ve been sent there, along with a farm-servant of
my uncle, who drove a cart full of farm produce which he was taking to
the town for sale. I was sent to assist him, by holding the horse while
he was engaged disposing of the contents of the cart.

It happened that the cart was drawn up near one of the wharves where the
shipping lay, so that I had a fine opportunity of looking at the great
leviathans of vessels moored along the quay, and admiring their tall
slender masts and elegant rigging.

There was one ship directly opposite to us that particularly attracted
my admiration. She was larger than any that was near, and her
beautifully tapering masts rose higher by several feet than those of any
other vessel in the port. But it was neither her superior size nor her
more elegant proportions that fixed my attention so earnestly upon her,
though these had at first attracted it. What rendered her so
interesting in my eyes was the fact that she was about to sail very
soon--upon the following day. This fact I learnt from a large board,
which I saw fastened in a conspicuous place upon her rigging, and upon
which I read the following:--

"The _Inca_--for Peru--To-morrow."

My heart began to thump loudly against my ribs, as if some terrible
danger was near, but it was only the emotion caused by the wild thoughts
that rushed into my mind as I read the brief but stirring
announcement--"For Peru, _to-morrow_."

Quick as lightning ran my reflections, all having their origin in the
question, self-asked: why cannot I start "for Peru, to-morrow?" Why
not?

There were grand impediments, and many of them; I knew that, well
enough. First, there was my uncle's servant, who was by my side, and
whose duty it was to take me home again. Of course, it would have been
preposterous to have asked his consent to my going.

Secondly, there was the consent of the people of the ship to be
obtained. I was not so innocent as to be ignorant of the fact, that a
passage to Peru, or to any other part of the world, was a thing that
cost a great deal of money; and that even little boys like myself would
not be taken without paying.

As I had no money, or not so much as would have paid for a passage in a
ferry-boat, of course this difficulty stared me in the face, very
plainly. How was I to get passage?

As I have said, my reflections ran as quick as lightning, and before I
had gazed for a dozen minutes upon that beautiful ship, the impedimen