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¬When we got into the town, I was surprized to see that by far the greater part of them were hale, robust men, in the highest state of comeli- ness and health, though most of them had been ten or twelve years at sea, without ever setting foot upon the land, and many of them much longer. — Every one of them had his lass, decked out with a profusion of ribbons of the same colour as in her sailor's hat. — They were full of glee, and full of money, the whole of which, I was told, must, according to an immemorial and inexorable custom, be spent among the ladies in one day, and indeed they seemed most alert in ob- serving it, as they were parading the streets with music, and shops and places of entertainment of every description gaped wide open to receive them. — I was invited to dine with their officers, where I met the most pleasant men I had ever conversed with. — The table was not quite large enough for us all, but they would hear of no difficulties, and as some of them had left an arm or a leg behind them, we were able (to use a seaman's phrase) to stow the closer. — They had ¬all ¬
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