on the lower deck, and commenced distributing prints of a black man
kneeling in chains and saying, "Am not I your brother?" Some of the men
laughed, and swore that they would paste their brother up in the mess to
say prayers for the ship's company; but others were very angry, and
abused him. At last, one man, who was tipsy, came up to him. "Do you
pretend for to insinivate that this crying black thief is my brother?"

"To be sure I do," replied the methodist.

"Then take that for your infernal lie," said the sailor, hitting him in
the face right and left, and knocking the man down into the cable tier,
from whence he climbed up, and made his escape out of the frigate as
soon as he was able.

The ship was now in a state of confusion and uproar; there were Jews
trying to sell clothes, or to obtain money for clothes which they had
sold; bumboat men and bumboat women showing their long bills, and
demanding or coaxing for payment; other people from the shore, with
hundreds of small debts; and the sailors' wives, sticking close to them,
and disputing every bill presented, as an extortion or a robbery. There
were such bawling and threatening, laughing and crying--for the women
were all to quit the ship before sunset--at one moment a Jew was upset,
and all his hamper of clothes tossed into the hold; at another, a sailor
was seen hunting everywhere for a Jew who had cheated him--all
squabbling or skylarking, and many of them very drunk. It appeared to
me that the sailors had rather a difficult point to settle. They had
three claimants upon them, the _Jew_ for clothes, the bumboat men for
their mess in harbour, and their wives for their support during their
absence; and the money which they received was, generally speaking, not
more than sufficient to meet one of the demands. As it may be supposed,
the women had the best of it; the others were paid a trifle, and
promised the remainder when they came back from their cruise. About
five o'clock, the orders were given for the ship to be cleared. All
disputed points were settled by the sergeant of marines with a party,
who divided their antagonists from the Jews; and every description of
persons not belonging to the ship, whether male or female, was dismissed
over the side. The hammocks were piped down, those who were intoxicated
were put to bed, and the ship was once more quiet.

The next day everything was prepared for sea, and no leave was permitted
to the officers. St