A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

82 A QUEER RAOE. let go at once, though we were still three or four miles from the nearest part of the coast. C T’o this I of course agreed, for in matters of seamanship I always deferred to Bolsover’s opinion; and five minutes: afterward the Diana was riding at anchor, her stern to- ward the land, her stem toward the rocks. < How about going ashore?” I asked. ‘‘ Can we lower : a boat?” ‘‘T think so; and if it comes to that, we must. But wait a bit; there’s no hurry. May be some on ’em—na- tives or what not—will be coming off to us.” ‘Allright. VU run below, put on a clean shirt, and make myself presentable.” «« As you like, sir. But as for me, | shall take no such trouble. I shall do well enough as Iam. I don’t sup- pose the people of this country are of much account— niggers or greasers, or summat 0’ that sort. They don’t wear no clothes—not they; and they are sure to speak some confounded outlandish lingo that nobody under- stands but themselves.” | Though we had survived the dangers of a most peril- ous voyage, escaped death as by a miracle, and brought the Diana to a safe anchorage, poor old ‘om was evi- dently in an unhappy frame ‘of mind. It was easy to guess the reason. We had seen nothing of the treasure- ship, nor any sign of her, and for several reasons I did not think the time had yet come to make mention of the writing on the rock. When I returned to the deck, feeling all the better for | a good wash and fresh rig- out, ‘Tom was peering hard through his glass. «'There’s a boat putting off,” he said; ‘‘a biggish boat with a lateen sail, and a crew of six or eight men—cus- tom-house chaps, of course; for you may be cock-sure of | one thing: if a country hasn’t as much trade as would keep a colony of fleas, it is sure to have custom-houses— for, you see, if custom-houses isn’t trade, they looks like | | | | it. 33 J took a glass and had a look on my own account. The boat was under way, and evidently making for the Diana; but owing to the lightness of the breeze and the flowing tide, the lateen sail did not seem to be of much use, and the crew were taking to their oars, which they ag | Ce(ollpallice JOO KS, Gom