670 Talcs of a Tar. [JUNE, 



those who belong to the specific class in which the words or phrases 

 were first invented. These words have often no meaning in themselves ; 

 for instance, in the slang of Paul Clifford, so frequently adopted by Mr. 

 Bulwer : quid, a guinea ; bob, a shilling ; sice, a sixpence ; tape, liquor ; 

 lagged, transported ; and many others. 



Now we conceive the difference between slang and idiom to be, that 

 in the one the unde derivator is generally wanting, in the other, seldom, 

 if ever ; and such will be found to be the case in the language adopted 

 by seamen. Cooped up and isolated from the world during the greater 

 part of their lives, their images are naturally drawn from the few objects 

 presented to them. But it will be found on close examination, that even 

 the apparently barbarous and incomprehensible names applied to differ- 

 ent parts of the ship and furniture, have a radical meaning, although 

 many of them are lost from time. 



We might prove this, if our space would permit ; but we will select 

 one of the most Jar-fetched expressions we can find in this work as a 

 single example. Who would ever imagine that " to cut your stick," 

 implied to " walk off?" But a sailor preparing himself for a journey on 

 foot will naturally provide himself with a good walking stick out of the 

 first hedge; hence the origin of the expression. We must add, that in 

 all cases of naval idiom, the multum in parvo is strictly adhered to. 



We cannot, however, quit this subject without referring to the par- 

 tiality shown by the sailor to what is termed the prosopopoeia, or sub- 

 stitution of the person for the thing, the animation of insensible objects, 

 in which they so constantly indulge. This arises from their peculiar 

 life their seclusion from the world, by which their affections cannot be 

 bestowed upon their kind, and which, bursting forth, are lavished upon 

 whatever may be in contact. Every thing is with them of the feminine 

 gender, at least every thing that they have the least affection for : the 

 neuter is obsolete on board of a ship. We ourselves were once much 

 amused by a sailor, who was on his knees scrubbing away most em- 

 phatically at an old pair of trousers, apostrophizing them as follows : 



" You won't come clean, you tarry old sons of won't you ? Now 



here 's have at you again. It 's no use being obstinate, I tell you, for 

 I 'm detarmmed." In this instance, it is to be observed, that he made 

 them masculine, and plural, we presume, because they consisted of two 

 legs joined together, like the Siamese youths, at the middle. 



The chief part of this volume is taken up with the " Breeze at Spit- 

 head." The following extract of the opening of the mutiny is well and 

 characteristically described by Tailor, an old Greenwich pensioner. 



" There was little more done that day than to broach the business." 



" How ?" 



" Why, by three thund'ring cheers, led by the lazy Charlotte, and followed 

 by every ship in the fleet as fast as they could rig their roarers. Never, no, 

 never since the fall o' man was known such a hullabaloo. Why, the very air 

 rung wi' the roar, and the ships at their anchors shook for all the world like the 

 shock of an earthquake. I was alongside the Charlotte at the time for you see 

 I was coxon o' the cutter, as only a little afore left the frigate to fetch our car- 

 penter aboard, as went to look at the model of a new-fashion way o' fishing a 

 taup-sail yard. Well, pea from pan never popped faster nor did Bill from the 

 boat at the sound o' the Charlotte's cheer ; f for/ says I to myself, ' the breeze 's 

 began.' Afore you could well crack a biscuit I stood on her starboard gangway. 

 There were the leaftennants, mates, midshipmen, purser, surgeon, warrant-offi- 

 cers, and all, flyin' up the ladders, and imist'ring helter-skelter on deck, like men 



