re
doin' us a kindness by stoppin' our'lowance of meat wile we're wrastlin'
with 'em, then we say we don't feel obliged to yew, 'n 'll thank yew
kindly to keep such lugsuries for yerself, 'n give us wot we signed
for." A murmur of assent confirmed this burst of eloquence, which we all
considered a very fine effort indeed. A moment's silence ensued; then
the skipper burst out, "I've often heard of such things, but hang me if
I ever believed 'em till now! You ungrateful beggars! I'll see you get
your whack, and no more, from this out. When you get any little extras
aboard this ship agen, you'll be thankful for 'em; now I tell you." "All
right, sir," said Nat; "so long as we don't hev to chaw any more of yer
biled Bimly crows, I dessay we shall worry along as usual." And, as the
Parliamentary reports say, the proceedings then terminated.

Now, suppose the skipper had told the story to some of his shore
friends, how very funny the sailors' conduct would have been made to
appear.

On another occasion long after, when I was mate of a barque loading
mahogany in Tonala, Mexico, the skipper thought he would practise
economy by buying a turtle instead of beef. A large turtle was obtained
for twenty-five cents, and handed over to the cook to be dealt with,
particular instructions being given him as to the apportionment of the
meat.

At eight bells there was a gathering of the men in front of the poop,
and a summons for the captain. When he appeared, the usual stereotyped
invitation to "have a look at THAT, if you please, sir," was uttered.
The skipper was, I think, prepared for a protest, for he began to
bluster immediately. "Look here!" he bawled, "I ain't goin' to 'ave any
of your dam nonsense. You WANT somethin' to growl about, you do." "Well,
Cap'n George," said one of the men, "you shorely don't think we k'n eat
shells, do yer?" Just then I caught sight of the kid's contents, and
could hardly restrain my indignation. For in a dirty heap, the sight
of which might have pleased an Esquimaux, but was certainly enough
to disgust any civilized man, lay the calipee, or under-shell of the
turtle, hacked into irregular blocks. It had been simply boiled, and
flung into the kid, an unclean, disgusting heap of shell, with pieces
of dirty flesh attached in ragged lumps. But the skipper, red-faced and
angry, answered, "W'y, yer so-and-so ijits, that's wot the Lord Mayor of
London gives about a guinea a hounce for w'en 'e feeds lords n'