But he knew there was deception
in the political dealings of this circle of great names.
Returning to the market, they took a social glass at Baker's, where
the colonel took leave of the Captain; and the latter, intending to
repair to his vessel, followed the course of the market almost to
its lowest extreme. In one of the most public places of the market,
the Captain's attention was attracted by a singular object of
mechanism. It seemed so undefined in its application, that he was
reminded of the old saying among sailors when they fall in with any
indescribable thing at sea, that it was a "fidge-fadge, to pry the
sun up with in cloudy weather." It was a large pedestal about six
feet high, with a sort of platform at the base for persons to stand
upon, supplied with two heavy rings about eight inches apart. It was
surmounted by an apex, containing an iron shackle long enough for a
sloop-of-war's best bower chain, and just, beneath it was a
nicely-turned moulding. About three feet from the ground, and twelve
inches from the pedestal, were two pieces of timber one above the
other, with a space of some ten inches between them, the upper one
set about five inches nearest the pedestal, also containing two
rings, and both supported by posts in the ground. Above the whole
was a framework, with two projecting timbers supplied with rings,
and standing about fourteen inches in a diagonal direction above the
big ring in the apex of the shaft.
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