{"id":"01KG8AKRN1WD7X0TH5GW78X38S","cid":"bafkreiagemdvofl6tytqwewpgfzog3o225strhpwr7k3wvufeoapvc7gje","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":12180,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:14.846Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 3","source_file":"01KG89J1GP71YDJ60P8SRH97MF","start_line":12101,"text":"ship-papers in his hand, and one by one called their names; and in\r\nmellow bank notes—beautiful sight!—paid them their wages.\r\n\r\nMost of them had less than ten, a few twenty, and two, thirty dollars\r\ncoming to them; while the old cook, whose piety proved profitable in\r\nrestraining him from the expensive excesses of most seafaring men, and\r\nwho had taken no pay in advance, had the goodly round sum of seventy\r\ndollars as his due.\r\n\r\nSeven ten dollar bills! each of which, as I calculated at the time, was\r\nworth precisely one hundred dimes, which were equal to one thousand\r\ncents, which were again subdivisible into fractions. So that he now\r\nstepped into a fortune of seventy thousand American _“mitts.”_ Only\r\nseventy dollars, after all; but then, it has always seemed to me, that\r\nstating amounts in sounding fractional sums, conveys a much fuller\r\nnotion of their magnitude, than by disguising their immensity in such\r\naggregations of value, as doubloons, sovereigns, and dollars. Who would\r\nnot rather be worth 125,000 francs in Paris, than only £5000 in London,\r\nthough the intrinsic value of the two sums, in round numbers, is pretty\r\nmuch the same.\r\n\r\nWith a scrape of the foot, and such a bow as only a negro can make, the\r\nold cook marched off with his fortune; and I have no doubt at once\r\ninvested it in a grand, underground oyster-cellar.\r\n\r\nThe other sailors, after counting their cash very carefully, and seeing\r\nall was right, and not a bank-note was dog-eared, in which case they\r\nwould have demanded another: for they are not to be taken in and\r\ncheated, your sailors, and they know their rights, too; at least, when\r\nthey are at liberty, after the voyage is concluded:— the sailors also\r\nsalaamed, and withdrew, leaving Harry and me face to face with the\r\nPaymaster-general of the Forces.\r\n\r\nWe stood awhile, looking as polite as possible, and expecting every\r\nmoment to hear our names called, but not a word did we hear; while the\r\ncaptain, throwing aside his accounts, lighted a very fragrant cigar,\r\ntook up the morning paper—I think it was the Herald—threw his leg over\r\none arm of the chair, and plunged into the latest intelligence from all\r\nparts of the world.\r\n\r\nI looked at Harry, and he looked at me; and then we both looked at this\r\nincomprehensible captain.\r\n\r\nAt last Harry hemmed, and I scraped my foot to increase the\r\ndisturbance.\r\n\r\nThe Paymaster-general looked up.\r\n\r\n“Well, where do you come from? Who are _you,_ pray? and what do you\r\nwant? Steward, show these young gentlemen out.”\r\n\r\n“I want my money,” said Harry.\r\n\r\n“My wages are due,” said I.\r\n\r\nThe captain laughed. Oh! he was exceedingly merry; and taking a long\r\ninspiration of smoke, removed his cigar, and sat sideways looking at\r\nus, letting the vapor slowly wriggle and spiralize out of his mouth.\r\n\r\n“Upon my soul, young gentlemen, you astonish me. Are your names down in\r\nthe City Directory? have you any letters of introduction, young\r\ngentlemen?”\r\n\r\n“Captain Riga!” cried Harry, enraged at his impudence—“I tell you what\r\nit is, Captain Riga; this won’t do—where’s the rhino?”\r\n\r\n“Captain Riga,” added I, “do you not remember, that about four months\r\nago, my friend Mr. Jones and myself had an interview with you in this\r\nvery cabin; when it was agreed that I was to go out in your ship, and\r\nreceive three dollars per month for my services? Well, Captain Riga, I\r\nhave gone out with you, and returned; and now, sir, I’ll thank you for\r\nmy pay.”\r\n\r\n“Ah, yes, I remember,” said the captain. _“Mr. Jones!_ Ha! ha! I\r\nremember Mr. Jones: a very gentlemanly gentleman; and stop—_you,_ too,\r\nare the son of a wealthy French importer; and—let me think—was not your\r\ngreat-uncle a barber?”\r\n\r\n“No!” thundered I.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 3"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJTW2WYN7EY41V9J2FA4X","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1GP71YDJ60P8SRH97MF","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKRMZK1X13E4TM7FKMD69","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AKRN1V4889VCZX2T3DBSC","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:15.009Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:35.387Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}