t stops and cocks. Now, my countrymen will take them down and
use them properly, each one, just as well as your countrymen; but they
will put them back again in their places never.' So it is, and the
engineers are all as I say.

"I left Naples for Genoa in the 'Ercolano,' of the Naples line. There
were not many passengers on board,--no women,--and what there were were
all priests or soldiers. Nobody went by the Neapolitan line except
Italians, at that time,--the French company having larger, handsomer,
and decidedly cleaner vessels. Of course, as a heretic and a civilian, I
had nobody to talk to; so, finding that the engineer had a Saxon tongue
in his head, I dove down into his den and made acquaintance. Being shut
up there with Italians so much, he thawed out to me at once, and we were
sworn brothers by the time we reached Civita Vecchia.

"The 'Ercolano' was as crazy an old tub as every floated: judging from
the extensive colonies which tenanted her berths, she must have been
launched about the same time as Fulton's 'Clermont,' or the old 'Ben
Franklin,' Captain Bunker, once so well known off the end of Newport
wharf. You know how those boats are managed,--stopping all day in port
and running at night. We brought up at Leghorn in that way, and Marston,
the engineer, proposed to me to have a run ashore. I had no _vise_ for
Tuscany then, and the Austrian police are very strict; but Marston
proposed to pass me off for one of the steamer's officers. So he fished
out an old uniform coat of his and made me put it on; and, sure enough,
the bright buttons and shoulder-straps carried me through,--only I was
dreadfully embarrassed." (Ned never was disturbed at anything.--if an
elephant had walked into the cabin, he would have offered him a seat and
cigar.) "by the sentries all presenting arms to my coat, which sat upon
me as a shirt is supposed to on a bean-pole. I overheard one man
attribute my attenuated frame to the effects of sea-sickness. We went
into various shops, and finally into one where all sorts of sea-notions
were kept, and Marston said, 'Here's what I've been in search of this
month past. I began to think I should have to send to London for it. The
'Ercolano' is a perfect sieve, and may go down any night with all
aboard; and here's a swimming-jacket to wear under your coat,--just the
thing.' He fitted and bought one, and was turning to go, when a fancy
popped into my head: 'Marston,' said I, 'is this coat of yours