A Tramp's Wallet

With five pounds and a letter of introduction, an English goldsmith leaves London to seek work in Hamburg. William Duthie records three and a half years of earning his way through Germany and France, setting the cost of travel beside wages, meals and lodging. His early Hamburg experience includes twelve hours of daily work, food at his employer's table and a cheap room above a canal. Such details make the practical business of living abroad a central part of his account.

Separate sketches carry his observations from workshops to busy streets and country roads. At the Leipsic fair, he notices market stalls, musicians, toys and local dress; an encounter with miners' clothing introduces the Freiberg silver district. The collected pieces combine personal experience with an interest in the conditions of working people. Readers interested in the history of skilled labour and travel can follow both the sights along the road and the small expenses that made the travels possible.