Samson 



On approaching Tangier the hilarity of the Jews, which 

 had been damped by the shower, revived in such force, that 

 the functionary of the rope's-end thought it necessary to 

 admonish them playfully over their heads and shoulders. 

 They all received his chastisements with a cringing 

 humility except one, whom the Christian bully evidently 

 held in respect. 



This was a young man, the most uproarious of the 

 party ; but his figure was a model for a young Samson in 

 all the pride of his strength, — such a brawny breadth of 

 back and shoulders, depth of chest, and massive mould of 

 limbs ! The consciousness of superior power gave him 

 both dignity and impudence. The sailor, who was bully- 

 ing the rest, seemed ashamed to spare the worst offender 

 altogether, and occasionally gave him a mild flick ; where- 

 upon he would lay hold of him, and turn him about like a 

 child, and laugh, showing a wide mouthful of teeth set in 

 all directions, like chevaux-de-frise. His whole countenance 

 was equally hideous ; but there was a broad bestial good- 

 humour and boldness, and wealth of animal spirits in the 

 expression, which invested the man, taken all together, with 

 a kind of ugly beauty and coarse nobility. He had offered 

 to carry us ashore. He set his services at a peseta^ about 

 elevenpence, which we rejected with scorn. He immedi- 

 ately went off in an extempore Gitanesque style of song, in 

 the indifferent Spanish which is the habitual language of the 

 Tangier Jews : — 



SAMSON'S SONG. 



As our vessel swept the billows, 



Sailing into Tangier bay, 

 To the haughty, rich Inglese, 



Thus I spoke, and this did say : — 



^73 



