82 ABERDEENSHIRE MILITIA. CHAP. v. 



moorings, Edward's friend came along the hold in 

 breathless haste, and inquired (for he was in the dark) 

 " if he was there." " Surely," replied Edward. " For 

 the love of God," said the sailor, " come out at once, 

 and get on shore. You have time yet. Simon Grant 

 (the town's officer) and a lot of his sharks have come, 

 and they are about to rummage the ship from stem to 

 stern for runaways. So make haste, and come out ; 

 you have no chance now ! " 



Edward still delayed. He did not like to leave 

 his hole. But hearing an unusual commotion going 

 on, amidst a great deal of angry speaking, and fearing 

 the worst, he at last very unwillingly crept from his 

 berth, went on deck, and leapt on shore just as the 

 ship was leaving the quay. He afterwards learnt 

 that the town's officer was in search of another class 

 of stowaways, who, it seems, had been carried on 

 board in boxes or barrels. Edward found that he 

 could not see the world after this method ; and he 

 returned home defeated and mortified. 



The Aberdeenshire Militia having been called out 

 in 1831, Edward enlisted in the regiment. He was 

 only about eighteen years old at the time. When the 

 men assembled, they were found to be a very bad lot 

 mere riff-raff the dregs of the neighbourhood. 

 They were regardless both of law and order. Seldom a 

 night passed without the patrol bringing in numbers 

 to the guardhouse for being drunk and disorderly. 

 Even during parade, many of the men were put under 



