{"id":"01KG8AKX74JC9DC16C5TXRDMAK","cid":"bafkreigf77uqkwooaact35uevkii3tis3ucn4cckeeofii3nlvptxk55gu","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":4296,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:14.838Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 3","source_file":"01KG89J1GP71YDJ60P8SRH97MF","start_line":4223,"text":"merchant sailors, of tying fast in the rigging any lubberly landsman of\r\na passenger who may be detected taking excursions aloft, however\r\nmoderate the flight of the awkward fowl. This is called _“making a\r\nspread eagle”_ of the man; and before he is liberated, a promise is\r\nexacted, that before arriving in port, he shall furnish the ship’s\r\ncompany with money enough for a treat all round.\r\n\r\nNow this being one of the perquisites of sailors, they are always on\r\nthe keen look-out for an opportunity of levying such contributions upon\r\nincautious strangers; though they never attempt it in presence of the\r\ncaptain; as for the mates, they purposely avert their eyes, and are\r\nearnestly engaged about something else, whenever they get an inkling of\r\nthis proceeding going on. But, with only one poor fellow of a\r\ncabin-passenger on board of the Highlander, and _he_ such a quiet,\r\nunobtrusive, unadventurous wight, there seemed little chance for\r\nlevying contributions.\r\n\r\nOne remarkably pleasant morning, however, what should be seen, half way\r\nup the mizzen rigging, but the figure of our cabin-passenger, holding\r\non with might and main by all four limbs, and with his head fearfully\r\nturned round, gazing off to the horizon. He looked as if he had the\r\nnightmare; and in some sudden and unaccountable fit of insanity, he\r\nmust have been impelled to the taking up of that perilous position.\r\n\r\n“Good heavens!” said the mate, who was a bit of a wag, “you will surely\r\nfall, sir! Steward, spread a mattress on deck, under the gentleman!”\r\n\r\nBut no sooner was our Greenland sailor’s attention called to the sight,\r\nthan snatching up some rope-yarn, he ran softly up behind the\r\npassenger, and without speaking a word, began binding him hand and\r\nfoot. The stranger was more dumb than ever with amazement; at last\r\nviolently remonstrated; but in vain; for as his fearfulness of falling\r\nmade him keep his hands glued to the ropes, and so prevented him from\r\nany effectual resistance, he was soon made a handsome _spread-eagle_\r\nof, to the great satisfaction of the crew.\r\n\r\nIt was now discovered for the first, that this singular passenger\r\nstammered and stuttered very badly, which, perhaps, was the cause of\r\nhis reservedness.\r\n\r\n“Wha-wha-what i-i-is this f-f-for?”\r\n\r\n“Spread-eagle, sir,” said the Greenlander, thinking that those few\r\nwords would at once make the matter plain.\r\n\r\n“Wha-wha-what that me-me-mean?”\r\n\r\n“Treats all round, sir,” said the Greenlander, wondering at the other’s\r\nobtusity, who, however, had never so much as heard of the thing before.\r\n\r\nAt last, upon his reluctant acquiescence in the demands of the sailor,\r\nand handing him two half-crown pieces, the unfortunate passenger was\r\nsuffered to descend.\r\n\r\nThe last I ever saw of this man was his getting into a cab at Prince’s\r\nDock Gates in Liverpool, and driving off alone to parts unknown. He had\r\nnothing but a valise with him, and an umbrella; but his pockets looked\r\nstuffed out; perhaps he used them for carpet-bags.\r\n\r\nI must now give some account of another and still more mysterious,\r\nthough very different, sort of an occupant of the cabin, of whom I have\r\npreviously hinted. What say you to a charming young girl?—just the girl\r\nto sing the Dashing White Sergeant; a martial, military-looking girl;\r\nher father must have been a general. Her hair was auburn; her eyes were\r\nblue; her cheeks were white and red; and Captain Riga was her most\r\ndevoted.\r\n\r\nTo the curious questions of the sailors concerning who she was, the\r\nsteward used to answer, that she was the daughter of one of the\r\nLiverpool dock-masters, who, for the benefit of her health and the\r\nimprovement of her mind, had sent her out to America in the Highlander,\r\nunder the captain’s charge, who was his particular friend; and that now\r\nthe young lady was returning home from her tour.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 3"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJQSB3A6BR5CJ3SG0FQ1M","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1GP71YDJ60P8SRH97MF","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKX6VC017VMF38T9ZC0EH","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AKX74XZWZY749G6SPEXKM","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:19.684Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:28.288Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}