him."

"Hooray!" shouted the delighted mob.

Their quondam friend soon did his bidding, bringing out a huge china-bowl
filled with grog, which was handed round to every soul within reach, and
presently dispatched;--two others followed, before they "weighed anchor
and proceeded on their voyage," cheered by the ragged multitude, among
whom they lavishly scattered their change; and a most riotous and
ridiculous scramble it produced.

I was much pleased with the novelty of the scene, and escaped from the
crowd as quickly as I conveniently could, for I was rather apprehensive
of an attempt upon my pockets.

What strange beings are these sailors! They have no care for the morrow,
but spend lavishly the hard-earned wages of their adventurous life. To
one like myself, who early knew the value of money, this thoughtless
extravagance certainly appeared unaccountable, and nearly allied to
madness; but, when I reflected that they are sometimes imprisoned in a
ship for years, without touching land, and frequently in peril of losing
their lives--that they have scarcely time to scatter their wages and
prize-money in the short intervals which chance offers them of mixing
with their fellow-men, my wonder changed to pity.

"A man in a ship," says Dr. Johnson, "is worse than a man in a jail; for
the latter has more room, better food, and commonly better company, and
is in safety."