We purchased our cargo, and started for St. Johns about 10 o'clock in the morning, in order to reach home[299] about midnight; we landed our goods in a large hole in the rocks in an unfrequented place, and stood off with the boat. We went on shore in order to get a team. On our return, we found three custom-house officers guarding our goods! This proved an entire overthrow to our hopes and prospects. Stripped of all our little property, we were left with no alternative but to try the sea again. I accordingly looked about for an opportunity. Soon I was offered the command of a new bark, then in the stocks, which would soon be ready for sea. The vessel lay one hundred miles up the coast. I was also to take charge of her outfits. The day previous to my departure, I received a letter (through the owner of the ship Duncan, in which I had previously sailed,) from my brother-in-law, giving me an account of the situation of the family. This was the first line I had received from home since I left. He was extremely anxious that I should return. I went to the ship and commenced my labors, which I continued only three weeks. I returned to St. Johns and fitted out for home, where I arrived about the last of November, 1844, having been absent fourteen years and a few months. Those long years of hardship had so altered the boy of sixteen summers, (as I was when they last saw me,) that none scarcely knew me. In a few days it was my privilege to fill that place at the Thanksgiving dinner-table which had so long been vacated by me. In a few days my family followed me. For a length of time I was in the employ of the Dwight Manufacturing Company at Cabotville: at the[300] present time I am employed by the Western Railroad Company, and stationed at Springfield. Thus I draw my simple narrative to a close. It is the author's desire that, while his simply-told tale serves to pass away an hour, it will contribute something to the interest as well as to the amusement of the reader. THE END. TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES —Obvious print and punctuation errors fixed. —There are many dialectal and seamen's words reported here; as far as possible they have been left as in the original work —The transcriber of this project created the book cover image using the title page of the original book. The image is placed in the public domain.