p. 27

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Status: Indexed

soon ready to take out turn under one of the
wooden spouts, or shoots, to have our hold filled
with coals, brought down from the pit's mouth in little
square wagons on iron tramways, at that time
the only form of railway in use.

In waiting our turn at the 'spout' we spent a
Sunday at Shields, and getting leave from the Captain
to go on shore, having never before been far from
home I had much to look at. I soon left the black
dirty town of Shields behind me and struck into the
country enjoying the beautiful sunshine and the song
of the birds, and was sorry when night coming on
made it necessary to seek my close sleeping berth
on board the vessel once more. I had a great wish to
see the famous old town of Newcastle about eight or ten miles higher
up the river than Shields, but want of opportunity forced me to
defer it until my next voyage.

As soon as we were full of coals we dropped down with
the tide took a pilot and went out of the harbour and found
a very heavy sea outside, and we being very deep in the water
we were continually under water, every thing washed off the decks
and not a dry thread about us. The cooking coppers stood on
deck but we could keep no time there, our work was harder
now the sails required a deal of attention, and I was obliged to stand
my watch and not take my share of the ship's duties as far as my stomach
would allow me, with the men, except taking the helm, and wondrous
short my four hours watch below, 'Starboard watch', to which I belonged
[illegible?] to be called before I had closed my eyes ten minutes, however
we reached Yarmouth harbour all in due time discharged coals,
and again took cargo for London, and such with slight
variations is the routine on such vessels, and in the winter

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