Returning Home. 109 



was little or no difficulty in transacting business with- 

 out him, for at almost all the places of any note there 

 was sure to be some one who had more or less com- 

 mand of English, and even when such was not the 

 case, when Mr. Robertson saw goods that seemed 

 likely to suit his market, he had only to ask the price, 

 and when that was agreed upon, the money and his 

 address were sufficient for that transaction. 



As before stated, the object of his journey to the 

 continent was to find out where the goods were made 

 that they had been buying in London, and to open a 

 correspondence. To that extent his expedition had 

 been in a great measure successful. He now there- 

 fore prepared for home, being anxious to get away, 

 lest snow should corne on and he might be kept a 

 prisoner long enough. He had calculated as closely 

 as he could what money would be required to carry 

 him home, leaving a very small margin against con- 

 tingencies. This he did with less hesitation, because 

 he was going home by London and Liverpool, and he 

 knew that in either of those places his funds could be 

 supplemented if necessary. 



As the Elbe was still frozen, Cuxhaven had to be 

 reached by coach. They arrived there in the after- 

 noon, but the steamer was not to start till six the 

 next morning. After dinner, Mr. Robertson asked the 

 landlord whether it was possible to go aboard the 

 steamer that night. He assured him that it was not, 

 as the vessel was lying out in the river in mid-channel, 

 and that no one could get on board her till morning. 

 Remembering how this same landlord had endea- 

 voured to detain them on their upward journey, 



