The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

> D4 THE STEAM PACKET. golden ;—but the sea was very deep! Still ‘‘ faint heart never won fair lady ;”,—the rough voice of the rude John Bull in the boat was again heard, levelling sundry anathemas and imprecatory denunciations against Mr. Pifpaf’s eyes ;—not a moment was to be lost ;—the captain laid Aramintha gently upon the seat, her head supported .upon her favourite Byron,—he rushed forward, sprang over the bulwark, and leapt into the wherry. _ The boat almost capsized with the sudden weight of this new-comer 5 but the captain’s fall was broken by the huge and portly carcass of the passenger, upon whom he tumbled. A terrible combat then ensued. The captain dealt blows, thick, fast, and heavy upon the stranger; and the latter, as soon as he recovered the presence of mind which this unexpected attack had temporarily banished, returned the pummelling with interest. The waterman also took his share in the strife; for, turning one of his oars over his head, he began to beat the oaptain’s back unmercifully with that ponderous and by no means innocuous weapon. The Luminaries all crowded towards that side of the vessel which commanded a view of this memorable naval engagement; and loud cries of “Go it, captain!” “ Bravo, Pentonville!” “Give it him again!’ and ‘‘ Hurrah for the Luminaries!’ echoed around. The ladies were also spectators of the combat: Mrs. Pifpaf forgot her ‘poor head,”’—Aramintha awoke from her swoon, to witness the never-dying exploits of her beloved Augustus--Sarah hummed again the “‘ Battle of Prague,”—and Belinda leapt. upon the seats along the © bulwarks, to obtain a better view of the exhilarating and novel scene. Mr. Pifpaf called upon his liege Luminaries to rush forward and separate the combatants ;—Mr. Rumtutch besought Mr. Tiptile to do something to preserve the peace; to which Mr. Tiptile replied, with unfeeling abruptness, “‘ that the peace might be damned for what he cared ;’’—the sailors enjoyed the fun beyond all description; and, in fact, the deck of the steam-packet was all bustle, confusion, animation, and curiosity. Now the reader will doubtless be prepared to hear that Mr. Thomas Gibbins hurried to the assistance of his master. But no such thing. Tom was stationed upon the top of one of the paddle-boxes—in spite of the notice printed in white letters upon a black board, that no passengers were allowed to seek that eminence; and thence he calmly surveyed the fight, encouraging his master from time to time, as he thought such encouragement might be needed. With arms folded, and his hat stuck airily over his left ear, Tom formed a character which a painter would not have omitted in a sketch of the scene. And then his stentorian voice rose above all other sounds, desiring Gomichbooks:.co ee ew ee fe wv ‘oe