finished a dozen and a half this
morning, besides that damned old tom-cat."

The mystery was now explained, and I afterwards found out (every man
having his hobby) that the idiosyncrasy of this officer's disposition
had led him to the practice of neutralising the males of any species of
bird or beast, in order to render them more palatable at the table.

"Well, sir," he continued, "how do you like your new ship--how do you
like your old captain?--good fellow, isn't he?--damn his eyes--
countryman of mine--I knew him when his father hadn't as much money as
would jingle on a tombstone. That fellow owes everything to me. I
introduced him to the Duke of ---, and he got on by that interest. But
I say, what do you think of the Halifax girls--nice! a'n't they?"

I expressed my admiration of them.

"Ay, ay, they'll do, won't they?--we'll have some fine fun--give the
girls a party at George's Island--hay-making--green gowns--ha, ha, ha!
I say, your captain shall give us a party at Turtle Cove. We are going
to give the old commissioner a feed at the Rockingham--blow the roof of
his skull off with champagne. Do you dine at Birch Cove to-day? No, I
suppose you are engaged to Miss Maria, or Miss Susan, or Miss Isabella--
ha, sad dog, sad dog!--done a great deal of mischief," surveying me from
head to foot.

I took the liberty of returning him the same compliment; he was a tall,
raw-boned man, with strongly marked features, and a smile on his
countenance that no modest woman could endure. In his person he gave me
the idea of a discharged life-guardsman; but from his face you might
have supposed that he had sat for one of Ruben's satyrs. He was one of
those people with whom you become immediately acquainted; and before I
had been an hour in his company, I laughed very heartily at his jokes--
not very delicate, I own, and for which he lost a considerable portion
of my respect; but he was a source of constant amusement to me, living
as we did in the same house.

I was just going out of the room when he stopped me--"I say, how should
you like to be introduced to some devilish nice Yankee girls, relations
of mine, from Philadelphia? and I should be obliged to you to show them
attention; very pretty girls, I can tell you, and will have good
fortunes--you may go farther and fare worse. The old dad is as rich as
a Jew--got the gout in both legs--can't hold out much longer--nice
pickings at his money bags, while the devil is p