and at midnight we set off in company with our
landlord, each of us carrying our bundles, and in less than an hour
arrived at a sort of farm-house detached from the road.

After a short parley we obtained entrance, and were taken into a small
room where the crimp inquired of us what money we had, and then told us
what his charges were. The reason of his doing this was, because if we
had no money, or very little, he would have disposed of us very soon by
sending us on board of some ship, and obtaining an advance of our wages
from the captain as his indemnification; but if we had plenty of money,
he would then keep us as long as he could that he might make his profit
of us; his charges were monstrous, as may be supposed, and we had
replied that we had very little money. We contrived to look as careless
and indifferent as we could, agreed to everything, paid the landlord of
the pothouse a guinea each for taking us to the house, and were then
ushered into a large room, where we found about twenty seamen sitting at
a long table, drinking, and playing cards and dominoes.

They did not appear to notice us, they were so busy either playing or
looking on. Cross called for a pot of ale, and we sat down at the
farther end of the table.

"What a dislike the men must have to the press," said Cross to me, "when
they submit to be mured up here in prison."

"Yes, and cheated by such a scoundrel as the crimp appears to be."

"Don't talk so loud, Jack," replied Cross; for I had insisted upon his
calling me Jack, "lest we should be overheard."

We then asked to go to bed, and were shown by the crimp into a room
which had about fourteen beds in it.

"You may take your choice of those five," said he, pointing to five
nearest the door: "I always come up and take away the candle."

As we found some of the other beds occupied, we did not resume our
conversation, but went to sleep.

The next morning we found that we mustered about thirty-five, many of
the more steady men having gone to bed before we arrived. After
breakfast, Cross and I each entered into conversation with a man, and
pumped them very cleverly. Our chief object was, to ascertain the
houses of the other crimps, and, as the men knew most of them, having
invariably resorted to them at the end of their voyages, we obtained the
locality of five or six, all apparently public-houses, but having back
premises for the concealment of seamen: all these were carefully noted
d