od fortune for them, the vessel that
brought them out, bound for Norfolk, in Virginia, had suffered much in
a storm, put into Baltimore in a leaky state, and there landed the
convicts, handing them over to the governor of Maryland. Eliza's
husband, who was in the magistracy of the city, got the list of their
names when they were transferred from the ship to the prison. Several
of them had died on the voyage, from bad fare, confinement, and harsh
treatment; mostly all were sickly, more or less; and Marian was very
ill. From her manners and appearance, Eliza's husband became interested
in her; and, to save her life, had her removed from the hospital in the
jail, to his own house. You may form your own conjectures of the
astonishment of both when they met. Eliza was the most forgiving and
gentle of creatures, as she had shown in her attention to the captain
after his bad usage of her; and, at her request, her husband got from
the governor a grant of their services, during the term the law had
condemned them to serve. The husband ran from the country a few months
after his arrival, and had not been heard of when William came away; but
the wife remained under the protection of her she had attempted to ruin.

To return to myself after this long digression, I and other two of
the young Aberdeen lads were purchased by a farmer, and removed that
afternoon to his home, about twelve miles from Baltimore. A more
pitiable figure, as regards dress, never landed on any shore. I had
still the same remnant of clothes with which I had left Edinburgh; but
now they scarcely held together, and were besmeared with tar; my feet
and legs were clean, but shoes or stockings were a luxury I had been
long unused to. My long yellow hair hung down my back, but covering I
had none for my head. My heart was light and joyous, as was that of my
companions. Our three years of bondage, we thought, would soon pass
away, and the golden period commence. During our ride over the rough
and ill-made road, in a waggon in which our master had brought a load
of tobacco to town, our whole conversation was of our future golden
prospects; but, alas! we were soon awakened from our pleasant
dreams--for, upon our arrival at the farm, which was not until some time
after nightfall, we were placed in a dark out-house, and the door barred
upon us. Our master was a sour-looking, taciturn man, who had scarcely
spoken to us all the way, save to inquire our ages, and what kind o