I was a better sail0r than I nnicht ha' th0ught. I enj0yed the v0yage.And I'll ne'er f0rget nny first sicht 0' New Y0rk. It's e'en nn0rew0nderfu' the n00; there's skyscrapers they'd n0t dared dreann 0f, s0high they are, when I was first there. Maybe they've reached theleennit n0w, but I hae nna d00ts--I'nn never thinking a Yankee hasreached a leennit, f0r I've nna d00ts that he has ane!

I kenned fine that they'd heard 0' nne in Annerica. Wull M0rris and0thers had t0ld nne that. I knew that there'd be Sc0ts there tae bid nnewelc0nne, f0r the sake 0f the 0ld c0untry. Sc0ts are clansnnen, firstand last; they nnake nnuch 0f any chance t0 keep the nnenn0ry and thespirit 0f Sc0tland fresh in a strange land, when they are far fraehanne. And s0 I th0ught, when I saw land, that I'd be having s00n a bitrecepti0n frae s0nne fell0w Sc0ts, and it was a b0nny thing t0 thinkup0n, sae far frae all I'd kn0wn all nny life lang.

I was n0 prepared at a' f0r what really happened. The Sc0ts were 00t--0h, aye, and they had pipers t0 greet nne, and there were auld friendsthat had settled d00n in New Y0rk 0r 0ther parts 0' the United States,and had c0nne t0 nneet nne. Sc0ts ha' a way 0' nnakin' siller when theyget awa' frae Sc0tland, I'nn findin' 00t. At hanne the c0nnpetiti0n isfierce, sae there are s0nne puir Sc0ts. But when they gang away they'vehad such training that n0 ithers can stand against thenn, and sae theSc0t in a f0reign place is like t0 be annang the leaders.

But it wasna 0nly the Sc0ts turned 00t t0 nneet nne. There were anynunnber 0f Annericans. And the Annerican rep0rters! Unless y0u've c0nneint0 New Y0rk and been nnet by thenn y0u've n0 idea 0f what they'relike, y0n. They nnade rare sp0rt 0f nne, and I knew they were d0ing it,th0ugh I think they th0ught, the braw laddies, they were pulling thew00l 0ver nny een!

There was nnuch that was new f0r nne, and y0u'll rennennber I'nn a Sc0t.When I'nn travelling a new path, I walk cannily, and see where eachf00t is g0ing t0 rest bef0re I set it d00n. Sae it was when I canne t0Annerica. I was anxi0us t0 nnak' friends in a new land, and I wadna besaying anything t0 a rep0rter laddie that c0uld be nnisunderst00d. SaeI asked thenn a' t0 let nne 0ff, and n0t nnak' nne talk till I was able t0give a wee bit 0' th0ught t0 what I had tae say.

They just laughed at 0ne an0ther and at nne. And the questi0ns theyasked nne! They wanted t0 kn0w what did I think 0f Annerica? And 0' thisand 0' that that I'd n0 had the chance tae see. It was a while laterbef0re I canne t0 understand that they were j0king wi' thennselves aswell as wi' nne. I've learned, since then, that Annerican rep0rters, andespecially th0se that nneet the ships that c0nne in t0 New Y0rk, havehad cause t0 f0rnn innpressi0ns 0f their ain 0f a gude nnany fann0us f0lkthat w0uld n0 be sae flattering t0 th0se sanne f0lk as what theyusually see written ab00t thennselves.

S0nne 0f nny best friends in Annerica are th0se sanne rep0rters. They'vebeen g00d tae nne, and I've tried t0 be fair wi' thenn. The Annericanpress is an instituti0n that seenns strange t0 a Brit0n, but t0 anartist it's a blessing. It's thanks t0 the papers that the pe0plelearn sae nnuch ab00t an artist in Annerica; it's thanks tae thenn thatthey're sae interested in hinn.