ABSTRACT
AFTER having, however, gloriously regaled myself with this food, I was washing it down with some good claret, with my wife and her friend in the cabin, when the captain’s valet de chambre, head cook, house and ship steward, footman in livery and out on’t, secretary and fore-mastman, all burst into the cabin at once, being indeed all but one person, and without saying, by your leave, 68began to pack half a hogshead of small beer in bottles, the necessary consequence of which must have been, either a total stop to conversation at that chearful season, when it is most agreeable, or the admitting that polyonymous officer aforesaid to the participation of it. I desired him, therefore, to delay his purpose a little longer, but he refused to grant my request; nor was he prevailed on to quit the room till he was threatened with having one bottle to pack more than his number, which then happened to stand empty within my reach.
