My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire: I was thethird of five sons. He sent me to Emanuel College inCambridge at fourteen years old, where I resided three years, and applied myself close to my studies; but the charge ofmaintaining me, although I had a very scanty allowance, beingtoo great for a narrow fortune, I was bound apprentice to Mr.James Bates, an eminent surgeon in London, with whom Icontinued four years. My father now and then sending me smallsums of money, I laid them out in learning navigation, andother parts of the mathematics, useful to those who intend totravel, as I always believed it would be, some time or other, myfortune to do. When I left Mr. Bates, I went down to my father: where, by the assistance of him and my uncle John, and someother relations, I got forty pounds, and a promise of thirtypounds a year to maintain me at Leyden: there I studied physictwo years and seven months, knowing it would be useful inlong voyage.
