PRACTICAL JOKES. 47 



For a minute the jokers were non-plussed; their 

 victim having the laugh on his side ; but this was 

 soon remedied by the fastenings of the ladder giving 

 away, and the pendant caulker was whipped up on 

 deck amid the jeers of his companions. This remedy 

 is generally effectual ; but I have seen a case of per- 

 sistency in this, to a seaman, odious habit, which 

 after everything else had failed, was eradicated by 

 tying the caulker's leg fast to a large pig, which, 

 upon being roused up by the tormentors, travelled 

 fore and aft the deck with Kedge Anchor in tow. 

 Previous to this he had been repeatedly soused with 

 water, bent on to, made fast to the bell, getting a 

 reprimand for the ])eal he unwittingly rang, and 

 lashed to the studding-sails on the forecastle, where, 

 at times, he would remain the greater part of the 

 night; but all to no purpose, until a humorous 

 genius one night, when nothing else was on the 

 carpet, proposed uniting Kedge to the porker, and, as 

 I before stated, the remedy was efl'ectual. 



Our cook, a German, who had been to sea before, 

 having an eye to creature comforts, purchased, whilst 

 at Flores, a number of jackass cheeses. These he 

 had carefully saved, intending to make them last as 

 long as he possibly could, and for this purpose he locked 

 them up in his chest; but, unfortunately, during the 

 night some person or persons went clandestinely to 

 his chest and feloniously appropriated the cheeses 

 therein to his or their benefit. The cook, on the 

 whole, was a good-natured fellow, but losing his 

 cheeses soured his disposition, and he swore ven- 

 geance. His Dutch oaths soon attracted attention, 

 and old Jack, as the oldest man in the forecastle, 



