674 Tales of a Tar. JUNE, 



" 'As to better men, I say nothing/ said Fleming, 'because in their respective 

 situations the soldier and the sailor are equally good.' 



" 'Why, John, d'ye think a fellow's a fool? does the one sarve a time to a 

 trade ? Take a chap from the plough, or a chap from the loom brace up his 

 body, steady his step, teach him to march, manage his musket, ship and un- 

 ship his bagnet, pipe-clay his breeks, and burnish his buttons ; and, in a very 

 few months, you'll turn out a reg'lar-built soger. But see the time as it takes 

 to make a thoro' bred seamen ; it's a right good man as larns his trade in seven 

 or eight years. So, say what you will, Sill says something more should be made 

 of the man that's hardest to make. But, no; it's quite t'other way; look at 

 your Waterloo work: every chap as was, ay, perhaps no more, ay, nor in sight 

 o' the fray, slings to a button on his breast a medal as big as a dollar; whilst, 

 such chaps as we have no other token to show for our work for the icar, but 

 damme a gashed cheek, or a lopped limb.' 



"At this moment a ' walking-tap,' as it was termed, happening 'to heave in 

 sight,' the excited tar rose from his seat, and departed to wet his whistle." 



But we must be brief " KIND INQUIRIES," and " COMMAND OF MIND," 

 are excellent ; and so indeed are all the short narratives which are to be 

 found in this amusing volume. We must make one short extract from 

 " Sailor Sal," a young woman who follows her sweetheart on board of 

 a man-of-war, and does her duty as a foremast-man. She is brought 

 up to the gangway for punishment. 



" ' Well, my lad. says the skipper' for as I said before, he was a good man, 

 and couldn't abide the use o' the cat: but in course he'd to do his duty, as well 

 as another' well, my lad,' says he, 'what 'ave you to say for yourself? You 

 see, now, the dangerous consequence of look-out men falling asleep on their 

 watch. I'm sorry to punish you,' says the skipper, * for I believe you to be a 

 willing lad : but this is too seris an offence to look over so strip,' says the 

 skipper.' I axes your pardon, sir,' says Jem, steppin' for'ard in front o' the 

 people for you see, the skipper looked for all the world as if he was only waiting 

 for some of the officers or petty officers to come for'ard and speak a good word 

 for unfortunate Sam 'I axes your pardon, sir,' says Jem, ' I hopes you'll allow 

 me to say a word in favor o' the prisoner.' ' By all means,' says the skipper, 

 Sal all the time pretending to ungrind the granny,* as tied her handkerchief, 

 was fumbling away with her fingers to gain time. ' You may depend, sir,' says 

 Jem, 'the young man's not well in his mind: he was drowsy and stupid the 

 whole day long ; and moreover,' says Jem, ' as another of his messmates, Farley, 

 the main-top-man can tell, he wouldn't break bisket the whole a'ternoon, or 

 touch a drop of his allowance o' grog.' ' Then he should have gone to the 

 doctor,' said the captain. 'Well, sir,' says Jem, ' I knows it's a seris offence: 

 and as I suppose you must make a sample o' some one aboard, if it's all the 

 same to you, sir,' says Jem, stripping, and heaving his jacket at Sal's feet, I'll 

 take the punishment myself, for I'm sure the lad can't stand the lash !' Well, 

 at this, Sal, first heavin' a look at Jem the fellow look I never seed afore or 

 since and givin' a guggle in her throat, as if goin' to choak, she fell flat in a 

 faint at his feet, for she stands it all very well till she sees Jem strippin' to take 

 her place. Well, the hands were then piped-down Sal carried to the cockpit, 

 and the murder out in a minute. 



"'Now that's what /calls behavin' like a woman,' concluded Farley, rising 

 from the group round the hatchway, and retiring to relieve the look-out man at 

 the lee cat-head." 



We shall be glad to meet Captain Glascock again. He is one of those 

 writers who come to the point at once, without pretence or circumlocu- 

 tion a rare quality in these wordy times. 



* A lubber's knot, so designated by seamen. 



