AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. 69 



sailmaker he was brought into contact with seafaring men, 

 and in the year 1819 he made a voyage to South America, 

 and settled in business at Valparaiso. Here his passion for 

 collecting shells found an ample field for its development. 

 * * In 1826 he gave up his business, in order to devote 

 himself wholly to his favourite pursuit. He built a yacht, 

 expressly fitted up for the collection and stowage of objects 

 of Natural History; made a cruise of twelve months 

 among the Islands of the South Pacific; afterwards he 

 visited the western coast of America; spent several years 

 amongst the Phillipine Islands, Malacca, Singapore, and 

 St. Helena, as well as other places; and returned to 

 England with the richest booty that had ever been collected 

 by a single man. Mr. Cuming had long been subjected 

 to a chronic bronchitis and an asthmatic affection, and he 

 died on the 10th of August, 1865, at his residence in 

 Gower Street, London." 



JOHN SCOBLE. 



This well-known Anti-Slavery Lecturer was a native of 

 either Dodbrooke or Kingsbridge, probably the former. 

 His parents were quite in a humble station. When a 

 young boy he one day fought vigorously on Dodbrooke 

 Quay with a boy much bigger than himself, in defence of 

 a little fellow whom he was persecuting and ill-treating. 

 This brought him under the notice of the child's parents, 

 who from that time took him by the hand, and finding 

 him very desirous of acquiring knowledge, they lent him 

 books, and were in various ways kind and helpful to him. 

 Step by step he rose, until he became eminent as a lecturer. 

 Mr. Scoble long since removed to Canada, where he is, or 

 has been, a Member of the Canadian House of Commons; 



