arded by hundreds of harpies in all
shapes, eager to fleece the crew,--or rather, to win their confidence,
in order to fleece them as soon as they had received their hard-earned
wages. Pinchbeck watches, copper chains which passed for gold, huge
rings for the fingers and ears, trinkets of all sorts, and cutlery made
of tin, were pressed upon Jack as loans, to be paid for as soon as he
landed; and the moment he got his pay, no time was lost in commencing
the operation of fleecing him. Some sturdy fellows, who had been played
that trick often before, attempted to resist the importunities of their
pretended friends, and kept their hands in their pockets, turning
scornful glances on either side, as they rolled along; but most of them,
unless they could resist the grog-shop, were very soon doomed to fall
into more warily-laid traps.

Tom and I were on shore the day the _Hero_ was paid off, one of the
ships which had so often encountered the squadron of the French Admiral
de Soufryen. The whole of Portsmouth was in an uproar. We met dozens
of stout fellows rolling along, with massive chains hung from their
fobs, rings on their fingers, their heads adorned with lovelocks,
pigtails, and earrings, with female companions hung on to each of their
arms, rolling and shouting as they went, paying no respect to anybody
out of uniform, in the height of good humour as long as they could have
their way, but evidently ready to quarrel with any one whom they might
fancy wished to interfere with them.

At the door of one of the principal inns we found a couple of coaches,
with four horses each, prepared for starting, and surrounded by some
twenty or thirty seamen. Some quickly clambered up on the roof and into
the front seats, and others behind; those who had climbed outside
shouting out that the ship would be top-heavy if the rest did not stow
themselves away below, the last half-dozen or so got inside.

"Drive on, coachee," cried one of the men in front; "let's see how fast
your craft can move along."

The coachman smacked his whip, and off galloped the horses, the men
cheering and waving their hats at the same time, and throwing showers of
silver among the boys in the street, who had gathered to look on, and
who were soon engaged in a pretty scrimmage to pick up the coins thus
profusely bestowed on them. Tom and I could with difficulty refrain
from joining in the scramble.

The junior officers were at a paying-off dinner at th