rter-deck, main
deck, and lower deck. I preached to the men in the tiers when they
coiled the cables, and groaned loud and deep when I heard an oath. The
thing took--the admiral, said I was the right sort, and he made a
commander out of the greatest atheist in the ship. No sooner did I get
hold of the sheepskin, than to the devil I pitched hassock and Bible."

How long he might have gone on with this farrago, it is difficult to
say; but we were getting tired of him, so we passed the bottle till he
left off narrative, and took to friendship.

"Now I say (hiccup), you Frank, you are a devilish good fellow; but that
one-eyed son of a gun, I'll try him by a court-martial, the first time I
catch him drunk; I'll hang him at the yard-arm, and you shall be my
first lieutenant and _custos-rottorum_, damn me. Only you come and tell
me the first time he is disguised in liquor, and I'll settle him, damn
his cock eye--a saucy, Polyphemus-looking _son of_ a--(hiccup) a
Whitechapel bird-catcher."

Here his recollection failed him; he began to talk to himself, and to
confound me with the first lieutenant.

"I'll teach him to write to port-admirals for leave--son of a sea cook."

He was now drawing to the finale, and began to sing:--

"The cook of the huffy got drunk,
Fell down the fore-scuttle, and
Broke his gin bottle."

Here his head fell back, he tumbled off his chair, and lay motionless on
the carpet.

Having previously determined not to let him be exposed in the streets in
that state, I had provided a bed for him at the inn; and ringing the
bell, I ordered the waiter to carry him to it. Having seen him safely
deposited, untied his neckcloth, took off his boots, and raised his head
a little, we left him, and returned to the table, where we finished our
evening in great comfort, but without any other instance of
intoxication.

The next morning, I waited on him. He seemed much annoyed at seeing me,
supposing I meant, by my presence, to rebuke him for his intemperance;
but this was not my intention. I asked him how he felt; and I regretted
that the hilarity of the evening had been interrupted in so unfortunate
a manner.

"How do you mean, sir? Do you mean to insinuate that I was not sober?"

"By no means, sir," said I; "but are you aware, that in the midst of
your delightful and entertaining conversation, you tumbled off your
chair in an epileptic fit?--are you subject to these?"

"Oh, yes, my dear fellow