1122. Have you proposed to do so?-No.
1123. Then you have never been interfered with in any way yourself?-No, not further than that. Occasionally I have had to fish a little for them when I was not engaged at anything else.
[Page 23]
1124. How had you to fish to them?-To support myself.
1125. But if you had chosen, you might have engaged with any other merchant than Messrs. Hay?-No, not for the home fishing.
1126. Why do you say that?-Because we were made to understand that we would not be allowed to do so.
1127. You say that your only reason for understanding that, was what your father had told you. What would have been the result to you if you had done it?-The result would have been, that my father would have been turned out on my account.
1128. Is that what you were afraid of?-Yes.
1129. And is that the reason why you never tried to get engaged with any other merchant?-Yes.
1130. Had you ever to pay liberty money?-No.