Deck officers, engineers, stewards, firemen, sailors, all mustered armed with sticks, and at the end of each stick was added a sharp-pointed nail—not long enough to penetrate the hide, but sufficient for tickling up the beasts. You can imagine what were the circumstances when 1000 wild creatures, after being in confinement for ten days, and driven still more furious by Atlantic buffeting, suddenly realized their liberty.
On one occasion we were working against time, with but an hour in which to conclude this discharging and then catch the tide into Liverpool docks. Everything was going nicely until one ferocious bull refused to be coaxed ashore. Minutes were being wasted, the tide was nearly on the turn, and there was the ship held up by one animal, The great expert for inducing recalcitrant oxen into obedience was the wharf's butcher, whom we now sent for. Meanwhile our -boatswain, with his mate, thought they would go on deck and have a look at the bull.
Yes, it was amusing enough for everybody, except these two men. Hardly had they shown their noses round the corner than the bull spotted them and made a magnificent onrush. Standing in the alleyway, they were up against a clude-sac, where a large hogshead of cold water barred retreat.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.