teamer
in our way from Spain. The morning was fine, and we were upon deck
staring vacantly about us, as is our custom, with our hands in our
pockets, when a large barge with an awning, and manned by many rowers,
came dashing through the water and touched the vessel's side. Some
people came on board, of whom, however, we took but little notice,
continuing with our hands in our pockets staring sometimes at the river,
and sometimes at the castle of Saint George, the most remarkable object
connected with the 'white city,' which strikes the eye from the Tagus.
In a minute or two the steward came running up to us from the cabin, and
said, 'There are two or three strange people below who seem to want
something; but what it is we can't make out, for we don't understand
them. Now I heard you talking 'Moors' the other day to the black cook,
so pray have the kindness to come and say two or three words in Moors to
the people below.' Whereupon, without any hesitation, we followed the
steward into the cabin. 'Here's one who can jabber Moors with you,'
bawled he, bustling up to the new comers. On observing the strangers,
however, who sat on one of the sofas, instead of addressing them in
'Moors,' we took our hands out of our pockets, drew ourselves up, and
making a most ceremonious bow, exclaimed in pure and sonorous Castilian,
'Cavaliers, at your feet! What may it please you to command?'

The strangers, who had looked somewhat blank at the first appearance of
our figure, no sooner heard us address them in this manner than they
uttered a simultaneous 'Ola!' and, springing up, advanced towards us with
countenances irradiated with smiles. They were three in number, to say
nothing of a tall loutish fellow with something of the look of a
domestic, who stood at some distance. All three were evidently
gentlemen--one was a lad about twenty, the other might be some ten years
older--but the one who stood between the two, and who immediately
confronted us, was evidently the principal. He might be about forty, and
was tall and rather thin; his hair was of the darkest brown; his face
strongly marked and exceedingly expressive; his nose was fine, so was his
forehead, and his eyes sparkled like diamonds beneath a pair of bushy
brows slightly grizzled. He had one disagreeable feature--his
mouth--which was wide and sensual-looking to a high degree. He was
dressed with elegance--his brown surtout was faultless; shirt of the
finest Holland,