82 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF INDIA. 



Methyllated spirits of course, or they would have speedily 

 been absorbed to preserve himself, and not the other meaner 

 specimens. 



There had been a good deal of rum going about that day ; 

 Captains Long and Short had been merry-making on shore with 

 their indigenous compatriots, and Jonathan had also been on 

 shore collecting, as it was supposed, land shells, spiders, crabs 

 and stick-insects, and when after our dinner he had been 

 summoned to produce his captures, it was with a somewhat 

 trembling hand that he had presented a large bottle containing 

 a rather miscellaneous assortment of things of very doubtful 

 value. 



It was now nearly midnight, Jonathan though called declined 

 to appear ; it was manifest that till he did so we should have 

 no peace, so at our earnest solicitation M., whose watch it was, 

 sent a couple of lascars to bring him ; after a while we 

 heard some scuffling, grunts, and a little {only a little) doubt- 

 fully good language. Then Jonathan appeared pushed up the 

 companion from behind. He looked round contemptuously at 

 all of us and then shook his head ominously- at his master, 

 remarking, that he knew how to wrap a crab up in rag and 

 pop him into spirit, he did ! The matter was assuming a serious 

 aspect, when the Philosopher said impetuously " Jonathan 

 you old rascal get your master's bed at once," and Jonathan, like 

 the rest of us bowing before this autocrat, departed to do his 

 bidding, not however without grumbling ejaculations of " ole 

 rascal, ole rascal, OLE rascal, &c." each in a louder tone than 

 the preceding, as distauce gradually ensured, his personal 

 safety. 



Now the Captain always slept the first two watches of the 

 night on deck. He slept in one of those long-armed Indian chairs, 

 his legs and feet on the arms and as nearly as might be on the 

 same level as his head. A jolly companion and a good seaman 

 all round, but withal, almost as stout in body as in heart, 

 and it was not .therefore surprising that after a good dinner 

 in a warm climate, such a position should encourage the deve- 

 lopment of stercorous murmurs, which when first heard im- 

 pressed the official mind with the conviction that the Governor- 

 General was suddenly coming on board, and that a salute was- 

 being fired in his honour. 



The Captain was outdoing himself this night, and when 

 Jonathan staggered on to the poop, rnattrass in arms, the guns 

 were going a ne pouvoir plus ; Jonathan paused, the sound 

 seemed to offend his taste ; he gave a vicious grin, and popped 



