84 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. 



though it should cost him a Httle money. . . ." In serving a 

 short term of imprisonment, he had ample leisure for retro- 

 spection. Alany years later, when his brother David came to 

 America, he brought with him a collection of these pieces, 

 thinking to please the ornithologist; but Wilson threw them 

 into the fire, exclaiming: "These were the sins of my youth; 

 and if I had taken my good old father's advice, they never 

 would have seen the light." 



Upon his release it became evident that his spirit was sub- 

 dued, and that the notoriety he had gained made Scotland a 

 home for him no longer. He resolved to emigrate to America, 

 and with that end constantly in view, applied himself to the 

 loom' with feverish industry ; subsisting for four months on an 

 average of less than one shilling a week. Bidding farewell to 

 a few friends, and taking his nephew, William Duncan, a lad 

 of sixteen years; he walked to Port Patrick, crossed over to 

 Belfast, Ireland, and took passage in the Swift, bound for 

 Philadelphia with 350 emigrants, and so crowded that he was 

 obliged to sleep upon the deck during the entire passage. The 

 vessel sailed on Alay 23rd, 1794. It doesn't appear that Wil- 

 son informed his father fully of his intentions until after his 

 arrival at New Castle, July 11, when he apologized for hav^ 

 ing caused him any anxiety or unhappiness. 



Borrowing a few shillings from a fellow voyager by the 

 name of Oliver, our future ornithologist walked to Philadelphia 

 in urgent need of some kind of employment in order to live. 

 John Aiken, a copper plate ]jrinter, and a fellow countryman, 

 gave him work until he obtained employment at his trade with 

 Col. Joshua Sullivan on the Pennypack creek, ten miles above 

 the city at that time. Lured southward by the glowing ac- 

 counts of a new settlement at Stephenstown, in X'irginia, he 

 was glad to return to weaving for a time, but soon shouldered 

 the pack and tramped through New Jersey, and next began 

 teaching school near Frankfort and then at Alilestown, both in 

 Philadelphia county. Three different occupations and seven 

 changes in two years ! He spent almost six years at the last 



