an undoubted reference to Tom Cushing, who, before his promotion to the pilot house was said to have been a tenor in grand opera in New York. He was a beautiful singer at any rate; could whistle like a New York newsboy, and dance like a coryphée. The "Old Man" would have been willing to take his oath that Cushing could and did do all three at the same time, in the most untimely hours of the morning watch, at the same time steering his steamboat in the most approved fashion.
The next stanza was:
"'Gineer in the engin' room listenn' fo' de bell;
He boun' to beat dat oder boat or bus' 'em up to—heb'n,"
was accepted as a distinct reference to Billy Hamilton, as the manner of stating his intention to win out in a race was peculiar to the junior engineer, and the proposition was accepted without debate.
"De Debbel he come in the middle of de night;
Sam, dere, he scairt so he tuhn mos' white—Jes like dat white man out dere on de lebbee",
pointing at some one whom he deemed it safe to poke fun at, and of course raising a laugh at the expense of the individual so honored.
"Des look at dem white fokses standin' on de sho';
Dey la-a-aff, and dey la-a-aff, till dey cain't laff no mo'—ha-ha-ha-ha-ha",