Chapter V.
Down the Clyde.
The boys returned in safety from their excursion about three o'clock in the afternoon. In fulfilment of their promise they immediately went to their room, and wrote their several accounts of the expedition. They agreed together that, in order to avoid repetitions, Waldron should dwell most upon the first part of the trip, and Rollo upon the last part.
The following is the account that Waldron wrote:—
"ACCOUNT OF OUR TRIP.
"First, there was a man standing by the plank, that asked us if we had got our tickets. We told him no. Then he showed us where to go and get them. It was at a little office on the pier. The price of the tickets was a shilling.
"The steamboat was not very large. There was no saloon on deck, and no awning, but only seats on deck, and many people sitting on them.
"There was a boy among them who had a kilt on. It was the first kilt I ever saw.[C]
"We soon began to go down the river. The sides of the river were walled up, to form piers, all along, and there were a great many ships and steamers moored to them. I saw several American vessels among them.