Seagrave, "riches and prosperity in this
world prove often the greatest of temptations; it is adversity that
chastens and amends us, and which draws us to God."
"As soon as the money was in my own hands," continued Ready, "I began
to squander it away in all manner of folly. Fortunately, I had not
received it more than ten days, when the Scotch second mate came like a
guardian angel to save me. As soon as I had made known to him what had
taken place, he reasoned with me, pointed out to me that I had an
opportunity of establishing myself for life, and proposed that I should
purchase a part of a vessel, on condition that I was captain of her. I
liked this idea very much, and being convinced that I had been making a
fool of myself, I resolved to take his advice; but one thing only
restrained me: I was still very young, not more than twenty years old;
and although I could navigate at one time, I had latterly paid no
attention. I told Sanders this, and he replied, that if I would take
him as my first mate, that difficulty would be got over, as he could
navigate well, and that I could learn to do so in the first voyage; so
all was arranged.
"Fortunately, I had not spent above one hundred pounds of the money.
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