422 f^ TO RICHMOND. 



church without he took the parson into the bargain, and the Emperor 

 would not do that, the negociation went off, and there the church is to 

 this day. This amusing story was, no doubt, a piece of invention of 

 Smith's, for he has a very happy originality in that way. We laughed 

 prodigioiously, and Smith was satisfied. 



Here I took occasion to address a few words to the gallant crew. 

 tf Gentlemen," said I, " as we came out with the intention of reaching 

 Richmond by water, allow me as the commander of this expedition, to 

 press upon you the necessity of putting your shoulders to the wheel, 

 if you mean to complete that great enterprize. I need not remind you 

 that in order to reach Richmond it is necessary that you should get 

 there. (Hear, hear!) Gentlemen, the eyes of Cornhill I may add, 

 Cheapside, are upon us ! If we succeed, we shall be crowned with 

 success ; if we fail but no I will not fear that is to say, Gentlemen, 

 I cannot " (Here I was completely put out by that Jones, who kept 

 winking his malicious eye at Smith, as much as to say, " only hear the 

 future Deputy of Dowgate Ward I" Jones, I am sorry to say, is in 

 many respects a very envious young man. I resumed ) " In short, 

 Gentlemen, as some one has said, a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull 

 altogether, will, if we faint not, bring our enterprize to a happy end. 

 For as Mr. Shakspeare, the dramatist, has said 



" ' There is a tide in the affairs of men, 



Which taken at the full leads on to ' " 



" Richmond !" was the inspiring cry of the whole crew, with the 

 exception of the ladies who shared, however, in our truly British 

 ardour. Every man grasped his oar, jackets and hats were immedi- 

 ately thrown off, as incumbrances, Jones in his enthusiasm forgot his 

 blisters, and we pushed along gaily and gallantly 



" Swift as an arrow from a Tartar's bow." 



and Putney seemed to stare with astonishment at Fulham Hammer- 

 smith at Barnes, to see the rapidity of our flight. To make our 

 labours light and cheer our way, Miss Fatima Smith, at her brother's 

 request, read to us the " Choice" of Mr. John Pomfret, that divine 

 poet; and Smith himself, 



" Possess'd beyond the Muses' painting," 



broke out all over with an original sonnet, keeping time with his oar to 

 the measnre. When it was over we all expressed our regret that he 

 did not put his high poetic powers to more use. " If I did," he 

 remarked, "how should I be known ' from many another Smith'?" 

 " Take another name," I suggested. " Call yourejf Jones," said Jones, 

 in his very happy way, and we laughed amazingly. Jones is inimitable 

 when he likes to be so. 



Absorbed in this delightful interchange of poetry and pleasantry we 

 progressed agreeably along, and 



" Panting time toil'd after us in vain." 



" What place is this we are athwart of?" asked Tomlins. He was 

 informed it was Kew. " I thought so," he added ; " and that little 

 gentleman in the nook of the wall is, I suppose, Q in the corner ?" We 

 had never heard Tomlins perpetrate a pun before ; but we encouraged 



