Dover harbour, would
sail the next day, and that she had on board of her a quantity of lace
and silks, purchased at the Dover custom-house for exportation, which he
was to put on shore again to be sent up to London. The sending up to
London we had nothing to do with; the agent at Dover managed all that;
we only left the articles at his house, and then received the money on
the nail. We went to the harbour, where we found the brig hauling out,
so we made all haste to get away before her. It blew fresh from the
northward and eastward, and there was a good deal of sea running. As we
were shoving out, the London agent, a jolly little round-faced fellow,
in black clothes, and a bald white head, called to us, and said that he
wanted to board a vessel in the offing, and asked whether we would take
him. This was all a ruse, as he intended to go on board of the brig
with us to settle matters, and then return in the pilot boat. Well, we
hoisted our jib, drew aft our foresheet, and were soon clear of the
harbour; but we found that there was a devil of a sea running, and more
wind than we bargained for; the brig came out of the harbour with a
flowing sheet, and we lowered down the foresail to reef it--father and
brother busy about that, while I stood at the helm, when the agent said
to me, `When do you mean to make a voyage?' `Sooner than father thinks
for,' said I, `for I want to see the world.' It was sooner than I
_thought for_ too, as you shall hear. As soon as the brig was well out,
we ran down to her, and with some difficulty my father and the agent got
on board, for the sea was high and cross, the tide setting against the
wind; my brother and I were left in the boat to follow in the wake of
the brig; but as my brother was casting off the rope forward, his leg
caught in the bight, and into the sea he went; however, they hauled him
on board, leaving me alone in the coble. It was not of much
consequence, as I could manage to follow before the wind under easy
sail, without assistance: so I kept her in the wake of the brig, both of
us running nearly before it at the rate of five miles an hour, waiting
till my father should have made up his packages, of a proper size to
walk through the tunnel drain.

"The Channel was full of ships, for the westerly winds had detained them
for a long time. I had followed the brig about an hour, when the agent
went on shore in a pilot boat, and I expected my father would soon be
ready;