donkey."

"All very right, gentlemen--you do not bray, however."

"I will not answer for that," put in the captain, sending his leg
forwards in a straight line, in a way to raise an outcry in Bob, that
almost upset the Leaplower's proposition.

"At all events, gentlemen," he observed, "there is a test that will put
the matter at rest, at once."

He then desired us, in turn, to pronounce the word "our"--"OUR
liberties"--"OUR country"--"OUR firesides"--"OUR altars," Whoever
expressed a wish to be naturalized, and could use this word in the
proper manner, and in the proper place, was entitled to be a citizen. We
all did very well but the second mate, who, being a Herefordshire man,
could not, for the life of him, get any nearer to the Doric, in the
latter shibboleth, than "our halters." Now, it would seem that, in
carrying out a great philanthropic principle in Leaplow, halters had
been proscribed; for, whenever a rogue did anything amiss, it had been
discovered that, instead of punishing him for the offence, the true
way to remedy the evil was to punish the society against which he had
offended. By this ingenious turn, society was naturally made to look out
sharp how it permitted any one to offend it. This excellent idea is
like that of certain Dutchmen, who, when they cut themselves with an ax,
always apply salve and lint to the cruel steel, and leave the wound to
heal as fast as possible.

To return to our examination: we all passed but the second mate, who
hung in his halter, and was pronounced to be incorrigible. Certificates
of naturalization were delivered on the spot, the fees were paid, and
the schooner left us.

That night it blew a gale, and we had no more visitors until the
following morning. As the sun rose, however, we fell in with three
schooners, under the Leaplow flag, all of which seemed bound on errands
of life or death. The first that reached us sent a boat on board, and a
committee of six bob-upon-bobs hurried up our sides, and lost no time in
introducing themselves. I shall give their own account of their business
and characters.

It would seem that they were what is called a "nominating committee"
of the Horizontals, for the City of Bivouac, the port to which we were
bound, where an election was about to take place for members of the
great National Council. Bivouac was entitled to send seven members;
and having nominated themselves, the committee were now in quest of
a seventh candidate to