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request of his friend the late Mr. Lee, editor and proprietor of the 

 Kendal Mercury, in which they originally appeared some time after 

 he first came to Coniston. Each chapter was written off-hand, a 

 day or two before publication, complete, and without need of but 

 little correction — for he had a most facile pen, and the work of 

 composition was no task to him, the matter being already fully 

 stored, and arranged with all the necessary information in his mind 

 as it should appear, so that the writing down what he wished to 

 convey was a most easy one ; for he had a most retentive memory 

 in those days, and anything told him, or read, that he wished to 

 remember, was never forgotten. 



" Blood-poisoning, it is said, accidentally contracted through a 

 scratch while attending on a diseased patient, was the cause of his 

 long illness ; and in later stages thereof, he was very far from being 

 his former self, mentally as well as physically. During the first 

 stages of his illness he was advised to take a lengthened sea voyage, 

 with the hope of deriving benefit therefrom ; and assisted, I believe, 

 by friends and admirers in and about Liverpool, he accordingly 

 took a passage up the Mediterranean in one of the Peninsular and 

 Oriental steamers, accompanied I think by Mrs. Gibson, calling at 

 Gibraltar, Malta, Beyrout, and other places on the Syrian coast, 

 returning by Constantinople and Greece — without deriving the 

 the anticipated benefit. 



" At different stages of his voyage, he sent home to his friend 

 'Shimonius,' of the Liverpool Porcupine, letters for publication 

 therein, describing places they touched at and incidents that 

 occurred on board, etc., which appeared in that paper, and were 

 read with much interest. But before the end of the voyage, 

 through failing health and strength, he was obliged to discontinue 

 these. 



" During his illness, and while staying at Coniston for the benefit 

 of his enfeebled health, he was laid hold of by a swindling concern 

 of a bogus mining company, and induced by the scheming pro- 

 moters and agent thereof, to lend his well-known name, as a decoy 

 to others no doubt, and to become a subscriber to a scheme for 

 re-opening a much bepuffed, worthless old copper mine in the 



