brought a boat down under the bows of the ship, and I passed my dunnage
into her, by going through the forecastle; I then left the Sterling, for
ever, never putting my foot on board of her again. I saw her, once or
twice, afterwards, at a distance, and she always looked like a sort of
home to me. She was subsequently lost, on the eastern coast, Captain
Johnston still owning her, and being actually on board her, though only as
a passenger. I had been out in her twelve times, from country to country,
besides several short runs, from port to port. She always seemed natural
to me; and I had got to know every timber and stick about her. I felt
more, in quitting this ship, than I did in quitting Halifax. This
desertion was the third great error of my life. The first was, quitting
those with whom I had been left by my father; the second, abandoning my
good friends, the Heizers; and the third, leaving the Sterling. Had
Captain Johnston been in the ship, I never should have dreamed of running.
He was always kind to me, and if he failed in justice, it was on the side
of indulgence. Had I continued with him, I make no doubt, my career would
have been very different from what it has since turned out to be; and, I
fear, I must refer one of the very bad habits, that afterwards marred my
fortunes, that of drinking too much, to this act. Still, it will be
remembered, I was only nineteen, loved adventure, and detested
Captain B----.

After this exploit, Swett and I kept housed for a week. He then got into a
ship called the President, and I into another called the Tontine, and both
sailed for New York, where we arrived within a few days of each other. We
now shipped together in a vessel called the Jane, bound to Limerick. This
was near the close of the year 1811. Our passage out was tremendously bad,
and we met with some serious accidents to our people. We were not far from
the mouth of the Irish channel when the ship broached-to, in scudding
under the foresail and main-top-sail, Bill Swett being at the helm. The