402 
NEVER MIND ZE EXPENSE. 
in regard to sending us oft' a part of the fruits of tlieir 
evening’s labour. We had not been on board ship an 
hour when the quartermaster reported three boat-loads of 
fish as having arrived alongside, and wished to know if 
they were to be passed on board. 
“ Oh yes,” replied the first lieutenant; “let them come: 
I suppose we can look out for them.” 
So we heard nothing more about it, until, happening to 
go on deck, we saw piles upon piles of the most superb 
salmon. I suppose there must have been three or four 
tons of them, and how we were to use them was now the 
question. I believe (to the best of my memory) that we 
paid two plugs of tobacco (two pounds) for each boat- 
load, — certainly not more than two or three dollars’ worth 
of articles for the entire quantity; and, as I have already 
said, there were several tons’ weight on our decks. I 
could not help thinking how fine a business some enter- 
prising Yankee packer might drive for three or four 
months in the year could lie only visit Ola in a small 
vessel filled with barrels, salt, and men who understand 
the business of pickling salmon. lie might readily fill 
his ship and find a certain market along the coast of Cali- 
fornia, Mexico, and South America; or he might even 
run over to the coast of China, should he fail elsewhere. 
Well, the question now was, what were we to do with 
so many fish? And, as no one could well answer it, the 
word was passed throughout the ship for all the messes 
to take what thej^ wanted, without any regard to expoise;'* 
as Hartman once remarked to a “nonplussed” waiter 
when calling for a glass of water: — “A glass of water, 
waiter, and never mind ze expense.” 
