CHAPTER II.

AMERICA.

To return to Andrew Bell. He passed through the classes of the college with considerable success; and, seeing no prospect of remunerative labour in his native city, he began to cast his eyes over the world. The colonies attracted him most, and by accident an offer came to him from Virginia. He accordingly went to America at the age of

Glasgow, and embarked for twenty. He was there for seven years, of which there is little or no record. In 1774 he was engaged as private tutor, at a salary of £200 a-year (paid sometimes in money, sometimes in tobacco, and sometimes not at all), in the family of a Mr Carter Braxton, a merchant of West Point, Virginia. But in addition to teaching, Andrew Bell found time to engage in commercial transactions of various kinds-his dealings being chiefly in American currency and tobacco.

He left Virginia in March 1781. Mr Braxton thought so well of him, that he intrusted his two sons to his care, to be "taken to Europe," that is, to Great Britain, and there" to be fixed at some genteel academy." Bell had made, in the course of his seven

On

years' residence, a sum between £800 and £900. the day of sailing he was lucky enough to catch a sight of the Marquis de la Fayette and his family, who, he says, "had just arrived at York to command the army destined to storm Portsmouth, where was General Arnold." He passed the English and French fleets, who were just preparing to engage. His voyage was miserable and unfortunate in every way; and before it was over he suffered shipwreck. The ship ran aground-was filling with water, when at daybreak all of the passengers and crew managed to effect their escape to land. It was still winter; the ground was covered with snow; the country (in lat. 45°) was uninhabited; the shipwrecked party had to sleep in tents; they were all wet to the skin night and day; and things looked so depressing, that Bell thought it best to make his will. He leaves 25,634 pounds of tobacco, and £10 sterling, which Mr Braxton owes him, to his father, Bailie Bell. To make things worse, sixteen of the crew sexdecim sceleratissimi, says Bell-agree to rob and plunder the passengers, and then to desert them. At last, however, Bell and his friends get away in a boat and reach Halifax, where they are well content-in spite of the fact that beef is "9d. sterling per pound," and a turkey costs twentyone shillings. At length, on the 10th of May, Bell and his pupils sail in the Adamant for London, and reach Gravesend on the 6th of June.

CHAPTER III.

LONDON ST ANDREWS AND LEITH.

ANDREW Bell brought his pupils to London, and they took lodgings in New Bond Street. What was then called "quality" seems to have been their chief end in life. Their eldest brother had had a run of eighteen months on the Continent, and had, says Bell," returned quite the man of fashion, possessed of the graces." This fashion, and these graces, were destined to give Bell a good deal of trouble. What with the "unremitting kindness," as regards money, of Mr Braxton, the idleness and disobedience of the lads, Mr Bell was at length obliged to give up the work, and to send in his resignation to their guardians.

Turning his back upon London, he set his face towards Scotland. He travelled sometimes on horseback, sometimes on foot, sometimes by stage, and sometimes by a local waggon. He seems to have kept a journal of what he saw and heard,-fragments of which still exist. Among other things, he mentions that at Grantham he "supped at the Angel with an Israelite;" that in the county of Durham he found "monstrous conversation, but savouring of Scottish, as in York

shire;" that he is always dropping things on the road -"on the first day my penknife, on the second a handkerchief, on the third a nightcap, and on the fourth my glass;" that, when he arrived in Scotland, some parts of some of the towns did not smell agreeably; and that at Fallowden, he got good green tea at breakfast, which cost sixpence; while "at Greenlaw it was eightpence." At length he reached Edinburgh. He sent his cards round to his friends; and in the hyperbolical language of the period, Mr and Mrs Peter returned "their most affectionate and friendly compliments to their much esteemed Mr A. Bell," and were incapable of expressing their delight" that he was in their neighbourhood again. After two days in Edinburgh, he "arrived in the dark at St Andrews, and was not known by mamma" (his mother).

66

His new stay at St Andrews was not uncheckered by events. A quarrel arose between himself and a Mr Crookenden, an English student at the University. A challenge followed. The combatants met on the Witch Hill, a rising ground which looks over the broad bay, away to a long stretch of sands, a breadth of moorland, and on to the lovely hills of Forfarshire; and all preliminaries had been duly arranged. Mr Bell was shortsighted, and at the same time very eager, and when the signal was given, he poured his fire into the seconds. A burst of laughter followed. The seconds took advantage of the good-humour to bring about a reconciliation, and a pleasant dinner followed.

Mr Bell thought as highly of a good dinner as Dr Johnson. He stayed during Christmas with his father's

B

friend, Mr Dempster of Dunnichen, and records in his diary how he ate of an "eel three feet long, and nine inches round;" and that the "daily fare is grouse, roastbeef, giblets, tripe, soup, oysters, etc., etc.; strong beer by Hunter, twenty-two years old, most excellent. Three wines-bravo!"

Soon after this his two American pupils were sent down to St Andrews by order of their father. Here Mr Bell could take a firm hold of them; and he entered them at the United College, made them rise at five, and forced them to work hard at languages and sciences. He himself rose at four. In July 1783, the tutor and his pupils were attacked with an endemic sore throat, which had been travelling all over Europe. Bell was much the worst; but he was tenderly nursed by his friend Mr Berkeley (afterwards a prebendary of Canterbury), a son of the great Bishop Berkeley. three days Bell was unable to swallow anything; but, says Mr Berkeley, "under God, a poached egg saved Bell's life."

For

The young men did very well at college. One of them gained a prize for an essay on the "Immortality of the Soul," a subject which, owing to its complete freedom from data and exemption from the ordinary rules of argument and methods of inquiry, is a standing favourite with Scottish students.

The father did not write much, and sent money still seldomer. Mr Bell, who had only a salary of £40 ayear-paid uncertainly-had to write often and again: "It is scarcely possible for me to express my astonishment at your silence." He goes on to say that he is