addressed them with a sort of sly indirect curiosity, which ingeniously sought its gratification, without any obvious efforts to obtain it.

"I'll engage, mounseer," he observed, first attacking the Frenchman, yez were never in ould Ireland afore, far as you've travelled; and yez

"May travel the wide world all over,
And sail from France to Balin-robe,"

as the song says, afore ye'll see the likes of it again, any way." "Bon, bon," returned the Frenchman, supposing that he communicated the joyful intelligence of their speedy arrival, " Bon, j'en suis charmé."

"Why then it will charmy ye more every step ye take, for there isn't her match, by say, or land, with her beautiful eye, there, like a unicorn's, in the front of her forehead; * and her Hill of

* Ireland's eye-a rock at the entrance of the bay.

Hoath, like a mole on her cheek; and see there forenent yez, acrass the bay, there, there's the sheds of Clontarf, and the green groves of Marino, the great Earl of Marlemont's sate, and ould Ballybough, the creatur! to the fore this day as when Bryan Bŏrugh lost his crown, and his harp on it, (the sowl), in the Musaum of Trinity.'

"Comment donc!" demanded the Frenchman, denoting his ignorance of this detailed description by the perplexity of his looks. "Och bother," returned the Irishman, out of all patience at what appeared to him obstinate stupidity.

"Bodere, dodere," reiterated the Frenchman, indignant at what he saw

* A harp is shewn in the Museum of Trinity College, said to have belonged to the Irish Mo. narch, and found on the Plains of Clontarf, where he fought his last famous battle against the Danes, and lost his life.

was intended for insult. "Comment donc bodere gueux, que tu es!"

"Cut away yourself," replied the Irishman, laughing good humouredly, 66 or troth, you'll be in too late for the fair, honey!"

The Frenchman, supposing that these words, and the conciliating laugh which accompanied them, indicated an apology, took off his hat with great politeness, and accepted the fancied excuses, with "mais voila, mon ami, qui est bien." "Och, your humble servant to com> mand, mounseer," returned the Irishman, dropping his load to make an imitative bow: "troth, you do your dancing master every justice, whoever he was."

The English sailor, much amused by this interchange of civility in his two companions, observed, " aye, aye, sirs let the mounseers alone for bowing and scraping, and the likes: Never a dancing dog at Bartlemy fair will beat them at that, I'll warrant."

"Why then I'll engage," replied the Irishman," that yellow, swarthy, portly gentleman there, your captain, wouldn't be a Frenchman, with his eligant surtout, for all he has a Frenchified air about him."

"What he! Lord help your heart, not he-no more a Frenchman nor I am, lad."

"Och! he'd be very sorry, I'll engage; though he has an outlandish look with him, for all that."

66

Why, aye sure, because he comed from the Hindies, d'ye see; the West Hindies, or Spanish America.-It's all one for that, come from where he will, he's a hearty true blue, every bit of him."

"And is yourself come all the ways with him, dear, from the Western Indies?"

"Not I. I was lying in dock, for it is not now all as one as formerly-all goes by luck and fashion now-Some how, one hears no more of the Howes,

1

and the Hothams, andthe Nelsons, and the wooden walls of old England.-The jacket, the old true blue's worn out, Sir. So this here gem'man, who owns that tight bit of timber, every splinter of her himself, it seems, put into our Plymouth Sound, three weeks ago, bound from Demerara, and sent back his Spanish crew in a Cadiz merchantman, (excepting old Grim Groudy, the mate), and paid 'em like a prince. So then he set sail for London, aloft on the mail; and when he came back, he manned this little vessel with a handful of us Plymouth boys, and we heaved anchor six days agone for Ireland; and this I'll for him, a better commander never stepped on forecastle, or walked the quarter-deck."

say

"See that now," replied the Irishman, quietly, "and has 'nt a mild look with him, then, for all that; only mighty stern. He wouldn't be a slave driver from the Western Indies, Sir, I suppose?"