VIII. 
iSt 
418 ALEXANDRIA TO COS. 
CHAP. Capudan Pashas, and obtained, in consequence his 
appointment to the frigate ; that his nephew, a 
young man, had rather more experience, and 
held a station similar to that of First-lieutenant 
on board one of our ships. All the business 
of steering the vessel was left to the two 
Ragusans^ and to an old pilot who had never 
consulted a chart in his life ; the Captains 
nephew having the management of the crew, 
and the care of the rigging. A few French pri- 
soners were kept in irons, ready to be sent aloft 
in rough weather. To these were added, a 
sturdy buffoon, who might be considered as 
burlesquing the office of boatswain ; it was his 
duty to preserve the good-humour of the crew, 
by all sorts of tricks and jokes ; to promise, and 
sometimes to distribute, backshish^, when any 
additional hands were required in aid of the 
French prisoners aloft, and when the Turkish 
sailors refused, as they constantly did, to ven- 
ture from the deck ; an ideot, held sacred as a 
saint, and kept on board for good luck ; a 
couple of dervishes ; an auctioneer, employed 
daily in hawking commodities for sale between 
the decks ; an immense concourse of passengers. 
(l) An expression answering to drink-money u) English. 
