Page:The Naval Officer (1829), vol. 3.djvu/50

 "Some of them, I suspect, are English," said I.

"It is not for me to peach," said the wary American. " It is difficult always to know whether a man who has been much in both countries is a native of Boston in Lincolnshire, or Boston in Massachusetts; and perhaps they don't always know themselves. We never ask questions when a seaman ships for us."

"You have an abundance of our seamen, both in your marine and merchant service," said our captain.

"Yes," said Green; " and we are never likely to want them, while you impress for us."

"We impress for you?" said Captain T——, "how do you prove that?"

"Your impressment," said the American, "fills our ships. Your seamen will not stand it; and for every two men you take by force, rely on it, we get one of them as a volunteer."

Peters dissented violently from this propo-