BILLY MOONEY’S VOYAGE TO PORTINGALE.

Auckland Examiner, Volume IV, Issue 277, 30 June 1860, Page 3

BILLY MOONEY’S VOYAGE TO PORTINGALE.

Noboby’s voyage to Portingale.—What that. ? said Charey—Oh ! said old Music, I thought you-must have heard it, but I’ll tell you ; you'need not call the captain over; in course he has heard it. You must know, Sir, ; that Billy Mooney was the luckiest fellow in Waterford, and had the finest hooker —the • macltrell cameintohis boat of their own accord. Wejl, one fine su nmer's morning he met old I Moriarty, the master of the Jane, on the quay —The top of the morning to Capt. Moriaty, said Billy,—Morning, Tim, said the captain. They got into talk aceordingly. Well; said thecaptain, I hear Billy you have lots of money in. the savings’ bank..—A trifle,. Captain—a tri--1 lie ; can I sarve you —No, Billy, I don’t want to borrow, but to help you to make every pound ten. I’ll tell you how to do it, by cheating the Portuguese. You would not mind that, 'Billy? — Why, no, captain ; that same would ■be a help'to a poor man.— Well, then, said Moriarty, the great Duke is scrimmaging with the French at Lisbon, and he has not a lumper ,orn pink eye in his-canip. Load your hooker and- take them to Lisbon, and you’ll get sixpence a piece for ever murphy. —Dot how am I to find my way, captain ?—Why, take thefirst strong north wind, said- Moriarty ;..get a compass, and' run before at S.S.W. till you cross the Bay of Biscay, and, when you make the coast of Portugal, any one will tell you the way to 1 Lisbon. Look out for Belem Castle,then run'up to the town and sell tile cargo.— I’ll try,, said Billy ; and there' was self-suffici-:enee! Well, away he started, got the hooker before it,.and her'head S.S.W. ; then he said ■to the compass, I ’spect my boy said he, you’rea slippery fellow to dale with, and he nailed the card to the binnacle. Before night they lost sight of land, and they bowled away before ihe wind ; but next morning it fell calm-. Worse luck, said Billy j but boldly ventured is half won, and we’ll win yet. Well, up sprung the breeze,.and away they went before S.S.W.. and after three or 4 days no land, and then another e ilm and another breeze, till three weeks passed and they saw nothing. Oh, milla murdher, said- Billy, but I’m fairly sould ; when' they cried out, land ahead !•—Blessed be' God 1 said Billy, but there it is at last ; and as they drew in he said, may I never breathe if Portingale aint moighty k-ke Waterford, and sure Balaam Gestle has a striking resemblance to the Hook Lighthouse ! When they came close in there were the boats fishing, and they cried out, Welcome home Billy, with the dellyers 1 aint Billy the ganius, ooh, ooh, ooh ? Well, Billy never got the better of it, and that all eame of self-suffieicnce. —[Vice-Admiral Robinson.]-