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snakes。 Here and there we passed a yellow sand…bar; and here and there a 

snag lifted its nose out of the water like a shark。 

     〃This is your last chance to see the city; To see the city; Tom;〃 said my 

father; as we swept round a bend of the river。 

     I   turned   and   looked。    New     Orleans    was    just  a  colorless    mass    of 

something   in   the   distance;   and   the   dome   of   the   St。   Charles   Hotel;   upon 

which the sun shimmered for a moment; was no bigger than the top of old 

Aunt Chloe's thimble。 

     What do I remember next? The gray sky and the fretful blue waters of 



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the   Gulf。   The   steam…tug   had   long   since   let   slip   her   hawsers   and   gone 

panting   away   with   a   derisive   scream;   as   much   as   to   say;   〃I've   done   my 

duty; now look out for yourself; old Typhoon!〃 

     The ship seemed quite proud of being left to take care of itself; and; 

with its huge white sails bulged out; strutted off like a vain turkey。 I had 

been standing by my father near the wheel…house all this while; observing 

things with that nicety of perception which belongs only to children; but 

now the dew began falling; and we went below to have supper。 

     The fresh fruit and milk; and the slices of cold chicken; looked very 

nice; yet somehow I had no appetite There was a general smell of tar about 

everything。   Then   the   ship   gave   sudden   lurches   that   made   it   a   matter   of 

uncertainty whether one was going to put his fork to his mouth or into his 

eye。   The   tumblers   and   wineglasses;   stuck   in   a   rack   over   the   table;   kept 

clinking and clinking; and the cabin lamp; suspended by four gilt chains 

from the ceiling; swayed to and fro crazily。 Now the floor seemed to rise; 

and now it seemed to sink under one's feet like a feather…bed。 

     There   were   not   more   than   a   dozen   passengers   on   board;   including 

ourselves;     and    all  of  these;   excepting     a  bald…headed      old  gentleman…a 

retired sea…captain…disappeared into their staterooms at an early hour of the 

evening。 

     After supper was cleared away; my father and the elderly gentleman; 

whose name was Captain Truck; played at checkers; and I amused myself 

for   a   while   by  watching   the   trouble   they  had   in   keeping the   men   in   the 

proper places。 just at the most exciting point of the game; the ship would 

careen; and down would go the white checkers pell…mell among the black。 

Then my father laughed; but Captain Truck would grow very angry; and 

vow   that   he   would   have   won   the   game   in   a   move   or   two   more;   if   the 

confounded old chicken…coop…that's what he called the ship…hadn't lurched。 

     〃I…I think I will go to bed now; please;〃 I said; laying my band on my 

father's knee; and feeling exceedingly queer。 

     It   was   high   time;   for   the   Typhoon   was   plunging   about   in   the   most 

alarming fashion。 I was speedily tucked away in the upper berth; where I 

felt a trifle more easy at first。 My clothes were placed on a narrow shelf at 

my feet; and it was a great comfort to me to know that my pistol was so 



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handy;   for   I   made   no   doubt   we   should   fall   in   with   Pirates   before   many 

hours。 This is the last thing I remember with any distinctness。 At midnight; 

as I was afterwards told; we were struck by a gale which never left us until 

we came in sight of the Massachusetts coast。 

     For days and days I had no sensible idea of what was going on around 

me。 That we were being hurled somewhere upside…down; and that I didn't 

like it; was about all I knew。 I have; indeed; a vague impression that my 

father   used   to   climb   up   to   the   berth   and   call   me   his   〃Ancient   Mariner;〃 

bidding me cheer up。 But the Ancient Mariner was far from cheering up; if 

I recollect rightly; and I don't believe that venerable navigator would have 

cared much if it had been announced to him; through a speaking…trumpet; 

that 〃a low; black; suspicious craft; with raking masts; was rapidly bearing 

down upon us!〃 

     In fact; one morning; I thought that such was the case; for bang! went 

the   big   cannon   I   had   noticed   in   the   bow   of   the   ship   when   we   came   on 

board; and which had suggested to me the idea of Pirates。 Bang! went the 

gun again in a few seconds。 I made a feeble effort to get at my trousers… 

pocket! But the Typhoon was only saluting Cape Cod…the first land sighted 

by vessels approaching the coast from a southerly direction。 

     The   vessel   had   ceased   to   roll;   and   my   sea…sickness   passed   away   as 

rapidly as it came。 I was all right now; 〃only a little shaky in my timbers 

and a little blue about the gills;〃 as Captain Truck remarked to my mother; 

who; like myself; had been confined to the state…room during the passage。 

     At   Cape   Cod   the   wind   parted   company   with   us   without   saying   as 

much   as   〃Excuse   me〃;   so   we   were   nearly   two   days   in   making   the   run 

which in favorable weather is usually accomplished in seven hours。 That's 

what the pilot said。 

     I was able to go about the ship now; and I lost no time in cultivating 

the   acquaintance   of   the   sailor   with   the   green…haired   lady   on   his   arm。   I 

found him in the forecastle…a sort of cellar in the front part of the vessel。 

He was an agreeable sailor; as I had expected; and we became the best of 

friends in five minutes。 

     He had been all over the world two or three times; and knew no end of 

stories。 According to his own account; he must have been shipwrecked at 



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least twice a year ever since his birth。 He had served under Decatur when 

that gallant officer peppered the Algerines and made them promise not to 

sell   their  prisoners    of  war   into   slavery;   he   had   worked    a  gun   at  the 

bombardment   of   Vera   Cruz   in   the   Mexican   War;   and   he   had   been   on 

Alexander Selkirk's Island more than once。 There were very few things he 

hadn't done in a seafaring way。 

     〃I suppose; sir;〃 I remarked; 〃that your name isn't Typhoon?〃 

     〃Why; Lord love ye; lad; my name's Benjamin Watson; of Nantucket。 

But I'm a true blue Typhooner;〃 he added; which increased my respect for 

him; I don't know why; and I didn't know then whether Typhoon was the 

name of a vegetable or a profession。 

     Not   wishing   to   be   outdone   in   frankness;   I   disclosed   to   him   that   my 

name was Tom Bailey; upon which he said be was very glad to hear it。 

     When we got more intimate; I discovered that Sailor Ben; as he wished 

me to call him; was a perfect walking picturebook。 He had two anchors; a 

star; and a frigate in full sail on his right arm; a pair of lovely blue hands 

clasped on his breast; and I've no doubt that other parts of his body were 

illustrated    in  the   same    agreeable    manner。     I  imagine    he   was   fond   of 

drawings;      and   took   this  means     of  gratifying   his   artistic  taste。  It  was 

certainly very ingenious and convenient。 A portfolio might be misplaced; 

or dropped overboard; but Sailor Ben bad his pictures wherever he went; 

just as that eminent person in the poem; 



     〃With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes〃 … 



     was accompanied by music on all occasions。 

     The   two   bands   on   his   breast;   he   informed   me;   were   a   tribute   to   the 

memory   of   a   dead   messmate   from   whom   he   had   parted   years   ago…and 

surely a more touching tribute was never engraved on a tombstone。 This 

caused me to think of my parting with old Aunt Chloe; and I told him I 

should take it as a great favor indeed if he would paint a pink hand and a 

black hand on my chest。 He said the colors were pricked into the skin with 

needles; and that the operation was somewhat painful。 I assured him; in an 

off…hand manner; that I didn't mind pain; and begged him to set to work at 



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once。 

     The simple…hearted   fellow; who   was probably  not a little vain of   his 

skill; took me into the forecastle; and was on the point of complying with 

my request; when my father happened to own the gangway…a circumstance 

that rather interfered with the decorative art。 

     I didn't have another opportunity of confer

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