16 WHALING AND FISHING. 



the shipper whispers to me as he sees him enter 

 the door ; and he is probably a smart fellow, else 

 would he not be cordially welcomed in azd alter 

 ttvely listened to by that worthy. 



He is a rather slender, middle-sized man, with a 

 very sallow cheek, and hands tanned of a deep and 

 enduring saffron color. He is very round-shoulder- 

 ed, the effect possibly of much pulling at his oar. 

 He has a singular air of shabbiness about him, as 

 though he had bought his fit-out in Chatham 

 street, of some dealer in second-hand garments. 

 Neither does he look at all at home in the " shore 

 ilothes " which he carries about. His shoes are 

 rough and foxy, and the strings trail upon the 

 ground, as he walks. His browsers fail to connect, 

 joy several inches, showing a margin of coarse, 

 grey woolen sock, intervening between their bot- 

 toms, and his shoes. A portion of his red flannel 

 drawers is visible, above the waistband of his 

 pantaloons; while a rusty black handkerchief 

 at the throat, fastened by a large ring, made of 

 the tooth of a sperm whale, and inlaid with mother- 

 of-pearl, keeps together a shirt bosom, which is in- 

 nocent of a single button. A cutaway coat of sum- 

 mer-cloth, and a little glazed cap complete his cos- 

 tume. But that which strikes one as his most mark- 

 ed peculiarity is .a certain uncertainty in his gaze, 

 which seems to betoken a lack of self-confidence, 

 He moves along with a spiritless dawdle, which is 

 quite in unison with his general expression of list- 

 lessness. He evidently feels but ill at ease in 



