Robert Suggate journal and commonplace book, 1874-1878.

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at Lowesloft, or a village day school near by, but I confess I liked equally well to shoulder my great grandfather's old musket, a regular old "Brown Bess," which I was the happy possessor of, and with a few charges of powder and shot, march to the fields to frighten the rooks and small birds from the newly sown seed, and I will recollect the anger of my father when he discovered that, to make the old gun look more like a fowling piece, I had cut off a long piece of the stock which like all muskets extended nearly up to the muzzle. Again when evening came I was proud to be on the back, sleek and broad as it was, of my favorite '[Dodman?]' as we called him, with his black shining coat, and good tempered looking face, as I took him and his yokefellows on a summer's evening to their night's pasture. 'Gipsey' was my next favorite, she was a 'fast-one' and always ready to give the 'go by' to anything on the road, but her temper was not like my '[Dodman?]'s', no coaxing or cunning would entice her from the meadow easily, she was not to be caught with chaff. Whilst my '[Dodman?]' after a good scamper round the field when he saw what my errand was, would fling his heels into the air and then walk up to me and poke his nose right into the bridle.

Fishing was another of my favorite amusements for leisure time, and on the

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on the beautiful lake called 'The Broad' and which joined "my father's old farm" regardless of dear Mother's strict injunctions to "be home to Dinner" the happy hours flew unheeded by. In the dear old boat I followed the finny tribe to their favorite haunts, and seldom failed to entrap the bony pike, guady perch, or slippery eels. Happy happy days, with youth, health, and strength for my portion. True we had work, hard work at times, on a farm, be it large or small, there is always work to be done, our parents were good and kind, but no idleness was allowed. Spring brought its seed sowing and manuring the land, there were now and then a corn stack to be got into the barn for threshing, and the time of hunting the rats and mice when near the finish, sometimes the thrashing machine was set to work, when the market price of corn made [expodition?] desirable, and we youngsters looked on in wonder at the complication of cogs and wheels, then came the hay harvest, and Summer came on with the corn to be kept free of weeds; and the Autumn brought the reapers with the harvest beer, and the dinner under the shade of the poplar trees, the cold meat and bread, and the cool cucumber and salt, munched up with the most delightful relish, and four o'clock refreshment sent to us to the shade again, with dear mother's harvest cakes, the plums a long way apart in them, probably some had got loose from the paper when they came from the shop and of course none of us youngsters knew ought of it.

Winter came on and the stock to be sheltered from the cold, frozen turnips to be broken with a wooden beetle, the winters were more severe and

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lasted longer when I was a boy, hedges and ditches to be repaired, whilst if time could be spared a day was allowed for rabbit hunting, and wildfowl shooting, and oh! when the 'Broad' was frozen over, the pleasure of flying over the ice with my old skates. And thus the seasons went and came, bringing toil but many, many pleasures with them, and all was bright and prosperous, but a change was coming. My uncle returned from sea and commenced practice of his profession as a surgeon in the little town of Beccles, about seven miles from where we lived, from him I heard about the sea and the sailors, ships, and foreign countries, and I longed to be a sailor. My old boat although not at all adapted or built for the purpose, I tried to bring into sailing trim, one of the sheets of my bed I fixed up in her for a sail which took her across the 'Broad' in a strong wind to my great satisfaction, and great fright of a neighbor who stood looking on, with threats to acquaint my father with my daring, believing the boat would capsize, but I never heard that he put his threat in execution, if he had I well knew a flogging would be my lot. My sisters' shawls also, whenever they accompanied me in my boating excursions, were sure to be hoisted off their shoulders on to a jury mast rigged on to the boat for that purpose, causing much wonder to dear mother as to how the garment got into the damaged state, which was sure to be the result. However 'go to sea' I would and got my fill of the hardships to be met with on board the collier trading from the northern ponds with coals from Yarmouth +c, and cargoes of flour for London.

One morning at my request my father

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drove me to [[Yarmouth]] in our old market cart, and with a hearty shake of the hand and good wishes kindly expressed, put me on board the little brig '[[Nathaniel]]" lying in the harbour, a friend having previously secured a birth for me, being acquainted with the Captain, who was bound to [[London]] with flour. We went out of the harbour early one Sunday morning. Mother's tears at parting sat heavy on my heart, but my companions took no heed of my sadness, it was only a boy's sorrow and they were men, hardy rough sailors, some of them hardy old "men-of-wars-men" had seen life in all phases. The duties of the ship soon claimed all my attention, every thing was new and I had everything to learn.

When clear of the harbor as the wind was against us we had to break to windward which causes frequent tacking in that narrow roadstead, and, the constant hauling the ropes necessary under such circumstances I soon found out was harder work than I had been accustomed to, finally as we made no progress, I heard with much satisfaction the captain give the order to let go the anchor, the sails were now to be furled and I was ordered a-loft with one of the men, to have my first lesson in "furling sails" The main-topgallant-sail was my first destination, and true I made a wretched hand of getting up the rigging, and by the time I reached the 'main-top' the man was hard at work with the sail, nor could I then convince myself that I should ever be able to stand where he then was, upon a small rope not bigger round

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than my father's plough-line, hanging loose from the yard and called the 'footrope', more fitting for a slack rope dancer than for my precious limbs to be trusted upon. However I did not foot it that time and the sails were furled without any assistance from me. The yards were squared and everything made snug below and aloft, and we had tea with beef and bread, but seasickness was upon me and some thoughts of those at home and I had no appetite, and glad when night came I threw myself tired out, upon a coil of rope and was soon fast asleep, it is now many years since, that I write this, but I have a very vivid recollection of my first day and night of discomfort at sea, on board a collier brig, and when between three and four o'clock in the morning I had unwillingly to leave my resting place, with the decks cold and wet, and my stomach sadly out of trim, I wished myself in my snug little bed at home. The wind had come fair the sails were loosed, the anchor got and we sailed for [[London]], where we arrived in due time, discharged our cargo of flour, and after taking ballast in sailed for home again, and then started for the north for a cargo of coals. I now began to get more useful, could manage to get up the rigging and unfurl the top-gallant-sail and thought it a great feat. Helped to cook the dinner and boil the kettle for the captain's tea +c such duties generally falling to the lot of 'The Boy', but my stomach was still unruly and all my discomforts