DISHONESTY OF THE TOWN POLICE. 271 



All this time this French fool continued to tell the 

 bystanders how I had sworn at him, the funniest oaths, 

 half English and half French, I had ever heard, as 

 well as the most obscene ; and this he varied by taking 

 up their dirty hands and rubbing them against his 

 eye, to feel, as far as I can translate his words, *^ the 

 mountain raised on his cheek by the English God- 

 damn." If it was there, it was much too dark to see 

 it. The steward at last came up, and assured me 

 that the time for the sailing of the packet was past ; 

 but I got him to take charge of my luggage and dogs, 

 and convey them aboard, while I ran down to the 

 passport office to see what could be done there. A 

 touter, or man from one of the hotels, who spoke 

 English and French — he was an Englishman — offer- 

 ing to show me the way, I hastened on, with the 

 villain cabman running after and dipping across me 

 as a small bird sometimes may be seen to do at a 

 hawk, swearing and firing rattled r-r's at me all the 

 way, but never coming within reach of my arm. 



Arrived at the office, it was shut up, expressly con- 

 trary to the printed instructions, which says it is to 

 remain open ivhile the packet lies at the quay. Hope- 

 less, then, of obtaining a passport, I retraced my steps, 

 and about halfway encountered the first policeman I 

 had seen. To this policeman I made the touter 

 explain that I gave the cabman in charge for assault- 



