big, I was very useful. Now it so happened that my father had notice
that a brig, lying in Dover harbour, would sail the next day, and that
she had on board of her a quantity of lace and silks, purchased at the
Dover custom-house for exportation, which he was to put on shore again
to be sent up to London. The sending up to London we had nothing to do
with; the agent at Dover managed all that; we only left the articles at
his house, and then received the money on the nail. We went to the
harbour, where we found the brig hauling out, so we made all haste to
get away before her. It blew fresh from the northward and eastward, and
there was a good deal of sea running. As we were shoving out, the
London agent, a jolly little round-faced fellow, in black clothes, and a
bald white head, called to us, and said that he wanted to board a vessel
in the offing, and asked whether we would take him. This was all a ruse,
as he intended to go on board of the brig with us to settle matters, and
then return in the pilot boat. Well, we hoisted our jib, drew aft our
foresheet, and were soon clear of the harbour; but we found that there
was a devil of a sea running, and more wind than we bargained for; the
brig came out of the harbour with a flowing sheet, and we lowered down
the foresail to reef it--father and brother busy about that, while I
stood at the helm, when the agent said to me, 'When do you mean to make
a voyage?' 'Sooner than father thinks for,' said I, 'for I want to see
the world.' It was sooner than I _thought for_ too, as you shall hear.
As soon as the brig was well out, we ran down to her, and with some
difficulty my father and the agent got on board, for the sea was high
and cross, the tide setting against the wind; my brother and I were left
in the boat to follow in the wake of the brig; but as my brother was
casting off the rope forward, his leg caught in the bight, and into the
sea he went; however, they hauled him on board, leaving me alone in the
coble. It was not of much consequence, as I could manage to follow
before the wind under easy sail, without assistance: so I kept her in
the wake of the brig, both of us running nearly before it at the rate of
five miles an hour, waiting till my father should have made up his
packages, of a proper size to walk through the tunnel drain.

"The Channel was full of ships, for the westerly winds had detained them
for a long time. I had followed the brig about an hour, when the agen