father's, and I recollect he was sent for in a great hurry,
and my father and his guests all went with him to the pond. The woman
was nearly killed, and her life for long despaired of. She was taken to
the Infirmary, on the top of Shaw's Brow, where St. George's Hall now
stands. The way they ducked was this. A long pole, which acted as a
lever, was placed on a post; at the end of the pole was a chair, in which
the culprit was seated; and by ropes at the other end of the lever or
pole, the culprit was elevated or dipped in the water at the mercy of the
wretches who had taken upon themselves the task of executing punishment.
The screams of the poor women who were ducked were frightful. There was
a ducking tub in the House of Correction, which was in use in Mr.
Howard's time. I once went with him through the prison (as I shall
describe presently) and saw it there. It was not till 1804 or 1805 that
it was done away with.

My father was owner and commander of the _Mary Ellen_. She was launched
on the 4th of June, my birthday, and also the anniversary of our revered
sovereign, George III. We used to keep his majesty's birthday in great
style. The bells were set ringing, cannon fired, colours waved in the
wind, and all the schools had holiday. We don't love the gracious Lady
who presides over our destinies less than we did her august grandfather,
but I am sure we do not keep her birthday as we did his. The _Mary
Ellen_ was launched on the 4th of June, 1775. She was named after and by
my mother. The launch of this ship is about the first thing I can
remember. The day's proceedings are indelibly fixed upon my memory. We
went down to the place where the ship was built, accompanied by our
friends. We made quite a little procession, headed by a drum and fife.
My father and mother walked first, leading me by the hand. I had new
clothes on, and I firmly believed that the joy bells were ringing solely
because _our_ ship was to be launched. The _Mary Ellen_ was launched
from a piece of open ground just beyond the present Salt-house Dock, then
called, "the South Dock." I suppose the exact place would be somewhere
about the middle of the present King's Dock. The bank on which the ship
was built sloped down to the river. There was a slight boarding round
her. There were several other ships and smaller vessels building near
her; amongst others, a frigate which afterwards did great damage to the
enemy during the Frenc