By a back
stroke of the oars, however, we managed to cheat him out of his dinner,
if that was what he was after, and I think it was, but here I am!" he
cried, "all right!" and might have added, "wealthy after all."
After hearing the diver's story, I related in Portuguese our own
adventure of the same day, and probably with the same whale, the monster
having gone in the direction of the diver's boat. The astonishment of
the listeners was great; but when they learned of our intended voyage to
_America do Norte_, they crossed themselves and asked God to lend us
grace!
"Is North America near New York?" asked the village merchant, who owned
all the boats and nets of the place.
"Why, America is _in_ New York," answered the ex-schoolmaster.
"I thought so," said the self-satisfied merchant. And no doubt he
thought some of us very stupid, or rude, or both, but in spite of
manners I had to smile at the assuring air of the Canadian.
"Why did you not answer him correctly?" I asked of the ex-schoolmaster.
"I answered him," said Newkirk, "according to his folly. Had I corrected
his rusty geography before these simple, impoverished fishermen, he
would not soon forgive me; and as for the rest of the poor souls here,
the knowledge would do them but little good.
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