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Though he thus shrouded himself from their view, he did not long remain concealed from their hearing. They first heard a strange dissonant cackle, which the doctor knew to be a sea-laugh, and this was followed by an eager exclamation of "Rare pastime, strike my yards and topmasts! I've a good mind why shouldn't many a losing voyage I've smite my taffrel but I wool"
He then saw the lieutenant of marines running towards the taffrel, to look, as he supposed, for the jolly-boat, which had been previously let down with men in her; but the ship instantly took a second lurch and sunk to the bottom, after which neither the captain nor any of the other officers were again seen. The scene, before sufficiently distressing, now became peculiarly awful.
Like dreams seemed now the last farewells over the taffrel, beneath the chill low December sun; and the shining calm of Southampton water, and the pleasant and well-beloved old shores and woods and houses sliding by; and the fisher-boats at anchor off Calshot, their brown and olive sails reflected in the dun water, with dun clouds overhead tipt with dull red from off the setting sun a study for Vandevelde or Backhuysen in the tenderest moods.
I have sailed the salt seas, brother, since I was no higher than the Triton's taffrel east, west, north, and south, as the saying is Blacks, Indians, Moors, Morattos, and Seapoys; but, smite my timbers! such a man of war "
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