The merchant vessel : a sailor boy's voyages around the world . cuttle, or in having a tussle with him on thedeck. But he was treacherous as well as mischievous, andwould bite on the slightest provocation. In the dull monotony of life at sea, any strange objectserves to give an agreeable diversion to the mind, and it is not,therefore, to be wondered at, that I found an almost inexhaust-ible stock of amusement in my monkey. His antics couldalways raise a laugh, even among my silent shipmates, and hewas indulged by them in many little tricks, which I at firstfeared they would resent. Before we g
The merchant vessel : a sailor boy's voyages around the world . cuttle, or in having a tussle with him on thedeck. But he was treacherous as well as mischievous, andwould bite on the slightest provocation. In the dull monotony of life at sea, any strange objectserves to give an agreeable diversion to the mind, and it is not,therefore, to be wondered at, that I found an almost inexhaust-ible stock of amusement in my monkey. His antics couldalways raise a laugh, even among my silent shipmates, and hewas indulged by them in many little tricks, which I at firstfeared they would resent. Before we got to China, he and I got to be on excellentterms. We took our meals on the same chest—he having hisallowance in a little pan, but occasionally taking a piece frommine. His tea was poured out for him in a bowl, and inthis he put bread to soak—a fashion learned from some ofour crew. Any deficiencies in his victuals were stronglyresented, and once, when he had scalded his fingers in the hottea, he leaped upon me like a tiger, and bit me severely inthe A PARROT. Of course, such a companion was calculated to make atedious passage pass much more pleasantly, and all of ouicrew, except George, grew very fond of the little creature,whose sprightly disposition was every day breaking out insome new trick. Of the parrot a much less favorable account must begiven. He was a large green bird, one of the speaking kind,we had been assured by the Malay who sold him to us. Histongue, or rather the little slender cord beneath it, had b<cut by his Malay owner before he came into our possession—as this was considered necessary in order to enable him totalk. He was placed in the darkest part of the forecastle,chock forward, on one of the breast-hooks, and there securedHere his food was brought to him daily—he who fed himpronouncing to him the words, Pretty Polly. In a very few-weeks we began to hear faint mutterings from the dark cor-ner, and one morning, at the end of about the se
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