FISHES AND FISHING. 187 



when pain supervenes. My situation in the trunk 

 was of a nature most painful both to mind and body. 

 First, as the brig was swinging round, in order to go 

 out of harbour the proper way, those in charge of the 

 warp did not ease it so soon as they ought to have 

 done, consequently her stern caught the side of the 

 pier, and tore away some of her taffrail, which gave 

 the vessel a little shake ; but to me, who was lyiug 

 confined close to the spot, it appeared something of 

 considerable importance, and, joined with the Babel - 

 like confusion of voices constantly attendant upon the 

 departure of a vessel of a commercial description out 

 of a French port, made the first period of my position 

 not enviable. There were originally two locks to the 

 trunk (my temporary domicile) ; the one nearest my 

 head I took off, and cut the inner lining away, so that 

 I had all the air that could enter through that orifice. 

 Fancy the situation I was placed in, my knees drawn 

 up as high as possible, the lid forcibly pressing against 

 them, my neck bent, and my chin consequently 

 pressed towards my chest, in a close cabin, in the 

 middle of the hottest of all hot days in the month of 

 July. I once felt an inclination to sleep, but I re 

 solved not to give way to it; independently of all 

 this, the fear of any accidental cause preventing the 

 gentleman who had the key from getting on board, 

 and the whole chain of natural mental anxieties, I was 



