These images of James Wilson's handwritten script were taken from copies provided by the Archives of British Columbia:

The first part of the poem tells the story of the initial journey of Robert Melrose and James Wilson from Scotland to London where they boarded the Norman Morison.

Here they pass up the Thames and arrive in London

The following passage from James Wilson's poem paints a picture of the Norman Morison's voyage around Cap Horn, on the southern tip of South America, and shows quite how far south they had to travel -- close to what was described in the previous lines as "the frigid zone."

A first view of what was to become Canada, but rough weather....

The last few days of the five-month journey of the Norman Morison nearly brought disaster according to these lines from the poem.