far as
Kinnaird Head, was then surprised by a storm, driven back to Orkney, and
bilged and sank on the island of Flotta. It seems it was about the dusk
of the day when the ship struck, and many of the crew and passengers
were drowned. About the same hour, my grandfather was in his office at
the writing-table; and the room beginning to darken, he laid down his
pen and fell asleep. In a dream he saw the door open and George Peebles
come in, "reeling to and fro, and staggering like a drunken man," with
water streaming from his head and body to the floor. There it gathered
into a wave which, sweeping forward, submerged my grandfather. Well, no
matter how deep; versions vary; and at last he awoke, and behold it was
a dream! But it may be conceived how profoundly the impression was
written even on the mind of a man averse from such ideas, when the news
came of the wreck on Flotta and the death of George.

George's vouchers and accounts had perished with himself; and it
appeared he was in debt to the Commissioners. But my grandfather wrote
to Orkney twice, collected evidence of his disbursements, and proved him
to be seventy pounds ahead. With this sum, he applied to George's
brothers, and had it apportioned between their mother and themselves. He
approached the Board and got an annuity of L5 bestowed on the widow
Peebles; and we find him writing her a long letter of explanation and
advice, and pressing on her the duty of making a will. That he should
thus act executor was no singular instance. But besides this we are able
to assist at some of the stages of a rather touching experiment: no less
than an attempt to secure Charles Peebles heir to George's favour. He is
despatched, under the character of "a fine young man"; recommended to
gentlemen for "advice, as he's a stranger in your place, and indeed to
this kind of charge, this being his first outset as Foreman"; and for a
long while after, the letter-book, in the midst of that thrilling first
year of the Bell Rock, is encumbered with pages of instruction and
encouragement. The nature of a bill, and the precautions that are to be
observed about discounting it, are expounded at length and with
clearness. "You are not, I hope, neglecting, Charles, to work the
harbour at spring-tides; and see that you pay the greatest attention to
get the well so as to supply the keeper with water, for he is a very
helpless fellow, and so unfond of hard work that I fear he could do ill
to keep