d for leave to go up and look for a house; but, as I had
made up my mind that if a loss took place, we should be all lost
together, I would not run the risk of _losing_ my boat's crew, and
_finding_ myself--alone. I refused my consent, telling them that it was
my duty to stay by my boat, and theirs to stay by me. Now this was
tolerably firm, considering the ducking that I had enjoyed, and the
hunger, cold, and weariness that I was then enjoying--enjoying? yes,
enjoying. Surely I have as much right to enjoy them if I like as the
ladies and gentlemen of this metropolis have to enjoy bad health.

But this epicene state of enjoyment was not long to last. A
fresh-coloured native, with a prodigious breadth of face, only to be
surpassed by his prodigious breadth of shoulders, approached, and
addressed us in a brogue so strong, that it would, like the boatswain's
grog, have floated a marlin-spike, and in a stuttering so thick, that a
horn spoon would have stood upright in it. The consequence was, that
though fellow-subjects, we could not understand each other. So he went
and brought down with him a brawny brother, who spoke "Inglis illigantly
anyhow." Well, the proverbial hospitality of the Irish suffered no
injury in the persons of my Irish friends. A pressing invitation to
their dwelling and to their hospitality was urged upon us in terms, and
with looks, that I felt were the genuine offspring of kindness and
generosity of soul. But I still demurred to leave my boat. When they
understood the full force of my objection, my frieze-coated friend, who
spoke the "illigant Inglis," explained.

"O, by Jasus, and ain't she welcome intirely? Come along ye little
undersized spalpeen with your officer, won't you?"

And, before I could well understand what they were about, the two
"jontlemen" had taken up his Majesty's vessel under my command, had
turned it bottom up with several shakes, to clear it of the water and
sand, and with as little difficulty as a farmer's boy would have turned
upside down a thrush's cage, in order to cleanse it. After this
operation had been performed, they righted it, and one laying hold of
the bow, and the other the stern, they swung it between them, as two
washerwomen might a basket of dirty clothes. I must confess that I was
a great deal mortified at seeing my command treated thus slightingly,
which mortification was not a little increased by an overture that they
kindly made to me, saying, t