He had had a cargo of marine stores which would go to sea before their time.

The strong ebb of the tide, joined to the river current, had positively carried the barge away, and its course had not been stopped till it had drifted on shore at Purfleet.

He acknowledged that something had transpired of the bargemen being drunk, but he had no knowledge himself that such had been the case.

No other cargoes of his own had been carried away, but he had heard that such was often the case.

He thought that the bridge was imperatively demanded.