no The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



he settled his bill with him, and, as all his luggage 

 was contained in a carpet-bag, he took this in his 

 hand and walked to the pier, in hopes of finding some 

 one to take him to the steamer. Just as he got there, 

 a gentleman came forward, and was going down the 

 steps to a small rowing-boat, which seemingly he had 

 left there awaiting his return. Robertson asked if he 

 would be so kind as to take him to the steamer that 

 was leaving in the morning for London. He civilly 

 replied that he would. The traveller got safely on 

 board, soon went to bed, and was already a good 

 way on his passage when he rose in the morning. 

 The remainder of his journey he thus describes : 



"We were boarded by the excise some distance 

 before we got to London. The men were dispersed 

 to different parts of the boat. One of them came 

 to where I was, and, after talking to me a while, 

 he asked if I belonged to Glasgow. 



"I answered that that was my native place. I 

 put the question to him, if he belonged to Aberdeen. 



"He smiled and nodded assent. We were then 

 friends. I told him that I wished to get to Liver- 

 pool that night, and I feared that the boat would not 

 get in in time, and, as I understood that my luggage 

 would have to go to the custom house, there was 

 little hope of my getting away that night. I men- 

 tioned that I could show him what I had. 



" He replied that he need not look, as he knew 

 at a glance the parties who were likely to have con- 

 traband goods, and that he would try and get me 

 passed. I was just to come forward to the gangway 

 with my bag in my hand. 



