The Spanish was the
common ground upon which we all met; for every one knew more or less
of that. We had now, out of forty or fifty, representatives from
almost every nation under the sun: two Englishmen, three Yankees,
two Scotchmen, two Welshmen, one Irishman, three Frenchmen (two of
whom were Normans, and the third from Gascony,) one Dutchman, one
Austrian, two or three Spaniards, (from old Spain,) half a dozen
Spanish-Americans and half-breeds, two native Indians from Chili and
the Island of Chiloe, one Negro, one Mulatto, about twenty Italians,
from all parts of Italy, as many more Sandwich Islanders, one
Otaheitan, and one Kanaka from the Marquesas Islands.
The night before the vessels were ready to sail, all the Europeans
united and had an entertainment at the Rosa's hide-house, and we had
songs of every nation and tongue. A German gave us "Och! mein lieber
Augustin!" the three Frenchmen roared through the Marseilles Hymn; the
English and Scotchmen gave us "Rule Britannia," and "Who'll be King
but Charlie?" the Italians and Spaniards screamed through some
national affairs, for which I was none the wiser; and we three Yankees
made an attempt at the "Star-spangled Banner.
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