II.

A land of smokers! smoking fast were some, Quick, restless puffers wand’ring to and fro; And some, with drowsy eyes and senses dumb, Rolled heavy smoke-clouds very long and slow. The strangers saw the smokers come and go Along the shore, in groups of eight and sometimes ten, From somewhere up above to somewhere down below; Strange, dingy faces, strongly-perfumed men, Smelling as husbands when their wives ask, where they’ve been.