kes, fun, and
frolic, and derived amusement from every occurrence which took place.

On this passage, Strictland, who entertained the prejudices of his
nation against the French, lost no opportunity to manifest his contempt
of the passengers, and commented on their proceedings in a manner
ill-natured and unjust.

He more than once exhibited a surliness and incivility in his demeanor,
which is supposed to be a prominent feature in the character of a burly
Briton; and was far from being a favorite with any of the passengers
or the captain. On more than one occasion a misunderstanding occurred
between Strictland and myself, and at one time it approached an open
rupture.

We were both familiar with Smollet's "Adventures of Roderick Random,"
and compared ourselves, with our rambles about the world in quest of
a living, to the hero of that celebrated work and his faithful friend
Strap; with this difference, however, that while each of us applied to
himself the part of Roderick, neither was willing to assume the humble
character of the honest but simple-minded Strap. In the course of our
discussion Strictland lost his temper, and indulged in language towards
myself that I was not disposed to pass lightly over. The next morning,
the little uninhabited island of Orchilla being in sight, the wind
light and the weather pleasant, the boat was launched, and the mate with
several passengers, urged by curiosity, embarked, and were pulled ashore
by Strictland and myself. While the other parties were rambling about,
making investigations, we, more pugnaciously inclined, retired to a
short distance from the shore, and prepared to settle all our disputes
in a "bout at fisticuffs," an ungentlemanly method of settling a
controversy, but one which may afford as much SATISFACTION to the
vanquished party as a sword-thrust through the vitals, or pistol bullet
in the brain.

After exchanging a few left-handed compliments with no decided result,
our pugilistic amusement was interrupted by the unauthorized influence
of two of the passengers, who had been searching for shell-fish among
the rocks. What the result of the contest would have been I will not
venture to conjecture. I was but a tyro in the art, while Strictland
prided himself in his scientific skill, and gave an indication of the
purity of his tastes by boasting of having once acted in the honorable
capacity of bottle-holder to a disciple of the notorious Tom Crib, on a
very interest