nefit of Miss Mortimer under the patronage of the Honourable Captain
Delmar, and the officers of his Majesty's ship Calliope. Of course the
grateful young lady sent my mother some tickets of admission, and two of
them I reserved for Tommy Dott and myself.

Captain Delmar had made a large party of ladies, and of course all the
officers of the ship attended: the house was as full as it could hold.
My mother and aunt were there in a retired part of the boxes; Tommy Dott
and I entered the theatre with them, and afterwards had gone up to what
is, at the theatres at seaports, usually denominated the slips, that is,
the sides of the theatre on the same range as the gallery. There was
Captain Delmar with all his ladies and all his officers, occupying
nearly the whole of the side of the dress circle below us, we having
taken our position above him, so that we might not be observed.

The performance commenced. Miss Mortimer, as _Mrs Haller_, was very
effective; and in the last scene was compelling the eyes of the company
to water, when we thought we would produce a still greater effect.

We had purchased a pound of the finest Scotch snuff, which we had
enclosed in two pasteboard cases, similar in form to those of squibs,
only about six times the size, and holding half a pound of snuff each.
Our object was, in doing this, that, by jerking it all out with a heave,
we might at once throw it right into the centre of the theatre above, so
that in its descent it might be fairly distributed among all parties.

There was no one in the slips with us, except midshipmen, and a
description of people who would consider it a good joke, and never would
peach if they perceived we were the culprits.

At a signal between us, just as _Mrs Haller_ was giving a paper to her
husband did we give our shower of snuff to the audience, jerking it
right across the theatre. In a few minutes the effect was prodigious;
Captain Delmar's party being right beneath us, probably received a
greater share, for they commenced sneezing fast, then the boxes on the
other side, the pit followed, and at last _Mr and Mrs Haller_ and the
_Stranger_ were taken with such a fit of sneezing that they could no
longer talk to each other.

The children were brought out to their parents to effect their
reconciliation, but they did nothing but sneeze, poor things; and at
last the uproar was tremendous, and the curtain was dropped, not to loud
plaudits, but to loud sneezings