ded
at Hessle. I was up to my chest in water and mud for nearly three hours
swimming backwards and forwards after the beasts; sometimes I had hold
of their tails, and anon had to meet them and turn them towards the
shore. There are lots of people now living at Barton who saw the affray,
and who could describe it much better than I have done.

[Sidenote: JOHN AND THE BEASTS.]

'A similar incident took place in 1844. I was captain of a ferry-boat
plying between Winteringham and Brough. One Sabbath-day I was taking a
load of beasts from Brough to Winteringham, and when we had got about
half way across the Humber, the boat upset, and the beasts were thrown
into the water. I was afraid they all would be drowned, and, in spite of
all I could do, some of them were. I jumped overboard and drove some of
them back to Brough, while others swam to the Lincolnshire side of the
river. I was swimming about after the beasts for five hours, chasing
them backwards and forwards, turning them this way and that, and doing
what nobody but myself would have done. At length, several men came to
our assistance, and when we had got the poor animals out of the water,
we hastened to the public-house at the harbour-side, and got drunk. I
kept my wet clothes on until they dried on my back. This was one of the
most wretched days of my life. My anxiety about the beasts, the
exhaustion brought on by my efforts to get them safe to land, and the
sense of misery and degradation I felt when I thought of the plight I
was found in on the blessed Sabbath-day, I shall never forget.

'On one occasion I was helping to load the "Magna Charter," and being
half drunk, I fell into Hull harbour, with upwards of eight stones of
coal on my back, but through foolish bravado I refused to let the bag
drop into the water. After being in the water several minutes, I swam
to the landing with the coals on my back, amid the deafening shouts of
scores of spectators. I look back on this act of temerity with feelings
of shame and unmixed regret.'

[Sidenote: HE IS CAST OVERBOARD.]

When sailing from Hull to Barton, one night in the year 1842, John was
thrown overboard. The night was dark, the wind was blowing a heavy gale
from the west, and every moment the spring-tide, then at its height,
carried him further from the packet, which soon became unmanageable. The
boat was launched, but the engineer, who had charge of it, became
greatly agitated and much alarmed, and uttered th