observed the novelties which surrounded them from different points of view according to their different characters, yet with a cool imperturbable demeanour essentially professional. To men of their calling, nothing ever appears extraordinary. They see so many strange sights in different countries, and have so little time to become acquainted with the wonders they behold, that they soon acquire a profound and philosophical indifference to everything beyond their ordinary range of experience, persuaded that the astonishment of to-day is pretty sure to be exceeded by the astonishment of to-morrow. Neither can they easily discover anything perfectly and entirely new, having usually witnessed something of the same kind before, or heard it circumstantially described at considerable length by a messmate; so that a seaman is but little impressed with the sight of a foreign town, of which, indeed, he acquires in an hour or two a knowledge not much more superficial than he has of his native village.
Bottle-Jack was in the habit of giving his opinion, as he expressed it, "free." That it was complimentary to Port Welcome, his comrades gathered from the following sentiment:—
"I'm a gettin' strained and weather-worn," observed the old seaman, impressively, "and uncommon dry besides. Tell ye what it is, mates—one more cruise, and blowed if I won't just drop my anchor here, and ride out the rest of my time all snug at my moorings."
Smoke-Jack turned his quid with an expression of intense disgust.
"And get spliced to a nigger, old man!" said he, argumentatively. "Never go for to say it! I'm not a-goin' to dispute as this here's a tidy bit of a island enough, and safe anchorage. Likewise, as I've been told by them as tried it, plenty to drink, and good. Nor I won't say but what a craft might put in here for a spell to refit, do a bit of caulking, and what not. But for dry-dock, mate, never go for to say it. Why you couldn't get anything like a decent missis, man, hereaway; an' think o' the price o' beer!"
"Regardin' a missis," returned the other, reflectively,
