CHAPTER VII 
TT 7*0ULD the reader like to have the full and true 
* * account of how it came about that William 
Brannan and his chum Terrence M'Machon came to stow- 
away on the* Balsena? I have already told how we sent 
twelve of these poor lads home as we went down the Tay. 
This William Brannan is one of the two who escaped the 
search and came with us. He is about sixteen, pale and 
dreamy-looking, but strong, and has an exquisite voice. 
Stowaways do not often publish their personal impres- 
sions, so, with his permission, I give them here word for 
word. The doctor has taken in hand to improve the 
education of some of the lads of the crew, and I sug- 
gested this subject for one of Brannan's exercises. He 
first wrote the account with the assistance of an English 
public-school man, who is serving before the mast, 
with the stereotyped result that might be expected ; 
then he wrote the yarn himself, as follows : — 
yd Sep. 1892. 
As i was walking down the overgate is met one of my chums 
who was going to a football match but he was over late so we 
went round the docks for we heard that the whalers was going to 
sail on Tueasday 6 inst so we made up were mind to stowaway 
so we came on the day fixed. First we went to diane but we didn't 
like her so we went aboard the balenea we went down in foxel to 
stow ourselves away ; but we got seperated an as i was looking 
about me i seen a lot of boys younger than myself into a keg 
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