194 FEMALE VISITORS. 



gaged in busiuess here, whenever thej^ find a young 

 man coming to their neighborhood with the character 

 of an honest man, anxious to secure his services, and 

 offer him a good recompense for them. During my 

 stay on the coast, I, in several cases, had such offers 

 tendered me ; and, although in a pecuniary point of 

 view they were advantageous, I have never once 

 regretted not accepting. In nine cases out of ten, 

 where young Americans have taken up their resi- 

 dence here, they have, however repugnant the habit 

 may have at first appeared to them, contracted a taste 

 for alcohol, and not having, like these people, been 

 accustomed to imbibe it from childhood, soon became 

 sots. Hence the reluctance of captains of Avhale- 

 fihips to discharge on the coast any of their crew 

 in whom they take an interest ; well knowing that 

 among such companions moral or intellectual im- 

 provement is out of the question. 



As the lower class of the population, more par- 

 ticularly the female portion, consider the sailor fair 

 game, our ship was continually the scene of their 

 visits. Although we were at first quite pleased, and 

 felt enlivened by the presence of the fairer part of 

 creation aboard our floating home, we shortly dis- 

 covered that we were only favored with their com- 

 pany from interested motives ; and, therefore, after 

 several visits had passed, but little more attention 

 was paid to them, except by the idlers, who were 

 glad to have any object to assist them in whiling 

 away their time. 



Great attention was paid by these dames to the 

 younger members of our crew, whom they hoped, 

 on account of their inexperience, easily to dupe ; but 



