You know, sir, they make pets of any thing, and every thing,
at a pinch!"
Here John Crow drew the carcass from the hog--pen, and sure enough a shot
had cut the poor Purser's head nearly off. Blackee looked at him with a
most whimsical expression; they sayno one can fathom a negro's affection
for a pig. "Poor Purser! de people call him Purser, sir, because him
knowing chap; him cabbage all de grub, slush, and stuff in him own corner,
and give only de small bit, and de bad piece, to de older pig; so Captain"
Splinter saw the poor fellow was like to get into a scrape. "That will do,
John Crow--forward with you now, and lend a hand to cat the anchor.--All
hands up anchor!" The boatswain's hoarse voice repeated the command, and he
n turn was re--echoed by his mates. The capstan was manned, and the crew
stamped, round to a point of wart most villainously performed by a bad
drummer and a worse fifer, in as high glee as if those who were killed had
been snug and well in their hammocks on the berth--deck--, in place of at
the bottom of the sea, with each a shot at his feet. We weighed, and began
to work up, tack and tack, towards the island of Ireland, where the arsenal
is, amongst a perfect labyrinth of shoals, through which the Mudian pilot
conned the ship with great skill, taking his stand, to our no small
wonderment, not at the gangway or poop, as usual, but on the bowsprit end,
so that he might see the rocks under foot, and shun them accordingly, for
they are so steep and numerous, (they look like large fish in the clear
water,) and the channel is so intricate, that you have to go quite close
to them.
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