76 LEAVE THE DITCH OF CORFU. 



freely on every article of his dress, overhaul him 

 well, and put him down as decidedly amj^hibioiis. 

 A narrow-brimmed, wide-aivake white hat amuses 



them the most. " Did you ever see such a 



hat?" says, or rather sings, in a whining tone of 

 voice, the coxswain, half-crying with laughter. 

 In the meantime, the unconscious officer, whose 

 equivocal dress has excited so much merriment, 

 descends the steps, and is met at the boat by 

 three others in fustian jackets and trowsers, with 

 their guns under their arms; several grooms, 

 with a number of spaniels, almost simultaneously 

 making their appearance. 



The clock had just struck the appointed hour, 

 and each Nimrod, in pure zeal for the chase, is 

 punctual to an instant of time. 



But a few moments are passed in the usual 

 morning salutation, and inquiries if all dogs, 

 dinner, guardian, kc, are on board ; and that no 

 powder-horns or caps have been forgotten ; when 

 all being on board, Domenico, the coxswain of 

 the whale boat, gives the word, " Larga," and a 

 party of four guns, with a guardian of the Health- 

 office, besides an extra hand or two, to carry 

 spare ammunition, game, (fee, and from fifteen to 



