there I studied physic twoyears and seven months, knowing it would be useful in long voyages.
Soon after my return from Leyden, I was recommended by my goodmaster,
Mr. Bates, to be surgeon to the Swallow, Captain AbrahamPannel, commander; with whom I continued three years and a half,making a voyage or two into the Levant, and some other parts. WhenI came back I resolved to settle in London; to which Mr. Bates, mymaster, encouraged me, and by him I was recommended to severalpatients. I took part of a small house in the Old Jewry; and beingadvised to alter my condition, I married Mrs. Mary Burton, seconddaughter to Mr. Edmund Burton, hosier, in Newgate-street, with whomI received four hundred pounds for a portion.
But my good master Bates dying in two years after, and I having fewfriends, my business began to fail; for my conscience would notsuffer me to imitate the bad practice of too many among mybrethren. Having therefore consulted with my wife, and some of myacquaintance, I determined to go again to sea. I was surgeonsuccessively in two ships, and made several voyages, for six years,to the East and West Indies, by which I got some addition to myfortune. My hours of leisure I spent in reading the best authors,ancient and modern, being always provided with a good number ofbooks; and when I was ashore, in observing the manners anddispositions of the people,