Only figure to yourself a rock, about two miles and a half in length and scarcely the fifth part of that in breadth, and then most likely you will not be so much astonished at my making the above comparison [of Gibraltar to a prison], from which you may wisely suppose that those unfortunate beings who had the misfortune of being shut up in it led a most inactive and stupid life....  However, to give the Devil his due, I must not omit to observe that it contained a most excellent Library, by which means officers might improve themselves greatly and spend their leisure hours to their credit, provided they were desirous of doing so; particularly as nothing existed in that place to take off their attention from study; and I make no doubt but some young men had the sense to profit by that favourable opportunity.  At the same time [I] am extremely sorry to inform you your promising son did not, in any shape whatever, and am much concerned to add that he spent a very idle life whilst there, doing nothing else the live-long day than riding or lounging; which I presume you will think was a complete disgrace to any man of a liberal education, in which I perfectly agree with you....  I sincerely hope and trust that he [your son] will mend as he becomes older and wiser.

Tom confesses himself at this time “a complete idle, good for nothing fellow,” but he disarms his mother’s reproaches when he adds that he is chiefly occupied in thinking of her and of his large estate in Canada where he longs to be.  It had for him a new attraction, since his cousin Alick Ker was just going out to Canada, a Captain on the staff of Sir James Craig, the new Governor, who was related to the Kers.  For the time Tom’s family was content that he should be at Gibraltar, where he was safe, and where, too, as Ker prudently says, “he lives cheaper than he could in England, has a genteel [how the age loved that word!] society and the use of a large Library.”  He rode on the sandy beach; sometimes, until the coming of the French troops, the British officers were allowed to ride into Spain.

These diversions all came to an end on August 26th, 1807, when Tom turned his back on Gibraltar for good.  Incredible as it may now seem, the voyage to England took nearly a month; he arrived on the 24th of September.  The young man had been turning over seriously his future prospects.  In a letter to his mother he makes some enquiry about his own probable income from his estate.  While protesting that he is himself “a Devilish ugly fellow” he has some thought of getting his mother to choose a “rib” for him and, presumptuous as it may seem, she must be handsome.  He was thinking now of a civilian career.  At Gibraltar he had found that he was short-sighted, and long sight seemed a necessity to a soldier.  But Fraser, to whom he poured out his woe, answered that short-sightedness need not interfere with his efficiency; Colonel Nairne had been short-sighted and yet, withal, a successful officer; the question