ys had a piece
of gold in my pouch, and so began to Feel my Feet.

We visited most of the towns in the Low Countries, then under the
Austrian rule, enjoying ourselves with but little occasion for repining.
Now our travelling was done on Horseback, and now, when there was a
Canal Route, by one of those heavy, lumbering, jovial old boats called
Treyckshuyts. I know not whether I spell the word correctly, for in the
Languages, albeit fluent enough, I could never be accurate; but of the
pleasant old vessels themselves I shall ever preserve a lively
recollection. You made a bargain with the Master before starting, giving
him so many guilders for a journey, say between Ghent and Bruges, the
charge amounting generally to about a Guinea a day for each Gentleman
passenger, and half the sum for a servant. And the Domestic's place on
the fore-deck and in the fore-cabin was by no means an unpleasant one;
for there he was sure to meet good store of comely Fraus, and Jungfraus
comelier still, with their clean white caps, Linsey-woolsey petticoats,
wooden shoes, and little gold crosses about their necks. Farmers and
labouring men and pedlars, with now and then a fat, smirking Priest or
two, who tried Hard to Convert you, if by any means he discovered you to
be a Heretic, made up the complement of passengers forward; but I, as a
servant, was often called aft, and had the pick of both companies, with
but light duties, and faring always like a Fighting Cock. For no sooner
was our Passage-Money paid than it became my Duty to lay in a Great
Stock of Provisions for the voyage, my master disdaining to put up with
the ordinary country Fare of dried fish, salted beef, pickled cabbage,
hard-boiled eggs, faro-Beer, Schiedam, and so forth, and instructing me,
under Mr. Hodge's direction, to purchase Game, Venison, Fruit,
Vegetables, Preserves, Cheeses, and other condiments, with a sufficient
number of flasks of choice wine, and a little keg of strong cordial, for
fear of Accidents. And aboard the Treyckshuyt it was all Singing and
Dancing and Carding and drinking of Toasts. The quantity of Tobacco that
the country people took was alarming, and the fumes thereof at first
highly displeasing to Mr. Pinchin; but I, from my sea education, and
the Time I had passed in the Western Indies, was a seasoned vessel as to
tobacco; and often when my Master had gone to his cabin for the night
was permitted to partake of a Puff on deck with the Reverend Mr. Hodge