"The Ionian, of New York, bound to St. George's, Bermuda," replied the captain in a crusty tone.
"The captain's name?" demanded the officer, becoming more imperative as the commander of the Ionian manifested more of his crabbed disposition.
"Captain Sawlock," growled the ill-favored master of the steamer, who was a rather short man, thick-set, with a face badly pitted by the small-pox, but nearly covered with a grizzly and tangled beard.
"You will oblige me by producing your papers, Captain Sawlock," continued Mr. Birdwing.
"For a good reason, my papers are not regular," answered the captain of the Ionian, with an attempt to be more affable, though it did not seem to be in his nature to be anything but a brute in his manners.
"Regular or not, you will oblige me by exhibiting them," the officer insisted.
"It is not my fault that a change was made in my orders after I got under way," pleaded Captain Sawlock.
"Will you produce your clearance and other papers?" demanded the lieutenant very decidedly.
"This is an American vessel, and you have no right to overhaul me in this manner," growled the captain of the steamer.
"You are in command of a steamer, and you cannot be so ignorant as to believe that an officer of a man-of-war has not the right to require you to show your papers," added Mr. Birdwing with a palpable sneer.