C 0 M M ODOR E B T? 0 0 K S . 



9 



irreverent as to appropriate his color. He said he would 

 go and pull it < o»ui, but added, that no one would dare to 

 attempt such an outrage. I felt my capacity to realize the 

 dignity of our commander gradually expand, and when he 

 added, that he had several other boats plying between. 

 Kingston and Port Royal, I was awed. 



Our boat was very well in its way, but the oars were a 

 novelty. They consisted of two pieces. One a long pole 

 the entire length of the oar, of uniform size from end to 

 encl. The other was a board in the shape of an ordinary 

 oar blade, which was spliced to the pole in three places, 

 with a cord " and nothing else." The oarsmen struck the 

 water with the side of the blade to which the pole was 

 attached, instead of the smooth side, out of respect to 

 some principle of hydrodynamics, with which I was not 

 familiar. Instead of tholepins, they used a rope, tied to 

 the side of the boat, through, which the oar was passed, 

 and by which it was detained near, if not in its place, when 

 used. The Commodore defended both these novelties with 

 a force of logic which required nothing but a stupidity 

 among his hearers, corresponding with his own, to render 

 perfectly conclusive. He was about two hours getting us 

 over to Kingston, a distance of about five miles. During 

 the voyage I had leisure to contemplate the striking scenery 

 which bounds the city we were approaching, in the rear. 

 A high range of hills, rising gradually to mountains, stir- 

 1* 



