I found, on my arrival at New York, the good ship Fanny, commanded by Capt. Daniel H. Braine, on the eve of sailing for Greenock on the river Clyde. I took my passage in her—a cabin-passage: what a difference in the equipage of my return home to Scotland, and the caravan of human cattle in which I bade adieu to my native land!

The period of the ship's departure allowed me only two days to spend in the city among my old friends and acquaintances, but I made it a brisk time, for I did not omit to call on a single one: had I been a lord or prince, I could not have been received by them with kinder welcomes. It afforded great pleasure to Mr. Primly to hear that my son Robin was conducting himself so creditably well; and Mr. Ferret likewise expressed himself with a warm regard for the lad, who wanted, as he said, but a steady hand to guide him. I have spent few such days of blithe hospitality as those two in New York.

But the time was not altogether given to recreation and pleasure: I had an eye to business and profit also. The fame of our settlements by this time, like that of Childe Moris's father, had waxen wide, and many adventurous mechanics and other sponsible persons, hearing that I, the celebrated Mr. Lawrie Todd, of Judiville, was in town, called to learn the particulars of the encouragement we gave to settlers; and many, in consequence of what I told them—and I made it a point to tell nothing but the dry truth—set out for the land of promise. These, as I afterwards heard, drew numbers of their companions after them, insomuch that Mr. Herbert informed me in a letter, which I received while in Scotland, that my visit to New York had not been worth less than a hundred families to the population of our town.