78 JACK ASnOIlE. 



in our ship's bold, when liberty commenced. This 

 is always a season of rejoicing amongst sailors, but 

 it would be impossible to give a perfect description 

 of the manner in which they enjoy themselves, and 

 the mad pranks they cut whilst their liberty lasts. 

 Imagine, if you can, a school of the most mischievous 

 urchins let loose, with perfect freedom to enact all 

 the mischief they are capable of, and you can form a 

 faint idea of Jack ashore in a foreign port. Some 

 have hired horses and are riding double, one facing 

 forward, the other in the opposite direction, kicking, 

 spurring, and urging the nag onward, occasionally 

 getting a fall which is productive of nothing but a 

 hearty laugh, the loose sand protecting the dismounted 

 cavalier from injury ; and ten chances to one, after 

 recovering his feet, the unseated one would grasp the 

 animal's tail to mount again. I remember a case of 

 one of our crew, who, burning to distinguish himself, 

 went ashore, hired a horse, and rode off into the bush 

 at full speed. The beast, being better accustomed to 

 bush ranging than his rider, in the course of an hour 

 made his appearance alone ; and, on search being in- 

 stituted, the gay horseman was discovered hanging in 

 the forked branch of a tree, in such a position that he 

 could not extricate himself without assistance, and 

 even then his garments were rather the worse for wear. 

 The oldsters, when ashore, of course, resorted to 

 the grog shop and got meny ; the younger ones, 

 burning to emulate them, were soon half seas over, 

 and rolling around in too heavy a style even for a 

 sailor. The first day, however, settled the affair, as 

 on the following one the youngsters discovered that 

 the way of the transgressor is hard ; for they had to 



