TEE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 337 



" It ofttimes has been told 

 That the British sailors hold 



Could whip the tars of France so neat and handy, oh ! 

 But they surely found their match 

 When the Yankees did them catch, 

 For the Yankee boys at fighting proved right handy, oh ! " 



Our hosts looked, glum, but bore it right manfully. Soon 

 as Hinton ceased singing, however, Dibdin struck up with 

 the fight between the " Chesapeake and the Shannon," the 

 words of which I did'not take to heart, as no true Ameri- 

 can takes any interest in that fight. But the song was an 

 unnecessary affront, as they could have sung all -night of the 

 glories of England's prowess on the sea, and we would have 

 shared in their just pride. There was no help for it now; 

 and Hinton next sang : 



"You Parliments of Engeland, and House of Commons, too ; 

 You'd better mind what you're about, and what you're going to do ; 

 You are now at war with Yankees, and I'm sure you'll rue the day 

 You roused the Sons of Liberty in North A-ineri-ca. 



"First you sent your Boxer to box us all about. 

 But we had an Enterprising brig that beat your Boxer out ; 

 She boxed her up to Portland, and moored her off the town, 

 To show the Sons of Liberty your Boxer of renown. 



"Next you sent your Macedonian, no finer ship could swim, 

 Decatur knocked her gilt work off, and then he took her in,'' etc., etc. 



The list was piled up until forbearance ceased to be a vir- 

 tue, and a grizzly old tar cut it short by shying the bread-kit 

 at Hinton's head. A long arm stretched that " heart of oak" 

 at his length between the chests, and the row was firmly es- 

 tablished. We backed into a corner, when only about our 

 own number could face us, and we managed to hold our own 

 pretty well. Our weight and training stood us in right good 

 stead, until the two captains sprang down the scuttle and 



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