I was never at rest by land or water.

The ships were the least of the business, for the dour Scots seamen were a match for all comers.

I made them anchor at twilight in mid-stream for safety's sake, for in that drouthy clime a firebrand might play havoc with them.

The worst that happened was that one moonless night a band of rascals, rigged out as Indian braves, came yelling down to the quay where some tobacco was waiting to be shipped, and before my men were warned had tipped a couple of hogsheads into the water.

They got no further, for we fell upon them with marling-spikes and hatchets, stripped them of their feathers, and sent them to cool their heads in the muddy river.