As soon as it was dark, and I saw that the ship was off, I found a village, named St.Agata, that stands on the heights, just abeam of those rocks they call the Sirens, and there we were well berthed until morning." "You are lucky in bringing back all the boat's crew, Clinch.

You know it's low water with us as to men, just now; and our fellows are not all to be trusted ashore, in a country that is full of stone walls, good wine, and pretty girls." "I always take a set of regular steady ones with me, Captain Cuffe; I haven't lost a man from a boat these five years." "You must have some secret, then, worth knowing; for even the admirals sometimes lose their barge-men.

I dare say, now, yours are all married chaps, that hold on to their wives as so many sheet-anchors; they say that is often a good expedient." "Not at all, sir.

I did try that, till I found that half the fellows would run to get rid of their wives.

The Portsmouth and Plymouth marriages don't always bring large estates with them, sir, and the bridegrooms like to cut adrift at the end of the honeymoon.