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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



acting effectually under water. The bell 

 was rung, a flat basin of water was produced, 

 the gun was charged with powder, and the 

 lock fairly immersed. The report terri- 

 fied the birds, causing them to beat against 

 the gilded walls of their prisons. I remarked 

 this to the artist. He replied, " Hang the 

 birds ! — more of them in the market ; why, 

 Sir, I wish to show you that I am a marks- 

 man as well as a painter." 



The easel was cleared of the large picture, 

 rolled to the further end of the room, and 

 placed against the wall. The gun was loaded in 

 a trice, and the painter counting ten steps from 

 the easel, and taking aim at the supporting 

 pin on the left, fired ; the bullet struck the 

 head of the wooden pin fairly, and sent the 

 splinters in all directions. " A bad shot, 

 Sir, said this extraordinary person ; " the 

 ball ought to have driven the pin farther 

 into the hole, but it struck on one side ; 

 I'll try at the hole itself! " After reloading 

 his piece, the artist took aim again and 

 fired. The bullet this time had accom- 

 plished its object, for it had passed through 

 the aperture, and hit the wall behind. 

 " Mr. ■ — , ring the bell, and close the 

 windows," said the painter ; and turning to 

 me he continued, u Sir, I will show you the 

 ne plus ultra of shooting." I was quite 

 amazed, and yet so delighted, that I bowed 

 my assent. A servant having appeared, a 

 lighted candle was ordered. When it arrived 

 the artist placed it in a proper position, and 

 retiring some yards, put out the light with a 

 bullet. When light was restored, I observed 

 the uneasiness of the poor little alligator, as 

 it strove to effect its escape from the artist's 

 waistcoat. I mentioned this to him. " True, 

 true," he replied, " I had quite forgot the rep- 

 tile, he shall have a dram ;" and unbuttoning 

 his vest, unclasped a small chain, and placed 

 the alligator in the basin of water on the table. 

 Perfectly satisfied with the acquaintance I 

 had formed with this renowned artist, I 

 wished to withdraw, fearing I might incon- 

 venience him by my presence. But my time 

 was not yet come. He bade me sit down, 

 and paying no more attention to the young 

 pupils in the room than if they had been a 

 couple of cabbages, said, " If you have leisure 

 and will stay awhile, I will show you how I 

 paint, and will relate to you an incident of 

 my life, which will prove to you how sadly 

 situated an artist is at times." In full expec- 

 tation that more eccentricities were to be 

 witnessed, or that the story would prove a 

 valuable one, even to a naturalist, who is 

 seldom a painter, I seated myself at his side, 

 and observed with interest how adroitly he 

 transferred the colors from his glistening 

 pallet to the canvass before him. I was 

 about to compliment him on his facility of 

 touch, when he spoke as follows : — 



" This is, Sir, or I ought to say, rather, 

 this will be the portrait of one of our best 

 navy officers, a man as brave as Caesar, and 

 as good a sailor as ever walked the deck of 

 a seventy-four. Do you paint, Sir ! " 



I replied, " Not yet." 



" Not yet ! What do you mean ? " 



11 1 mean what I say : I intend to paint as 

 soon as I can draw better than I do at 

 present." 



"Good," said he, " you are quite right; 

 to draw is the first object ; but, Sir, if you 

 should ever paint, and paint portraits, you 

 will often meet with difficulties. For 

 instance, the brave commodore of whom this 

 is the portrait, although an excellent man at 

 everything else, is the worst sitter I ever 

 saw ; and the incident I promised to relate 

 to you, as one curious enough, is connected 

 with this bad mode of sitting. Sir, I forgot 

 to ask if you would take any refreshment — a 

 glass of wine, or — " 



I assured him I needed nothing more than 

 his agreeable company, and he proceeded : — 



" Well, Sir, the first morning that the 

 commodore came to sit, he was in full uni- 

 form, and with his sword at his side. After 

 a few moments of conversation, and when all 

 was ready on my part, I bade him ascend this 

 thro?ie, place himself in the attitude which I 

 contemplated, and assume an air becoming 

 an officer of the navy. He mounted, placed 

 himself as I had desired, but merely looked 

 at me as if I had been a block of stone. I 

 waited a few minutes, when, observing no 

 change on his placid countenance, I ran the 

 chalk over the canvass to form a rough out- 

 line. This done, I looked up to his face 

 again, and opened a conversation, which I 

 thought would warm his warlike nature ; but 

 in vain. I waited and waited, talked and 

 talked, until my patience — Sir, you must 

 know I am not overburdened with phlegm — 

 being almost run out, I rose, threw my pallet 

 and brushes on the floor, stamped, walking 

 to and fro about the room, and vociferated 

 such calumnies against our navy, that I 

 startled the good commodore. 



He still looked at me with a placid coun- 

 tenance, and, as he has told me since, thought 

 I had lost my senses. But I observed him 

 all the while, and, fully as determined to carry 

 my point as he would be to carry off an 

 enemy's ship, I gave my oaths additional em- 

 phasis, addressed him as a representative of 

 the navy, and steering somewhat clear of 

 personal insult, played off my batteries 

 against the craft. The commodore walked 

 up to me, placed his hand on the hilt of his 

 sword, and told me in a resolute manner that 

 if I intended to insult the navy, he would 

 instantly cut off my ears. His features ex- 

 hibited all the spirit and animation of his 

 noble nature ; and as I had now succeeded 



