INQUISITIVE IRISHMAN. 275 



that was put to me, for the purpose of ingratiating myself 

 with the people, by which alone I could obtain information 

 from them, and ensure personal comfort ; and I must do them 

 the justice to say, they seldom, in this respect, exceeded the 

 people of my native country. On the present occasion there 

 was something so prying in the Irishman s expression of 

 countenance and tone of voice, that I resolved to teaze him 

 a little, and to his second question answered, &quot; in the 

 East.&quot; 



&quot; What part of the East?&quot; 



61 Europe.&quot; 



&quot; What part of Europe?&quot; 



&quot; Mungos wells.&quot; 



&quot; Where is that?&quot; 



&quot; Near Haddington.&quot; 



&quot; In what country is that?&quot; 



&quot; Scotland.&quot; 



Here he told me that he was a native of Ireland ; and I 

 answered his language had made me aware of that the moment 

 he entered into conversation. 



&quot; Where do you stay?&quot; 



&quot; I am a wanderer on the face of the earth.&quot; 



&quot; What are you doing ?&quot; 



&quot; Following the course of the river.&quot; 



&quot; What would you do if you were on shore ?&quot; 



&quot; Follow my nose.&quot; 



&quot; W T hat would you like to be employed at ? &quot; 



&quot; In moving from place to place.&quot; 



&quot; Where do you reside? * 



&quot; He had been told I was a wanderer, and might rely on 

 what had been stated.&quot; During this conversation, he did not 

 seem to feel the import of my answers, and continued in con 

 versation sometime afterwards. 



While standing on deck, near the chimney, around which 

 many gentlemen were assembled, for the heat it afforded, a 

 person who was chewing tobacco, sprinkled a mouthful of 

 juice on the tails of my surtout, which happened to be waving 

 in the wind. As soon as the accident occurred, he pulled out 

 his handkerchief, and when wiping off the filth, apologized 



