Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/160

 and all-fours; but the "Sailor’s Hornpipe" "took the cake." They were fairly overjoyed with it. The love- dance brought this New Zealand ball to a close. Of course we chose partners and joined in this dance. All the while John and his father were in close consultation. Occasionally John would sing out, "Sail in, shipmates, and rake her down." We did enjoy skipping the "light fantastic toe" with those fairy-like natives, immensely.

Just before sunrise, after the dance had been brought to a close, John called all hands to "splice the mainbrace." After this we breakfasted on a New Zealand "hishie-hashie" of fresh fish and sweet potatoes boiled  into a scouse, and seasoned with something that gave it  the flavor of a charlotte russe. It was very palatable, and we stowed away a good share of it in our lockers. Shortly after our usual smoke one after another complained of a strangely disagreeable sensation in the stomach, bearing a strong resemblance to sea-sickness,  and soon all of those twenty healthy, manly-looking  sailors had become as helpless as "babes in the woods." The only relief was to lie down flat with our faces to the ground. After a sound sleep under a pile of native mats, we awoke quite refreshed, finding ourselves guarded by  our fair partners in the dance, who were sitting beside  us. It was not long before we had our sea-legs on, all but John Sac, who was a very sick chief. The time of our liberty having expired, we heeded John’s advice,  and after the native fashion of embracing and rubbing  noses, left for the ship.

After we had arrived on board, the larboard watch went ashore to enjoy their liberty. They had a good