"As soon as I could hear or see distinctly for the confusion, I observed the magnet of it to be a party of five or six regular blue-jackets, a good deal battered in their rig, who were roaring out sea-songs in grand style as they came along, leading what I thought at first was a bear. The chief words I heard were what I knew well. 'We'll disregard their tommy-hawks, likewise their scalping-knives--and fight alongside of our mates to save our precious lives--like British tars and sowldiers in the North Americay!' "On getting abreast of the inn door, and finding an offing with good holding-ground, I suppose, they hove to and struck up the 'Buffalo,' that finest of chants for the weather forecastle with a spanking breeze, outward bound, and the pilot lately dropped: "Come, all you young men and maidens, that _wishes_ for to sail, And I will let you hear of where you must a-roam; We'll embark into a ship which her taups'ls is let fall, And all unto an ileyand where we never will go home; Especiallye you _ladies_ that's anxious for to rove-- There's _fishes_ in the sea, my love, likewise the buck an' doe, We'll lie down--on the _banks_--of yon pleasant shadye gro-ove, Through the wild woods we'll wander and we'll chase the buffalo--ho--ho-- We'll chase the buffalO! "I really couldn't help laughing to see the slapping, big-bearded fellows, like so many foretopmen, showing off in this manner--one mahogany-faced thoroughbred leading, the rest thundering in at the chorus, with a tremendous stress on the 'Lo--ho--ho,' that made the good Bromley folks gape. As to singing for money, however, I knew no true tar with his members whole would do it; and I supposed it to be merely some 'spree ashore,' until the curious-looking object from behind was lugged forward by a couple of ropes, proving to be a human figure above six feet high, with a rough canvas cover as far as the knees. What with three holes at the face, and the strange colour of the legs, which were bare--with a pair of turned-up India shoes, and the whole shape like a walking smoke-funnel over a ship's caboose--I was puzzled what they would be at. The leading tar immediately took off his hat, waved it round for a clear space, and gave a hem! while he pointed to the mysterious creature. 'Now my lads!' said he, 'this here wonderful bein' is a savitch we brought aboard of us from the Andyman Isles, where he was caught one mornin' paddling round the ship in a canoe made out of the bark of a sartain tree. Bein' the ownly spice of the sort brought to this country as yet is, and we havin' run short of the needful to take us to the next port, we expects every lady and gemman as has the wherewithal will give us a lift by consideration of this same cur'ous sight, and doesn't----' 'Heave ahead, Tom, lad!' said another encouragingly, as the sailor brought up fairly out of breath. 'Doesn't