(seq. 173)

been long gone, when I heard the noise of a flint and steel
a match was lighted, and by its light I spyed certain other
persons who were utter strangers to me, these worthy gentlemen
when a candle lighted offerd me their services assuring
me they were very sorry to see persons of our station so hardly
used - I must describe these persons as we shortly became
acquainted. One was Mr. Collins who had been a drummer
in the British Service, but having deserted, no doubt for very
prudential reasons, and finding the provincial pay insufficient
for the support of a man of pleasure, had fallen upon a
method of setting that matter right, by counterfeiting
the current money of the State - The second was Mr. Spears
who had been a Victualler in the borough of Southwark,
he had had his reasons for coming to America, and had an
equal right with Mr. Collins to imitating the manner of
the engravers employed by the Commonwealth for making
what they called limber dollars - Mr. Spears, he played
on the fiddle, and perhaps to his enlivening strains I owe
that I am able to write these Memoirs - A sailor
who did not like staying on board was a third - They
were all very fond of Mirth and Rum, the latter greatly
promoting the former so that in a short time three
of six that we were betook themselves to dancing, but