The Mysteries of London; or, Revelations of the British Metropolis — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

14 MYSTERIES chantman; Charlie had dropped his oars; they were but a few yards from the stairs whence they — had embarked, while the two other boats lay mo- tionless in their wake, Mew, Snail, mew as if you were born a cat. Instantly, a noise wonderfully resembling the cries of the feline tribe, was heard from the hb tom of the boat, which was responded to ina | seconds by a deep bark from the shore. Hang it, grumbled the captain; we are shut out thistime, But afterall, that deel of a Sawnie | barks so much like a cur, that I cannot tell whe- ther it is he or one of his fellow quadrupeds in the street, Strike up your cat like notes again, Snail, The signal was again repeated, and was again answered by the inimitable bark. There is no mistake! muttered Turnbull; ’tis Sawnie himself, and the Custom-house boats lay between us and the shore. The devil take the officers! one would think that we were smugglers, said the captain. Come boys, we must turn about and try to land above | the bridge; the breeze is diminishing and the fog ~ thickens ; pull away, pull away! The three boats moved off simultaneously, but as the buat of O’Chrane left the dark shadow of the ship, a black bark was seen crossing beneath the vessel’s prom : Boat ahoy! cried ke pcrious Voice. Hard up, Tom; pull Charlie, as if the devil was in your wake! said the raps in alow tone. Lhe boat answered the vigorous ‘efforts of the