The captain had agreed to receive him to oblige a brother officer, who had retired from the service, and lived in the Highlands of Scotland.

The first notice which the captain had of the arrival of Mr M'Foy, was from a letter written to him by the young man's uncle.

This amused him so much, that he gave it to the first lieutenant to read: it ran as follows:-- "Glasgow, April 25, 1--- "Sir,--Our much esteemed and mutual friend, Captain M'Alpine, having communicated by letter, dated the 14th inst., your kind intentions relative to my nephew Sholto M'Foy, (for which you will be pleased to accept my best thanks), I write to acquaint you that he is now on his way to join your ship, the _Diomede_, and will arrive, God willing, twenty-six hours after the receipt of this letter.
"As I have been given to understand by those who have some acquaintance with the service of the king, that his equipment as an officer will be somewhat expensive, I have considered it but fair to ease your mind as to any responsibility on that score, and have therefore enclosed the half of a Bank of England note for ten pounds sterling, No.

3742, the other half of which will be duly forwarded in a frank promised to me the day after to-morrow.

I beg you will make the necessary purchases, and apply the balance, should there be any, to his mess account, or any other expenses which you may consider warrantable or justifiable.
"It is at the same time proper to inform you, that Sholto had ten shillings in his pocket at the time of his leaving Glasgow; the satisfactory expenditure of which I have no doubt you will inquire into, as it is a large sum to be placed at the discretion of a youth only fourteen years and five months old.