Salmagundi; or, The whim-whams and opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, esq. [pseud.] and others. By William Irving, James Kirke Paulding and Washington Irving. Printed from the original ed., with a preface and notes by Evert A. Duyckinck.

198 SALMAGUNDI.
Vessel sets sail —chorus of mariners —" Steer her up, and let her
gang." After this a rapid movement conducts you to New York
— the North River Society hold a meeting at the corner of
Wall street, and determine to delay burning till all the Assembly-men are safe at home, for fear of consuming some of their
own members, who belong to that respectable body. Return
again to the capital.-Ice floats down the river;-lamentation
of skaters; air, affetuoso-" I sigh and lament me in vain," etc.
-Albanians cutting up sturgeon:-air-" O the roast beef of
Albany."-Ice runs against Polopoy's island with a terrible
crash.-This is represented by a fierce fellow travelling with
his fiddlestick over a huge bass viol, at the rate of one hundred
and fifty bars a minute, and tearing the music to rags; this
being what is called execution. The great body of ice passes
West Point, and is saluted by three or four dismounted cannon
from Fort Putnam-" Jefferson's March," by a full band;-air,
"Yankee Doodle," with seventy-six variations, never before
attempted, except by the celebrated eagle which flutters his
wings over the copper-bottomed angel at Messrs. Paff's in
Broadway. Ice passes New York; conch-shell sounds at a distance-ferrymen call o-v-e-r;-people run down Courtlandt
street-ferry-boat sets sail —air, accompanied by the conchshell-" We'll all go over the ferry,"-Rondeau-giving a
particular account of BROM, the Powles Hook admiral, who is
supposed to be closely connected with the North River Society.
-The Society make a grand attempt to fire the stream, but are
utterly defeated by a remarkable high tide, which brings the
plot to light; drowns upward of a thousand rats, and occasions
twenty robins to break their necks.* —Society not being discou* Vide-Solomon Lang.