FESTIVITIES ON THE FOURTH OF JULY. 23 



of drinking only one glass, the punch appearing very 

 strong, and much too sweet for my taste. Observing 

 that the eyes of the doctor and some others began to 

 twinkle, and that all were getting rather jovial, I rose, 

 and the others followed, and we came out on deck to 

 see the fun, which every moment became wilder and 

 wilder. The sailors were aloft on the yards, letting off 

 squibs; the ship's bell was being rung as if for fire, and 

 rockets and blank cartridges were fired out of every 

 available musket. Zellncr's double-barrelled gun burst, 

 luckily without doing harm ; but the quarter-deck was 

 the place where the " mirth and fun " was most " fast 

 and furious." Oilman, an excellent violin player, had 

 at first kindly offered to play for the general amusement ; 

 but when the row got too wild he withdrew, and another, 

 burning with desire to show his skill, mounted on the 

 capstan, and began to wake such discordant sounds out 

 of his fiddle, that nothing but the general uproar pre- 

 vented everybody's teeth from being set on edge ; 

 nevertheless they all waltzed away like mad, cai'ing 

 nothing for the motion of the ship, which occasionally 

 threw them against the side in a confused heap. The 

 man on the capstan continued playing as if possessed, 

 his face turned to the stem, and maintained his place 

 with great skill ; and when the dancers were all thrown 

 together by the motion of the ship, he leant towards 

 them, playing away louder and louder, but without 

 showing the slightest change of countenance. William's 

 mother threw her arms round my neck, begging me to 

 dance with her; next to her stood an old ropemaker, 

 who had been ill all the voyage ; he tried to .-land on 

 one leg, whistling his own tune, while turning on his 



