1

In the year 1864 when a boy of 17 years.
After receiving 10 1/2 years Education in the town of Leith
which is the seaport of Edinburgh my father sent me to be
a clerk with a firm called John Saunders & Son. Now this was
a firm that measured all the logs of Timber that came into
Leith with a line of ships that used to run to Quebec for
this Timber. Now these were a line of ships that was [?condemded}
from carrying perishable cargo and used to go across the
Atlantic to Quebec in ballast. And come home loaded with
square logs of Timber. As when they were loaded with Timber there
was no fear of them sinking. So this Firm I was in had to
measure every log. After it was launched out of the ship port
holes which was in the Bows of those old Ships. And after the
Timber was rafted we used to measure it. And at the meal
hours I used to get on board and have a chat with the Apprent-
ices. And those boys used to tell me the most Lovely Stories
of their Adventures in the ice fields on the Banks of Newfoundland.
And at last they me persuaded to go to sea. I considered
about it for a long time and at last I thought I would ask
My Father about it. And at last I did broach the subject to
him. But unfortunately he nearly jumped down my throat
and told me that it was rogues and thieved that went to sea
and also boys that their parents could do nothing with. So
I could See there was no chance of getting away through
my parents. So I met an acquaintance of mine by the name
of James Durie. And was speaking to him about it. And
I found that he was in the same mind as me. And that
we simply proposed to bolt and stow away in one of those
old ships. So there was one bound out in a day or two
a Barque rigged vessel called the Monarch. And I knew
one of the Apprentices on board of her. And he used to give
us all the news when at last this old ship was hauling
out through the Dock gates and when everyone was
busy we jumped on board. And got down the hold
amongst the coals as she was half loaded with