There was a
dreamy indistinctness about the outlines of the hills, even in the
immediate vicinity, which increased as they receded, until the Blue
Mountains in the horizon melted into sky. The crew were listlessly
spinning oakum, and mending sails, under the shade of the awning; the only
exceptions to the general languor were John Crow the black, and jackoo the
monkey. The former (who was an improvisatore of a rough stamp) sat out on
the bowsprit, through choice, beyond the shade of the canvass, without hat
or shirt, like a bronze bust, busy with his task, whatever that might be,
singing at the top of his pipe, and between whiles confabulating with his
hairy ally, as if he had been a messmate. The monkey was hanging by the
tail from the dolphin--striker, admiring what John Crow called "his own dam
ogly face in the water."
"Tail like yours would be good ting for a sailor, jackoo, it would leave
his two hands free aloft--more use, more hornament, too, I'm sure, den de
piece of greasy junk dat hangs from de Captain's taffril.--Now I shall sing
to you, how dat Corromantee rascal, my fader, was sell me on de Gold Coast.
"Two red nightcap, one long knife,
All him get for Quackoo,
For gun next day him sell him wife,
You tink dat good song, lackoo?"
"Chocko, chocko," chattered the monkey, as if in answer.
"Ah, you tink so--sensible honimal!--What is dat? shark?--Jackoo, come up,
sir: don't you see dat big shovel--nosed fis looking at you? Pull your
handout of the water--Caramighty!"
The negro threw himself on the gammoning of the bowsprit to take hold of
the poor ape, who, mistaking his kind intention, and ignorant of his
danger, shrunk from him, lost his hold, and fell into the sea.
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