Peter Biddulph | Page 6

it as they liked, provided they had earned their food. I thus
very early found out their characters, and the amount of perseverance
and energy they possessed, and managed them accordingly. They all
got through their work in the set time, but in different ways. One would
set to work the moment he knew what he was to do, and toil away till it
was completed; another would commence more leisurely, then go to
some other occupation or amusement, and then return to his regular
labours; a third would take the whole time to complete the undertaking,
but it was invariably done well. I taught my own boys the advantages

of industry, and they soon learned to like labour for itself. They have
never been idle, and consequently have never been vicious.
For six or seven years I lived on with my old friends, spending all the
day on the river assisting the boatmen to take care of their boats, and,
as I grew bigger, in rowing, till I had saved enough money to get a
share of a boat myself, while every evening that Mr Hamlin was able to
receive me I paid him a visit. At the time I was fourteen my wish to go
to sea, grew stronger than ever, and Mr Wells at once acceded to it, and
told me that he would gladly find me a berth in one of his own vessels,
for he was, what I forgot before to say, an extensive shipowner. He
advised me to sell my share in the boat, and to invest the amount, with
my subsequent savings, in the savings bank, telling me that he had such
entire confidence in me that he would gladly advance the money for my
outfit.
I was accordingly entered as an apprentice, and made my first voyage,
in the good ship the Mary Jane, to the Brazils. The next was round
Cape Horn to the coast of Chili and Peru, and on my return I made a
trip up the Baltic. Indeed, for many years I was constantly at sea,
during which time I visited various parts of the world.
When I was out of my apprenticeship I began to lay by half of my
wages, and then to do a little trading on my own account, by which I
made money. I at last worked my way from before the mast to the
quarter-deck, and became third officer of a fine ship trading to the Cape.
I probably should have become master of her in time, but on my return
home I fell in love and married. My wife was young, pretty, and well
educated according to my taste--that is to say, she had been brought up
at home by a good sensible mother, who never thought of letting her
learn to play on the piano, nor to dance, nor any accomplishment
useless to one in the rank she appeared destined to fill. Her father was
the owner and master of a small trader running between London and
Ramsgate. After I married I made two more trips to the Cape, and on
my return from the second I found my father-in-law on the point of
death. He made me promise to remain at home to take care of his
widow and daughter, and on these conditions made me over his vessel

and the goodwill of his trade. For some years I followed this line with
varied success, but I did not save much money, as my family increased
rapidly, and my expenses were proportionably heavy. I lost a
considerable part of my savings through the failure of my poor friend
Mr Wells, in whose hands my money was placed; but I did not repine
at this on my own account, for I considered that the lessons he had
taught me were of far more value than the amount of my wealth, but I
grieved deeply that he should be the sufferer. He was by this time an
old man, and his creditors allowed him a comfortable income till his
death.
CHAPTER THREE.
THE VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA.
At length my vessel wore out, and I was compelled to build a new one.
She was a fine schooner of nearly sixty tons, and was a capital sea boat.
I ran her for about three years, but I found that she was almost too good
for the trade she was engaged in. At this time I met with an old
shipmate who had made several trips to New South Wales, or, as it was
then called commonly, to Botany Bay, and he gave me glowing
accounts of the success of some of the free settlers who had gone out
there. This made me think about the subject and set to work to collect
information from all