540 



INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF A UAT. 



young lady looked squeamish when he talked about friccasseed frogs, he 

 made my mouth water when he mentioned Guava jelly, and I longed to 

 dabble my whiskers in the luxuries of Kangaroo soup and Opossum gravy ; 

 in all which dainties our ministerial friend appeared quite savant. In the 

 course of our conversation I heard that there was a steam packet from 

 Selby to Hull ; and, being fired by the talk about foreign parts, I resolved 

 to take my passage in it, in the hopes that, when I arrived in Hull, I 

 should find some vessel bound for those places about which my spiritual 

 friend talked so much ; and I already pictured to myself the full enjoy- 

 ment of the luxuries he had described. So, on the stopping of the car- 

 riage at Selby, with an agile spring, I bounded into the muff of the young 

 lady I have before mentioned, and was, by her, safely carried on board 

 the steamer she being on her way to Hull. I could have wished to 

 have made a call oi> "a poor lone widow of my acquaintance, and 

 afford her creature consolation ;" but was unable, from want of time, so 

 to do and I am afraid it would " add to her burden" to "know" that 

 I passed her door without calling to say how do you do, and tasting her 

 home-made wine. I must here be pardoned a slight digression, and 

 complain of the shortness of the time allowed to passengers by the Selby 

 carriages. It is utterly impossible even to run to the post-office with a 

 letter Rafter the carriages arrive, before the steamer starts : in my humble 

 opinion it would be much better if the public had a quarter of an hour 

 allowed to transact any business they might have, or to make a call, 

 which might be easily managed, by the train leaving Leeds a quarter of 

 an hour sooner. For instance, I was unable to call upon my poor friend, 

 " the lone widow," owing to the shortness of the time and the confusion 

 there was with the passengers' luggage. To return from my digression : 

 off at length we went, down the Ouse. I soon emerged from my comfortable 

 berth in the young lady's muff, and bolted into the steward's pantry, which 

 I soon found out by the unerring intelligence of my nostrils, where conceal- 

 ingmyself in a drawer containing ship biscuits, I very comfortably satisfied 

 the cravings of hunger. The unusual thumping of the engine and the 

 unaccustomed motion began to make me a little squeamish, but I com- 

 pletely restored myself with a draught of Mr. Stubb's O. D. V., after 

 which, I made an excellent repast on potted shrimps, and enjoyed my 

 passage exceedingly, which was unmarked by any particular incident 

 but that of running aground opposite to Goole, to the great annoyance 

 of many of the passengers, as we were delayed five hours thereby. I 

 very pleasantly occupied my time, making love to a beautiful sleek- 

 skinned-black haired little rat, who had resided some time on board, 

 under the protection of her father, a sturdy jealous old native of Spain, 

 who, thinking my attentions too particular to his daughter, made his 

 congt to me, and asked me what were my intentions with regard to his 

 daughter; "because," said he, " if you don't mean any thing particular, I, sir, 

 on the part of my family, wish you good morning." Not having any in- 

 tention " to be particular," I was obliged to say good morning to " old 

 Cerberus," and spent the last half-hour of my journey in a rather dull 

 mood. At length we arrived in Hull, and in the confusion of landing, 

 I adopted my old mode of creeping into a coat-pocket, which laid tum- 

 bling on the deck, and which belonged to a ruddy-faced blithe middle- 

 aged man, who came from Bradford to buy wools ; and by him I was 



