CHAPTER VII. 



I REMAINED no longer in Newcastle than until 

 I earned as much money as would pay my way to 

 London. I then took my passage on board a 

 collier bound to the great city; and, after beating 

 about in good weather and bad weather for about 

 three weeks, -I arrived in London on the first 

 October, 1776. 



The first Cockney I met was the scullerman, 

 who was engaged to land me and my baggage 

 at Carnegie's the hairdresser near Temple Bar. I 

 was amused at his slang and his chatter all the 

 way to London Bridge ; and, on approaching it, 

 he asked me if I was tc a -feared ;" but, not know- 

 ing what I was to be afraid of, I returned the 

 question, at which he looked queer . We passed 

 the gulf about which he wanted to talk, and I 

 then asked him if he had been "a-feared." 



It was not long before I found out my old 

 school-fellows, Christopher and Philip Gregson,* 

 my old companion, William Gray,f then a book- 

 binder in Chancery Lane, and my friend, Robert 

 Pollard.:}: The first had provided me with a 

 lodging, and the last through the kindness and 

 influence of his master, Isaac Taylor with plenty 

 of work. Before commencing work, I thought it 

 best to take a ramble through the city and its 



[* See note p. 20.] [f See note p. 67. ] [t See p. 73. ] 



