Donalblane of Darien

think "thereby hangs a tale." In this case the thought goes to the mark, a

st is necessary in order to a fair start, and with

man named William Paterson, among whose notable achievements was having a large share in the founding

pears to have sold out not long after, and with his money in hand to have lo

be was divided between two great grasping corporations-the East India Company and the African Company-which, although they were at deadly enmity

straints laid upon it by short-sighted selfishness. With a keenness of instinct that makes it easy to understand his previous suc

st important bits of terra firma on this round globe. The connecting-link between the continents of North and South America

the key to the commerce of the world. Here would naturally be concentrated the mutual trade of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of America. Moreover, it would n

heir dog-in-the-manger policy-for they really made little use of their splendid opportunities-was the spirit in which William Paterson conceived his great Darien project, and with characteristic energy proceeded to carry it into ef

one-half of which, it was shrewdly stipulated, must ever be held by Scotsmen residing in t

lf, there came such a rush of applicants for shares that it was soon all taken up. This so aroused the hostility of the two great English companies already mentioned that they actually

concerting to infringe upon the rights enjoyed by the other companies, which so

eir expected allies had failed them. Well, what if they had? Scotland was not to be daunted. She would go on alone, and reap for herself all the glory and the more substantial rewards of the great undertaking. Accordingly another h

rse, meant delay, and consequently it was not until the ye

une in the service of that fickle mistress, the sea. After working his way up from cabin-boy to captain, he had settled down on shore, while others commande

was indeed characteristic of him, but when the London fo

ch them the lesson they need. I hadna thought of taking ony shares in Mr. Paterson's company, but if it's only to spite the English I'll put me doon for

had adopted a nephew from the Inverness Highlands, whose o

of a boy when, at the age of ten, he was taken into the Blane household. The term "halflin" would

but and ben" seemed to shelter an impossible number of c

although his most partial friends could hardly pronounce him handsome, he bore a frank, fearless, wide-awake countenance that did not fail to make a good impression upon those who took the trouble to lo

hen Donalblane was pleased or amused his face lit up wonderfully, and his parting li

e learned to endure the at first irksome restraints of such troublesome things as trousers, collars, hats, and shoes, and-still ha

us yarns to spin, climbing up and down the rigging of brigs and barques and ships, and now and then getting a short trip about the Firth of Forth when his uncle permitted. Thus he became filled with a passion for the sea