I have a couple of emigration accounts -- one very pleasant and one very, very unpleasant. First the good one: My ancestor, John McDonald, his wife, their children, grandchildren, in-laws, other residents of Lochwinnoch set sail from Greenock in April 1820. They sailed aboard the Young Norval, a fairly small ship. As far as I can determine, the ship carried no more than 100 people, including the sailors. Everything went smoothly until they were becalmed off the banks of Newfoundland. There were several young men aboard who, becoming quite bored, decided that they would like a boat with which to venture on the water. Having befriended the sailors by helping them on the voyage, they now bribed them with a bottle of rum, and a boat was lowered for them. Three of the young men got into the boat and pulled out. One of the men, spotting a sea-fowl, tried to shoot it. However, the iron ram-rod rebounded and the musket fell out of his hands and into the water. They turned the boat in an attempt to retrieve the musket...well, while searching for the musket, they were enveloped by a fog so thick they could no longer see their ship. In the meantime, they had been missed aboard the ship and the captain, after ensuring that as much clamor as possible was made between the ship's gong and their guns, the young men were able to return to the ship. Needless to say, the captain was in a towering rage by the time the reckless wanderers were back aboard. I have not found anything to indicate that there was punishment of any kind. When the winds arose, they set sail again, arriving at the Port of Quebec 43 days after having left Greenock. I have seen nothing to indicate that they were badly treated or that their accommodations were substandard in any respect. Read on to Account No. 2 which is quite the opposite...