A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

86 A QUEER RACE. «And the inhabitants?” ‘‘We call ourselves English.” | By this time the boat is under the counter. _ 9 ‘© Will you come on board?” Isay. ‘‘ But wait a min- ute, and we will lower you a ladder.” | «Thank you, we don’t need a ladder,” says the younger | man; and clutching a rope which hangs over the ship’s side, he hauls himself up, and vaults over the bulwark with the agility of a professional acrobat. His compan- | ion follows suit, although a little more leisurely, doubt- © less owing to his greater age and somewhat heavier build. | Then they draw themselves up to their full height, — doff their cocked hats with a graceful sweep, and makea low bow. | I return the salute in my best style, but the contrast © between the manner of their coming on board, and their | dignified bearing, their cocked hats, pigtails, white breeches, and mottled faces, is so exceedingly droll that © I can hardly keep my countenance, while old Tom, al- | most exploding with suppressed laughter, bolts inconti- | nently down the fore-hatchway, where he can give free | vent to his mirth without any breach of politeness. What especially tickled him (it certainly tickled me) is probably the .act that our affable and agile guests are not | merely painted; they are actually piebald. Their varie- i gated hue is as much a part of themselves as their pig- — tails and their-noses. ? " Judging by the way they stare at me (after recovering ~ their perpendicular), | excite their curiosity as much as they excite mine—which is, pehaps, quite as wel’, for their inspection gives me time to compose my counte- nance and recover my presence of mind. | ‘Your most obedient servant,” says the elder of my Visitors, bowing again. ‘‘ Yours truly,” I answer, bowing in return. Then another pause. ‘‘Welcome on board the Diana, gentlemen,” Iadd, for they look as if they expect me to say something more. ‘It affords me infinite pleasure to make your acquaint- ance.” : (Not, perhaps, the very best thing to say in the circum- stances, but the best I can think of on the spur of the moment. ) (E(0) mm G JOO ee