Author of this Volume.-Did I help to fill it, steward?

Steward.-No, Sir. I did not include you. First Officer.-Why the passengers are mighty greedy. They will eat their allowance, though they know they will have to throw it up again. Captain. Is the cabin very dirty, steward?

Steward.-Yes, Sir, it is as dirty as Saint

Gileseses.

Captain. And what were you doing, steward, when the passengers were so sick?

fat.

Steward. I was eating my dinner, Sir.
Captain. What was your dinner, steward?
Steward.-Cold pork, Sir. It was a lump of

Mr. Adams.-What a precious appetite !

Steward. Yes, Sir, Providence has been very kind to me in that respect during the voyage. Captain-Are the dead-lights shipped, stew

ard?

Steward.-No, Sir.

Mr. Adams.--And why did not you ship them?

Steward.-I was afeard, Sir, I should fall overboard through the cabin-windows.

Mr. Adams. If you was to fall overboard, I would not heave you a rope.

Steward.-Sir, I am much obliged to you. There is no love lost between us. [Aside.

Captain. Mr. Adams our cargo will be spoilt. Do jump down and put those dead-lights in.

Both Mates.-Aye! Aye! Sir! Aye! Aye! The steward now came upon deck with a mop in his hand, which he began to twirl over the weather-quarter.

Mr. Adams. You precious fellow! Gone to windward with your mop !

First-mate. That's right, steward!

throw ashes and hot water to windward.

Always
But

put down your mop, and lend a hand to hoist the main-top-sail.

Sailors.-(boisting) Hoa ho yoa ho! The steward does not pull hoa yo hoa.

yoa hoa! Mind the roll hoa

Taut leech hoa

hoa! yo

First-mate.-Belay the main-top-sail haliards! Mr. Adams.-Steward!

Steward.-Holloa !-Sir !

Mr. Adams. Your table-cloth is flying out of the main-stay-sail netting. You made it fast with a granny's knot. Up there, and take it down.

Steward.--I can't get up, Sir. The ship rocks so, I should fall overboard.

First mate. Mr. Adams let Cunningham go up. We shall lose the steward.

Steward. Mr. Llewellyn is the honly person who his kind to me in the ship. He his a gentleman.

Mr. Adams. And you are a gentleman, and I am another gentleman; and that's two swaggering lies, and so clap them both together.

D d

Steward.-How the ship rocks! I feel quite queerish at my stomach. (The steward runs hastily to windward, and disgorges his dinner.)

First-mate.-You steward! Go over to lee

ward!

Steward.-(groaning) Oh! Oh! Oh! Captain.-Forecastle! there! Haul out the reef tackles forward, close reef the fore-top-sail. Send Cunningham and Mudge aft to reef the mizen top-sail.

Both Mates.-Aye! Aye! Sir! Aye! Aye! Steward. (still disgorging) Oh! Oh! Oh! First-mate. That's a hearty fellow !

The gale having settled into a steady breeze, we carried so much sail that the good ship Olive staggerred under it. But I never stepped between the stem and stern of a better sea-boat. It is true she was no flier. We never could knock more than three knots and a half outof her. In war-time she could not have trusted to her heels. But she was tight as a nut, and stiff as a church.

August 21, 1802. This day, just as the Captain had taken his observation, that is, ascertained the latitude of the ship, Mr. Adams descried a sail in our wake. "A sail! A sail !"-The passengers dispatched the steward to know what she looked like. "Tell them," cried Mr. Adams, "that she looks like a horse.'

99

All hands came aft to gaze at the sail.

First-mate. She overhauls us fast.

Mr. Adams.-She comes up with us hand over fist.

Captain. You steward! Hand my glass up

out of the cabin.

Steward.-Which glass Sir? A rummer or a wine-glass?

Captain. You ignorant fellow !-Cunningham! Jump down and bring my glass upon deck. Cunningham.Aye! Aye! Sir! Aye! Aye! Captain.-(looking through his glass over the taffarel) Faith that is a large ship. She could hoist the Olive in upon deck with her yard and stay-tackles.

First-mate. I reckon, Sir, she is a British man of war.

Mr. Adams.-I thought she was one of John Millar's luggars.

Steward. O! beautiful ship!

Passengers.-We are coming in the track of our countrymen !

First-mate.-She goes five feet to our one.

In about another half hour the ship in our wake was clearly discerned to be a heavy frigate, having fourteen ports of a side; and through each of those ports, an engine of terror was visible, called vulgarly a gun.

Captain. She shows her teeth. What a whacking frigate! Fourteen ports of a side, besides a bridle-port! If it be an English frigate, she would not hesitate to lie alongside of a French two-decker.

Author of this Volume.-A happy compliment,

Captain-and I sincerely believe, uninfected with flattery.

The frigate being within reach of the good ship Olive, did us the honour to fire a shot at us ;the shot fell in our wake, and threw the spray of the sea upon the deck.

Passengers.-(running, or rather tumbling head over heels, down the cabin ladder) That was a gun let off!

Steward.-(falling flat upon the deck) Oh! Lord! Oh! Lord! Help! Help!

First-mate. Why I thought, Potpan, you had

been a soldier.

Steward.-No, Mr. Llewellyn, I am only a

steward!

First-mate. (to the Captain) Shall we haul down the studding-sails, Sir!

Captain. Keep all fast! Don't start a tack, a sheet, or a brace. I want the frigate to give me another shot; I want her to kill the steward.

Mr. Adams. Why, d-n his blood, he has got into a hencoop. He looks as fierce as a goose with one eye.

First-mate. You steward! Come out of the hencoop!

Mr. Adams.—I'll get a watch-tackle on him, and bowse him out. (Mr. Adams pulls the steward out of the bencoop.)

Steward.-Murder! Murder!

Captain. Tell us, steward, what you were ashore, or the next shot shall kill

you.