150 The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



ALARMING VOYAGE IN THE WRONG BOAT 

 THOMAS EDWARD. 



IN 1860, the year of his retirement from business, 

 Mr. Robertson obtained a lease of Fern Bank, at 

 Millport, in the well-loved island of Great Cumbrae. 

 The leasehold was subsequently converted into a 

 freehold tenure, and since 1886 this house has been 

 his permanent residence. In 1860, however, his two 

 sons were still at school in Glasgow, so that the 

 family lived principally there, at 4, Regent's Park 

 Terrace, facing the Southside Park, and at Millport 

 only during school holidays. 



When the two sons began business for themselves, 

 on their account the family moved more into the 

 centre of Glasgow, residing first at 108, Woodlands 

 Road, and then at 42, Kelvingrove Street. 



In the course of years, Glasgow no longer suiting 

 his wife's health, Mr. Robertson bought a house at 

 Uddingston, six or seven miles out of the town, to 

 which he removed in 1882. 



It was Uddingston to which nearly sixty years 

 earlier he and his friend Hamilton had found their 

 way when seeking work one harvest-time, and where, 



