I believe he got a good freight from Liverpool, and on his arrival home everything went off iirstrate. I saw him in Boston many times afterwards, but we never exchanged a word about Liverpool, and there was not in Boston a handsomer formed man, nor one more highly respected than Capt.. His owners esteemed him highly, and 1 have never divulged his secret. Mv next move was from Liverpool to Newcastle-on-Tyne, passing through York and Durham, into Northumberland. I had Tetters to a family residing in Newcastle, and when in London I wrote to them that I sliould soon be on my way to the North. From Liverpool to York, I had a very pleasant companion in the person of a young Quaker.
He was very communicative and intelligent, and gave me much valuable information about England, and was also very inquisitive in his enquiries about the United States and its government. I was quite sorry to part with him. On my arrival at Newcastle, I saw a gentleman standing at the coach door, enquiring of each passenger his name. I concluded that this was the gentleman in search of me; so, when I got out, said I: " Is your name Rutherford? " " Yes, sir." " All right; go ahead." He knew in a minute that I was the man. We were quickly at his house; and as it was his wife with whom I had been acquainted in Boston, our meeting was rather a cordial one.
That night, a party was got up, and we had a tall time; and according to English fashion, did not separate until daylight; all appeared social and happy. One of the gentlemen showed me round Newcastle, which at this time was wrapped in gloom, in consequence of a dreadful accident which had occurred only a few days before. An explosion had taken place in a coal mine, near by, by which 129 lives were lost, and many others maimed, some of them for life. In walking one day, I was introduced to an old gentleman, wrho, as we passed along the street, pointed to a row of buildings which once belonged to him, but were now the property of another.
He stopped short, and taking my hand, observed: " Now 1 am poor, and a poor gentleman is the most useless being in creation; he is of no use to himself, or to any one else." I did not exactlv accord with him there; for, notwithstanding his remark might apply in many eases, yet it was not generally true, as the future usefulness of a man bereft of his property, very much depends upon circumstances. I parted with my good friends in Newcastle, and took passage in the Steamer for Leith; there were several cabin and a number of steerage passengers. We left Newcastle early in the morning, passing Shields and Sunderland. After we had left the Tyne, a gale sprung up, which continued with much violence, until we reached the Frith of Forth.
On arriving at Leith, next morning, I went ashore and looked around among the shipping. Here were female stevedores, with canvas petticoats, and a large canvas jacket over all, rolling casks on board the ships, and lowering them into the hold as handily as any men that I had ever seen. And it was amusing to see the long string of Scotch fisherwomen, with their broad backs, and a two bushel basket of fish on their shoulders, all dripping down over their leather jackets, going up the Leith road to Edinburgh; the distance is one mile. On the way, there is a large gin palace, where they stop to get a nipper, and woe be to any man who says an insulting word to them; they would all drop their baskets, and pommel him so that he could hardly walk.
As this has happened several times, every one gives them a wide l>erth. I had an introductory letter to a gentleman, who was an extensive book publisher. He very kindly left bis business, and devoted himself entirely to me while I remained in Edinburgh. I stopped at the Prince hotel, Prince street. At the dinner table I recognized an old Boston merchant, who formerly kept on India wharf; he sat opposite, and repeatedly urged me to take a glass of wine, which former experience induced me to decline. I soon found that nearly all at the table were a set of blow-hards, and my old friend was not a whit behind them. According to Scotch etiquette, it is indecorous to leave the table before all have finished.