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- miter; while forward, on the bows, was a sort of devil for a
figure-head—a dragon-shaped creature, with a fiery red mouth, and a
switchy-looking tail.
After her cargo was discharged, which was done “to the sound of flutes
and soft recorders”—something as work is done in the navy to the music
of the boatswain’s pipe—the Lascars were set to _“stripping the ship”_
that is, to sending down all her spars and ropes.
At this time, she lay alongside of us, and the Babel on board almost
drowned our own voices. In nothing but their girdles, the Lascars
hopped about aloft, chattering like so many monkeys; but, nevertheless,
showing much dexterity and seamanship in their manner of doing their
work.
Every Sunday, crowds of well-dressed people came down to the dock to
see this singular ship; many of them perched themselves in the shrouds
of the neighboring craft, much to the wrath of Captain Riga, who left
strict orders with our old ship-keeper, to drive all strangers out of
the Highlander’s rigging. It was amusing at these times, to watch the
old women with umbrellas, who stood on the quay staring at the Lascars,
even when they desired to be private. These inquisitive old ladies
seemed to regard the strange sailors as a species of wild animal, whom
they might gaze at with as much impunity, as at leopards in the
Zoological Gardens.
One night I was returning to the ship, when just as I was passing
through the Dock Gate, I noticed a white figure squatting against the
wall outside. It proved to be one of the Lascars who was smoking, as
the regulations of the docks prohibit his indulging this luxury on
board his vessel. Struck with the curious fashion of his pipe, and the
odor from it, I inquired what he was smoking; he replied _“Joggerry,”_
which is a species of weed, used in place of tobacco.
Finding that he spoke good English, and was quite communicative, like
most smokers, I sat down by _Dattabdool-mans, as_ he called himself,
and we fell into conversation. So instructive was his discourse, that
when we parted, I had considerably added to my stock of knowledge.
Indeed, it is a Godsend to fall in with a fellow like this. He knows
things you never dreamed of; his experiences are like a man from the
moon—wholly strange, a new revelation. If you want to learn romance, or
gain an insight into things quaint, curious, and marvelous, drop your
books of travel, and take a stroll along the docks of a great
commercial port. Ten to one, you will encounter Crusoe himself among
the crowds of mariners from all parts of the globe.
But this is no place for making mention of all the subjects upon which
I and my Lascar friend mostly discoursed; I will only try to give his
account of the _teakwood_ and _kayar rope,_ concerning which things I
was curious, and sought information.
The _“sagoon”_ as he called the tree which produces the teak, grows in
its greatest excellence among the mountains of Malabar, whence large
quantities are sent to Bombay for shipbuilding. He also spoke of
another kind of wood, the _“sissor,”_ which supplies most of the
_“shin-logs,”_ or “knees,” and crooked timbers in the _country ships._
The sagoon grows to an immense size; sometimes there is fifty feet of
trunk, three feet through, before a single bough is put forth. Its
leaves are very large; and to convey some idea of them, my Lascar
likened them to elephants’ ears. He said a purple dye was extracted
from them, for the purpose of staining cottons and silks. The wood is
specifically heavier than water; it is easily worked, and extremely
strong and durable. But its chief merit lies in resisting the action of
the salt water, and the attacks of insects; which resistance is caused
by its containing a resinous oil called _“poonja.”_
To my surprise, he informed me that the Irrawaddy was wholly built by
the native shipwrights of India, who, he modestly asserted, surpassed
the European artisans.
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