Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - James Walker an haife shi a 1764, ɗan James Walker na Innerdovat, Fife da matarsa marubucin, Mary Leslie, 'yar ta uku na Alexander Melville, 5th Earl na Leven. Ya shiga rundunar sojan ruwa a matsayin midshipman a cikin bindigogi 32 a ranar 18 ga Disamba, 1776, yana aiki a karkashin Kyaftin William Garnier. Ya tafi Jamaica a watan Janairun 1777, amma ya koma ruwan Birtaniya don yin aiki a cikin Arewacin Arewa sannan kuma Channel Channel tare da rundunar jiragen ruwa na Sir Charles Hardy a lokacin rikicin mamayewa a 1779
Ka yi haƙuri. Yayin da yake aiki a Channel a 1780, "Southampton" ya kama wani jirgin ruwa na Faransa mai bindigogi 18 a Portland, tare da mutane 80 a ciki. An aika Walker don taimakawa wajen cire fursunoni, kuma bayan yin haka ya kasance a cikin jirgi don taimakawa tare da ballast da kuma famfo, kamar yadda jirgin ya kasance cikin haɗari. Duk da kokarinsa, jirgin ya nutse ba zato ba tsammani, kusan ya ɗauki Walker tare da ita. Ya kasance a cikin ruwa na minti goma kafin a ceto shi.