1812.] THE AUTHOR'S EARLY LIFE. xi 



of New- York. Here I lost no time in looking out for a berth on 

 board of some vessel engaged in foreign trade, the coasting business 

 being a sphere far too limited for my expansive ambition. I finally 

 succeeded in shipping myself on board the Enterprise, a ship belonging 

 to Ralph Buckley, Esq., and commanded by Captain Alexander Cart- 

 wright; as fine a seaman, and as honest a man, as ever put his foot 

 on the quarter-deck of a ship. 



Our destination was Lisbon, with a cargo of flour, for which a great 

 price was anticipated, as France was then at war with Spain and Por- 

 tugal, and a further supply from the United States was momentarily ex- 

 pected to be cut off ; as an embargo law for ninety days had just passed 

 both houses of Congress, and was hourly expected in New-York. 

 Like several others in the same predicament, we were compelled to 

 take in our cargo with the greatest expedition, and then to drop below 

 in the outer harbour, to wait for our clearance. As soon as this was 

 obtained, we all weighed anchor and put to sea. The word was 

 now, " Run for it ! and Heaven help the hindmost !" for the collectors 

 signature was scarcely dry upon the paper before he received orders 

 from Washington by express to stop every vessel that was bound to 

 sea. The revenue-cutter immediately gave chase to our little fleet 

 of flour-dealers, and succeeded in stopping several of the fugitives, 

 who were compelled to return. The rest of us had too much the start of 

 nim ; and I soon found myself far from land, on the element which I 

 had so long and so ardently desired to traverse. 



I cannot describe my sensations on finding myself afloat on the 

 mighty ocean. My soul seemed to have escaped from a prison or a 

 cage — I could now breathe more freely. But large and boundless as 

 the world of waters appeared, I was afraid that it was not large enough 

 for my wholesale desires. So many had traversed it before me that I 

 felt apprehensive that they had gleaned the vast field of research, and left 

 nothing new for me to discover and describe. But doubtless many 

 other lads of the same age, and under similar circumstances, have 

 experienced the same kind of feelings. The enthusiastic glow which 

 they imparted to my bosom, however, was occasionally chilled by an 

 intruding thought of home, and the affliction of my parents and rela- 

 tives, on account of my clandestine and mysterious disappearance. But 

 the novelty of my situation soon enabled me to give such thoughts to 

 the winds. 



After a pleasant passage, we touched at Lisbon, but finding the 

 price of flour not equal to our expectations, we proceeded to Cadiz, 

 which was then exposed to a severe bombardment from the French. 

 This was of course a wonderful and interesting scene to me. To 

 see the bomb-shells flying over our ship, and falling into the market- 

 place, which I had occasion to visit every day for beef and vegetables, 

 was truly grand and sublime. It was in some measure realizing 

 what I had so often heard and read and dreamed of ; it was a partial 

 consummation of my most prominent juvenile desire. I soon became 

 familiar with danger, and actually felt the most gratified when the 

 shells fell thickest around me ; so that I might exhibit my contempt 

 of fear. From that Deriod, I became romantically fond of hazardous 



