Alexander Berry

“ Fortunately for me, I, on this occasion, only availed myself of my credit to a limited extent and merely purchased dollars to take to China. On our arrival in that country the market was found to be very bad, and all those who took out large investments suffered severe losses. ”

“ Early History—Studies Medicine and Surgery—Surgeon on board an East Indiaman—The "Lord Hawkesbury"—Military Floggings in 1803—Wreck of a Regiment—Quits the East India Service in Disgust—Enters upon Mercantile Life—Voyage to the Cape—Ignorance in the Mercantile Marine Seventy Years Ago—Berry teaches himself Navigation—What made Sir Thomas Brisbane an Astronomer—Berry arrives at the Cape of Good Hope—Blackstone's Commentaries and Conservatism. ”

“ Relations of the chief officer of the ship were friends of my father. and that, perhaps, influenced him a good deal on this occasion. The surgeon had already made four voyages to India, and was much respected. To me he always behaved like a brother. In those days the surgeons and officers of the Indiamen were all traders, and were allowed by the company a certain tonnage. Generally speaking, they all became mercantile men. ”