10 



again to the other with the same hurry and confu- 

 sion ! " Confusion worse confounded ! " Of all 

 the inconveniences attached to a vessel, the inces- 

 sant noise appears to me the most insupportable ! 

 As to our live stock, they seem to have made up 

 their minds on the subject, and say with one of 

 Ariosto's knights (when he was cloven from the 

 head to the chine), " or convien morire." Our fowls 

 and ducks are screaming and quacking their last 

 by dozens; and by Tuesday morning, it is supposed 

 that we shall not have an animal alive in the ship, 

 except the black terrier — and my friend the squeak- 

 ing pig, whose vocal powers are still audible, 

 maugre the storm and the sailors, and who (I 

 verily believe) only continues to survive out of 

 spite, because he can join in the general chorus, 

 and help to increase the number of abominable 

 sounds. 



We are now tossing about in the Bay of Biscay: 

 I shall remember it as long as I live. The 

 " beef-eater's front" could never have " beamed 

 more terrible " upon Don Ferolo Whiskerandos, 

 " in Biscay's Bay, when he took him prisoner," 

 than Biscay's Bay itself will appear to me the next 

 time that I approach it. 



November 20. 



Our live stock has received an increase ; our 

 fowls and ducks are dead to be sure, but a lark 

 flew on board this morning, blown (as is supposed) 



