inleck, Ayrshire, in the immediate vicinity of Airsmoss, the scene
of the skirmish, in 1680, between a body of the soldiers of Charles II.
and a small party of Covenanters, when their minister, the famous
Richard Cameron, was slain. The traditions which still floated among the
peasantry around the tombstone of this indomitable pastor of the
persecuted Presbyterians, essentially fostered in his mind the love of
poetry; and he afterwards turned them to account in his poem of "The
Cameronian's Dream." Some years having passed at this place, he removed
to Corsebank, on the stream Crawick, and afterwards to Carcoe, in the
neighbourhood of Sanquhar. Instead of a course of indiscriminate
reading, he now followed a system of regular study; and ere his
twentieth year, was not only a respectable classical scholar, but
tolerably conversant with some of the modern languages and the exact
sciences. He opened an evening school for the instruction of his humble
pastoral associates; and about the close of 1819, was induced to remove
to Greenock, there to make the attempt of earning a livelihood by
teaching. In October of the same year, he began to contribute verses to
the _Edinburgh Magazine_, which excited no inconsiderable attention, and
especially called forth the kindly criticisms of the amiable editor, the
Rev. Mr Morehead. Visiting Edinburgh, he was introduced by this
gentleman to Mr Jeffrey and the Rev. Mr Alison, who had both been
interested by his poetry.

The Greenock school adventure was unfortunate, and the poet returned to
the pastoral scenes of Carcoe. At this period he composed "The
Cameronian's Dream," which appeared in the _Edinburgh Magazine_ for
February 1821, and attracted much attention. He now commenced teaching
in Edinburgh; but soon obtained, through the recommendation of Mr
Jeffrey, the appointment of schoolmaster in the "Doris" frigate, about
to sail for South America. At sea, he continued to apply himself to
mental improvement; and on his return from a three years' cruise along
the coasts of the Western world, he published, in the pages of the
_Edinburgh Magazine_, a series of papers, under the title of "Letters
from South America," describing the scenes which he had surveyed. In
1825 he proceeded to London, and there formed the acquaintance of Allan
Cunningham, Joanna Baillie, and J. G. Lockhart. For some time, he
reported to one of the London newspapers; but this employment proving
uncongenial, was speedily