156 EXPERIENCES OF SPORT. 



had been by Southampton. We had crossed by 

 the Alliance, a fine steamer, belonging to the 

 South Western Company ; and having passed 

 our traps, landed, and paid the slight duty on 

 our horses, proceeded to Wheeler's, the English 

 hotel of the place. On entering the general 

 room, we found it half full of American skippers. 

 (There are a large quantity of Yankee vessels 

 always in the port.) These gentlemen were to 

 a man smoking and chewing, but some half 

 dozen, to vary the monotony of the thing, were 

 most industriously engaged spitting at a small 

 piece of white paper on the floor, about four 

 yards from them. A pool was made up, half a 

 franc each, every man three shots, and the ties 

 spit off. It seemed a most exciting amusement 

 to them, albeit somewhat of a dirty one to us. 

 One gentleman was in great force, and evidently 

 a tip top shot. 



"Wall, I guess, my cockeys, I'm in pretty 

 tarnation wall this morning ; bust my gizzud, if 

 I ain't. I calkerlate, Captain Willum" (to an- 

 other spitter), " if that ar last of your'ne had been 

 a little lower you'd 'ave tied me agin ; but you 

 can't whip this old ; oss." 



