32 THE FLORIST. 



sies which have been well reported upon, and one of which, Jerome, 

 was awarded a first-class certificate by the Scottish Pansy Society. 



Mr. W. Willison of Whitby has raised a semi-double Potentilla 

 of very beautiful colours. It was exhibited at Worton Cottage last 

 season, and reported as "well worthy of cultivation." It is a seed- 

 ling from IM'Nabiana, crossed witli a semi-double flower. 



Mr. John Willison has a seedling Cactus, the most brilliant of 

 this gay family. Dr. Lindley says it is " a brilliant scarlet Cactus, 

 with firm broad round petals. A great improvement in shape upon 

 older kinds." 



It is to be hoped the forthcoming season will prove more prolific 

 in good things than the last. 



Whitby. M. Woodhouse. 



NOTES FROM THE LOG-BOOK OF AN ERRATIC MAN. 



Ko. II. 

 THE LOVES OF AN OLD SAILOR. 



(a paper for ST. valentine's day.) 



Davy M'as a Welshman, and a seaman of the old school ; he had 

 fought with Nelson at Copenhagen, and with " Neddy" Pelew at 

 Algiers ; had an unutterable contempt for coasters, though he had 

 spent all his time in them since he came out of a man-of-war ; 

 called all the boys in our brig a set of haw-bucks ; and if he said 

 little of the wound he had received in action, it was from no modesty 

 in any sense of the word, but simply because it was in a part not 

 considered the most honourable, though perhaps better adapted in 

 many respects to receive a ball than any other. Well, Davy was 

 growing old and tired of the sea, and had conceived a violent affection 

 for a couple of widows, both washerwomen, one of whose mangles 

 he thought he could turn, or whose barrow he could wheel, instead 

 of going to sea in the winter ; whilst a trip or two in the summer 

 would help the exchequer, and bring him back fresh, as he called it, 

 to his married life : the difficulty lay in making a choice, since he 

 could not marry both, and married he determined to be. 



One of our boys (an old one to be sure, for he had not come to 

 sea till he was above twenty,) was entrusted by Davy to carry on 

 the correspondence between the widows, one living in Wales, the 

 other in London ; and he could not have chosen a greater monkey 

 of an amanuensis, for Jem was as full of mischief as a soldier's jacket 

 is of pipeclay — the least touch set it flying in all directions. Davy's 

 instructions were, to keep both the widows in tow, because, as he 

 said, he could easily cast off* either when he had made up his mind. 

 In my chest I carried a small folding-desk, containing all the neces- 

 sary materials ; and with this upon his knees, Jem used to write the 

 most inflammatory epistles, while old Davy sat by his side rolling 

 his quid about, ejecting the tobacco-juice, and nodding his approval 

 of what was read, which was a deal less ardent, if the truth be told. 



