124 WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



state of the crops on every farm he passes, and what 

 everybody is doing, and if they have begun reaping ; 

 also to hail every vessel he passes outward or home- 

 ward bound, and enter her answers in his log, and to 

 keep his weather-eye open and a sharp watch to 

 windward, lest storms should arise and awake the 

 deep, and if the gale increases to batten down his 

 hatches and make all snug with the tarpaulin. He 

 must bear in mind the longitude of those ports where 

 there are docks, lest his team should cast a shoe, or 

 any of the running rigging want splicing, or the hull 

 spring a leak ; for the blacksmith's forges are often 

 leagues apart, and he may lose his certificate if he 

 strands his ship or founders on the open ocean of the 

 downs. Sometimes, if the currents run unexpectedly 

 strong and he is deeply laden, he has to borrow or 

 hire a tug from the nearest farm, getting an extra 

 horse to pull up the hill. 



When he reaches harbour and has leave ashore a 

 jollier seaman never cracked a whip. Perhaps the 

 happiest time with the ploughboys is when they are 

 out with the wagon, having a little change, no harder 

 work than walking, sips at the " pots " handed to the 

 captain by his mates, and nothing to think about. 

 Nor was there ever a more popular song in the country 

 than 



"We'll jump into the wagon, 

 And we 11 all take a ride ! " 



Though in winter, when the horses' shoes have to be 

 roughed for the frost, or worse, when the wheels sink 



