You pemi, ah! - you
come! - What for you come? - You be fine for come no pilot. - I say, you
hear? - I say, you ita maitui (no good). - You hear? - You no
pilot. - Yes, you d - - me, you no pilot 't all; I d - - you; you
hear?"
This tirade, which showed plainly that, whatever the profane old
rascal was at, he was in right good earnest, produced peals of
laughter from the ship. Upon which, he seemed to get beside himself;
and the boy, who, with suspended paddle, was staring about him,
received a sound box over the head, which set him to work in a
twinkling, and brought the canoe quite near. The orator now opening
afresh, it turned out that his vehement rhetoric was all addressed to
the mate, still standing conspicuously on the bulwarks.
But Jermin was in no humour for nonsense; so, with a sailor's
blessing, he ordered him off. The old fellow then flew into a regular
frenzy, cursing and swearing worse than any civilized being I ever
heard.
"You sabbee me?" he shouted. "You know me, ah? Well; me Jim, me
pilot - been pilot now long time."
"Ay," cried Jermin, quite surprised, as indeed we all were, "you are
the pilot, then, you old pagan. Why didn't you come off before this?"
"Ah! me scibbee, - me know - you piratee (pirate) - see you long time,
but no me come - I sabbee you - you ita maitai nuee (superlatively
bad)."
"Paddle away with ye," roared Jermin, in a rage; "be off!
