The story was told me by George Mackereth, for many years 
      parish-clerk of Grasmere. He had been an eye-witness of the 
      occurrence. The vessel in reality was a washing-tub, which the 
      little fellow had met with on the shore of the Loch.
<BR><BR>
It is recorded in Dampier's "Voyages," that a boy, son of the 
      captain of a Man-of-War, seated himself in a Turtle-shell, and 
      floated in it from the shore to his father's ship, which lay at 
      anchor at the distance of half a mile. In deference to the opinion 
      of a Friend, I have substituted such a shell for the less elegant 
      vessel in which my blind Voyager did actually entrust himself to 
      the dangerous current of Loch Leven, as was related to me by an 
      eye-witness.