Page 144 - Child's own book

h o p -o'-m y-t h u m b . 137
the Emperor would not permit. Having thus prepared all
things as well as 1 fraa able, I set sail on the 24lh day of Sep-
tember, ]701, at six in the morning. On the next day, about
three in the afternoon, I dcscri^d n sail steering to the south­
east ; I hailed her, and in about half-an-hmir she spied me,
then hung out her ftncicat, and discharged a gun. It is not
easy to express the joy I felt at the unexpected hope of once
more seeing my beloved country ami the dear pledges I had
left in it. The ship slackened her sails, and I came up wiib
her between five and six in the evening, and my heart leaped
within me to sec English colours, I put my cows and sheep
into my coat-pockety and got on board with nil my lit tie
car^o of provisions. The vessel wm art English merchantman,
returning from Japan by (he North and South Seas: ih«
eaptajn was a very eivjj man, ami an excellent sailor, and I
experienced great kindness from him.
1 sliiill not (rouble the reader frith a particular account of
this voyage, which was V*iy prosperous for the most part. Wo
arrived in the Downs on the 13th of April, 17^2* I had only
one misfortune—I he rats on board carried away one of my
£hccp> the rest of my cattle got safe ashore, and I set them
a-graziifg on a bowling-green at Greenwich* where the fineness
of the grass caused them to feed very heartily.

HOP-O’-MY-THUMB.

T b ere once lived In a village a faggot-maker and hia wife,
who bad seven children, all hoys i the eldest was no more than
ten years old, and the youngest was only $even. It was odd
enough, to he sure, that they should have so many children