THE MODERN THAMES. 137 



soothes the soul. Feminine boating nature has no- 

 antipathy to the cigarette. A delicious odour, soft as 

 new-mown hay, a hint of spices and distant flowers 

 sunshine dried and preserved, sunshine you can 

 handle rises from the smouldering fibres. This is 

 smoking summer itself. Yonder in the fore part of 

 the craft I espy certain vessels of glass on which 

 is the label of Epernay. And of such is peace. 



Drifting ever downwards, I approached the creek 

 where my skiff had to be left ; but before I reached 

 it a " beach-comber," with a coil of cord over his 

 shoulder, asked me if he should tow me "up to 

 'Ampton." I shook my head, whereupon he abused 

 me in such choice terms that I listened abashed at 

 my ignorance. It had never occurred to me that 

 swearing could be done like that. It is true we have 

 been swearing now, generation after generation, these 

 eight thousand years for certain, and language 

 expands with use. It is also true that we are all 

 educated now. Shakespeare is credited with knowing 

 everything, past or future, but I doubt if he knew how 

 a Thames "beach-comber" can curse in these days. 



The Thames is swearing free. You must moderate 

 your curses on the Queen's highway; you must not 

 be even profane in the streets, lest you be taken 

 before the magistrates ; but on the Thames you may 

 swear as the wind blows howsoever you list. You 

 may begin at the mouth, off the Nore, and curse your 

 way up to Cricklade. A hundred miles for swearing 

 is a fine preserve. It is one of the marvels of our 

 civilization. 



Aided by scarce a touch of the sculls the stream 



