JOHNNY-COME-LATELY. 33 



that "chances to ship" were, as yet, few and far 

 between. Occasionally, when we could learn that 

 a captain or owner was about to ship hands, Bill 

 and I would present ourselves with the crowd, 

 and wait patiently to be chosen or left, as his 

 high mightiness should see fit ; and 1 must own 

 that to be left was invariably our fate. 



We rather enjoyed our stay, nevertheless, as we 

 found much to amuse us, particularly in watching 

 the maneuvers of the new hands. The salt air 

 seems to have the effect of increasing their 

 bumps of credulity to an almost incredible size, 

 and they "hoist in", without difficulty, stories of 

 whales, or of sea life and adventure, which would 

 hardly do even to tell to the "marines," those old 

 time receptacles for all that requires an unusual 

 amount of faith in the believer. 



Most astonishing yarns of the freaks of whales 

 were daily spun to admiring circles of the verdant 

 ones, by mischievous boatsteerers, who became 

 afterward, in the eyes of their unsophisticated 

 listeners, wrapped about with such a halo of glory 

 as is commonly awarded to none but the greatest 

 heroes. Moreover, the most laughable tricks 

 were continually played off upon the ignorance 

 of the new-comers. " Johnny-come-lately," is the 

 butt for everybody's practical jokes, and some- 

 times has his unlimited confidence in human 

 nature severely shaken, by the conduct of his pre- 

 tended friends. 



