s well to
finish one part of my history before I begin another. Who can tell
where I left off?"

"You were just going to be swallowed by the big sea-serpent, Mr
Johnson; ship, and crew, and all," said Grey.

"It would be more correct, Mr Grey, to say that you believed we were
going to be swallowed up; because you will understand that had we been
swallowed up, I should not, in all human probability, be here, or ever
have attained the rank of boatswain of His Britannic Majesty's frigate
Doris," said Mr Johnson, with a polite bend of the head. "However, not
to keep you longer in suspense, I will continue my narrative:--

"The good ship Diddleus was bowling away under all sail, and the
sea-serpent, with mouth agape, following us. It's my opinion, and
others agreed with me, that if he'd kept his mouth shut he would have
caught us; for the hot wind coming out of his throat filled our sails,
just as if it had been blowing a heavy gale of wind, and drove us ahead
of him; but he was too eager, do you see, and thought every moment he
was going to grab us. We guessed that he had been aroused at finding
his back smart from the scratch we made in it. We thus ran on till
daybreak, keeping ahead, but not dropping him as much as we could have
wished. It was very awful, let me tell you, young gentlemen, to see his
big rolling eyes, to feel his hot breath, to smell a smell of sulphur,
and to hear his loud roaring. It was painfully evident that he was in a
tremendous rage at the liberty we had taken with his back; and there was
no doubt that had he come up with us, he could have swallowed the ship
and crew, and his own fat into the bargain, with as much ease as he
swallowed the whale. If it was a terrific sight to see him at night, it
was still worse in the daytime. His immense jaws were wide open,
showing a dozen rows of teeth, while his large eyes projected on either
side; and I don't think I exaggerate when I say that the tip of his
upper jaw was fully sixty feet above the surface of the water. As you
all well know, young gentlemen, I am not a man to be daunted; so I
loaded our stern-chasers, and kept blazing away at the monster, to make
him turn aside, but to no effect. I trained the guns myself, and every
shot went into his mouth; but he just rolled his eyes round, and
swallowed them as if they were so many pills. It was a fine sight,
though a terribly fearful one, I own, to see him coming along so
steadily and stately