Page:The land of fetish.pdf/162

 months together, but lie day after day, rolling fearfully, off a few mud huts and a grove of cocoanut palms. They have hardly any work to do, and, as but few of them have any resources of amusement or occupation, they as a natural consequence quarrel amongst themselves; and in almost every gunboat one finds the five or six officers divided into two or three cliques, each of which will have nothing to say to either of the others, except on official matters. This sort of thing is rather unpleasant for any stranger who may happen to be on board. First of all one will come up and enter into conversation with you, during which he is sure to say:—

"Do you know that man over there?"

"No, I don't," you reply.

"Ah! his name is Blank. He is the most awful ass I ever met—I shouldn't have anything to say to him if I were you."

Then he goes away, and he is barely out of sight before another saunters up and begins talking. Presently he will say:—

"Do you know Smith well?"

"No, who's Smith?" you inquire.

"Oh, that was Smith that was talking to you just now. He's the most inveterate liar I ever met—you must never believe anything he tells you."