Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 1, 2025
This was not long-delayed. "Topmen aloft! In royals and to'gallant stu'ns'ls!" he bellowed, in a tone that put that of poor Mr Bitpin completely into the shade; his voice sounding as if the wild bull which that gentleman had apparently imitated, according to the facetious Larkyns, had since been under the instruction of Signor Lablache or some other distinguished bass singer and had learnt to mellow his roar into a deeper tone.
They all of 'em carries the same weight of shot, though not such heavy guns as these, being only forty-five hundredweight each." "There, young Vernon, you can put that in your pipe and smoke it!" chimed in Larkyns, at this juncture, making a face behind the gunner's back, which, had he seen it, might have altered the opinion that worthy presently expressed of the speaker.
"All ready for letting fall, sir," the middy stationed in the foretop was the first to sing out. This was Dick Popplethorne, a smart lad, who prompted the topmen under his charge to emulate his ready example, so as to get ahead of the others. Larkyns at the maintop was a good second, while Adams at the mizzen was the last; the officer of the watch, on hearing his hail, reporting "All ready!"
Subsequent events will tell how far Mr Larkyns proved to be right in this conclusion of his; albeit, we demurred to it at the time that he propounded it in his dogmatic way, rapping poor little Teddy Allison on the head with a parallel ruler, which he held in his hand at the moment, for daring to dispute his oracular assertion on the point and making us all laugh by a capital imitation of the haughty airs of our pet aversion and his cynical mode of speech, while in the same breath he took his part, generous lad that he was!
"Yes, sir," answered my "superior officer" humbly enough, touching his cap and looking up at Commander Nesbitt. "Want me, sir?" "Yes," said the other, "There's something wrong with the bunt of that tops'l, I think. It does not appear to me quite ship-shape somehow or other, Mr Larkyns. Go up to the maintop and see what's the matter with it at once."
It happened in this wise. Master Larkyns being ashore one day at Victoria, the chief town of Hong Kong, which is built up the side of a hill facing the harbour, noticing a lot of people collected round one of the merchant's stores, asked naturally, midshipman like, "What the row was about?" He was told an auction was going on; so, in he went to see the fun, taking much interest in the biddings.
It should be called `My-deary, not `Madeir-ah. Hang it all, Stormcock, stow that!" "Don't apologise," said the master's mate, who just at that instant had thrown a biscuit at Larkyns, causing the violent interjection which he interpolated in his story. "I thought I would supply the proper accentuation for you, that's all."
Larkyns, being, as I mentioned before, signal midshipman, had gone down to report the fact of our being close up with the wreck to Captain Farmer, who now appeared on the scene of action. He at once gave an order for the first cutter to be lowered and preparations made for boarding the strange vessel, an order which was immediately carried into effect.
"What a rum place!" cried Larkyns, when the ship was safely moored and Captain Farmer had gone off in his gig to pay his respects to the admiral, whose flagship lay hard by, all of us then having time to look round and survey the strange and picturesque surroundings semi-European, semi-Oriental, all tropical of Singapore harbour, the capital of the Straits Settlements and great port of the Eastern Archipelago, amid which we now found ourselves.
"He was as big a bully as Larkyns, and I don't owe him any good will, I can tell you." "You cowardly cur!" exclaimed Tom Mills, his face flaming up, though the tears were still coursing down his cheeks. "You know you wouldn't say that if Larkyns were here now." "Wouldn't I, cry babby?"
Word Of The Day
Others Looking