CONGER EEL FISHING AT JERSEY. 49 



Serk. Having somewhat reduced our canvas, and 

 put the boat under easy sail, we gave the helm to 

 the lad, mixed ourselves a glass of grog each, 

 lighted our pipes, and began yarning. Many of 

 Captain Tar Bucket's stories bordered on the 

 marvellous ; and, from what he had done, and 

 where he had been, I put it at a moderate cal- 

 culation he must at least have been somewhere 

 about two hundred years old. I remember, 

 amongst other things, his telling me, over a 

 jorum of three-quarter grog, that he had once 

 been " a terrible hand at dancing." 



" Once in particular," he said, " I call to mind 

 arter I had arrived at Wapping from the West 

 Injes [he had never been there] with the ' Polly 

 Jane' (a terrible woyage we had on it), I went 

 into a dancing crib, and found a proper fine gal ; 

 1 Dumpling Bet' they called her. She just could 

 fut it. She was werry much taken with I, and 

 could come the double shuffle ; every one was a 

 looking at us. I was a lithsome chap then, and 

 I should had been spliced to she, but I never 

 saw her arter that night ; but, by golly, she 

 ivas a proper fine gal, sir." 



With these and like stories the time was be- 



4 



