And my brother answered from the quarter-deck:
“Right, my lads! Yonder’s the island! There you’ll make all your fortunes, my jolly boys!”
They gave a great huzza on this; but, as it died away, one called to my brother, saying:
“Begging your pardon, Cap’n, but me and my shipmates be particular curious to know whether what that mad maroon told of had any truth in’t. I means, about there being a ghost on that island!”
But the Captain answered with a great scoff and bluster.
“A ghost on the island!” says he, “Ghost of my grandmother! They do say that there’s a man in the moon; but you can only see the face of him. Now, as touching this man in the moon, what I am particular curious to know, is: where hath he his body and his legs?”
This brought much laughter upon that seaman, and stopped his mouth. But Burke nipped my arm; and, when the merry din subsided, he blew it up again.
“Where be his body and his legs, Captain?” roared he. “Why, he hath lent ’em to the ghost on the island!”
Meanwhile the island enlarged itself in our view, and the colour of it changed to purple.
’Twas very long and high. It lay north and south.