rs old being much fatigued, left his juvenile companions, and
unperceived by them, got into a boat not far from the spot, and fell
asleep. The tide soon afterwards coming in, floated the boat, and carried
it up the river; and upon the return of tide it fell back, and
subsequently the boat and infant were carried out into the channel,
between Puffin Isle, near the Anglesea Coast and the Lancashire Shore, or
I should say, in the Irish Channel. A trading vessel, in the grey of the
morning, perceiving a small boat so far from any land, bore down, and the
crew to their great surprise, found only the poor child in it, nearly
heart broken at its unfortunate situation, and totally unable to give any
regular account of itself. The master of the vessel felt every wish and
anxiety to restore the poor child to its parents, but not being able to
glean from it who they were, and having no children of his own, he made up
his mind to adopt the boy, congratulating himself that Providence had in
this singular manner thought proper to send him an heir to his property,
and a delight as he fondly hoped in his declining years. Accordingly after
his return back from Liverpool, where he was then bound, to his residence
in the North of Ireland, he introduced his little charge to his wife, who
had never borne him any family; related the very singular manner he had
found him, and they mutually agreed to take him under their protection
until they could find out his parents, and if they were unsuccessful, to
bring him up as their own child.

Sometime afterwards the mother of the boy came to be made acquainted with
what had happened to him, and she caused a letter to be sent to his foster
father, wishing her child to be given up to her; her application was
attended to, expressing much pleasure at being able to restore the boy to
her, but stated that he was doing well, and in good hands, they were
reluctant to part with him; and to induce his mother to suffer him to
remain where he was, she was informed that his protector had made his will,
and upon his demise, had left the whole of his property to the child. All
this had no weight, she demanded her son, and the little fellow was
afterwards given up, with many tears and regrets by his foster parents, to
his mother, at Liverpool. It would be well could the narrative break off
here in the manner it could be wished. But soon afterwards, upon the
return of the boy with his mother to their home, playing wit