1827.] Adventures of Naufragus* \\\ 



** The entrance of a stout shoit man, with a good-natured face, arrested the 

 harangue of Mr, Ogilvie, who rose up and shook his friend by the hand most 

 heartily. Captain Lambert,' resumed Mr. Ogilvie, ' here is a young midship- 

 man, who has left his ship from ill treatment, it appears, and who wants employ- 

 ment: can't you take him with you as second mate? You want one, I under- 

 stand.' * The very thing, Ogilvie ; and,' said Lambert, turning to me, you 

 shall find good usage with me, however you may have been treated on board the 

 Indiamen : I know well enough what they are, young gentleman.' " 



" I assured him my endeavours should not be wanting to prove myself deserving 

 of any encouragement I should receive. To Mr. Ogilvie I expressed my grateful 

 thanks, and, pointing to blackee, who had introduced me to his presence, I ex- 

 pressed my regret at not having it in my power to reward him. The captain told 

 me to go on board the brig Jane, and, with his compliments to the mate, to 

 request him to receive me. You'll find,' he said, the Jane's boat at the jetty 

 stairs ;' and added 4 1 will take care of blackee.' " 



" Upon this I retired, thanking God in my heart for this interposition in my 

 behalf, and in a few minutes was on board the Jane, but almost famished, having 

 fasted nearly four days, and without any clothes except those I had on ; for, on 

 inquiry at the British hotel for my box, I found that it had not been forwarded, 

 doubtless in consequence of my friend Smith's want of opportunity." 



*' The first object that struck me on my arrival on board, was the odd appear- 

 ance of the chief mate, whose name was Tassit : he wore a red cap, a full pair of 

 silk sleeping trowsers, and a white jacket : his countenance was equally remark- 

 able a visage of dark complexion, with thick bushy whiskers, and long musta- 

 chios, high cheek bones, and large black eyes : he was a half-cast, or Creole, of 

 Bengal, but educated in England. Scarcely had I made my bow to this original, 

 when a loud, confused jabber, proceeding from the main hold, of ' Marrega ! 

 marrega /' attracted our notice ; and, on looking down the hatchway, I beheld 

 three or four lascars, with billets of wood, crushing a huge centipede, which twirled 

 its long, elastic body round and round, in agony and rage, until killed. The jabber 

 of the black sailors, and their naval costume, together with the heat of the hold, 

 and the smell of the pepper and betel-nut, of which the cargo consisted, produced 

 on my mind an impression unlike any I had ever before felt." i 



* All hands were busy receiving cargo, which we were to leave at Malacca for 

 some China ship expected there ; and all possible haste was made to sail imme- 

 diately. It was four o'clock in the afternoon when I went on board, and at five 

 Tassit very civilly asked me down to tea. I readily obeyed the summons, and 

 followed him to the cabin. There I found the leg and wing of a cold fowl, toast, 

 biscuits, butter, a piece of cold ham, and a smoking tea-kettle in the hands of a 

 lascar. Down I sat, opposite to my new friend Tassit, and began upon the fowl 

 and ham, which soon disappeared ; the toast and tea also vanished, and with equal 

 celerity, Tassit all the while ministering to my wants with much patience and 

 good-nature ; and when I afterwards told him that that meal was the only one 1 

 had had for four days, he laughed immoderately; but suddenly checking himself, 

 said, in a serious tone By all that's wonderful, I thought you would have killed 

 yourself !' " 



* After tea, we chatted until eight, and I understood that my pay was to ba 

 eighty sicca rupees ( 10) per month. This was, indeed, agreeable news, and, at 

 Tassit's suggestion, I went to bed at ten ; but scarcely had I got into a comfortable 

 dose, when I was roused up to assist in getting the brig under weigh. This was 

 done in about an hour ; and with a full moon to light us, we sailed down the 

 Southern Channel. The captain had not yet come on board, so it was agreed that 

 I should take the morning watch, from four to eight, and to bed I went again." 



In this now situation, Naufragus prospers. European officers are 

 scarce ; and the knowledge which he has acquired at school, and on 

 board the East-Indiaman and to which the rough usage which he 

 received had perhaps (though we hold it a perilous mode of instruction) 

 something contributed now stands him in good stead. With Captain 

 T ambert he sails, on a coasting voyage, through the Straits of Malacca, 



