Page:The Naval Officer (1829), vol. 2.djvu/210

 So saying, he poured out a tumbler, and held it to hisnose. "Stinks likeh—! I say, master, are you sure the bungs are in your casks? The cats have been contributing to the fluid. We must qualify this;" and having poured onehalf of the water, which by the by was very good, he supplied the vacancy with rum. 'Then tasting it, he said, "Come, Miss Puss; this will rouse you out, at any rate."

A moment's pause, while he held the bumper before his eye, and then, down it went, producing no other emotion than a deep sigh. By the by, that's well thought of—we'll have no cats in the ship, (except those which the depravity of human nature unhappily compels the boatswain to use.) Mr. Skysail, you'll look to that. Throw them all overboard."

Taking his hat, he rose from the table, and mounting the ladder, "On second thought," said he, addressing Skysail again, "I won't throw the cats overboard; the sailors have a foolish superstition about that animal—its d—d un-