the hold of ships, but whether they were true or not I cannot say.
Perhaps they were written with the purpose of deterring boys running off
to sea. If so, they had a good object in view, for from my own
experience I can say that a more mad or foolish act a silly youth cannot
commit. A sailor's life is not without its attractions; but to enjoy it
he must have a good conscience, and be able to feel that he went to sea
with his parents' or friends' consent; and then when disaster occurs, he
has not bitterly to repent having acted contrary to their wishes. For
my own part I tried to persuade myself that I was an unwilling stowaway,
that I had only gone on board to take a look into the hold; but
conscience whispered to me over and over again, "You know you thought of
hiding yourself, and thus getting away to sea in spite of your Aunt Deb,
and the kind old gentleman who was ready to do what he considered best
for your advancement in life."

I tried to silence conscience by replying, "I didn't intend it, I should
never have actually concealed myself in the hold if I could have helped
it. I am simply an unfortunate individual, who is undergoing all this
suffering through no fault of his own. Though I had no wish to become a
merchant, I would, with all the contentment I could muster, have taken
my seat in Mr Butterfield's office, and done my duty to the best of my
ability."

Though I said this to myself over and over again, I found it more
convenient to satisfy conscience and to think only of the present. I
had plenty to do, much of my time being spent in endeavouring to catch
rats. I seldom killed more than one in a day, though occasionally I was
more successful. I ate them without the slightest disgust, taking some
of the pickles at the same time with a piece of biscuit, my dessert
consisting of three or four olives. I was afraid of exhausting my
supply, or I could have swallowed many more. The rats' flesh was
tolerably tender. I suspect that I generally caught the young ones, for
at length I caught one which must have been the father, or grandfather
for that matter, of the tribe, as he was so tough that it was only with
considerable difficulty I could masticate him. This food, however
unattractive according to the usual ideas, must be wholesome, for I kept
my health in an extraordinary manner. I was much indebted for this, I
believe, to the olives, which prevented my being attacked by that
horrible disease, scur