Page:Australian Emigrant 1854.djvu/29

Rh "Who are you, Sir? " said this would-be-important personage.

"Mr. Moriarty, the first mate of the 'Big Ann' and your humble servant, Sir," said the mate with a bow. " You, I presume, Sir, are a passenger, and your name is—— " and the mate paused for a reply, which the stout person did not make, but looked at his questioner from head to foot, and then from foot to head, then sideways, and at length finishing by walking round him, evidently bent on annihilating him on the spot. But the emigrant officer was made of sterner stuff; it required something more than an insolent stare to put him off his duty. The nameless gentleman (?) commanded one of the men to put the eight boxes into his cabin. The seaman demurred, and requested to know from a brother ar, "how long old Forty Stun had been chief officer?"

Mr. Moriarty hereupon delivered his commands—"Lower this gentleman's merchandise into the hold, my lads: leave him four out of the eight boxes, and that is one more than he can stow in his cabin."

The important passenger grew purple with rage as this order was being obeyed: — he was speechless for some time; but at last advancing to the mate, who looked him full in the face, he burst out — "Do you know who I am, Sir?"

"How should I, Sir? you have declined telling me," said the mate, with an imperturbable countenance, and a nonchalance which indicated that he had no great curiosity to know.

"I am a cabing passenger," he exclaimed. —

" We have thirty others, Sir," said the mate. This interruption was not heeded by the stout gentleman. —

"I am a Colonial Official, Sir-r-r," he hissed out. —

"I am happy to inform you," replied the collected mate, "that I believe you to be the only one of that kind on board."

— Not heeding the interruption, the passenger continued. —