'' In the days I'm telling you about, I was capen of
a lighter — a big, broad, flat barge, working on tho
Thames ; not one of your narrow monkey boats as run
on the canals, though it was the blowing up of the
TUhwry the other day as put me in mind of what I'm
going to tell you in my long-winded, roundabout
fashion. But I s'pose you ain't in no hurry, so let me
go on in my own way,

**You see, your genuine lighterman ain't a lively
sort of a chap, the natur' of his ^^rofession won't lot
him be ; for he's always doing things in a quiet, slow,
easy-going fashion. Say he's in the river : well, he
tides up and he tides down^ going as slow as you like,
and only giving a sweep now and then with a long oar,
to keep the barge's head right, and stay her from com-
ing broadside on to the piers o' the bridges.
"Well, that's slow work, says you; and so it is.
