"They're all donkeyfied together," remarked a sarcastic old salt--not one of the party--who stood beside Hardy, looking complacently on, and smoking his pipe. "They don't steer as well on land as on sea," replied Hardy. "'Cause they ain't used to such craft, you see--that's w'ere it is, sarjint," said the old salt, removing his pipe for a moment. "Just look at 'em--some comin' along sidewise like crabs, others stern foremost. W'y, there's that grey craft wi' the broad little man holdin' on to its tail to prevent his slidin' over its head. I've watched that grey craft for some minutes, and its hind propellers have bin so often in the air that it do seem as if it was walkin' upon its front legs. Hallo! I was sure he'd go down by the head at last." The donkey in question had indeed gone down by the head, and rolled over, pitching its rider on his broad shoulders, which, however, seemed none the worse for the fall. "Ketch hold of his tail, Bill," cried another man, "and hold his stern down--see if that won't cure his plungin'. He's like a Dutchman in a cross sea." "Keep clear o' this fellow's heels, Jack, he's agoin' to fire another broadside." "If he does he'll unship you," cried Jack, who was himself at the same moment unshipped, while the owner of the donkey, and of the other donkeys, shouted advice, if nothing worse, in Arabic and broken English. In a few minutes the sailors "boarded" the Institute, and drew the whole force of the establishment to the bar in order to supply the demand. "Ah! thin, ye've got Irish whisky, haven't ye?" demanded a facetious seaman. "Yes, plenty, but we call it coffee here!" answered the equally facetious barman, whose satellites were distributing hot and cold drinks with a degree of speed that could only be the fruit of much practice. "You'll have to be jolly on mild swipes," said one; "no tostikatin' liquors allowed, Dick." "H'm!" growled Dick. "Got any wittles here?" demanded another man, wiping his lips with his sleeve. "Yes, plenty. Sit down and order what you want." "For nothin'?" asked the tar. "For _next_ to nothing!" was the prompt reply. Meanwhile, those whose appetites were not quite so urgent had distributed themselves about the place, and were already busy with draughts, billiards, etcetera, while those who were of more sedate and inquiring temperament were deep in the columns of the English papers and magazines. "I say, Fred Thorley, ain't it bang up?" remarked a sturdy little man, through a huge slice of cake, with which he had just filled his mouth. "Fuss-rate!" responded Fred, as he finished a cup of coffee at a draught and called for more. "Didn't I tell you, Sam, that you'd like it better than the native grog-shops?" "If they'd on'y got bitter beer!" sighed Sam. "They've got better beer," said his friend; "try some ginger-pop."