"ROBERT LE DIABLE."
I may,"in perhaips a not very connected conclusion, notice that on board the Vire there is a sheep of the male faculty who drinks brandy and chews tobacco.\ This cultivated -animal*, «who "rejoices in the iiame of " Robert le Diable," was - originally brought on board to serve as cooked mutton for the ship's company; but developing talent of-a high order, and a. taste for human society,-did not meet his anticipated fate. On the contrary he was made a pet" of by the sailors';, and now is rather a more important personage than the captain, it being his rule to go exactly where he ; likes, and to get out of the way for no one. The' word was " passed forward" for Robert, and he came into the wardroom in a condescending.kind of way. There he proceeded to take in "a' confusion of mixed drinks " that would have knocked over a -human toper .-in ' no time. First, he had Various. liquors "from; vermouth to absinthe on lumps of sugar, which he quite winked over with enjoyment Then he was ' given brandy in a scup-plate, as when wine glasses we! e invented it was not thought that sheep would drink, and he lapped this up greedily, and asked for more:h But, there being no more for him, he took-a quid of tobacco, and went away chewing—the perhaps. On another occasion he catne to the wardroom' without any invitation whilst I was writing there alone Putting his head in the door, and seeing no | one in uniform", he looked me carefully over, and deciding, I suppose, that, as a civilian, >1 t-had no right-to interfere \yith his movements, he proceeded in - a leisurely manner to open the'sideboard andmake a dejeuner ,not a la faurrhett*. He had soine 'doaft'sugar and. soniefecheese, * some butter 'and a 'radish, a Worcester sauce, and'a few pieces uf breap, suddenly n g that he put'his on the; top of the side-board, and started'fair, to uncork the' brandy! Fearing of complicity in his depi edations.aV this point I
veiled-for. tlie steward, 'wh" ran, in. nn-F Jtobert retired undera protest, eviiimtjy * not thinking that thi-rules of the Fit-nth service permitted of Ms being kicked .out * by anyone under the rank of u lieutenant. — 1 Guardian ' .Reporter.
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Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 254, 16 January 1874, Page 3
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377"ROBERT LE DIABLE." Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 254, 16 January 1874, Page 3
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