifts, particularly
Courage, for which he was distinguished; yet never had an Opportunity of
displaying his Bravery in the Field of Battle, his Genius leading him
another Way, to wit, Trade, into which he entered very young, and
prospered in the World, married to his liking, and in a few Years saw
himself the Father of nine promising Children, three of which were Sons,
and six Daughters, all of whom save one Daughter, were either Soldiers or
Sailors, or intermarried with them. The eldest of the Sons, _Samuel
Snell_, incapable of Restraint, and void of all Fear, listed himself a
Soldier in Lord _Robert Manners_'s Company in the first Regiment of
Foot-Guards, commanded by his Royal Highness the Duke of _Cumberland_;
when he was draughted to go for _Flanders_, where he received his mortal
Wound at the battle of _Fontenoy_; and being sent to the Hospital at
_Doway_, he there expired.
Tho' the Daughters were, by those who knew them, accounted aimable Women,
both on Account of their Persons and their Virtue; yet I shall pass over
the Characters of five of them in Silence, and only take Notice of that of
_Hannah_, the youngest of them but one, who is the Heroine of this
Subject. It is a common Thing to observe a Family dispersed, when the
Heads of that Family are either laid in their Graves, or by accidental
Calamities rendered incapable of supporting it longer. Accordingly, when
the Father and Mother of _Hannah_ died, _Hannah_ came up to _London_, and
arrived in Town on _Christmas-Day_, 1740, and resided for some Time, with
her Sister in _Wapping_.
Some Time after she came to _London_, she contracted an Acquaintance with
one _James Summs_, a Sailor, who was a _Dutchman_; this Acquaintance was
gradually improved into a Familiarity, and this Familiarity soon created a
mutual, tho' not a criminal Passion; for in a little Time, _Summs_ made
his Addresses to her as a Lover, and gained her Consent, and was married
to her at the _Fleet_, on the sixth Day of _January_, 1743-4. But all his
Promises of Friendship, proved Instances of the highest Perfidy, and he
turn'd out the worst and most unnatural of Husbands. Since, tho' she had
Charms enough to captivate the Heart, and secure the Affection of any
reasonable Man, yet she was despised and contemned by her Husband, who not
only kept criminal Company with other Women of the basest Characters, but
also made away with her Things, in Order to support his Luxury, and the
daily Expences of his Whores. During this unlucky Period of the Husband's
Debauchery, she poor Woman proved with Child, and at the same Time felt
all the Shocks of Poverty, without exposing her Necessities to her nearest
Friends. But at last, her Pregnancy laid the Foundation for her passing
through all the Scenes, thro' which she has wandered; for when she was
seven Months gone with Child, her perfidious Husband finding himself
deeply involv'd in Debt, made an Elopement from her. Notwithstanding these
her Calamities, she patiently bore herself up under them, and in two
Months after her Husband's Departure was delivered of a Daughter which
lived no more than seven Months, and was decently interred at her own
Expence at _St. George_'s Parish in _Middlesex_.
From the Time of her Husband's Elopement till the Time she put on Man's
Cloaths, she continued with her Sister, who is married to one _James
Gray_, a House Carpenter, in _Ship-street, Wapping_, and from whence she
took her Departure unknown to any, and was never heard of until her
Return; and with whom she now dwells.
As she was now free from all the Ties arising from Nature and
Consanguinity; she thought herself privileged to roam in quest of the Man,
who, without Reason, had injured her so much; for there are no Bounds to
be set either to Love, Jealousy or Hatred, in the female Mind. That she
might execute her Designs with the better Grace, and the more Success, she
boldly commenced a Man, at least in her Dress, and no doubt she had a
Right to do so, since she had the real Soul of a Man in her Breast.
Dismay'd at no Accidents, and giving a full Scope to the genuine Bent of
her Heart, she put on a Suit of her Brother-in-Law, Mr. _James Gray_'s,
Cloaths, assumed his Name, and set out on the 23d of _November_, 1745, and
travelled to _Coventry_, with a View of finding her Husband, where she
enlisted on the 27th of the said Month of _November_, in General _Guise_'s
Regiment, and in the Company belonging to Captain _Miller_.
With this Regiment she marched from _Coventry_ to _Carlisle_, where she
learned her military Exercise, which she now performs with as much Skill
and Dexterity as any Serjeant or Corporal in his Majesty's Service. But
here, as Fortune is often a Foe to the Distressed, she met with a
discouraging Circumstance; for her Serjeant, whose Name was _Davis_,
having a criminal Inclination for a young Woman in that Town, looked upon
this our Female Heroine, (a common Soldier in the Company) as a proper
Person for assisting him in this his vicious Intrigue, therefore disclosed
to her this Bosom Secret, and desired her Endeavours in promoting this
End; however, this open Discovery caused a sudden Emotion in her Mind, her
virtuous Soul abhorred with a becoming Detestation the criminal Intention;
yet to prevent the ill Consequences that she foresaw must ensue from a
refusal of complying with his Request, she promised to use her Endeavours
in his Behalf; but instead of acting the Pimp, she went and disclosed the
whole Matter to the young Woman, and warned her against the impending
Danger; which Act of Virtue and Generosity in a Soldier, gained her the
Esteem and Confidence of this young Woman, who took great delight in her
Company; and seldom a Day passed but they were together, having cultivated
an Intimacy and Friendship with each other: But _Davis_ going one Day to
make his Addresses to his Mistress, met with an unexpected Repulse, which
unusual Treatment made him suspect our Female Soldier. Jealousy that
Moment took Possession of his guilty Breast, and he imagined, that instead
of befriending him in his Amours, she had become his Rival, and had gained
her over to her Inclinations. These Reflections troubled him much; Revenge
reigned triumphant in his Breast, and how to punish her was his chief Aim:
He took hold of the earliest Opportunity, and accused her before the
commanding Officer for Neglect of Duty, upon which she was sentenced to
receive six hundred Lashes, five hundred of which she received, having her
Hands tied to the Castle Gates for a Crime which Nature put it out of her
Power to perpetrate, and had undergone the Punishment of the other
Hundred, had it not been for the Intercession of some of the Officers.
This severe and unjust Punishment, reduced her to a very low State, but
notwithstanding this severe Whipping, the Villain _Davis_ bore her an
implacable Hatred, and strove all he could to depress her, by putting her
upon the hardest and most difficult Duties; but she was most tenderly and
affectionately regarded by her Female Friend, who neglected nothing that
might assure her, she was neither unmindful nor ungrateful for the
Friendship she had shewed her. Soon after this, a fresh and unforeseen
Trouble presented itself; there happened to come a fresh Recruit to the
Regiment, a young Man whose Name was _George Beck_, a Carpenter, born in
_Worcester_ City, that had come to _London_ in Quest of Business, and
happened to lodge with her Brother and Sister, and whom she left at her
Brothers House when she went off in Men's Cloaths, the Sight of whom
troubled her much, fearing she should be discovered by him; this, together
with the Serjeant's ill Treatment, inspired her with a Resolution to
desert; having carried this her Intention to Maturity, she communicated
the same to her intimate Friend the young Woman, who, tho' loth to lose
the Company of such a Friend and Companion, yielded to her Remonstrances,
and provided her with Money to bear her Charge in her intended Flight.
Having gone so far with the Author of this Subject, I cannot refrain
making a little Digression, and making a few Reflections upon the
melancholy Prospect: What an Ocean of Troubles was this unfortunate Woman
involved in? Behold her inwardly looking back on the past Vicissitudes of
her Life, on an inhumane, ungrateful and faithless Husband, who had broke
through all Engagements, sacred and civil, and had drove her into all the
direful Troubles and Afflictions she was then involved in: Behold her
tempted by a vicious Man, to be aiding and assisting in carrying on an
immodest and abominable Intrigue; but (being inspired with virtuous and
generous Sentiments) she proved the Instrument of extracting Good out of
Evil, in discovering to the innocent Maid, where the Net was spread for
her, that she might guard her self against the Adversary: Behold the
Friendship that this virtuous Discovery produced, it chained them
together in the strictest Bonds of Love and Affection, which never quitted
its hold, till forced thereto by a hard Fate: Behold her suspected of
supplanting the Serjeant of his Mistress, and the direful Effects his
Jealousy occasioned, having her Arms extended, and fixed to the City
Gates, and there receive the Number of five hundred severe Lashes, as the
Effects of a partial and unjust Sentence: Behold her tender Flesh cut and
mangled by these Scourgings, and the Pains and Agonies she suffered:
Behold in this her Distress, the friendly Sympathy and eager Assistance of
her female Friend, who administred Relief to her under this her Dilemma:
Behold the Commotions she felt upon perciving one in the Regiment whom she
knew, and by whom she was afraid of being discovered; the bad Treatment
she met with from the Serjeant, and what a Storm must surround her upon
her projecting the Means for an Escape, and the moving Seperation 'twixt
her and her Friend: The Rehearsal of so many concurring Circumstances of
Adversity, is sufficient to melt the most stoney Heart into a
compassionate Tenderness for this our female Adventurer.
Having finished this Digression, I shall begin where I left off. Upon her
Desertion, she set out on Foot for _Portsmouth_, and about a Mile out of
_Carlisle_, exchanges her regimental Clothes for worse, with some People
employed in cutting down Pease. But Courage and Love, like impetuous
Torrents, rage the more they are opposed; for _Hannah_ whose Breast was
actuated with both these Principles, had no sooner arrived at
_Portsmouth_, than she found her Expectations disapointed: However,
whether Despair or the Hopes of again meeting that unfaithful Man, who had
made her the Mother of a helpless Infant, actuated her Breast and gave her
Passions a preternatural Spring. So it was, that she courageously
inlisted herself in Captain _Graham_'s Company in Colonel _Fraser_'s
Regiment, and soon after there was a Draught made, to go abroad in Admiral
_Boscawen_'s Fleet, and she chanced to be one of the Number draughted, and
went immediately on board the _Swallow_ Sloop, Captain _Rosier_,
Commander; and when on board was observed to be handy in washing, as well
as in dressing Victuals, for the Mess she first belonged to, and being
thus remarkable, she was sollicited by _Richard Wyegate_, Lieutenant of
Marines, to become one of their Mess, which she readily agreed to, as
believing the Officers Mess, was better than the common Mens, and she
acted in the Station of their Boy, and by her modest Deportment soon
became a Favourite, drest their Victuals, washed and mended their Linnen.
She was stationed (in Case of an Engagement) on the Quarter-Deck, and to
fight at small Arms, and made one of the After-Guard; she was obliged to
keep watch four Hours on and four off, Day and Night, being often obliged
to go aloft, and altho' unexperienced with these Kind of Hardships, soon
became expert in the Business.
On their first setting sail, they enjoyed as fine Weather, and as fair
Winds as could possibly be wished for, to convey a Ship safely and
expeditiously from one Harbour to another. But no sooner were they arrived
in the Bay of _Biscay_ than the Scene was altered; their favourable
Weather converted into a dismal Hurricane, and their smooth placed Ocean,
changed into Billows, which threaten'd them with immediate Death, by this
Moment raising them to the Clouds, and in the next plunging them, as it
were, to the Centre of the Earth. The Danger may be easily estimated, from
the Circumstance, for the _Swallow_ was as strong and well built a Vessel,
as any belonging to his Majesty's Navy of her Burden: yet such was the
Stress of Weather, that she sprung her Main-mast, and lost not only the
Gib-Boom, but also two Top-masts. After they had for several Days been
beat about in this imminent Danger, they with great Difficulty arrived in
the Port of _Lisbon_, which was great Joy to them, after having suffered
so much in the Bay of _Biscay_, where every Moment they had been in danger
of being swallowed up in the vast Abyss. In this Port, which to them was
like a safe Asylum, or Sanctuary, to a Man pursued by a hungry and enraged
Lyon, they continued three Weeks; because the Vessel was so damaged, that
the Number of Hands employed in refitting her could not do it sooner.
Here they found the _Vigilant_ Man of War, which was likewise much damaged
in the Storm in the Bay of _Biscay_, being one of the Fleet that sail'd
from _Portsmouth_ with them.
While she was ashore at _Lisbon_, with her Master, she was quartered at
one Mrs. _Poore_'s a Punch-House and Tavern; but says nothing material
happened there, during the three Weeks.
As it often happens for the wise and noble Purposes of Heaven, that one
Misfortune succeeds another, as close as the Waves on the Sea-shore; so
the _Swallow_ set sail in Company with the _Vigilant_ Man of War, in Order
to join the Admiral's Squadron; and the next Night after their Departure,
another violent Storm happened, in which the _Swallow_ not only lost sight
of the _Vigilant_, but also sprung her Main-mast, lost most of her
Rigging, and was so much damaged in her Hold, that all the Sailors and
Marines were obliged to take their several Turns at the Pump, which is by
far a harder Piece of Labour, than those who have never tried it are apt
to imagine. Such a Series of Calamities succeeding each other so fast, and
so unexpectedly, were, in all Appearance, sufficient to daunt the
strongest Resolution, and cool the Courage of the bravest young Sailor
that ever trod the Deck of a Ship. But some Minds are cast, if I may so
speak, in so happy a Mould, that Danger and Difficulties instead of
depressing, raise them above themselves, enlarge their Views, and animate
them to stem the Tide of Adversity, which they rarely fail to surmount by
Steadiness and Perseverance. To this favourite Class of Mortals our
Heroine belonged, since on this Occasion she not only willingly took her
Turn at the Pump of a sinking Vessel, but also performed the several
Offices of a common Sailor, and in both Qualities behaved with such
Judgment and Intrepidity, that, next under God, she was looked upon by the
Ship's Company as a Kind of Deliverer, and an Instrument of their
Preservation. The _Swallow_ after this Disaster made the best of her Way
to _Gibraltar_, were as soon as they arrived, she went on Shore, and
attended Lieutenant _Richard Wigate_, Lieutenant of the Marines, who was
very ill, and lodged at Mrs. _Davis_'s on the Hill.
The Ship refitted here with the utmost Expedition, and sailed for the
_Madiera_ Islands, where she took in such Wines, and other Provisions, as
was thought necessary for the intended Voyage. As Providence is always
Kind to Distress, she here met with the _Sheerness_ Privateer of
_Bristol_, whose Commander generously supplied her with a sufficient
Number of Hands, and from thence, they sailed to the Cape of _Good Hope_,
and in their Voyage, were put upon Short, and some time after upon Half
Allowance.
During their Passage, their Allowance was shortened, as I just
beforementioned, and that which they had, was salt and bad, and besides
there was so great a Scarcity of Water on board, that they were allowed
only a Pint a Day for some Time; all 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 _Caesar_, 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 discovered, and her Virtue sacrificed to their
rapacious, boundless and lustful Appetites; but Innocency and Virtue is
the safest Protection in the worst of Times; and this was what sheltered
her from the much dreaded Calamity that threatned her.
On the 19th of _November_ last, the _Eltham_ sailed with the rest of the
Fleet from Fort St. _David_'s, and kept Company till they came to the Cape
of _Good Hope_; when the _Eltham_ had Orders to make the best of her Way
to _Lisbon_, to take in Money for the Use of the Merchants of _London_.
The Day after they left Fort St. _David_'s, her Master Lieutenant
_Wyegate_ died, in whose Death she lost the only Friend she had on board,
and where to find such another, she knew not: This brought afresh into her
Mind the Remembrance of her faithless Husband, whole Villainy and Cruelty
had drove her to all the Straits, Hardships and Dangers she endured both
by Sea and Land, and had reduced her to the wretched State she was then
in. These Reflections were sufficient to have sunk the Spirits of the most
hardy Hero; but she bore them with a becoming Resignation. She was
distinguished amongst the Ship's Crew for her Ingenuity in washing and
mending of Linnen, but as it is common on board of King's Ships to have
some Men who are dexterous at such Performances, she was not suspected
upon that Score.
Some Time after the Death of Lieutenant _Wyegate_, she was taken into the
Service of Lieutenant _Kite_, second Lieutenant of the Ship, and continued
so about two Months; when he getting a Boy, he recommended her to Mr.
_Wallace_, third Lieutenant of the Ship, who proved also a very good
Master to her. But now she was laid open (though contrary to her
Inclination) to the Company of the Sailors, for they were used, when she
had her Head shaved, to enquire why she did not shave her Beard; her
Answer was, that she was too young. Upon which they used to damn her,
calling her Miss _Molly Gray_, she used to return the uncivil Compliment,
by damning them, and telling them, that she could prove herself, as she
had always done, during the Voyage, as good a Man as any Seaman on board,
and that she would lay them a Wager upon that Point.
During this long Voyage, they often used, as I have just said, on account
of her smooth Face, to burlesque her, by swearing she was a Woman. This
Expression, however indifferently they meant it, gave her abundance of
Trouble; she foresaw what the Consequence would be, in case this Joke was
carried too far; to prevent which, she with a masculine but modest
Assurance, told them, that if they would lay any Wager, she would give
them ocular Demonstration of her being as much a Man as the best in the
Ship; which Reply had the desired Effect, seeing it put a Stop to their
further Suggestions: Next, they began to declare her to be a Woman on
account of her smooth Face, seeing she had no Beard; but she told them
that she was so very young, that it could not be supposed she should have
a Beard so soon; however, she could not prevent their calling her by the
Name of _Molly Gray_, which Appellation she went by during the Voyage,
until they arrived at _Lisbon_.
While they lay at _Lisbon_, she often went on Shore in Company with the
Ships Crew, upon Parties of Pleasure, and was always their Companion in
their Revellings; this Part she acted, not out of Choice, but for wise
Ends. She remember'd in what Manner she had been reflected upon by them
during the Voyage from St. _David_'s to _Lisbon_, therefore she pointed
out this Method as the most effectual, to prevent any further suspicious
_Reflections for the future_. She very wisely judged, that by associating
herself with them, by shewing a free and chearful Disposition, and by
being ready to come into their Measures, she should banish from their
Imaginations the least Suspicion of her being a Woman, and by that Means
enjoy a free and uninterrupted Passage to her native Country, without
discovering her Sex. There was one of the Ship's Crew, named _Edward
Jefferies_, an intimate Acquaintance, a Marine, and Mess-mate of her's;
they two had contracted an Acquaintance and Familiarity with two young
Women in _Lisbon_, the handsomest of which was the favourite of our
Heroine; but _Jefferies_ taking a greater liking to her Choice than his
own, proposed to toss up who should have her, which she readily agreed to,
not caring how soon she should be rid of such a Companion: This
_Jefferies_ on tossing up gained the Lady, upon which she readily resigned
her into his Hands, and made that serve as a good Excuse for being rid of
them both. This Intimacy subsisted between them and the _Portugueze_ Women
while they remained at _Lisbon_, and when they were about to set sail for
_England_, their Sweethearts came to the Ship's side in order to take
Leave of them, but was prevented from coming on board, by the Command of
the Captain.
We shall leave the candid Reader at liberty to judge the Disorders,
Terrors and Distractions that so many various Scenes must have plunged her
into; such a Disquiet, that she had not felt the like in all her past
Enterprizes. A thousand Inquietudes rolled in upon her, like so many
Billows, and almost sunk her down into the Abyss of Despair. She began to
reflect upon the many Vicissitudes she had underwent, since her first
launching out into the boisterous Sea of War, occasioned by the Cruelty of
a perfidious Husband. What Dangers, what Hardships, and what Fatigues she
had underwent! The many Inconveniences she had overcome, and the
Difficulties she had surmounted, in preserving her Virtue untainted in the
midst of so many vicious and prophane Actions, as had often been
represented in their blackest Sable to her view, and that she had hitherto
come off Conqueress, and when almost at the Door of her native Country,
unsullied and undefiled by any of these Temptations wherewith she had been
assaulted; then to be in the greatest Danger; then to have that Virtue,
which had hitherto been her assistant and comfortable Companion in all her
adverse Fortune, tore from her Breast, and nothing left behind but Shame,
Guilt and Confusion. These Reflections had almost vanquished her great
Spirit, had not her good Genius led her to put in Practice the Scheme she
had formed at _Lisbon_, which answered the End she aimed at, and by which
her Virtue, which was always dear to her, remains still untainted, to her
immortal Praise.
On the Affair of the Supply of the Men they had from the _Sheerness_
Privateer at _Madeira_, she gave the following Account; which was, that
after they were come on board the _Swallow_ Sloop, some of them seemed
very pensive; so that her Curiosity led her to enquire into the Reason of
their Grief, which she found was occasioned by their being brought on
board a Man of War, which at first to her seemed strange, not being
acquainted with the Manner of Men being impressed; and having often
conversed with some of them, found they were sent on board by Force; and
some of them having Wives and Children in _England_, and some in
_Ireland_, the Thoughts of their long Separation from their Wives and
Families, and the uncertainty of ever seeing them again, was the chief
Cause of their Sorrows.
This Relation, and the Anxieties some of them shewed, gave her new Matter
of Contemplation, and often, when retired in her Master's Cabin, reflected
on her own Fate, having herself been married to a most faithless Man, who
had left her in the utmost Distress, at a Time she was not able to help
herself, and that without any Reason, but what was occasioned by his own
Extravagances. But here she found the Difference in that Sex, and that
greater then she ever conceived before: Here she saw Men in the greatest
Affliction, for being forced from them they loved; offering there all for
Liberty to return to their native Land and Families, whilst her perfideous
Husband's chief Care was to avoid her. However, it was some Consolation to
her, in these her distressed Circumstances, to find some on board, and who
she concluded must be her Companions as Shipmates, inspired with
Sentiments of Honour and Virtue; she also reflected on the unhappy
Circumstances of those poor Women and Children these Men had left behind,
and often wished she could have an Opportunity of relating to them what
she now saw; imagining from her own Case, that it would be some
Consolation to them to hear so great Proof of their Affections. She at
first blamed them for going to Sea on board the Privateer, but when she
was informed that it was only for a little Time, and they not bound to
serve longer, than a certain Time specified in their Articles, and that
their chief Motives was to serve their Families; in so doing she looked on
them as real Objects of Compassion, which occasioned her to sympathize
with them; and though Fortune had been so unkind to herself, she could not
refrain thinking of theirs, and often endeavoured to asswage their
Sorrows, by recommending to them Hopes of a happy Return to _England_; and
also procured every Thing which she thought necessary for them on board,
which was somewhat in her Power, having Recourse to all her Master's
Stores, especially his Liquors, which was pretty plentiful at that Time.
I shall depart a little from the Subject, and give the Reader an Account
of that basest of Men, our Heroine's Husband, who upon deserting his
lawful Wife, entered himself as a Foremast Man on board one of his
Countrymen, then lying in the River _Thames_. But where can the guilty
Criminal fly for Sanctuary? His own Conscience must prove his Executioner,
and a thousand Monitors within, who Vulture like, always gnaw the Liver,
not suffering the Mind to enjoy the shortest Interval of Quiet; this
admirable Truth has been fully verified in him, according to the most
substantial Circumstances, as shall hereafter be made appear.
One Day at _Lisbon_, on her Return to _England_, falling in Company with
many of her Ship-mates, they all went into an _Irish_ House, by the
_Romanado_'s, to drink some Wine, where was sitting at the same Time an
_Englishman_, a Sailor, who had lately come from _Genoa_ on board a
_Dutch_ Vessel; there were some of his Brother Tars in Company who knew
him; upon which they became very merry, and began, over their Glass and
their Pipe, to talk over some of their Adventures, and what they met with
in their Travels worthy taking Notice of; and she, acoording to her
constant Practice, was enquiring amongst the Mariners if any of them knew
one _James Summs_, who, she said, had formerly been an intimate
Acquaintance of her's; upon which this Stranger broke Speech, and told 'em
of an Affair that happened at _Genoa_ while he was there. There was, says
he, a _Dutchman_ of that Name, a Sailor, imprisoned there, for stabbing a
Native of the Place, a Person of some Distinction, with a Knife, of which
Wound he soon expired; I, with two or three more of our Countrymen
appointed to go and visit him under this his Misfortune, which we
accordingly did: When we came to the Place, we were introduced by a Kind
of Officer, where he lay in a melancholy Situation; but upon our entering
the Room, he raised himself up from the Place where he had reclined his
Head, and saluted us in _English_; then we began to condole his
Misfortune: Upon which, finding us affected with his melancholy Situation,
and the cruel Punishment he was about to suffer, he spoke to us in the
following Manner. Gentlemen, The Crime I am to die for I committed,
therefore my Punishment will be just whenever it falls: But this is not
the only Crime I stand indicted for at the Bar of that All-seeing Judge,
who searches into the innermost Recesses of our most concealed Actions,
and who pursues the Guilty where-ever they go; I, who am here condemned
for Murder, a few Years ago lived in _Wapping, London_, my Name is _James
Summs_, a _Dutchman_ by Birth; I married a young Woman there, named
_Hannah Snell_, born in _Worcester_, but who then lodged with a
Brother-in-Law, a Carpenter in _Ship-street_: We had not been long joined
in Matrimony before she proved with Child; and I, forgetting my Duty as a
Husband, and an approaching Father, gave a loose to my vicious
Inclinations, eloped from the Partner of my Bed, and the one half of
myself, went and took up my Residence amongst a Parcel of lewd, base
Women, who withdrew my Affections entirely from her, who had the only just
Title to it; and to satisfy their insatiable and extravagant Demands, I
drained her of her all. This proved only the Downfall to my future
Calamities; for my Substance being now exhausted, thrust out of Doors by
these _Ladies of Pleasure_, who proved to me _Ladies of Pain_, and being
ashamed to look my much injured Wife in the Face any more, whom I had so
basely betrayed, my Mind was rack'd with exquisite Torture, so that I
would willingly have fled from myself if it had been possible. A thousand
Inventions came into my Head how I should dispose of myself at this
critical Juncture. I employed all the Skill I was master of to be
assisting in extricating me out of this Dilemma; at last I resolved to go
on board one Ship or other, in order to make a Voyage.
The first Ship I boarded was a _Rotterdam_ Trader, who accepted me in the
Capacity of a Sailor, having but few Hands, the Steersman agreed to give
me 40 Guilders _per_ Month. A few Days afterwards we made down with the
Tide, and sailed over to _Rotterdam_, where we unloaded: We had not been
many Days here, before an unforeseen Accident happened, which was like to
have produced fatal Consequences: One of the Boys going one Day into the
Steerage with a lighted Candle, where was some Powder loose; a Spark from
the Candle dropt into the Powder, which in an Instant blew up, and did
great Damage to the Vessel. This Accident was charged upon me by two of
the Men who bore me a Grudge; upon which I was Keel-haul'd, and received
many Lashes besides. This ill Usage provoked me much, so that I determined
to quit my Master's Service, and let him know that I intended to leave
him; upon which he paid me my Wages, and we parted. I then entered myself
on board an _Irish_ Merchant, bound to _Lisbon_, which Voyage I performed,
and returned to _Cork_, the Place where the Cargo was to be disposed of.
Here, after I had received my Wages, I was discharged, and falling into
bad Company, my Wages was soon spent, and being without Money, Cloaths or
Friends, in a strange Country, made my Case very deplorable, which brought
into my Mind, my wicked Proceedings to my dear Wife, and I lookt upon
those Afflictions I underwent, as a just Punishment from Heaven, for my
wicked Actions; however, these Reflections soon gave Way to
Self-preservation; I was in great Distress, and how to work my
Deliverance, was the main Subject of my Thoughts; at the very same Time,
there was a _Portuguese_ Vessel lying in the Harbour, bound to _Genoa_;
they wanted a few Hands, some of their own Men having died in the Voyage;
I proffered my Service; they accepted of me, staid in _Cork_, a few Days
afterwards, then weighed Anchor, and set sail for _Genoa_, where we
arrived in Safety in about three Weeks; here we had not continued long,
before I perpetrated the Murther, for which I am about to suffer: Now
Gentlemen, I have given you a full Account of the most material Incidents
that has happened to me since I left _England_, I therefore earnestly
intreat the Favour of you, when once you return to _England_, to enquire
after my Wife, and if you find her, be pleased in my Name, to present her
the Love of a dying Husband, who conscious of his Guilt, humbly begs her
Pardon and Forgiveness, for all the Injuries he hath done her, since first
he knew her; this his Request we promised to fulfill, if once we returned
to _England_; so we took our last Farewel. None of us, ever saw him
afterwards, but were informed, that he was sewed up in a Sack, with heavy
Stones, and thrown into the Sea; the other two _Englishmen_ sailed for
_Leghorn_, and I for this Place, and when I go Home, I intend to make an
Enquiry concerning the said Woman: She listened attentively all the While
he was relating this Story, and weighing all the particular Circumstances
of this Relation, she perceived so many concurring Circumstances blended
together, as put it beyond all Doubt he was her Husband; this Account
however, notwithstanding his vile Proceedings, grieved her much, and no
doubt would have broke forth into briny Tears, had she been in a Place of
Retirement: She sometimes grieved at his cruel and untimely Fate, but
suddenly, the ill Treatment she met with from him, returned triumphant in
her Mind, and extinguished her kindled Tenderness: However, she told the
Sailor who related this Story, that from the Account he gave of this Man,
he must have been the same identical Person, with whom she had formerly
been acquainted, and if once she came to _England_, she would endeavour to
find out the Wife of this unfortunate Man, whom she knew very well, and
would acquaint her with this Catastrophe, and by so saying, concealed
herself entirely from the least Suspicion.
Having now finished the Account of her Husbands untimely End, as related
to her at _Lisbon_; the Detail of which, appeared to her, as if sent from
above, to free her from those anxious Cares, which, in the midst of the
greatest Dangers, always set triumphant in her Breast, I shall now proceed
to her Voyage from thence to _England_.
They set sail from _Lisbon_ the 3d of _May_, and arrived at _Spithead_ the
1st of _June_, without any Thing material during the Voyage (which was
lengthened by Calms and contrary Winds); that very Day she arrived at
_Spithead_ she came on Shore, and took a Lodging along with several of her
Shipmates and Marines, at one _James Cunningham_'s, at the Sign of the
_Jolly Marine_ and _Sailor_; where the House being thronged with Lodgers,
she was obliged to be Bedfellow to one _John Huchins_, a Brother Marine,
the first Night; but during her short Stay in _Portsmouth_, in her often
Rovings in and about the Town, (which was only two Days and three Nights)
she happen'd to meet with the Sister of Mr. _Cunningham_, the Drum-Major's
Wife, one _Catherine ----_, with whom she had cultivated a slender
Acquaintance at the Time she first enlisted there. This young Woman knew
_Hannah_ to be the young Soldier that had enlisted and been sent abroad
with Admiral _Boscawen_, and expressed some Joy at her safe Return: Then
entering into this Conversation, introduced a farther Intimacy; and
_Hannah_, rather than sit to drink with her Shipmates, spent most of her
Time with this young Woman. This Opportunity improved their Conversation,
and sometimes they conversed upon Love; and _Hannah_ finding this young
Woman had no dislike to her, she endeavoured to try if she could not act
the Lover as well as the Soldier, which she so well effected, that it was
agreed upon she should return from _London_, in order to be married as
soon as she had got her Discharge and Pay; and tho' but so short a Time
there as two Days, had effected this her Amour so as to obtain the young
Woman's Consent to marry her.
In order to countenance this her Scheme, she told the supposed Object of
her Love, that as soon as she arrived at _London_, and received her Wages,
she would remit the same to her; and when she had visited, and tarried
some time with each of her nigh Relations and intimate Friends, she would
then return to _Portsmouth_, according to Agreement, and consummate their
matrimonial Ceremonies with a Solemnity suitable to her Abilities.
The next Night, being _Saturday_ the 2d of _June_, _Hannah_'s Bedfellow,
who had lain with her the Night before, went out of Town, and one _James
Moody_, who had been a Ship-mate with her on board the _Eltham_ from Fort
St. _David_'s to _England_, coming in the Evening of that Day, and wanting
a Lodging, he was received by the Landlord, and as _Hannah_ was his
intimate, he was admitted to be her Bedfellow, which continued for two
Nights together, without the least Suspicion in Life.
It is here worthy of Observation, that this Woman should lay three Nights
with two different Men, one of whom who had been her Companion and
Fellow-adventurer, during the Space of fifteen Months and more; and never,
during that Space of Time, discover the least Hint of her being of the
female Kind; and this Man had often been her Assistant in the most
dangerous Exploits, and could not avoid acknowledging, that she behaved
upon all Occasions, with the greatest Bravery and Resolution.
Whitmonday, being the 4th of _June_, she set out from _Portsmouth_ for
_London_; accompanied by _George Orley_, a Serjeant of Marines, who was a
Partner with her in her Adventures, and who, together with nine Marines,
accompanied her to _London_: She received before they set out from
_Portsmouth_, five Shillings Conduct-money. The first Place she traveled
to after her departure from _Portsmouth_, was _Petersfield_, in
_Hampshire_; where she lay all Night, with one _Andrew Gray_ a Marine, not
only in the same Regiment, but in the same Company: Next Day travel'd as
far as _Guildford_, where the aforesaid _Andrew Gray_ and she were
Bedfellows; next Night she arrived in _London_, where she disingaged
herself from her old Intimates, and lodged along with her Brother, Mr.
_James Gray_, Carpenter, in _Ship-Street, Wapping_; where she now resides.
Now I have brought my female Adventurer home again to her native Country,
after near five Years Adventures; prompted thereto by the ill Usage of a
faithless Husband, who, after first stripping her of her all, and then
eloping, prompted her to the Resolution of disguising herself, by putting
on Men's Apparel, going into the Country without the Knowledge of her
Brother, Sister, or any other of her Friends, in search of him who had
thus abused her; and entering into Colonel _Guise_'s Regiment of Foot,
then lying at _Coventry_, who from thence marched to _Carlisle_, where she
was ill used, the Particulars of which, are set forth at large in the
foregoing Pages: How she received five hundred Lashes at _Carlisle_, as a
Punishment for her virtuous Conduct, her Resolution to desert, and her
puting this Determination into Execution; her changing her military
Cloathing about a Mile from Town, for the rustick Garb of a Shepherd; her
Arrival at _Portsmouth_, her entering into General _Fraser_'s Regiment of
Marines, her being draughted out for the _East Indies_; her embarking on
board the _Swallow_ Sloop of War, under the Command of Admiral _Boscawen_,
and the many Vicissitudes she underwent during the Series of her
Adventures, until her safe (though unexpected) return to her Native
Country, where, after her Arrival, she met with sundry humorous Incidents;
with many other material Circumstances, the Particulars of which is here
set down at large; but not to swell this Treatise with any Thing
fictitious or doubtful, I have asserted nothing but plain Matter of Fact
as here set down.
I would have my candid Readers survey in Imagination, the many various
Scenes that here display themselves with a most surprizing Lustre. Here is
a Woman, and an _English_ Woman, who, notwithstanding the many Dangers
and Vicissitudes she underwent for near the Space of five Years, during
her Travels, was never found out to be of the feminine Gender. It is
true many threatned Discoveries were attempted by her Shipmates and
Fellow-Adventurers, which derived its Influence from her not having a
Beard; but her ready Turns of Mind undeceived all those who shewed
themselves overbusy in prying into this Secret: This her Conduct, very
surprizingly preserved her Virtue from becoming a Sacrifice to the
Impetuosity of the carnal Desires of both her Superiors and Inferiors;
for can it be imagined, that in the midst of so many Dangers, where there
was no Back-Door to creep out at, if her Sex had been discovered, but she
must have fallen a Victim to the loose, disorderly, and vitious Appetites
of many on board, especially those whom she was more immediately concerned
with, to wit, her Officers. These Reflections must possess the Reader with
generous Sentiments of this our Heroine, who by her Subtilty, and ready
Inventions, destroyed in the Embrio, every Thing advanced by her
Fellow-Shipmates, that she imagined might be a Means of exposing her
Virtue.
Such an Adventure as this, is not to be met with in the Records of either
antient or modern Observations, therefore, for the Sake of the _British_
Nation, ought to be recorded in Golden Characters on a Statue of Marble
for succeeding Ages, to peruse with Admiration, that an _English_ Woman
should, _Amazon_ like, not only enter herself upon the List in behalf of
her Country at Home, but boldly and resolutely launch out into the most
remote Corners of the Earth, upon enterprizing and dangerous Adventures,
the like never attempted before by any of her Sex, even daring Fate, as it
were, to execute her most rigorous Inflictions upon her; the many
Struglings and Conflicts she encounter'd during the Course of her Travels,
not being used to the watery Element, and the many Revolutions that often
happen upon the Surface of the Deep; the many Duties she was obliged to
execute, in the midst of Hundreds of the most unpolite Part of Mankind,
such as Tars; the many Fears and Suspicions she harboured least her Sex
should be discovered, to avoid which, she proved her own Physician, in
extracting the Ball out of her Wound, to prevent that Discovery which must
unavoidably have happened, had she permitted the Surgeons to have
performed their regular Operations: These, with many more, (seemingly
insurmountable Difficulties) did this our _British_ Heroine undergo, and
overcome, by her safe Arrival in her native Country, as before-mentioned.
When she arrived in _London_, she went to her Brother in Law's House, in
_Ship-Street, Wapping_; where he lived at the Time when she went abroad;
she no sooner entered the House, than her Sister (notwithstanding her
Disguise) knew her, but her Brother in Law, Mr. _Gray_ being in Bed, she
went to his Bedside, being desirous to see him, where he lay in a Slumber,
and embraced him, upon which he awoke, and seeing a Person in a Soldier's
Dress, coming to his Bedside in such a Manner and imbracing him, surprised
him much, however, he was soon freed from this Surprize by her discovering
herself, which afforded him a great deal of Satisfaction; as she was his
great Favourite before she went abroad, and her sudden and unexpected
Appearance, caused a great deal of Joy, in the whole Family; after
refreshing herself with a Part of what the House afforded, she diverted
her Brother and Sister 'till Bed-time, with some Part of her Adventures,
which relation forced Tears from their Eyes.
There was at this Time a Female Lodger in Mr. _Gray_'s House, of whom Mr.
_Gray_ requested, that she would admit a Sister of his for a Bedfellow, to
which she readily agreed: But when the Sister was introduced, the young
Woman, who was then in Bed, was very much surprized to see a Soldier sit
down to undress himself in her Bed-Chamber; but Mr. _Gray_ and his Wife
discovered the Secret, which, notwithstanding, she would not Credit, until
she had occular Demonstration. This was the first, next to her Brother and
Sister, that she discovered herself to, and ever since they have been
Bedfellows, which made the Neighbours report (imagining her to be a Man)
that the young Woman was married to a Soldier, and this great Untruth was
reported for Fact throughout the whole Neighbourhood.
Sometime after this, she, in Company with her Sister and supposed Wife,
went to _Westminster_, in order to see her Friends, who were very much
dissatisfy'd at her carrying a strange Woman in Company with her supposed
Brother, who perhaps, upon receiving his Money, might decoy him into some
Place of bad Fame, where he might chance to lose it all in an Instant.
This, together with some former Passages, constrains me to observe how
much the Publick, both at Home and Abroad, have been deceived in this
Woman, she being so long in the Army and Navy, where there were many
penetrating clear-sighted Gentlemen, and ashore in foreign Countries
amongst Men, Women and Children; and notwithstanding all these publick
Characters, her Sex not discovered. This must cause Admiration in every
Reader; but she counterfeited the Man so dextrously, and does to this very
Day, that the most excellent Judge of Features, Semetry or Gesture, cannot
discover the Deceit.
But that I may not suffer any of my inquisitive Readers to remain in
suspence concerning some particular Adventures that befel her, the bare
Relation of which may not be altogether so satisfactory, I shall explain
those which appear most Paradoxical, in order not only to satisfy every
Reader, but also to prevent any future Reflexions that might occasionally
arise from such a Neglect.
When she first enter'd into the Service at _Coventry_, she marched to
_Carlisle_, where she was Whipt for Neglect of Duty, being unjustly
accused by Serjeant _Davis_, as is fully mentioned in the preceding
Pages. The Method she used to prevent the Discovery of her Sex was this,
according to her own Declaration: Her Breasts were then not so big by much
as they are at present, her Arms being extended and fixed to the City
Gates, her Breasts were drawn up, and consequently did not appear so
large; and besides this, her Breast was to the Wall, and could not be
discovered by any of her Comrades; and when she was Whipt on board, her
Hands being lashed to the Gangway, she stood upright, and tied a
Handkerchief round her Neck, to prevent, as it were, any Lashes that she
might accidentally receive there, to conceal her Breasts, which were
covered by the Ends of the Handkerchief falling over them, and thereby
prevented a Discovery which must unavoidably have happened, had not she
thus acted. And what the Consequences of such an unravell'd Secret would
have produced, she was at a Loss to imagine, the Thoughts of which
perplexed her incessantly; however, she escaped being discovered at this
Juncture also, as well as at many more, when she imagined herself in the
most imminent Dangers: But all those adverse Turns gave an Edge to her
Inventions, and by that means extricated her out of the many Difficulties
she was involved in.
This the Reader may plainly perceive throughout the whole Narration; and I
am convinced, that no Age or Country, ever produced a more distinguished
Instance of Virtue, Conduct and Resolution, than is to be met with in this
our Heroine's Adventures, which is worthy to be transmitted to latest
Posterity; to inform succeeding Ages, that such an Instance of Heroism was
not to be found in the _British_ Annals, that the like could not be met
with, in the Observations of any Nation in the World, that a Woman, whose
mould is tender, delicate and unable to endure Fatigues, and who is
terrified at the Name of Dangers, should undergo so many Scenes without
relinquishing her Resolution of keeping her Sex a Secret.
I had forgot to mention a Circumstance worthy of Notice, in its proper
Place, which happened at _Lisbon_, concerning the two Sweethearts, she and
_Edward Jefferies_ had there, as is before mentioned; which was, that when
she and _Jefferies_ were on board before they set sail from _Lisbon_ to
_England_, these two young Women, of whom mention is made, came along the
Ship's Side in a Boat, and called for _James Grey_, and she being informed
thereof, went into the Boat where they were, but after a little
Conversation, she found them inclined to come on board, and remain there
while they lay in the River; she promised to ask Leave of the Captain for
their Reception, but a fresh and seasonable Thought came into her Head,
which was, that if they came on board, and continued any Time, they might
sooner discover her than any of the Men, therefore to prevent the worst,
instead of pleading for their Admittance, she requested of the Captain,
that they should not be suffered to come on board. This Request was not
only intended for her own Preservation, but likewise to preserve the Women
from being debauched by the Sailors, which they could not have avoided,
had they came on board; by which Means, both she and they escaped the
threatned Danger.
I know the Reader will be desirous to know how the Ball was extracted out
of her Groin, and will imagine, that it was next to an Impossibility it
could be performed without a Discovery. Now to rectify the Scruples of
such, I shall relate this Account as attested by herself; which she said
was, that after she received the twelve Wounds, as before mentioned, she
remained all that Day, and the following Night in the Camp, before she was
carried to the Hospital, and after she was brought there, and laid in a
Kit, she continued till next Day in the greatest Agony and Pain, the Ball
still remaining in the Flesh of that Wound in her Groin, and how to
extract it she knew not, for she had not discovered to the Surgeons that
she had any other Wound than those in her Legs. This Wound being so
extreme painful, it almost drove her to the Precipice of Despair; she
often thought of discovering herself, that by that Means she might be
freed from the unspeakable Pain she endured, by having the Ball taken out
by one of the Surgeons; but that Resolution was soon banished, and she
resolved to run all Risques, even at the hazard of her Life, rather than
that her Sex should be known. Confirmed in this Resolution, she
communicated her Design to a black Woman, who attended upon her, and could
get at the Surgeons Medicines, and desired her Assistance; and her Pain
being so very great, that she was unable to endure it much longer, she
intended to try an Experiment upon herself, which was, to endeavour to
extract the Ball out of that Wound; but notwithstanding she discovered her
Pain and Resolution to this Black, yet she did not let her know that she
was a Woman. The Black readily came, and afforded her all the Assistance
she could, by bringing her Lint and Salve to dress the Wound with, which
she had recourse to, it being left in the Wards where the Patients lay;
for which Act of Friendship she made her a Present of a Rupee at her
Departure, which is 3_s._ 4_d._ of the Currency of that Country, but here
in _England_ it goes for no more than 2_s._ 6_d._ Now the Manner in which
she extracted the Ball was full hardy and desperate: She prob'd the Wound
with her Finger till she came where the Ball lay, and then upon feeling
it, thrust in both her Finger and Thumb, and pulled it out. This was a
very rough Way of proceeding with ones own Flesh; but of two Evils, as she
thought, this was the least, so rather chusing to have her Flesh tore and
mangled than her Sex discovered. After this Operation was performed, she
applied some of the healing Salves which the Black had brought her, by the
help of which she made a perfect Cure of that dangerous Wound.
The Reader will here observe, the invincible Courage and Resolution of
this Woman, who in the midst of so many Inconveniences as she daily
encounter'd, should still be able to guard herself from a discovery of her
Sex; but indeed it appears she acted so artfully on every Emergency, as
rendered any Attempts of this Kind abortive; for notwithstanding the Wound
she received in her Groin was the most dangerous of all the others, yet
that was the only Wound she kept from the Knowledge of the Surgeons, by
telling them, when they came to examine her, that all the Wounds she had
received were in her Legs which they readily believed; and by that Means
prevented any farther Search.
Observe here the Steadiness and Intrepidity wherewith she overcame all the
Pains and Dangers which assaulted her. Who would not in the midst of so
much Agony and Pain as she felt here, broke through the strongest and most
virtuous Resolutions in order to obtain immediate Relief? But she remained
still inflexible in the midst of every Affliction wherewith she was
environed, no Consideration could ever prevail upon her in her own Mind to
deviate from the Resolutions she had imbibed upon her first Launching out,
and which, though it cost her many a painful Hour, yet by her steady
Adherence to these Principles, she obtained a Conquest over near five
Years adverse Fortune.
Now having satisfied the Reader's Doubts in Regard to the Methods she used
to conceal her Sex from the Knowledge of any about her, on these
particular Occasions, when she was most exposed, _viz._ the twice she was
whipt, and upon the dressing of her Wounds, which were Times I say, when
Danger was at the Door ready to burst in, and plunder the Habitation of
its most valuable Furniture; I shall next proceed, to shew the Reader some
Transactions that has occur'd since she came to _London_.
Tho' she had not discovered her Sex to any besides her Brother in Law, her
Sister, and the young Woman with whom she lodged; she was very uneasy,
fearing, lest a further Discovery should be made, and she thereby deprived
of her Soldier's Pay. This Motive induced her to conceal herself as much
as possible, till she had received her Pay, (being 15 Pounds) which she
accordingly did on the _Saturday_ after her Arrival in _London_, being the
9th Day of _June_, when she, with Serjeant _Orley_, _John Hutchins_,
_James Moody_, _Andrew Grey_, and the rest of the Marines that came to
_London_ with her, went to the Agent _John Winter_, Esq; in
_Downing-Street, Westminster_; where being all paid and discharged, they
went to an Alehouse, the Fighting-Cocks, next Door to Mr. _Winter_'s
House, and there she first discovered herself to her Comrades. There being
two Suits of Cloathing due to her from the Regiment, she also sold them
for 16_s._ being glad to get hold of all the Money she could before her
Sex was discovered.
Now upon receiving her Pay, and all her fellow Adventures then present,
she thought that was the most proper Opportunity she ever could have, for
disclosing her Sex, seeing they could then testify the Truth of all the
Fatigues, Dangers and other Incidents of her Adventures, and that her Sex
was never discovered, which if then omitted, she might never have an
Opportunity of seeing them all together again, and by that Means, the
Account of her Adventures as aforesaid, might be lookt upon by the
Publick as fictitious: These Considerations prevailed upon her to embrace
the then seasonable Occasion, for discovering herself, before they took a
final Leave; she therefore proposed to them to make merry before they
parted, which was agreed to by one and all of them, as they expected never
to meet altogether any more; and then she discovered herself to the whole
Company which caused a universal Surprise amongst them all.
But after they had recovered themselves from this sudden Emotion, which
the aforesaid surprizing Information had thrown them into, they could
hardly be prevailed upon to believe the Truth of what she advanced, until
her Brother and Sister undeceived them, by informing them of the whole
Transaction. Upon which, they all with one Voice sounded forth her Praise,
by applauding her Courage as a Soldier, her Dexterity as a Sailor, her
humane Deportment and Sincerity as a Friend, having performed many good
Offices towards them in Times of their Sickness, and upon every other
Opportunity. They expatiated much upon the Evenness of her Temper, the
Regularity of her Conduct, and the many Dangers and Hardships she
underwent, without ever shewing the least sign of Discontent with her
Situation. These Encomiums once over, the forementioned _Moody_, who had
been her Bedfellow two Nights, and was present at this Discovery, became
of a sudden so much enamoured with her, that he proposed to marry her,
which she refused, upon reflecting what a bad Husband she formerly had,
and who had been the Instrument of all her Misfortunes, therefore for his
sake she resolved, in the Mind she was then in, never to engage with any
Man living.
Now upon the Discovery of her Sex, her Relations, and some of her intimate
Friends, advised her to apply by a Petition to his Royal Highness the Duke
of _Cumberland_, not doubting but that his Highness would make some proper
Provision for her, as she had received so many Wounds. Upon which a
Petition was drawn up, setting forth her Adventures, and the Hardships she
underwent, together with the many Wounds she received, which she was the
Bearer of herself, and coming where his Royal Highness then was in his
Landau, accompanied by Colonel _Napier_, she delivered her Petition to his
Royal Highness, and upon his perusing it, gave it to the Colonel, desiring
him to enquire into the Merits. So that it is not doubted but his Royal
Highness will make her some handsome Allowance, exclusive of _Chelsea_
College, to which she is entitled.
Now, notwithstanding this our Heroine has at sundry Times appeared upon a
publick Stage since her Return to _England_, and diverted the Auditors
with a Song or two, in order to procure a little Money, wherewith to
support her present necessary Expences, yet the Publick we hope will
encourage her, if she should have a Benefit Play perform'd on her own
Account, as an Encouragement for the many singular Adventures, and signal
Deliverances from the many Perils and Dangers that environed her, and all
in the Behalf of her Country: Her Merit I think is such as is sufficient
to set her upon a Level with the most celebrated Ladies of antient Times.
She is not to be put in the Lists with the fictitious and fabulous Stories
of a _Pamella_, &c. no, her Virtues have displayed their Lustre in the
remotest Corner of the World, the once fam'd _Asia_. It was here she
performed such noble Deeds, as will cause her Name and Fame to be revered
to latest Posterity: Here is the real _Pamella_ to be to found, who in the
midst of thousands of the Martial Gentry, preserved her Chastity by the
most virtuous Stratagems that could be devised: Next behold her upon the
Ocean, surrounded with Storms, Tempests and Hurricanes, every Moment
expecting the watery Element should prove her Tomb; and as an Addition to
her wretched Situation, she was intermixed with the hardy resolute Tars,
who soon would have batter'd down the Fort of her Virtue, had they
discovered that _James Gray_ was Mrs. _Hannah Snell_. See her making for
fair _Asia_'s ancient Shore, with all the speed that Canvas Wings could
carry her; and going aloft and discharging the Duty of a skilful Mariner;
afterwards upon the Poop and Quarter Deck exercising her small Arms, as an
able and experienced Soldier: Then when the Enemy were attacked, firing
her Pontoons, brandishing her Sword, receiving dangerous Wounds, and
spilling her precious Blood: If these, together with many more
Circumstances, are not Virtues infinitely surpassing the Adventures and
Virtues of our romantick _Pamella_, I own I am mistaken, and shall leave
them to the Judgment of the impartial Reader. This is a real _Pamella_;
the other a counterfeit; this _Pamella_ is real Flesh and Blood, the other
is no more than a Shadow: Thefore let this our Heroine, who is the Subject
of this History, be both admired and encouraged.
I shall conclude this Subject, with observing, that notwithstanding the
many Reflections thrown upon the Fair Sex on Account of their Weakness in
Point of Secret, the Conduct of our Heroine in this Particular is a plain
and demonstrative Proof of this Truth, that a Woman is not only capable of
confining a Secret in her Bosom, but actually do so upon sundry
Emergences, seeing she concealed her Sex in the midst of the greatest
Dangers and Hardships; no Difficulties, no Pains, no Terrors, nor Prospect
of future Calamities, could prevail upon her to discover a Secret, which,
if once divulged, might have proved more fatal to her Repose, than all the
Difficulties she had undergone during the past Course of her Adventures.
The Adventures of this Female Soldier, as the like is not to be
parallelled in History, should never be forgot by our _British_ Ladies,
but whenever satirized by any of the Masculine Gentry, they should always
have this Repartee ready, _Remember_ HANNAH SNELL.
I shall now conclude with informing the Publick, that she still continues
to wear her Regimentals; but how she intends to dispose of herself, or
when, if ever, to change her Dress, is more than what she at present seems
certain of.
_FINIS._
As this Treatise was done in a Hurry from _Hannah Snell_'s own Mouth, and
directly committed to the Press, occasioned by the Impatience of the Town
to have it published, it is not doubted but that such Part of it as
appears somewhat incorrect, will be candidly overlook'd, that, being made
up in the Veracity and Fulness of her surprising Adventures; the like not
to be met with in the Records of Time.