CHAP. V.| Tries to Envgrate. 89 
near the entrance to the police-office in Watch Lane, and 
another in Meal Market Lane, both of which attracted a 
large share of his attention. The sight of these things 
first gave Edward the idea of preserving animals. The first 
beast he stuffed was a mole, and he was very proud of it. 
The shoe-making trade having become very flat, Edward 
left Shoe Lane, after having been there for about twenty 
months. He then went to work at a shop on the Lime 
Quay, near the harbor. He had steady work there for 
some time, at set wages. Though he had less time to at- 
tend to his natural-history pursuits, he still managed to at- 
tend to his garden and his “ family,” as his mother termed 
his maingie* of beasts. Trade again recovering, he went 
back to work at the old place. But this did not continue 
long. The men had to be paid off; and then Edward did 
not know what to do. 
At that time, emigration to America was the rage. Trade 
was very depressed throughout the country. There were 
bread riots in many of the manufacturing towns. Num- 
bers of laborers were without work, and without the means 
of living. Aberdeen shared in the general depression; and 
many persons emigrated to the United States, where there 
was a better demand for labor. Edward wished to emi- 
grate too, but he had no money. He had only a few shil- 
lings to spare. But might he not contrive to emigrate as a 
stowaway ? 
This course is frequently adopted at the ports from which 
ships sail for America. A boy gets on board, conceals him- 
self in the hold, and after the ship has got out of sight of 
land he makes his appearance on deck, usually half starved. 
Edward determined to try this method of escaping from 
Aberdeen, and more especially from his shoe-making trade. 
He knew one of the sailors on board the ship which he had 
selected; and although the sailor was strongly opposed to 
* Maingie, many— a great lot.” From the German word Menge. 
