Captain J------ is a very agreeable specimen of the American shipmaster,
--a pleasant, gentlemanly man, not at all refined, and yet with fine and
honorable sensibilities. Very easy in his manners and conversation, yet
gentle,--talking on freely, and not much minding grammar; but finding a
sufficient and picturesque expression for what he wishes to say; very
cheerful and vivacious; accessible to feeling, as yesterday, when talking
about the recent death of his mother. His voice faltered, and the tears
came into his eyes, though before and afterwards he smiled merrily, and
made us smile; fond of his wife, and carrying her about the world with
him, and blending her with all his enjoyments; an excellent and sagacious
man of business; liberal in his expenditure; proud of his ship and flag;
always well dressed, with some little touch of sailor-like flashiness,
but not a whit too much; slender in figure, with a handsome face, and
rather profuse brown beard and whiskers; active and alert; about
thirty-two. A daguerreotype sketch of any conversation of his would do
him no justice, for its slang, its grammatical mistakes, its mistaken
words (as "portable" for "portly"), would represent a vulgar man, whereas
the impression he leaves is by no means that of vulgarity; but he is a
character quite perfect within itself, fit for the deck and the cabin,
and agreeable in the drawing-room, though not amenable altogether to its
rules. Being so perfectly natural, he is more of a gentleman for those
little violations of rule, which most men, with his opportunities, might
escape.
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