the saloon yesterday, or another got
drunk before dinner was over, or another was blinded with lobster-sauce
spilt over him by the steward, or another had a fall on deck and
fainted. The ship's cook was drunk yesterday morning (having got at some
salt-water-damaged whiskey), and the captain ordered the boatswain to
play upon him with the hose of the fire-engine until he roared for
mercy--which he didn't get: for he was sentenced to look out, for four
hours at a stretch for four nights running, without a great-coat, and to
have his grog stopped. Four dozen plates were broken at dinner. One
steward fell down the cabin stairs with a round of beef, and injured his
foot severely. Another steward fell down after him and cut his eye open.
The baker's taken ill; so is the pastry-cook. A new man, sick to death,
has been required to fill the place of the latter officer, and has been
dragged out of bed and propped up in a little house upon deck, between
two casks, and ordered (the captain standing over him) to make and roll
out pie-crust; which he protests, with tears in his eyes, it is death to
him in his bilious state to look at. Twelve dozen of bottled porter has
got loose upon deck, and the bottles are rolling about distractedly,
overhead. Lord Mulgrave (a handsome fellow, by-the-by, to look at, and
nothing but a good 'un to go) laid a wager with twenty-five other men
last night, whose berths, like his, are in the fore-cabin, which can
only be got at by crossing the deck, that he would reach his cabin
first. Watches were set by the captain's, and they sallied forth,
wrapped up in coats and storm caps. The sea broke over the ship so
violently, that they were _five-and-twenty minutes_ holding on by the
handrail at the starboard paddle-box, drenched to the skin by every
wave, and not daring to go on or come back, lest they should be washed
overboard. News! A dozen murders in town wouldn't interest us half as
much."

Nevertheless their excitements were not over. At the very end of the
voyage came an incident very lightly touched in the _Notes_, but more
freely told to me under date of the 21st January: "We were running into
Halifax harbor on Wednesday night, with little wind and a bright moon;
had made the light at its outer entrance, and given the ship in charge
to the pilot; were playing our rubber, all in good spirits (for it had
been comparatively smooth for some days, with tolerably dry decks and
other unusual comforts), whe