1S37-38. PERILS BY WATER. 157 



from me before this. I have waited to be able to tell you 

 everything as definitely as possible. Mary and Jeanie are now 

 home, both looking a great deal better, and in all respects im- 

 proved. Their arrival sets me free to set off when I choose. 

 Now, I am not coming up directly by one of the Leith and 

 London steamers, but by Hull. I shall arrive there on Sunday 

 evening, stay all night with our old friends, leave on Monday 

 morning, and be in London on Tuesday afternoon or evening. . . . 

 I am in no mood for writing, have been so knocked about, have 

 so much to do, been so late up, and am so sleepy, that I shan't 

 write a word more. Everything it is desirable you should know, 

 I keep for oral communication. Believe me your very affec- 

 tionate, loving, sleepy brother, GEORGE." 



" GEORGE INN, HULL, Monday, nth September. 



" MY DEAR MOTHER, The best of friends are often bad ad- 

 visers, and so it has proved in my case; for the 'Innisfail,' 

 instead of arriving in Hull on Sunday at twelve o'clock noon, 

 did not get in till one o'clock at midnight of Sunday, and no- 

 body got ashore till this morning. 



" On Saturday, up to eleven o'clock P.M., when ' I turned in/ 

 the weather was most delightful, and the voyage in all respects 

 very pleasant. I did not fall asleep for an hour, and then I 

 tumbled over into a doubtful snooze. I believe there was a 

 sensitiveness among all present to any alarm, from the late 

 accident on the station ; and, accordingly, when the engine 

 stopped at two o'clock in the morning, I and many others awoke. 

 I did not know what hour it was then, and being aware that a 

 gentleman and lady were going ashore at Scarborough, I thought 

 it would be the boat stopping to let them out. One of our 

 number, however, got up and went on deck, and learned that 

 some pin in the engine had broken, and caused the stoppage. 

 However, it was deemed so trivial that he went to bed again, 

 and we began to talk about steamboats and accidents, and the 

 like. Now, you must notice that I slept in a room containing 

 four berths, three of which were occupied by Englishmen, the 

 fourth being occupied by your Scotch son George. I was soon 

 embroiled with the whole three about the nature of the last 



