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.

258 SATMAGUNDI.
pleasant as a ball or a tea-party. The old folk were equally
pleased with the spectacle-because it cost them nothing.
Dear souls, how hard was it they should be disappointed! the
brig most obstinately refused to be decomposed; the dinners
were cold, and the puddings were overboiled, throughout the
renowned city of Gotham; and its sapient inhabitants, like the
honest Strasburghers, from whom most of them are doubtless
descended, who went out to see the courteous stranger and his
nose, all returned home after having threatened to pull down the
flag-staff by way of taking satisfaction for their disappointment.
By the way, there is not an animal in the world more discriminating in its vengeance than a free-born mob.
In the evening I repaired to friend Hogg's, to smoke a
sociable cigar, but had scarcely entered the room when I was
taken prisoner by my friend, Mr. Ichabod Fungus; who I soon
saw was at his usual trade of prying into mill-stones. The old
gentleman informed me that the brig had actually blown up,
after a world of manteuvering, and had nearly blown up the
society with it; he seemed to entertain strong doubts as to the
objects of the Society in the invention of these infernal machines
-hinted a suspicion of their wishing to set the river on fire
and that he should not be surprised on waking one of these
mornings to find the Hudson in a blaze. "Not that I disapprove of the plan," said he, " provided it has the end in view
which they profess; no, no, an excellent plan of defence; no
need of batteries, forts, frigates, and gun-boats; observe, sir, all
that's necessary is that the ships must come to anchor in a convenient place; watch must be asleep, or so complacent as not
to disturb any boats paddling about them-fair wind and tide
-no moonlight-machines well-directed-mustn't flash in the
pan-bang's the word, and the vessel's blown up in a moment!"