318 



H I S T (J i; \ F li E R E F RU CATTLE 



pen, the ewes, I'ii^lit, in another. 1 nevei- saw a 

 man enjoy anything more than the Captain did 

 in viewing this stock. "Remember, iVLr. Hewer," 

 said he, "I am a Connecticut Yankee, and like 

 to ask questions. How do you manage to raise 

 such stock as this, and keep them in such fine 

 condition ? Why, the cattle look all alike, and 

 the sheep all alike ; how can you tell them 

 apart ?" 



"I know every sheep in my Hock |jy its face, 

 as you know your children. The cattle are also 

 familiar to me from calves. I like all of them 

 as I do my family. I do not like to sell any of 



SOME SHADBLAND MATRONS. 

 (Herd of the late Adams Earl, Lafayette, Ind.) 



my best, but as my old friend and I have been 

 attached to each other from school boys to- 

 gether, I could not do less than let him have 

 some of them. He bought the Cotswold rams 

 at my sale and I think they are a good lot. 

 Five of the ewes took first prize at the Royal 

 Show at Oxford, 1839. I should be very sorry 

 to have my culls go to America under such cir- 

 cumstances." 



"There is something in that," said the Cap- 

 tain, and we all agreed it was an amicable 

 trade, and no man could feel more proper pride 

 than the Captain that he was going to convey 

 such stock to his country. 



As the Captain had to leave in the 4 o'clock 

 coach, we made for home, and on our way had 

 another course. This made the fifth hare. 

 "Now," said the Captain, "Mr. Charles Dickens, 

 of Pickwick fame, is going out in my vessel this 

 trip, and if you will say which day you will be 

 in London, I will invite him to dine with us 

 on the vessel." So we agreed to be there three 

 days before sailing day. The five hares were 

 packed in a flag basket, and checked to Captain 

 Morgan's quarters in London, and the Captain 

 departed, saying that he never had such a pleas- 

 ant time in his life. 



At tlie entrance of the dock we met the Cap- 

 tain. As soon as he caught sight of us he 

 hailed tis with his new Northleach hat in hand, 

 and with a laugh bearing no deceit, a most 

 hearty grip was exchanged. On our way along 

 the dock (]\ 111) there was one of the greatest 

 old hags that could possibly be beheld. The Cap- 

 tain gave me a flat-handed slap on the back. 

 "Do you see that beautiful female ?" said he. 

 "What would you do if there was no other in the 

 world ?" "Well, Captain," said I, "I am at a 

 loss to decide in haste. What would you do?" 

 "1 would wash her up and take her." 



We entered the cabin of the Hendrick Hud- 

 sou, full of merriment on our past actions. "We 

 dine at five," said the Captain, "and Mr. Dick- 

 ens will be on hand." 



Mr. Griswold, then the .senior proprietor of 

 the firm of the London Packets, was in Lon- 

 don, and was invited to meet us. About half 

 an hour before dinner we all met on deck. I 

 had met Mr. Griswold before, in New York, and 

 after a formal introduction to Mr. Dickens, the 

 C!aptain began to give a sketch of his visit in 

 the country, and his merry way of telling it was 

 capital, "I ate crow there," said he, "and it 

 was magnificent;" he explained why it was so. 

 Mr. G. understood what was meant by "eating 

 crow" in America, but Mr. Dickens did not un- 

 til he heard the Captain's explanation. 



The bell rang for dinner in the cabin ; there 

 was a nice boiled leg of mutton and turnips. 

 To this we did justice. Then came one of the 

 coursed hares. Had her. head been put in a 

 crouching position instead of up, she would have 

 resembled one sitting in her form. "So-ho." 

 said the Captain, "shall 1 cut her up, Mr. 

 Hewer?" "I suppose that is what you rn(;an 

 to do," said he, "and that will be the end of 

 her." 



"Is that the hare that went through the Cap- 

 tain's hat?" said Mr. Griswold. The port, 

 sherry and champagne was ordered in to wash 

 her down, and the steward had cooked her to 

 a charm ; the port wine sauce and the currani 

 jelly to encourage the appetite were all that 

 could be desired. 



The Captain's peculiar history of his visit 

 was highly interesting, as he told it with such 

 glee. When we came upon deck the tide had 

 come in, and the vessel was far above the dock. 

 Mr. Hewer said, "How are vou going to get the 

 cattle into this vessel?" the Captain looked 

 at me as much as to say, "we have the joke on 

 Hewer now." He called the first mate' "Mr. 

 Starks," said he, "take Mr. Hewer down below 

 and show him where you are going to cut the 

 hole by the side of the ship for the cattle to 



