The Autobiography of a Seaman (Classic Reprint)

The Autobiography of a Seaman vCHAPTER I MY BOYHOOD, AND ENTRANCE INTO THE NAVY vMY birth is recorded as having taken place on the 14th of December, 1775, at A nnsfield in Lanarkshire. My father was A rchibald, ninth Earl of Dundonald ;my mother, Anna Gilchrist, daughter of Captain Gilchrist, a distinguished officer of the Royal Navy. My father was descended from John, the younger son of the first earl. On default of issue in the elder branch of the family the title devolved on my grandfather, Thomas, who married the daughter of Archibald Stuart, Esq., of Torrence, in Lanarkshire, and had issue one daughter and twelve sons, the most distinguished amongst whom, in a public capacity, was Admiral the Honourable Sir A lexander, father of the present Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane. Some of my fathers earlier years were spent in the navy, in which he became acting lieutenant. A cruise on the coast of Guinea gave him a distaste for the naval profession, which, in after years, postponed my entrance therein far beyond the usual period. On his return home he quitted the navy for a commission in the army, which was, after a time, also relinquished. Of our once extensive ancestral domains I never inherited a foot.(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)About the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the aged text. Read books online for free at www.forgottenbooks.org