number is seldom or never used by nautical philologists to
designate things numerable, it is always "a _raft_ of women," "a raft of
marines," &c. I could easily go on to show that the word "raft" is a
good phrase, and peculiarly applicable to women and marines; but I must
resist the temptation of convincing the public, that sailors are as
deeply versed in the mysteries of their mother-tongue, as many of those
who stay ashore all their life-times, and make dictionaries.

The day after the arrival of this military stranger, it was ascertained
by the crew, that there was a supernumerary on board by the name of
Williams; for it is as impossible for the commander and officers of a
man-of-war to keep a secret in the cabin, as it is for twelve "good men
and true," locked up in a jury-room. The new-comer seemed to have free
access to the cabin, and was treated with much respect by the officers,
but it was soon observed, by the seamen, that he never went on shore. In
the course of a few months, he was put on board a homeward-bound ship:
and when the crew of the frigate returned to America, they saw him
again in New York, abandoned to intemperance.

When on a cruise in the Pacific, the crew of one of the light vessels of
the squadron were transferred to the frigate that I was on board of;
their time of service having expired. Among them was Williams; and from
his shipmates I learned the above particulars. In person, he was about
five feet eight or nine inches high, and extremely well made. With the
rest of the schooner's people, he had been on shore on liberty, where he
had been continually intoxicated; his face was in consequence bloated,
and his eyes bloodshot and swollen.

I further understood, that he would get drunk whenever he had an
opportunity, and when intoxicated he was completely insane. He was also
subject to fits of temporary derangement, independent of the insanity
produced by excessive drinking, when he was both furious and dangerous;
and it was always necessary, on such occasions, to confine him in irons.
He was also represented as being extremely reserved, and refusing to
answer any questions respecting himself, whether addressed to him by
officers or seamen; that he spoke with fluency all European languages,
on which account, he was extremely useful as an interpreter, both on the
coast of Peru and Chili, and on that of Brazil; that he was a first rate
swordsman, either with the small-sword or sabre, and a dead