began to use the refined language taught him by Captain Parrott. I
ordered the steward to put all the soup back into the tureen. Then I
invited the cook to take a seat at the table and consume the soup, which
he did. When he had taken it he rose and, bowing most politely, tucked
the tureen under his arm like an admiral with his cocked hat, and said,
"Excusey, my sir; all hab finishee," and backed out of the saloon most
politely.



A Brazilian Slaver.



In the year 1851 I was on a voyage to Melbourne, Australia, on the
sailing ship "Severn." This was shortly after the opening of the gold
mines. We left Southampton with about one hundred passengers, and had a
very fine run with fair weather. There was no incident to mar the
enjoyment of the trip until we neared the coast of Brazil, when one
morning we saw a smart-looking brig hove to, waiting for us to come up,
and when we came near our passengers became very much excited, as we
could see there was an unusual number of men on her deck; the idea was
that it was a pirate vessel.

When we came very near to her, a boat was put off from her, and an
officer brought a letter from her captain asking for provisions and
water, saying that the vessel was bound for the port of Santos, and had
been blown off the coast in a pampero. Neither the officer nor the
boat's crew could or would speak English. They could only ask in Spanish
for "tabac." Some of our sailors protested that they were either British