Page:The Naval Officer (1829), vol. 3.djvu/154

 come on us: I am sure you would have paunched us."

Determined to have the Philadelphia version of this elegant phrase, I inquired what it meant, and was informed, that in their country when any one had his bowels squeezed out, they called it "paunching."

"Well," thought I, "after this, you might swallow the Po without spoiling your breakfasts." The band struck up ' Yankee Doodle,' the ladies were in ecstacy, and began to caper round the quarter-deck.

"La! Jemima," said Deborah, "what have you done to the western side of your gown? it is all over white."

This was soon brushed off, but the expression was never forgotten in the ship, and always ludicrously applied.

Having shewn them the ship and all its wonders, I was glad to conduct them back to the shore. When I met the admiral, I told him I had done the honours, and hoped the