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[[start left page]]Our captain was a very funny merry little man and got up all kinds of plays to amuse the passengers  One of his great pleasures was dancing and although he apparently knew nothing about it he made out to shuffle and jump around to the music of a fiddle played by one of the four young gentlemen of the second cabin.  There were two big negroes on board who were going to try their fortune with a barber shop in London during the Exhibition.  These occasionally would be brought up and then of all the monkeyshines and capers few ever saw the beat  The younger passengers would always be among the dancers.  On one occasion the captain feeling very much the want of a lady or two among the party and as neither mother nor Mrs. Walmsley would join set about rigging himself as one so he borrowed mothers dress nightcap hood &c. another young gentleman getting the same of the other lady they appeared on the quarter deck before all the passengers.  Some of the steerage who were not so close at first took the captain for Mother but on finding out their mistake had a great laugh.  When they were in the heat of the dance a rope was seen to emerge from the leg of one of the ladies and directly some muslin and soon after a pillow alighted on the deck.  At this point there 

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arose such a guffaw that she fainted and here this frolic ended.  After beating up the St. Georges Channel for about a week in sight of the Irish coast with a strong headwind and witnessing many fine effects of stormy seas and skies and also encountering a pretty severe gale We arrived in the river Mersey early on Wednesday morning the 31st.  On getting up I came on deck and found the vessel in a state of great confusion.  The pilot had come on board during the night, the yards had been raised and lowered the life boats were being shifted from their place on the side of the vessel to between the main and miren masts and the cable and anchors were ready to heave.  We sailed on up the Mersey until we came opposite Liverpool.  Here we hove anchor and lay by until a tow would come.  Directly one bore along side us.  the captain took it and went on shore.  Meanwhile the passengers had got dressed in their very best and even the steerage were fixed out so gay that we scarcely knew them all were smiling and pleased.  Directly there came a row boat filled with fat rosy "john Bulls" these were the custom house officers  They soon came on board and spread themselves all over the vessel and kept a close eye on every body After a while the tow came again with the captain the luggage began to be 
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