THE -WONDERS OF THE SHORE. loO 



forefathers, as general health inspectors, those 

 very summary powers of entrance and removal 

 in the watery realms, for which common sense, 

 public opinion, and private philanthropy are still 

 entreating vainly in the terrestrial realms ; so 

 finding a hole, in he went, and began to remove 

 the nuisance, without " waiting twenty-four 

 hours," " laying an information," " serving a 

 notice," or any other vain delay. The evil was 

 there, — and there it should not stay ; so, having 

 neither cart nor barrow, he just began putting it 

 into his stomach, and in the mean while set his 

 assistants to work likewise. For suppose not, 

 gentle reader, that Squinado went alone ; in his 

 train were more than a hundred thousand as 

 good as he, each in liis ofTice, and as cheaply 

 paid ; who needed no cumbrous baggage-train of 

 force-pumps, hose, chloride of lime packets, wliite- 

 wash, pails or brusljcs, but were every man hi? 

 own instrument ; and, to .save expense of transit, 

 just grew on Squinado's back. Do yon doubt 

 the assertion ? Then lift him up hitlier, and, 

 putting him gently into that shallow jar of salt- 

 water, look at liim through the hand-magnifier, 

 and sec how nature is mnj-ima in minimis. 



There he sit.-J, twiddling his feelers (a substi- 



