FAREWELL AT LORD SEFTON'S. 7 



and slept. On the following morning we set off for 

 Croxteth (Lord Sefton's), where we dined and slept ; 

 and on Saturday, the 20th of August, we myself, my 

 dogs, and their attendant (George Bromfield) found 

 ourselves at noon safely on board the " Africa " steam- 

 packet, of the Cunard line, of 2500 tons, bound for New 

 York, and under the command of that excellent seaman 

 and gentleman, Capt. Shannon. At the quay there were 

 the usual number of officious porters, all attempting to 

 seize some article of luggage, but by dint of extraordin 

 ary exertions of legs, arms, " and tongue, I cut their 

 legion down to three, that number of individuals being 

 two more than I had any occasion for. 



My luggage, then, all on board the tender, an officiat 

 ing and officious man laid his hand on a deal box in which 

 some of my guns were packed, and to which a card was 

 nailed specifying of what the package consisted, and de 

 manded payment or freightage for that lot. To this de 

 mand I returned a flat refusal, saying that the guns were 

 a part of my personal baggage for use, and not for sale, 

 and that I would not pay for them. He then asked, 

 " What could I do with so many guns ? a man could 

 only shoot with one." I replied, " That proved his ignor 

 ance, for just as a man might put on a thick or a thin 

 coat according to the weather, I took into my hand 

 a different weapon according to the size of the game. 

 He might just as well charge a carpenter for his tools or 

 chisels as charge me for my guns, so I would certainly 

 not pay one farthing." By this time he had had oppor 

 tunity to spell my name, and, apparently laughing at 

 the idea of the carpenter, he desisted from any further 

 attempt to move me out of money. 



On reaching the packet I found it immensely full, the 



